Peg Perego, Maclaren or Chicco? New or used?

[ciw]

Ok, stroller gurus, I need some help. I'm looking for a relatively lightweight stroller for my one-year-old son. I'm looking for something that has multiple recline positions (the flatter, the better), that will grow with him and accomodate a tall child (at one, he's already the height of the average two-year-old) and that isn't too short for tall parents to push. The stroller will be used primarily for shopping errands but it needs to be able to handle occasional jaunts on the rough, uneven sidewalks in our small town.
Here's what I'm looking at: Chicco Trevi, Maclaren Triumph or Techno or Peg Perego Aria.
If you've used these strollers, how well do they hold up? How long did your child use the stroller before it gave up or your child outgrew it? Do I need to stick with a new rather than used stroller in order to get the most life out of it and avoid maintenance issues?

[bubbaray]

None of those -- I vote for the Maclaren Quest.

[MNmomtobe]

Don't know much about the Chicco Trevi. What is your main stroller now?
Of the ones you listed, the Maclaren Techno has a full recline. It has suspension and larger wheels than other Macs. The Maclaren Triumph does not recline much at all. The Triumph also has small wheels as does the PP Aria (unless this has changed in recent years) so would imagine it would not handle uneven sidewalks very much.
Just FYI: I love Maclarens. The steering is superior and I think if you are not careless with them, they will last a long time. HOWEVER, I will say that I briefly owned a Maclaren Global Buggy (they were discontinued and didn't have a great rep). Though it did have suspension, I used it once on cobblestone (so worse than uneven sidewalks) and the wheels were wonky after that though it still steered fantastically.

I have a Peg Perego P3 which may be a bit heavier than what you are looking for as it is a full-featured stroller- but so is the Mac Techno. The P3 has great suspension and glides over bumps that would make most Macs rattle. I think because the Mac frame is more stiff, it makes for great steering but you do feel the bumps. The P3 has a "looser" feeling frame so I feel that it absorbs bumps better. Of course the wheels on the P3 has suspension as well. I think the Inglesina Zippy (very similar to a P3) would also be great. Again though the P3 and the Zippy may be a bit heavier than what you are looking for.

I am a bit out of the loop re: newer styles that are out there but I have owned several Pegs and Macs so thought I would share my experiences.

Good luck with your search!

[DebbieJ]

I vote for the P3 as well.

[ciw]

Ok, we were able to try some of these strollers today. We've ruled out the Chicco Trevi -- too heavy. So now we're looking at one of the Maclarens (Quest, Triumph or Techno) or the Peg Perego Aria or Pliko.
I loved the full recline on the Techno but it does seem a bit on the heavy side too. And the one Aria at the store was really difficult to open and fold but they had another Aria that didn't seem to have that problem. If you have this stroller, what has your experience been? Do they get easier to open with use? As for the Maclarens, the Triumph seat is not as deep as the Techno or Quest...how do older/larger children fare with that?

[arivecchi]

We love our Mac Triumph. It's super lightweight and fits everywhere. We use it for walks in our uneven sidewalks and, while not as smooth as our Valco, we still use it just fine (you may just have to lift the wheels a bit if necessary). We've also used our Trimuph to travel a lot and it is perfect for that purpose (air and car trips). Our son is 28 months and 39 inches and still has lots of room in it.

[jbrandy]

I own both the Maclaren Quest and Peg. My Quest is the 2003 model and I am now using it for my second son. I bought a new Peg (2007) for my second son when he was an infant because it would hold the infant seat and it had the reclining seat and snack bar.

DS#2 is almost 2 and I still use both the older Mac and 2007 Peg that I have. I keep my Mac in the car 100% of the time because it is so compact and handy. I use the Peg when DS will be in the stroller for longer periods of time and might be napping it in (for example, when we go to DS#1 soccer games). The peg also has a MASSIVE sunvisor and lots of storage underneath. The Peg does fold up smaller but not as small as the Mac. The Mac Quest has served me well -- DS#1 can still ride in it (although he doesn't execpt on a rare occasion -- he will be 6 in April.

In general both strollers are FANTASTIC!! I think it just depends on what your needs are.

I hope this helps!

[lorinick]

None of those -- I vote for the Maclaren Quest.

