McQ
10-01-2004, 02:23 PM
All this talk from the co-op got me really jazzed about the ABC Twin. It sounded like the perfect stroller. I was in love, caught the bug and ordered it from the NY store.
My ABC came Wednesday. And it’s a sharp stroller. There are many, many pros to the ABC, but there were some cons. Now, could I live with the cons?
Before ordering the ABC, I had been researching the Valco Double and the MBUD. I had all the facts but hadn’t seen them IRL and hadn’t made the hour plus trek up north to go see them. So yesterday, in my stroller frenzy, DH & I made the trip and I think I’ve made my decision – for the Valco. And here’s why…
ABC – The pros are that it’s a good looking stroller – best of the bunch. The fabric is my favorite out of the 3. Overall it looks the best. I love the seats and the peek a boo windows. It has storage and pockets galore. It steers well and has a good grip. The tires are great. And the sun protection is awesome.
Now the for cons. This stroller is a beast and I mean this sucker is heavy. I know in theory it weighs about the same as the others, but I don’t know, maybe it’s the weight distribution but I have a HARD time lifting it. And it takes up practically all of the room in the back of my Land Rover SUV. And the mechanisms are funky – a lot of screws making it feel real mechanical. For instance with the fold you have to pull a knob out and twist on each side, then fold it down. Or to extend the handle bar you have to unscrew more knobs and then pull. So it’s okay, just not completely user friendly. Then there’s the napper bar. You raise it like you would the safety bar on a ferris wheel – and it doesn’t lock in so a curious little tyke could lift it up and possibly pinch fingers when putting it down.
Valco – The pros are that it steers great and has the best grip. It does not feel any where near as heavy as the ABC. True it has a funky fold, but it’s a fold I can accept. When folded it’s a lot smaller and much easier for me to lift than the ABC. This stroller is plush with all kinds of padding, pockets on the back of the seats and peek a boo windows although the bottom storage pales in comparison to the ABC. And the fabric, nice, but not as nice as the ABC. The tires are great and pop off in a snap. Sun protection is decent.
The only real con I have with the Valco is that huge plastic W shaped footrest on the front. Not only does it make the Valco longer in feel to the ABC, but it’s a lot of ugly plastic staring me in the face. Am I this shallow or what!
The MBUD did not stand a chance against the Valco or ABC. It’s just too bare bones for me with none of the neat features as above. It steered well but the grip was awful. And I didn’t like the tires either. The only thing going for this was the fold and the steering.
So I think I’ve made up my mind and am going to get the Valco. It’s close call though. Looks wise, I’d love to be out and about with the ABC, but I don’t think I can get over how heavy it is and the mechanical feel to it. The Valco has some great features and I think I can deal with plastic foot rest. I guess it’s a good thing the NY store is closed for another week so I have some time to decide.
Allison
~ mama to Declan 3.24.03 and Meghan 8.26.04
My ABC came Wednesday. And it’s a sharp stroller. There are many, many pros to the ABC, but there were some cons. Now, could I live with the cons?
Before ordering the ABC, I had been researching the Valco Double and the MBUD. I had all the facts but hadn’t seen them IRL and hadn’t made the hour plus trek up north to go see them. So yesterday, in my stroller frenzy, DH & I made the trip and I think I’ve made my decision – for the Valco. And here’s why…
ABC – The pros are that it’s a good looking stroller – best of the bunch. The fabric is my favorite out of the 3. Overall it looks the best. I love the seats and the peek a boo windows. It has storage and pockets galore. It steers well and has a good grip. The tires are great. And the sun protection is awesome.
Now the for cons. This stroller is a beast and I mean this sucker is heavy. I know in theory it weighs about the same as the others, but I don’t know, maybe it’s the weight distribution but I have a HARD time lifting it. And it takes up practically all of the room in the back of my Land Rover SUV. And the mechanisms are funky – a lot of screws making it feel real mechanical. For instance with the fold you have to pull a knob out and twist on each side, then fold it down. Or to extend the handle bar you have to unscrew more knobs and then pull. So it’s okay, just not completely user friendly. Then there’s the napper bar. You raise it like you would the safety bar on a ferris wheel – and it doesn’t lock in so a curious little tyke could lift it up and possibly pinch fingers when putting it down.
Valco – The pros are that it steers great and has the best grip. It does not feel any where near as heavy as the ABC. True it has a funky fold, but it’s a fold I can accept. When folded it’s a lot smaller and much easier for me to lift than the ABC. This stroller is plush with all kinds of padding, pockets on the back of the seats and peek a boo windows although the bottom storage pales in comparison to the ABC. And the fabric, nice, but not as nice as the ABC. The tires are great and pop off in a snap. Sun protection is decent.
The only real con I have with the Valco is that huge plastic W shaped footrest on the front. Not only does it make the Valco longer in feel to the ABC, but it’s a lot of ugly plastic staring me in the face. Am I this shallow or what!
The MBUD did not stand a chance against the Valco or ABC. It’s just too bare bones for me with none of the neat features as above. It steered well but the grip was awful. And I didn’t like the tires either. The only thing going for this was the fold and the steering.
So I think I’ve made up my mind and am going to get the Valco. It’s close call though. Looks wise, I’d love to be out and about with the ABC, but I don’t think I can get over how heavy it is and the mechanical feel to it. The Valco has some great features and I think I can deal with plastic foot rest. I guess it’s a good thing the NY store is closed for another week so I have some time to decide.
Allison
~ mama to Declan 3.24.03 and Meghan 8.26.04