Graco Quattro Stroller

[boygirl3]

I am looking at purchasing the Graco Quattro stroller. I looked at it at the store and it seems pretty solid and rather inexpensive (budgets are tight). I like that it reclines and uses a solid metal bar as opposed to the tightening/loosening of a strap. It also seems to fold easily and is more compact than a few of the other strollers (not to mention a little lighter). Does anyone have any comments reg: this stoller? Also, would you recommend buying it at a store locally or online? Any recommendations on a honest, reliable and competive online store?

Also (FYI) they do sell the Evenflo Ellipsa stroller independently of the travel system however the three best features are:

1. removable child tray
2. easy steering
3. complete shade screen coverage/covered basket below

Otherwise it was bulky, heavy and had a poorly designed seat.

[erall]

I too looked at getting this stroller, for pretty much all the reasons you outlined above, BUT when I went to the store to get it I ended up folding it and then reaching to hand it to my mother to show her, and it suddenly felt very awkward and heavy. It was difficult to lift folded and had no really good way of holding on to it. I actually, (I think) ended-up deciding against it because of that, I can just see myself leaving it in the trunk rather then messing with it, at which point all those great features that I would have been buying it for would have been useless. I will tell you though that I would definitely try to get the stroller locally, because when I was looking (and I think I spent a couple of months looking), I just couldn’t find any prices online that were enough cheaper to outweigh the shipping costs. Just my take on it though. HTH
--Erin :)

[mommytobe2005]

I did alot of research on the Graco Quattro. I even went to Babies R Us and Buy Buy Baby to see the different styles of quattros they had in stock. As the pp said it IS heavy..but I live in an upstairs appartment and don't have the room or the tolorance to drag the quattro or ANY stroller up and down thoes stairs. I am planning on once I buy the quattro (LX) to leave it in my trunk. IMO it is affordable..I just can't see spending all that money on a peg or eddie bauer. I have other things like clothes and diapers to spend money on.

[Wife_and_mommy]

I highly suggest you do a little more research by searching these boards. Any stroller made by Graco is generally not very good quality. For not much more you could buy a brand new older model quality stroller that you will enjoy using on an almost daily basis once your baby is here. Your stroller will receive *alot* of use so you'd be smart to choose very wisely. :)

Also, the Eddie Bauer strollers are made by Cosco which is not very good quality either.

Good luck and congratulations! :)


Elizabeth

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif[/img][/url]

http://lilypie.com/days/060228/3/21/1/-5/.png

[momomo]

I have a Graco Quattro. As everybody said, the stroller is VERY HEAVY. I don't put it in a car trunk. The stroller stays home and I mainly use for neighborhood walks, which I do everyday for 30-60 min. I think the stroller provides enough comfort for long and bumpy rides. (Perhaps less than jogging stroller, but I don't jog) Plus, it has a lot of storage. Perhaps Quattro cannot be your only stroller, but I like the way it is working for us.

[MarisaSF]

As Elizabeth mentioned, a lot of mamas on this board have been disappointed in the quality of Gracos. Some of have found this forum (and the book) in order to look for a Graco replacement. The strollers that get talked up a lot here are popular not because they are expensive but because they are built to last.

Let us know your price range and features you are looking for (or just tell us how you think you'll use the stroller -- city, suburban walking, malls, etc.). and we can give you some suggestions. So can the Baby Bargains Book!

Some of the strollers mentioned frequently on these boards won't necessarily be in your local store, but we'll let you know where you can find 'em at good prices!

[lisajay]

I have had a great experience with my Quattro stroller. I have had absolutely no quality issues with it at all, it is extremely sturdy. I live in the North country so when I was looking for a stroller it needed to fold down so that only the wheels touched the ground. So many of the other strollers I tested either the footrest or worse yet the tray set right down on the ground. Now imagine there is quite a bit of gray slushy snow on the parking lot in the winter or mud during the spring. Not good, right? Even if there isn't bad weather just having the tray landing repeatedly on the pavement would scratch the heck out of it. I'm surprised I have never read this info on any reviews. I also like the fact it folds down and sets back up rather easily, one handed in fact.
I have really enjoyed pushing it around the neighborhood and other places like the mall. It pushes rather easily and as long as you aren't in extremely tight spaces(somes stores have the racks so tight together a person has to squeeze to get through), I have had no steering issues. My dd is extremely comfy in it and loves going for walks in it,and on many occasions has fallen asleep. The basket underneath is very large and easy to access. I found that it was so convenient to use it with the infant carrier. No need to take the baby in and out of the carseat, particularly good if she was sleeping.
That all being said, yes it is pretty heavy. I have no problem though throwing it into the back of my Honda CRV(mini suv) and I'm only 5'5" and not that strong. It is quite bulky and pretty much takes up the entire back/trunk. That is the only reason why I'm now looking for an umbrella stroller, so that when we travel we will have more room for the luggage. Although I could get away without getting one otherwise, on shopping trips we always use our shopping cart cover and she just sits in the cart. That way you don't have to push more than one cart/stroller. Then you have the entire trunk for packages. You may want to find out if it even fits in your trunk. Also if you have a traditional style trunk it probably is a little more inconvenient to lift up out of. With my crv or my mom's minivan, I just slide it out and let it land on it's wheels.
If I had it to do over I would want a stroller very similar to this one but a little smaller. I believe the Graco Metrolite or Literider has similar features, can't remember which, but is no where near as heavy and takes up much less space.

[kellyotn]

I have no experience w/ it. But daddy-types liked it (at least its looks). http://daddytypes.com/archive/2004/11/01/graco_quattro_tour_looks_good_at_any_price_but_its _only_100.html

Surprised me because they generally talk about much more expensive & trendy strollers. And, I think its cool looking too. :-) Definitely an improvement on Gracos of the past. They don't really address the longevity of it though.

Maybe reply with what you are looking for and some of the experts here could help find some additional ones to look at and compare. Do you have a Once Upon a Child store near you? I see Peg P3's and Pilkos at mine all the time. I don't have one myself (I have a Mac Vogue, its an older simple, lightweight umbrella that I love), but they are really popular.

There are tons of online stores and deals there are generally way better than BRU and the like.

HTH,
kelly

[mommytobe2005]

Well I did buy the Quattro LX and my friend needed to use it this weekend. It was a Lifesaver!!!! All our friends use Graco and no one had a bad thing to say about it other than it was heavy.

[tiapam]

I use a Quattro for the neighborhood so it just stays in the garage.
The Quattro is not a good car stroller, unless you enjoy lifting bulky, awkward items in and out of your car. It also takes up a lot of space. And it is not light nor compact. I didn't realize any of this until after I had my baby. Then I bought a Combi Flash to hold the car seat. If I had to do it over again, I think I would get a Combi stroller that would take the car seat. But then, as someone else here once said, I am a Combi addict.

FYI, you can do a search of previous threads. This question has been asked before.

-Pam

Charlotte born October 2004

[snowangel]

I own this stroller and I like it. I have had NO quality issues with Graco at all. I don't know why people give then a bad rap on this board.

Anyway, I LOVE this stroller as a travel system, but as a regular stroller it isn't great. The reasons are that the seat is too shallow and my child's legs have to hang down while napping. Also, when you go over curbs it is unsteady at times.

However, the Quattro has a GREAT sunshade, massive basket and is SO easy to fold, unlike my P3 URGH!, but it does weigh a ton and takes up my ENTIRE trunk, which I don't like.

I like the Peg P. strollers because of the footrest and I like strollers with umbrella folds, but that's just me.