Maclaren Techno XT... What are your thoughts?

[kitui00]

I tested the Maclaren XT today and loved it. Although it's heavy (at 14lbs) it's lighter than my hand-me down Graco stroller. I loved the large sun canopy, full recline, bigger wheels for some rough terrain and foot rest since my son is 8 months.

I can find it for $250 - New 2008 or $219 for 2007 model. (NEW)

I looked at the Quest but the recline didn't go as far back and the canopy was small.

I need it to replace my graco snap-n-go stroller and car seat. The graco is too heavy to use every day. I do plan on having another baby (and will need a twin stroller eventually) within the next 1.5 years.

If you have one, do you love it? Is it worth the price?

[sste]

I really like my techno xt for restaurants, malls, museums, air travel, any crowded conditions. We use a different stroller for longer neighborhood walks of a couple of miles or more. It handles well, doesn't show dirt, and is compact. On the con side, I have to futz with the recline mechanism a little and the hood, while huge, is somehow not positioned in the best way for shielding smaller babies (I have been spoiled by my bjcm) - - but the hood has gotten better as my baby has gotten taller and will be great in the toddler stage. In any event, its still better than the other maclaren hoods, such as the volo or quest.

For the male vote, my husband LOVES the maclaren XT - - it is a great height for him and it looks very neutral. Also, our baby likes the seat and degree of uprightness much more than our baby jogger city mini seat.

[eah125]

i like mine, not loving it. I am not a big person & actually do not find the stroller to be heavy, although that may be b/c i am getting used to carrying around a 30 lb toddler. My biggest complaint is the canopy, it really doesn't cover well at all. For the spring/ summer i am probably going to invest in an add-on sun shade. I also only use this as my car stroller & have the BOB Rev for walks, park trips etc.. Otherwise the stroller handles fine for what it is. The adjustable handles are good if you are taller. The full recline is great as well. I would maybe consider looking at some other options that pple post here..

[AnnieW625]

We bought a Mac Triumph to use as our daughter's main stroller when she was three months old (we'd had a hand me down Peg I couldn't wait to get rid of!) and we love it. I wish I would've gotten the Quest or the XT because of the better recline, but we've been more than happy with our MAC. It's great for trunk space, it doesn't take up much room, and it's light. Even though the recline is minimal my almost 3 year old still sleeps in it. We use it for airport travel all of the time and we love it. We've also used it on mass transit trains in Boston (Charlie), and LA (MetroRail) with no issues either. So if you'd prefer something a tad lighter check out the Quest, and then the Triumph if the Quest is still too heavy!

[kitui00]

. My biggest complaint is the canopy, it really doesn't cover well at all.

Now I'm worried about the canopy since I thought that was the best part! Does it just not go far enough? Do you still recommend the XT or should I consider the quest with a canopy attachment? I think that's the biggest difference.

[maestramommy]

You could get a sunshade add-on. I find that most strollers sunshade, even the very generous ones, just aren't enough if the sun is low-lying and your kid is sitting up/tall enough. I think there's one by Kiddopatamus that is very generous, but lightweight, and folds back.

[kitui00]

I really like my techno xt for restaurants, malls, museums, air travel, any crowded conditions. We use a different stroller for longer neighborhood walks of a couple of miles or more. It handles well, doesn't show dirt, and is compact.

Do you think this stroller would be ok as our main stroller for malls, farmer's market, neighborhood trails (no dirt road) kind of stuff? And what's your view on the canopy? Seems like it's still way better than the Quest.

[eah125]

To be honest you can probably buy the quest & save a little money & then get an add-on sunshade (BRU sells a few). The XT has just a few added features which really may not be all important to you. I haven't used the full recline in a long time. Your baby will probably fall asleep in any position & the quest gets pretty close to the full recline.
Also, an FYI -the Macs do tip easily. Never pile too many things on the handles. I have never had it tip with the baby in it, but it has happened w/ my heavy diaper bag clipped to the back without him in it.

[codex57]

Also, an FYI -the Macs do tip easily. Never pile too many things on the handles. I have never had it tip with the baby in it, but it has happened w/ my heavy diaper bag clipped to the back without him in it.

I have. Well, it was a Techno Classic, but same thing. My fault. Was too used to my Zippy (if you wanna see a canopy, check out the Zippy) and piled too much stuff on (wasn't even all that much IMO). Scared the crap out of us but DS was unharmed.

[sste]

I am not sure about neighborhood trails if they are rough pavement or the farmer's market if its on grass. To be clear, I have gotten my techno XT through all those situations and its done OK but its not a pleasure to push in those situations - - on grass or very rough pavement I really think all-terrain wheels are best. I live in a very urban, congested area and the maclaren is perfect for that: you can walk down the sidewalk without feeling like a human wrecking ball.

I bought the XT because I am a hood fanatic. And I have been disappointed. But, in my case, the problem seems to be getting better as my baby gets taller and more into the toddler stage. The problem is that the hood goes kind of vertically up rather than extending out and OVER smaller babies. The Zippy has a much better hood but it was out of my price range.

I found my XT online for $199 and for that price I have no complaints. I would not be as thrilled if I had paid $300 though.

[kitui00]

I found my XT online for $199 and for that price I have no complaints. I would not be as thrilled if I had paid $300 though.

Do you remember where you bought your XT online? The cheapest I can find is $243 and that's not even including the comfort pack.

Also, knowing what you know now, would you still get the XT over the Quest? I'm wondering if that's the way I should go although I do really like the larger wheels on the XT.

[sste]

I got it at something like babye-e store the spelling may be off (I think there is a post about cyber section - - non-existent customer service as in they won't return your email if you have a problem. BUT they are authorized dealers so Maclaren will take care of any issues. And there prices are amazing).

I kind of like the big wheels too and even though the hood sucks it is still MUCH better than the quest hood. For me, its a toss-up. Maybe if I had to get it in and out of a car all the time, I might find the big wheels a little cumbersome. It really depends on how you use your stroller - - we like the big wheels on the techno b/c we travel with it and we never know what we are going to find in terms of road/walking conditions - - and we don't want to travel with an AT too clunky and heavy.

To confuse you more, I may have leaned toward the quest but DH loved the techno XT (adjustable handles). The main benefits of the XT are at the newborn stage (complete recline) and with your husband (adjustable handles) and a moderate benefit to the extra hood and bigger wheels.

[kitui00]

To confuse you more, I may have leaned toward the quest but DH loved the techno XT (adjustable handles). The main benefits of the XT are at the newborn stage (complete recline) and with your husband (adjustable handles) and a moderate benefit to the extra hood and bigger wheels.

I plan on trying the quest again next week with a sunshade to see if that works. I'm also hoping to find a used Quest or XT on Craigslist and save some money that way. Our Graco stroller is not the lightest or most chic but should work for the terrain stuff. Thanks for your responses!