Zippy, Mac or P3...

[cmonbaby]

I have officially become obsessed with stroller shopping and researching. I think it's just contagious around here! I am completely torn between the Zippy, Mac Techno XT and the P3. I would love any advice, pros and cons about all three of these strollers. I am wanting a stroller for errands, walks and basic travel. I prefer to get something that will last me awhile.

If you own any of these three please share your true feelings about them! Also, does anyone own or know much about the Mac Global Buggy- is it worth getting for the infant carrier aspect or just buy a stroller and a UCSC?

Thanks!

[HoneymoonBaby]

For a newborn, your choice is really between the Zippy and P3. IMO, Macs other than the Global really aren't newborn-friendly. That said, all three of those are great strollers, so I'll hit the high and low points for each:

Zippy -- PROS: one-hand fold, cushy, easy to steer, huge canopy. CONS: no child snack tray or older child footboard.

P3 -- PROS: cushy, easy to steer, height adjustable handles, has child snack tray and older child footboard. CONS: no one-hand fold, canopy is smallish.

Techno XT -- PROS: VERY easy to steer, height adjustable handles. CONS: no snack tray or even napper bar, skimpy padding compared to P3 and Zippy, skimpy canopy, tippy tippy tippy!!!!

I chose the Zippy for my own baby and was very, very pleased with it. But I think you'd be happy with that OR a P3. I liked the comparative lack of plastic on the Zippy as compared to the P3, but that may not be a big deal to you. I also liked the one-handed fold A LOT. I never could get the hang of the Peg Peregos.

[MarisaSF]

I know a lot of people want to buy their stroller(s) before baby is born (often because they are getting it as a gift). This might not be helpful as I don't own any of the strollers you mentioned, but here are my two cents...

I was in the same situation as you -- deciding mainly between those three (they seemed to be the ones my friends were recommending). I was so overloaded with info and opinions that I decided to wait until after baby was born to figure out how I would use it. That seemed reasonable since people were also telling me "put baby in it. Some kids are comfy in this and not in that." etc. (You will also find that everyone loves whatever stroller they have. Well, at least your "lay" person -- not necessarily the experts on these boards!)

Before Jazz was born, I wound up JUST getting a (used) UCSC and that worked well for me for 5 months. Now baby can sit up well on her own and I just got her a Quest. Since she still fits in her snugride, we keep the UCSC in the trunk and I use the Quest for errands near home. If I take her in the car, both strollers fit in the trunk so I have options.

So... basically I ruled out the P3 and Zippy because, though they are wonderful strollers, the main thing I liked about them over the Quest was the ability to take a carseat. The Techno had the full recline, but DD now doesn't like being fully reclined anyway. The Quest is *not* the perfect stroller, but it works perfectly for my needs. As DD gets heavier, it sure is nice to have the one-hand fold and light stroller.

Sorry this is getting so long... No matter what, I absolutely recommend you get a carseat carrier (either full stroller or UCSC), ie not just a Techno (of course then you'll hear from a friend whose baby hated her carseat, etc). If you already have a UCSC, I might recommend you wait and see if you really need a "full" stroller for the first couple months. It sure is nice to be able to test drive with baby in it. If you opt for a Zippy or P3, no need to get a UCSC.

[spikeso]

Hi,

I am back at this board to research doubles since we have our second on the way. This board was so helpful when I researched our first stroller purchase, so I hope I can help others out with what little we have learned.

Back in early 2003, we did the same research before our first born. We chose to skip a carseat carrier and opt for a stroller that would take a carseat. We did this mainly because of our concerns about plagiocephaly (a search will turn up tons of info). We narrowed our choice to the Mac Global, Peg Pliko (P3 was not yet out), and Zippy. We chose the Zippy because it seemed very plush compared to the Global, and it steered better and had a much easier fold than the Pliko.

When our DD arrived, we used the stroller immediately. It is very handy to have the option to use either the carseat adaptor bar for short, quick errands, or the reclined stroller for long walks. The plagiocephaly issue is not overstated IMO. We have friends who used a UCSC for many months, and their DD got a mild case of "flat head". So they had to do repositioning for a few months, but it definitely traumatized them a bit. For walks around the neighborhood or park, or even mall, its definitely better to use a real stroller.

For newborns and infants, the Zippy works quite well. It is very plush and our DD was very comfortable. It has large wheels so that the ride is good even on rough sidewalks or park dirt paths. Our big complaint early on though was that the Sun Canopy did not pull down to the napper bar. (They added this one year later.) We dealt with this by draping a blanket over the opening. It also pushes pretty easily one-handed, even with the carseat attached. (We used a Babytrend Latchloc.)

The Zippy continues to perform well, and our DD is now almost 2YO. Ever since she could sit up on her own, she really likes to sit upright and would hang onto the napper bar. We usually do not use the shoulder harnesses, instead just using the lap belt. I know this is a bit risky, but she really really complains if she cant sit straight up to look at everything around her.

The fold on the Zippy is extremely convenient. I can fold and lift the Zippy, and put it into the the trunk of our car with one hand in one motion. This is useful if you have a diaper bag and toys in the other hand.

The great thing about the Zippy has been its versatility through 2 years. And our DD just loves it. Recently, she likes to climb into it and have the seat reclined and the canopy pulled over her. Its like her little hideout. And we can easily use it for another year or more. It is pretty sturdy. We have friends who have gotten strollers, like the Combi US, and have complained that their kid outgrew the stroller so early.

My only complaints are that it is now a bit creaky and it could steer a bit better one-handed. When our DD was younger, it steered better and didn't creak.

If I had to purchase one stroller now for a newborn, it would definitely be a Zippy or a P3. I have heard that the P3 steers better than the Zippy, but the Zippy still has the fold. So I think its about even.

