Calling all Inglesina Espresso Owners

[nic33]

I can't seem to find out much about this stroller, and can't see it in person... what are your thoughts? Would be for a 6mo and would live in my SUV for errands/mall. Deciding between that, Chicco Tuscany, and Ing. Trip. Would be our main stroller, other than our jogger for outdoors activities.

BTW- the Espresso is online at costco.com for $99 - not sure of the model year, but that seems to be a good price - right?

Thanks!

[shilo]

i like it, but i don't love it.

i had gotten a mac quest for a travel stroller back when he was about 11mos, thinking that i'd eventually switch to that as my everyday stroller from my bugaboo. well, once i'd used it for that week of traveling, i knew it was not for me as an everyday stroller. way too tippy and the basket drove me nutty (small and hard to access). so when it came time to downsize for an everyday stroller, i chose the espresso.

what i like about the espresso: the big basket, the stability, the adjustable height, single bar style handlebar (i'm not a fan of split handles so much, i like 1 handed steering). it does steer pretty darn well for not having air tires, pushes evenly and allows a smooth walking pattern when you're using it on smooth surfaces, which is what i bought it for. the fold/unfold mechanism is 1 handed and is super easy and i'll even go so far as to say i love that it stands up on its own. the fabric is very plush and washes up well. i like the napper bar, but also that it is removeable.

what i don't like so much: the seating position is pretty reclined even at it's most upright position. at 16ish months when i switched from the bug to this for everyday, it wasn't a big deal since DS sits upright on his own and rarely rests against the back rest anyway. when he does tho, he tends to slip down it a bit sometimes. i list it as a 'don't like' because i don't think my DS would have been ok with that recline at 6mos for this reason, but some babies don't like upright, so if yours is one, this may be a plus, not a minus for you. also, because it is so stable, it does have a pretty big footprint lengthwise (widthwise is fine, so you don't notice it in tight spaces like stores). this means that it is pretty cumbersome to get up and down a curb or stair. you kind of have to put your foot down on the back cross bar and tip it and it's pretty awkward but do-able. i guess i was just so spoiled by the ease of the bug, so i'm probably being too picky.

features i'm neutral on: no cup holder for parent easily fixed with a bob console and some velcro ties. no snack tray for kiddo - mine never had one, so we don't miss it, but if you wanted one, you could always get that new carryyou.com one. book fold - i have an suv too, so having a book fold which does take up more space than the umbrella fold is fine. the sun shade is neither small nor big. i use sun screen and a hat for DS, and usually if we're going to be somewhere outside, this wouldn't be the stroller i'd take anyway - the espresso is really much more suited to indoors/errands. the newest version they made last year before they discontinued it came with a shade that could be adjusted down to the napper bar via zippers, which was a cool feature, but you had to pay extra for the rain cover and boot that year.

as for the price, i paid $99 for mine thru a deal someone posted here back around the time i was looking. now that this stroller seems to have been discontinued by inglesina, i'm sure many places probably have them pretty cheap. i have the one that came with the full boot and rain cover in a navy blue/lighter blue trim pattern, i'm not sure which year it is, but it's very sharp looking. i've been meaning to go list it on strollerswap, i think i'm ready to try something else mostly just because i think i've caught the stroller addiction virus that goes on around here :), but otherwise, like i said, it's good, but not great... but then i'm not sure if 'great' does exist in this bracket of strollers - there doesn't seem to be one stroller in this size category that has all the right features for me. i prefer it to the quest for everyday if that helps?

hope this helps you choose.
lori
Sam 5/19/05 How lucky I am that you chose me.

[nic33]

Lori,
Thank you SO much for your in-depth review - it was really helpful. I didn't realize it had been discontinued. I agree with you that the perfect stroller probably doesn't exist - I think the designers must do that on purpose so we're constantly looking to buy a better one :)

Thanks again!
Nichole