Teutonia Tony, Chicco 2002 or Inglesina Zippy (or other)?

[zoethebeagle]

I have a 2001 Mac Techno and a 2002 Dreamer Design Suspension jogger now. I love the Mac (English made) but my 18 month old daughter (21+ lbs but tall) always seems uncomforable in it. I think she would do better with a more plush stroller and I think she would like sitting up more with a napper bar in front of her. She always seems to slump in the Mac and I just think she would do better in a stroller that is more like a "chair" where she could sit up and see the world.

My budget is really around the $200 mark (but flexible if I could find a stroller to last a long time....but not flexible enough for a bugaboo!) and I have been reading up on the Teutonia Tony, Chicco 2002 and Inglesina Zippy. I need a lighterweight stroller that will fit in my trunk (Hyundai Elantra GT) and will be used for my main stroller (I use the jogger -LOVE it!- for walks in the neighborhood/parks and serious running but it is too big to take in my car). I am also unfamiliar with the world of Pegs (so many!). I am a transplant from NYC to the burbs so I always thought a Mac was the answer but Caleigh just doesn't seem to like it.

I've read on the ParentsPlace stroller board that Babies R Us now carries the Tony. I am intrigued by the Teutonias but the Chicco 2002 and the Inglesina Zippy look good, too and they seem to have some good deals online. I live in Westchester- we have BRU and BuyBuyBaby in Scarsdale- I haven't actually gone to look yet because I wanted to get some advice first!

Your suggestions are welcome! Thanks!

Erika
Caleigh 9/11/01

P.S. Thinking ahead....it would also be good for this stroller to be compatable with a buggy board down the road....

[hardysmom]

I'm in the same situation. My son hates his Mac Vogue for anything more than a quick errand. Love my Teutonia Y2K for EVERYTHING outdoors.

I looked at the same strollers and have a Zippy on the way. I have had 2 Teutonias (the Y2K and a Swing, briefly) They are wonderful, but I am not 100% about the Toni with a big toddler. The Toni's seat is an inch narrower than my Mac's (12.5 in vs. 11.5 in). In general, Teutonias' seats are on the narrow side (given the size of the strollers) If your child is above average height/weight, I would check one out in person before buying. Also sounds like it has a variation of the standard Teutonia folding mechanism, which is a bit complicated if a simple fold it a big deal to you.

The Chicco 2002s are supposed to be wonderful all-around strollers. $100 less than a Zippy. Better steering. Also btter if you're tall. I had a creedit at a store who sold Inglesina or it would have been a MUCH tought choice.

From the looks of it, I doubt the Toni will work with a Board. Haven't heard about a Zippy (I hope so, too). Chicco does work very well. Probably better than the Zippy b/c the handles are highter and more angled so you would have more room. People already complain about kicking the Zippy, which wouldn't be better w/ a board attached.

Stephanie

[Tondi G]

Check out www.babyuniverse.com for a good deal on the Chicco's right now!

Sounds like the Chicco would probably suit your needs well! Everyone who has one seems to love it and the steering would be closer to the Mac which you are used to! Good Luck

~Tondi

[memedee]

Have you looked at the z street by zooper.
Great steering and very comfy looking.

[TrinaCliff]

Stephanie,
I'm curious about something...does the Y2K have a narrow seat? When I saw you mention that Teutonia's have narrow seats, I went and measured mine...arm rest to arm rest they are all 13", and down at the seat bottom all are at least 12 1/2", through the fabric :) ...is the Y2K narrower????

Kristen

[hardysmom]

No, the Y2K is 13in as well.

But, by comparison, for a larger stroller, my Peg Milano measured 13.5. Its wheel base is over an inch narrower than the Swing's.

I measured my Swing at 12.5, but it is so plush there is plenty of wiggle room on the measurements. Actually, when I bought my Y2K, someone warned me off b/c they said they weren't good for above average sized kids and that probably stuck with me, though it doesn't mesh with my personal experience. Thanks for pointing that out!

I have never even seen a Toni IRL, but 11.5 inches (which is Teutonia's measurement) does sound tight. The early reports also sound like the seat is both shorter and narrower than the full-sized strollers.

On the Swing, it isn't that the seat was so narrow, it just seemed narrow relative to the width of the stroller AND exaggerated b/c of the way the armrests came up. Do you know what I mean? Hardy is only 15 mo, but built like a super-sized toddler. He is wide enough to take up a lot of space on the seat, but not tall enough to really rest his arms on the armrests, so his whole little body is a little (not a lot!!) cramped. But he is still built like a toddler, not a little kidlet. During our brief affair with the Swing, I realized it wasn't a big deal b/c once he had a little more height, the seat would fit him better. That is, he would grow into it. I NEVER NEVER NEVER considered returning it for that reason.

Gosh, I really appreciate you bringing that up so I could clarify!

