zooper swing vs zippy vs????

[oregonian]

Hi,

I know people post these questions a lot but here comes another. I'm expecting my first in June and I'm stroller shopping ahead of time. I know many say to wait but it is that whole gift thing.

In any event, I am looking for a not terribly heavy stroller that has a full recline for an infant (w/o car seat).

I've found discounts on both the swing and the zippy that make the price okay with me.

I'd use the stroller for long walks around the 'hood (city sidewalks mostly) and would plan to use it on longer shopping trips. My usual "forgot milk" trips will be covered by a carrier or UCSC....I'm guessing.

For your reference, I started out considering the PP Aria and the Zooper Waltz (which I am still half considering) because I like the idea of a light stroller but I have been encouraged to consider a bit more substantial stroller if I'm planning to go for longish walks. Still want to keep it under 20 pounds.

Feel free to comment on snack trays and drink holders though I am pretty sure they're not a priority. Mostly I am concerned about durability, ease of use, comfort & safety for little one....

I think that's it.

Cheryl

[pittsburghgirl]

I have a Zooper ZStreet (the 2003 version of the Swing). I have been very happy with the stroller and Zooper in general (great CS).

I think they improved the hood on the Swing, which is good; the hood on the ZStreet is not fabulous. Most people add a Protect a Bub to it. I think the Swing covers more.

The Zippy is easier to fold, I believe, actually a true-one handled fold. It doesn't sound like you really need that, necessarily, for your lifestyle. I have never been in a situation with my stroller where I was trying to hold the baby while folding the stroller. I have folded it while he was in the Bjorn or other carrier, though, a little awkward but do-able. (I was getting on a bus.) Usually, he is already strapped in his car seat and then I fold the stroller and pop it in the trunk.

I don't care for the Aria or Waltz because I prefer the compact umbrella fold of the Swing/Zippy.

We have gate-checked our stroller many times and it's holding up great. We did have a snap on the hood come off (the mesh bug cover pulled the male end of the snap off the hood) and Zooper sent a new hood out right away, no charge.

I know there are a lot of dedicated Zippy fans out there. We decided to go with the Zooper because of the lower price, frankly, and we haven't been disappointed.

ETA: the baskets on most umbrella-style strollers are fairly limited and are mostly inaccessible in full recline. As to cup holders/trays, I always thought the parent tray was weird after seeing people leave their wallets in them in stores. I have a clip on cupholder for my stroller and that works just fine for me. Snack trays are different; some people could not do without. My DS would just throw everything off the tray.:) I give him a snack trap and straw cup and he can snack just fine without the tray.

Marilee
mommy to James
http://lilypie.com/baby1/050120/1/0/1/-5/.png

[oregonian]

Thanks - I should probably just decide. Of course, now I like the Bumbleride Flyer b/c I can reverse the handle. Sigh. All are really heavier than I planned.

[NoemiArthur]

I don't know whether this will help or not, but my husband and I had the same dilemma. As soon-to-be first time parents, we wanted the "perfect" stroller that would take us from infancy through toddlerhood (and so we wouldn't have to keep buying stroller after stroller). We were steered to the Peg Perego P3 (2005 MT that has a universal car seat strap), the Zooper Waltz, and the Inglesina Zippy. Believe it or not, we went to a store, put them side by side and had a "stroll off." In the end, we decided on the Zippy. I liked how it folded better, it seemed easier to handle. It has a larger canopy, good padded seats, and it takes the Graco Snugride just fine. It doesn't have a snack tray, but as I understand it, there are universal snack tray attachments one can buy. It also had a larger wheel base than the others. I haven't gotten it yet and I haven't used it with a child yet, but I'm happy with the decision. I think it weighs about 16 pounds (and I'm a petite person). I figure this will be a main stroller and we'll buy an inexpensive umbrella stroller some day when the baby is a toddler for quick trips or travel.

[strollerqueen]

The Zippy has bigger wheels and performs better outdoors. The newer versions also have much better canopies.

Marilyn is offering a Strollerqueen Discount on them right now at:

www.arunningstroller.com

[Safra]

I've had a Zooper Swing for about 7 months and although it's been ok, I've never fallen in love with it the way so many people have with the zStreet. I bought this stroller before dd was born thinking that it would be our "do everything" stroller (neighborhood walks, mall, zoo, etc), but ended up buying a MBUS for outdoor use because our sidewalks are really bumpy and cracked (something I never noticed until I started using a stroller!) and the Swing just didn't handle it very well and dd seemed to bounce around a lot. Also, we have two dogs and quickly found out that it's virtually impossible to steer the Swing with one hand. It weighs about 19 lbs. and it's a little heavier than I'd like - it's always an effort to haul it in and out of the car. At this point, the Swing is only used for the mall, shopping, errands, etc.