:yeahthat: We love the Mac Quest and the recline is nice. The Triumph doesn't come close to laying flat. Trievi not that light. Try the City Mini it's light and can handle better on bumpier roads. If you have a full stroller already I'd go with the Quest. It's a great stroller.

[MamaKath]

Mac Quest or Peg Perego P3 (much more full featured) depending on how much stroller you need.

[AnnieW625]

Another vote for the Quest. I had a used P3 when DD was born and I hated that stroller; however it did steer like a dream. We bought a Mac Triumph and have been using that stroller since she was 3 mos old. Sometimes I do wish I'd bought the Quest because of the better recline options, but overall I've been very happy with our Triumph. DD has always slept well in it, even at a year with the one recline position.

[Deemunk]

I am having the same difficulty. My 14mo. son has outgrown his stroller and we are looking for a new one. We were looking at the BOB strollers, but the prices are way out of our range. I have stumbled upon a used PP Pliko P3 on Craigslist. I can't find weight or height limits for it on the PP website. We live in a rather rural area, so we need something that can take bumpy sidewalks, gravel and Walmart with ease. Any advice?

[andbabymakes3]

Do you live someplace where you wear sandals a lot? I've been looking at the Maclarens and have concluded I won't buy one b/c I cannot LIFT UP on the foot thing to fold the stroller when wearing sandals/thongs/slides etc., which I basically live in year-round. I think all the other stroller brands allow you to STEP DOWN on the pedal instead. This is a tragic flaw for me with Maclarens--it just HURTS to try to collapse it.

[jenny]

I have a chicco trevi and I only used it once indoors. Now it is sitting in my clost and if you want me to sell it to you I will. PM me if you want it.

I don't like it b/c it's bulky. The flat recline is nice, I guess, but the sun shade is a joke. And I'm not too fond of the big tires and the weight (19 pounds). After I bought my mac Quest I have never looked back.

[WatchingThemGrow]

I am having the same difficulty. My 14mo. son has outgrown his stroller and we are looking for a new one. We were looking at the BOB strollers, but the prices are way out of our range. I have stumbled upon a used PP Pliko P3 on Craigslist. I can't find weight or height limits for it on the PP website. We live in a rather rural area, so we need something that can take bumpy sidewalks, gravel and Walmart with ease. Any advice?
Some kids outgrow the BOB, so I'd try that in person before you buy. BJ's have a taller seatback/canopy area.

[ciw]

Jenny, thanks for the offer but I think I'll pass on the Trevi -- tried one out at BRU and you're right, WAY too heavy!! I ended up buying one of the $99 Triumphs at TJ Maxx and am relatively happy with it. (DS, however, would have been happier with a P3 or Aria for naps and meals).
I agree with all of you who responded about the Quest - that probably would have worked better but I just couldn't pass up the Triumph price. (Of course, if I'd known the Quest was going to be on GaGa yesterday I definitely would have waited!) I'm buying an all-terrain for the neighborhood (I have another post here about that).
Good luck, Deemunk. FWIW, if I hadn't bought a Mac, I would definitely have gone with a P3 or Aria. I LOVE how lightweight the Triumph is but IMO the P3 and Aria have much better features.

[arivecchi]

Jenny, thanks for the offer but I think I'll pass on the Trevi -- tried one out at BRU and you're right, WAY too heavy!! I ended up buying one of the $99 Triumphs at TJ Maxx and am relatively happy with it. (DS, however, would have been happier with a P3 or Aria for naps and meals).
I agree with all of you who responded about the Quest - that probably would have worked better but I just couldn't pass up the Triumph price. (Of course, if I'd known the Quest was going to be on GaGa yesterday I definitely would have waited!) I'm buying an all-terrain for the neighborhood (I have another post here about that).
Good luck, Deemunk. FWIW, if I hadn't bought a Mac, I would definitely have gone with a P3 or Aria. I LOVE how lightweight the Triumph is but IMO the P3 and Aria have much better features. Wow! Great deal on that Triumph - good job! I don't know about the P3, but I have an Aria at my mom's house and that stroller is "plasticky" and just not in the same league as a Mac. IMO, Macs are much better built. While an Aria may be nicer for infants, the Mac is much more useful with toddlers. I think you will really like it!