Stephanie :)

[TrinaCliff]

Ok, I gotcha! Yes, they are big strollers, so I guess they really should have SUPER sized seats, right? LOL! And, yes, 11.5" wide is pretty narrow for the Toni...especially since it's a single. I measured my Twin Jet, and the seat bottom measures 13" as well...pretty funny since that is a double. BUT, I did get it because it's known for being very plush and roomy...and because of that I may have to struggle to get it through some doors, though I'm not sure yet as I haven't gotten a chance to actually use it while out and about yet. :)

The Teutonia seats seem very roomy for my children, but mine are lightweights...LOL! DS is almost 2 1/2 and he's around 27 lbs. DD is 9 months and 16 1/2 lbs (10th % for weight...LOL!) I can see how Hardy would be kind of cramped...if he can't put his arms up and above the armrests, they are making him smooshed since he can't move them to make more room...I totally see what you are saying...once he got taller he would be able to move around more.

Out of curiousity, I wonder what strollers have the widest seats?

See you on the other board...LOL! We are playing chase, since I responded to you about your relatives in Germany over on the other board...LOL!
Kristen

[zoethebeagle]

Just a follow up from yesterday. I was trying to decide between the Toni, Zippy and Chicco 2002. I went to BRU and Buy Buy Baby in Westchester, NY and saw the Toni and the Zippy. I thought the Toni was nice- great steering and super stylish but a little bit too heavy for everyday use for me (especially coming from a Mac Techno 2001) It is a beautiful stroller and my daughter liked it- we had never tried a Teutonia before!

Then I tried the Zippy and fell in love with it. My daughter also loved it and I knew it was the stroller for me. Plush and so easy to open and lighter than the Toni. They had the 2003s without the attached rain cover and a floor model with the attached rain cover for $20 off. I thought the concept of the attached raincover was nice but I hated the way that most of it was blue fabric with only a small clear window. Would a baby feel trapped in there? Plus- the guy said the raincover added 2 lbs to the total weight of the stroller (seemed a bit much to me) so I decided to go with the 2003 and the separate rain cover.

My question is this: Has anyone bought the boot to go with the Zippy. I loved the boot that came with the Toni- I think a boot is so nice. I have a Toastie Toddler for my Mac but I really dislike it- I can't fold the stroller with it and it gets all bunched up and then straps are hard to close. Is a boot for the zippy worth the extra $40? Or is that silly and I should just use a blanket? Also, has anyone bought the bassinet that goes with the zippy? It looks intriguing (for down the road).

[KarenNYC]

Just curious as to what you ended up deciding to do as I live in WEstchester and I have the TEchno XT as well and HATE it - Buy Buy Baby will take it back and I wanted to get the Zippy. I'd love your thoughts on it.....

thanks,
Karen

[annik924]

Hi! I've decided to get a Zippy after debating about the Toni. Thanks for the information about the rain cover. I couldn't find anything on Inglesina.com. What kind of rain cover did you get?

I hope somebody responds to you about the boot. I live in Minnesota, so cold weather protection is a must for my DS. Do you think the Inglesina boot looks a little short? It would be nice to get more than one season out of it.

Congrats on your new Zippy :)

Annik
Mom to Alex (4/12/03)

[strollerqueen]

Hey Kristen!

Where have YOU been? Well, I *think* I now have the widest stroller seat available, because it's the first one I can comfortably fit in, LOL!

It's the Quinny Freestyle 3-wheeler, which I am really beginning to love. I only get to test-drive it, though, {{sniff sniff.}}

The bottom of the seat measures 14", and shoulder to shoulder, a whopping 16"! WOWEE

The canopy is also pretty tall. My 44" DD still has a few inches of growth room left, before her head hits the top.

[zoethebeagle]

It's so funny that my post was revived! I posted on this back in March! Anyway- I love my Zippy and I am 100% happy with my purchase. My ONLY minor complaint is that is hard to steer one handed (especially compared to my Techno) but I'm willing to deal with that. My daughter loves it- the napper bar made a huge difference- she just sits up straighter and seems to be much more comfortable. I'd definitely swap the Techno for the Zippy at Buy Buy Baby if they will take it back. Just remember- it is heavier than the Techno, it is a bit bulkier folded and harder to steer but it is much more plush, has a napper bar, full recline and looks great (I think!) I think for being in Westchester it is a great stroller.

I also ended up buying the matching boot and I love that, too. It is pretty small and I question whether my daughter (now 25 1/2 mos) will be too long for it this winter but I used it through the last spring and I was happy I bought it.

I just think it makes the stroller look so sleek and since I got the Zippy in Cookie I knew I would never find anything to match otherwise. It's not very warm- it's thin- but on really cold days I'd just use a blanket inside, as well. Otherwise it did a nice job of keeping her bundled and wind free.

I didn't get the bassinet because it only comes in navy (now that I have #2 on the way)- if it came in Cookie I would probably buy it. I'm hoping to attach a buggy board on my Zippy for when the new baby comes and use it with my infant seat.

I don't think Buy Buy Baby sells the matching boot- I've never seen it there- I ordered my from Marilyn at arunningstroller.com- she's terrific!

Good luck!

Erika
Caleigh 9/11/01
EDD Boy 12/23/03 (hopefully the updated 2004 peg aria twin will get soon enough for him!!!)