I do like the sturdiness of it compared to some of the more plasticky strollers like the P3, and the fabric is nice and plush. Plus, my Graco Snugride carseat fits into it nicely and it came with a lot of accesories. It's pretty easy to fold up and doesn't take up a lot of room in the car. The sunshade is adequate I suppose, but it's not adjustable down to the napper like some of the others. And like a lot of other strollers, the basket is virtually impossible to access when the seat is reclined.

Now that dd is almost 7 mo. old and is about to outgrow her snugride, I'm planning on ditching the Swing in favor of a lighter weight stroller like the Mac Quest for errands & travel. I test drove a Quest today and I could pick it up with one hand and fling it into the car. Wee! Couldn't do that with the Swing. And it can be steered with one hand!

So, (sorry this ended up being such a long ramble), if I could do it all over again I would have skipped the Swing and used a UCSC instead until dd outgrew the carseat. But I LOVE LOVE LOVE the MBUS for outdoor use and wouldn't trade it for anything. I don't know a thing about the Zippy except that my feet kicked the back wheels so I ruled that one out (I'm 5'4" but have a long stride), and I hated the plasticky handles.

Just my $.02. Hope this helps!

Good luck,
April

[oregonian]

It all helps! I wish I could get a look at these IRL. I can get to a Swing and the Peg strollers but there's no looking at the Zippy.

In any event, is the zStreet different than the Swing? I think there are a few zStreets on eBay for cheap and if there's something better about them - that might be a consideration.

AGGG. I should just buy a stroller and deal with it...but I really don't want to start a stroller collection. Our sidewalks aren't the best in our immediate neighborhood though our 'hood is quiet enough I suppose we could try the street. UGH.

Thanks for your help! I'll take any additional suggestions if anyone has them.

Cheryl

[laurena]

Count me in the Zippy fan club. Because I couldn't justify the $700 for a Bugaboo Frog, the Zippy was the next best option. :) We've used it daily for almost 1 year now and we are very happy with it. I live in Chicago, so it has been on buses, in and out of cars/cabs, and over many miles of sidewalks that aren't always in good repair. When my daughter was young, we used it with the snugride, but now she sits in it normally.

The canopy works great, and we also purchased the boot for these cold months. So far, I haven't had need for a snack tray so I'm not missing it, but I was raised by a European mother who thinks we feed our kids on the run too much anyway (a whole other topic!).

The basket is small and can be hard to get to, but I use the SkipHop Duo if I need more space. The 3-point harness straps hold her in nicely, so I have no issues with safety.

I'm 5'5" and my husband is 6'2" and while I have no problem with pushing it, he will tire of it b/c his feet end up hitting the wheels. But, I think that's more of a function of how he walks...

Hope this helps!

[squimp]

Not sure if you are in Oregon, but there are some stores in Portland that carry the Zippy. Do a search on the boards here on Portland and Zippy and I bet you'll find it. Since you say city sidewalks, I'm going to guess you're in Portland, since there are hardly any other "cities" in OR LOL ;). I have a Zippy, but I'm in Corvallis.

I don't think you could go wrong with a Zippy, except that some folks recently have had trouble with customer service. I have nothing but raves for mine, we travel with it, I keep it in the car, DD looooves it. I bought mine sight unseen thanks to the lovely ladies on this board, and have been delighted.

I don't mind not having the snack tray or cupholder. I bought a cupholder to snap on (stroller holder II) but never have used it, so I guess I don't need it! We don't eat on the run much, either.

One nice thing about the Zippy is that it stays balanced and upright with a diaper bag on the back, even without DD sitting in it. So I keep my Kecci or whatever on the handles, and then have room for other stuff in the basket, even if Sophia's running about. Also, it's not that hard to access the basket under DD's feet.

Also, lots of folks like the Peg Perego P3, which has a couple of legs up on the Zippy because it has adjustable handles and a snacky tray. And the P3's are widely accessible. I didn't like all the plastic, but it also sounds like a great stroller.

[oregonian]

Hi all,

I'm in Portland but a couple of stores that used to carry the Zippy don't carry it anymore. I'll probably just order it online. I'm sure it'll be fine.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

Cheryl

[Canna]

I have the Swing and like it. It works well on our city sidewalks. I haven't found it to be too bouncy. And it works with my BabyTrend Latch-Lock carseat well. I find it easy to fold and easy enough to hoist into the back of our Subaru to take shopping with me. I think it is a pretty versatile stoller.