HTH,
spikeso (name withheld till official announcement of #2 on the way)

[mcdonald29]

I have an '05 P3 -I disagree that the canopy is "smallish." It pulls all the way down to the snack tray and is thick enough to be a worthwhile shade (especially compared to our first stroller, Combi Savona, poor sunshade).

To me the deal breaker for Macs in general (and our Combi) were the small wheels. It turned out I did a lot more sidewalk walking than I expected, so I needed bigger, sturdier wheels.

Some may disagree, but when I tried the Zippy and P3 in the store, the fold was pretty similar. If you will primarily be doing folding in and out of the car (versus public transportation), Baby will be in car seat anyway while you fold/unfold. I think Zippy or P3 is just personal preference- try both out if possible.

R.e. UCSC, if you whittle it down to one of the 2 above, IMO don't bother. You can alternate between using them with the car seat and taking Baby out for variety.

The decision maker for me between these was the snack tray- it's just convenient for me to put a few Cheerios on it at a time instead of handing DS one at a time.

Boy this turned out to be long! Good luck with the decision.

[jkpalotay]

As a current Mac Global Buggy, I would recommend to avoid, avoid, avoid! I was pulled in by the infant carrier attatchment bar, even though I have a toddler. (For future babies!) However, I have had problem after problem with it. The back pocket on the hood tore, after only 4 months of light use, then the clasp that holds the hood onto the stroller broke. I got a reaplacement one, but the darn thing never stays on. Also, the faberic that comes up over the napper bar to form the "basinet" continuely comes out of it's storage pocket, and almost drags on the ground. It's just so annoying! The quality just doesn't seem to be there, which was suprising, considering Mac's track record! If I wanted to stick with Mac, I should have gone with the Techno, which was what I really wanted.

I am going to sell our Global, and get a P3. From what I've heard, the P3 isn't too bulky, but can accept the Snugride or others.

Sorry this is so long, I guess I just had a lot to say!

Kelli
Mommy to Luke Adam, 22 Months

[Twins2000]

I initially intended to just use the UCSC for the first few months when my DD was born (this coming June), but then I read one of your posts talking about plagiocephaly. At first I discounted what you said (I think I saw your post the first day I discovered this forum), but then a local newspaper had an article talking about it and I did some additional research on the topic. As you know, you're absolutely right!

I've since decided to forego the UCSC and instead bought a P3, and even more recently ordered the Peg Navetta to use with the stroller for the first few months. I also recently bought the newest edition of The Nursing Mother's Companion by Kathleen Huggins who also talks about not keeping your baby in a carseat carrier for extended periods of time. Rather than talking about plagiocephaly, she discusses more how carseat carriers limit babies' movements and thereby delay their muscular and sensory-motor development. Additionally, she states that the constant upright position fails to stimulate the lower brain and delays physical coordination.

So, I just wanted to say thank you for your very helpful info/warning, and to pass on what I've learned about other physical delays that can be attributed to the overuse of carseat carriers.

Leslie

[ShaniB123]

I got a Zippy before DD was born. I began using it shortly after her birth and within a month, it broke (one of the wheels started spinning sideways wildly- like a broken shopping cart). Inglesina customer service was a nightmare- when you call them, your call goes straight to voicemail. It took almost a week for anyone to return my calls. When this first happened (late Oct or early November 04), I posted my experience on this board, and it seemed that a lot of people had similar experiences (both with the Zippy breaking in this manner, and with terrible customer service).

Although I had purchased the Zippy in anticipation of using my Graco Snugride with it, I never used the two together. If I need the carseat to be on wheels, I just use the Snap n Go. Once we were using these things in real life, I saw no advantage to putting the carseat in the stroller, as opposed to the SNG, which was lighter.

I ended up returning my Zippy and buying a Bugaboo. (I don't use the car seat with the Bugaboo either). I'm very happy with the Bugaboo, although I find it difficult to fold, and therefore not an ideal car stroller. I will probably get a Mac Quest or PP Aria to keep in the car for errands when DD outgrows the infant carseat.

I'm visiting my family later this week, and my mom bought a 2004 P3 to keep at her house for DD. Hopefully we'll like it.

Hope that helps.

[strollerqueen]

Oh my gosh, thank you for your eloquence! I keep posting the same thing over and over, and i am beginning to feel like a lone voice crying out in the wilderness!

Don't get a car seat carrier! Get a REAL stroller right from the beginning! You can always resell it later if you find one you that suits you better.

[spikeso]

Wow. I am really glad and admittedly proud that I was able to help you out a bit. I have been a long time lurker of the boards, and I post every now and then, but most the time I feel like I don't have much to contribute since there are such amazingly knowledgeable people on this board.

I am glad you chose the P3. I think you will be very happy with it. I understand the inclination of mothers (and fathers) to get SNG or UCSC to delay the decision of what "real" stroller to get till later. But I honestly think that there are alot of versatile strollers out there that can take a carseat carrier, recline flat (or near flat), and be very versatile through toddlerhood. So in my way of thinking, why spend the extra $40 for the frame carrier that might only be good for 3-6 months, when you can put that money to a versatile, comfy stroller, and also get the option of snapping in a carseat carrier?

But with all other things, I think its all about moderation and overuse. Some people use their frame carriers only for quick trips, and that seems fine. The important thing is not to overuse the carseat carriers.

Congratulations on your upcoming child!

-spikeso (Neal)
SAHD to Becky 3/12/03
& #2 EDD 9/19/05

[spikeso]

Thank you Strollerqueen. It feels good to get praise from one of the experts!

[Twins2000]

Thank you! Congratulations to you too on the upcoming arrival of your second child!


Leslie