Help me choose between... pliko vs. venezia

[julieann]

Help! I am getting a million different pieces of advice and I do not know what to do.. my baby is expected in april, so that means a whole summer of walking when I am home.. I live in Chicago and will be outside a lot. But, we have two trips to visit family planned for august and september, when my baby may be out of his/her infant carseat.. My plan was for a venezia and a snap and go... but too many of you don't like the venezia.. why??? can the pliko be used for infants.. if so why don't more people get that one... help!!!

[Zansu]

Yes, the Pliko can be used for infants. It has an almost flat recline.

HTH
Suzanne

[hardysmom]

First-- everyone doesn't dislike Venezias, sometimes a particular point of view just seems more vocal. I have a Peg Milano (which MORE people dislike than the Venezia, lol) which I STILL use with my 15 mo. DS.

I also have a Tuetonia Y2K, Emmaljunga Husky, and Maclaren Vogue so it isn't like I don't have other wonderful choices!

Here is the deal (from my point of view), the Venezia is an AWESOME newborn stroller. Much better than the Pliko-- the generous canopy, full recline, and an outstanding (LOVE IT!) reversible handle. The down side is that is doesn't have the best steering and is a better stroller inside than outside. The features that make it such a fantastic choice for an infant are pretty much outgrown by a year. While it is still very comfortable for a toddler, it isn't very convenient. The older/heavier the baby gets the harder is is to steer in tight spaces and it gets stuck on cracks in the sidewalk. Plus, as the baby gets bigger and you get the hang of motherhood your life speeds up again. The Venezia can have a hard timne keeping up!

The Pliko is also a great stroller. It isn't packed with features for a newborn, but as noted above, most of these baby-friendly features will be outgrown. At 6 mo, you'll be starting to really like your Pliko OR thinking about trading your Venezia for something smaller. The Pliko isn't perfect, but it is a good, all-around, long-term stroller.

Your priorities change as the baby grows-- it just matters what you think is important-- a reversible handle for the newborn OR better steering for a toddler. It also depends on if you think you will have more than one stroller. There really isn't one perfect stroller for all occasions.

Personally, I like the Venezia's features. I would go for it then get something which steers better than a Venezia OR a Pliko (like a Chicco or Mac) when the baby is around 6 mo.

And that is just my opinion ;)
Stephanie

[MomofConor]

I used a Pliko with Conor from birth to 10 mos. While he was in the infant car seat it was great as it fit nicely into the Pliko. It was when he was outgrew the car seat that I began to realize that it wasn't going to work for us. I found I needed something that steered better one-handed for those times when I had to carry him and push the stroller. So I agree with Stephanie that you may find as the baby gets a little older you may want to replace it. In my case I sold the Pliko on ebay and purchased a PiXXel and a Chicco 2002. Lurking on these boards has been a bad influence on me, LOL.

HTH
Christine

[egoldber]

I am probably one that has been vocal about not getting the Venezia. :) I still have mine and use it occasionally. But I bought it originally thinking it would be my ONE "do all for all time" stroller. And it is just too big for that. If you buy it to mainly use for the first 6 months, as Stephanie said, and then plan to add something smaller, or be willing to live with its hugeness, then you're fine. :)

Where I live (Washington DC area), Plikos are VERY popular. Several moms in my playgroup have them and adore them.

HTH,

[MinnieMouse]

Another Milano owner here. We LOVE our Milano and I wouldn't have liked a Pliko for when dd was an infant. Yes we used our infant seat with it, but not when walking around the neighborhood, only when out and about. The Milano was nice and plush and dd was sooo comfy in it. She is now 19mo and we use the Milano for long days and I picked up an Aria on sale (only $40) when she was 14mo that we now use for traveling and running errands.

I too thought the reversible handles were VERY handy...and to be honest, dh and I purposefully didn't want the Pliko because of the umbrella handles, but that is a personal preference...we wanted the bar.

HTH

Christine

[Tondi G]

Get the Pliko... you won't be disappointed... but you may be with the Venezia!!!! We got a milano first and it was great for a few months.... then we got the pliko when we couldn't take the milano anymore and were and ARE THRILLED!!!! PLiko can totally be used for infants, full recline, good padding! I found the wheels and weight of the pliko made it much easier to use outside but with Milano would stop dead if we hit a crack in the sidewalk... poor DS looked like he would have whiplash! Good Luck... Hope that helps!

~Tondi and Mason 7/8/01 ~Pliko lovers!

[egoldber]

Just a thought, if you are concerned about the plushness of the Pliko for an infant, you could always add one fo those cushy inserts, like the Snuzzler or Stroller Fleece.

HTH,

[cad01]

but found this on page 5. Does anyone have anyting to add?
Julieann-What did you decide to do?
I would like to use a stroller for the mall, errands, and travel. I realize that when the baby gets older, I will have to buy a light weight stroller for errands. But I'm really torn between these two strollers. In the Peg P book it says the Venezia is 17 pds and the Pliko is 16 pds. But I have seen that the Pliko folds up more compact than the Venezia. I'm so confused!

Also, are there any known stores that sell current models for cheap?

[julieann]

We ended up going with the Venezia and a koolcraft infant seat carrier.. I figure for the summer the Venezia will be great for long walks in the city (which I do often) and for travel and lots of errands we can use the Koolcraft.. I realize the Venezia my be bulky for some, but like you said it's not much lighter than the pliko! hopefully it will work out, baby is not due till April