Inglesina Swift

[jmac588]

Does anyone know about these strollers? They look alot like the Mac Techno, but was wondering if it was a cheap imitation or a great alternative.

[MelissaTC]

I just found this stroller on a website and it looks awesome. Inglesinas are good strollers. I am seriously considering it and hope someone knows something about them!

-Melissa
:)
Mommy to Matthew Patrick

[galton]

I haven't found them yet in stores only on line. I'm trying to decide between the Maclarens and Inglesina, but haven't found a model to demo. Would love to know how they hand and fold.

[mamabear]

I have never seen a Mac Techno in person, however. I have seen a Daytripper and a Volo. I would say the Swift is most comparable to a Daytripper, but with more recline, the ergonomic handles, and more padding.

I think this is a really nice stroller for $99! However, a couple of important differences between it and the Techno: a) the wheels are smaller, so not as good for outdoors/bumpy/gravel/dirt etc. b) the handles are not as nice (I've seen the handles on the Volo). The Swift's handles are foam covered and angled in, but not angled as much as the Volo/Techno and not as chunky and padded. Pretty nice, still -- definitely an improvement over straight umbrella handles!

Some positives over the Mac (to me): The canopy is coated in some way (like PVC on the inside but nylon on the outside) and seemed to be really substantial and sturdy. Fabrics seemed extremely nice overall. More padded than a Techno, I think. And the basket is very easy to access when the seat is upright; I think I would say it's probably easier to access than in a Mac Techno. However, just like the Techno, with full recline you cannot get to the basket at all. You can get to it okay in position #3 and just fine in position #1 and #2. Also, the basket seems to be bigger slightly overall than the Macs. It sort of sagged down around the crossbars and filled in that whole space.

The padded seat is *really* nice. You can undo the pad easily and hand wash it separately, and the seat itself is covered in a sturdy, thick nylon fabric that will wipe off easily. The legrest is a little weird. Study the pic closely and you'll see that the seat sticks out from the main frame of the stroller. You can't fold down this legrest part at all -- it is just aluminum tubing sticking out. Seems a little odd...like the child wouldn't be able to reach the footrest. I'm going back there today or tomorrow to try my son in it, so I'll report back on how that works. It looks awkward and I'm wishing they had designed it differently.

In terms of fold and unfold, it's basically the same as a Maclaren. It doesn't fold *quite* as compactly as a Daytripper due to the padded seat and the canopy size/shape, but the same would be true of a Techno.

Oh, one other point: the stroller frame overall is more upright than a Mac. This probably means less tippy. But, I'm thinking about using a buggy board, and it might be harder to push with a buggy board on the back. Others who have tried this setup with an Inglesina Planet or Easy Evo would be able to speak to this. If not using a buggy board, the frame would only be a positive attribute, I think, unless perhaps you are very tall. I'm 5'4" so again, can't speak to that!

Overall, the design was nice, high quality materials, very comparable to Maclaren...I've heard good things about Inglesina overall and this stroller, while entry-level, is no exception. It steered and pushed great (although I didn't try it with my child in it). I will go back and try it with Jacob and report again on steering as well as the footrest.

Lauren

[galton]

Wow. Thanks Lauren for the in-depth comparison. Just what I needed. I've been trying to find the Swift (live in So California) so I can compare to the Macs, but no luck. Let us know how it steers one-handed. Also, how is the canopy coverage and the recline mechanism work (didn't like the way the daytripper worked)?


Thanks a bunch!

Gaylene

[mamabear]

You're welcome!

The canopy coverage is, I think, a little more than the Daytripper but definitely less than a Vogue or Techno. I just got my Vogue today so when I go back I will directly compare them!

The recline is similar to the Vogue or Techno, not at all like the Daytripper. I *think* it reclines even a little more than the Vogue...I will compare that directly, too when I get there.

[galton]

FYI

In case your interested here is Lauren's review of the Swift on the PP board.
http://boards2.parentsplace.com/messages/get/ppstrollers135/14.html