Lightweight Stroller

[ashleybama24]

So I am almost 6 months pregnant with #2 and I think I need to get a lightweight or umbrella stroller. I live in Houston so I am in and out of the car constantly and can't keep lugging my big strollers around. My DS is only 16 months but he is a runner so I need to keep him contained when we are out and about. I have a Chicco C6 (?) that I received from a shower but I hate using it because it has absolutely no amenities. It only reclines back about 2 inches, the sun shade is totally separate and its hard to unlock in flip flops. I love the recent review but am so overwhelmed with all the options I don't know what to pick!

[legaleagle]

Do you want a lightweight double? I vote for the baby jogger city mini double - narrow, lightweight, super easy fold, full recline so you can put your baby in at birth and enormous canopies to keep them out of the sun. I personally have a valco latitude double that I love - it's very similar though a bit heavier and more expensive. Most double umbrellas are pretty hard to push.

[ashleybama24]

I would love a BJCMD but would rather wait til I actually have two kids. I want a single, something I can use now or even when I want to use my moby or ergo with new baby. It's just getting too hard to get my BJCE or B-ready out of the car with an expanding baby bump!

[legaleagle]

Ah, ok.

There are tons of good umbrellas out there - you can start with maclaren, cybex, and uppababy but tons of other choices. What's your budget? Are you or DH particularly tall or short?

[lhafer]

I too live in houston, where are you located? With the summer coming up - I would suggest a couple of strollers. Ones I actually narrowed my own search down to: Maclaren Triumph or G-Luxe

If you are really only wanting an umbrella for the 16 month old now I would look at one of these 2 strollers. They are both light, compact, very easy to get in and out of the car.

The G-luxe has a better recline (almost full recline) and a better canopy. Had I known that the 2011 models would have had a foot rest, I probably would have prung for the G-luxe. I ended up with a 2010 Triumph, and I do love it. I have a 12 month old. But they came out with a foot rest on the G-Luxe, and some really nice colors. Looking back, I probably should have gone with the G-Luxe, but I have a BJCM and I felt like it was just too similar to that for what I wanted an umbrella for (quick trips, doctor's office visits, tight spaces).

I would suggest the G-Luxe because you will be able to use it for your newest baby a lot sooner than other umbrella strollers because of the recline. It also has a standing fold which will be nice for getting more than 1 kid in the car. It also has one handed steering which is nice.

Other mamas will chime in, but for an umbrella = you can't beat the canopy on the G-Luxe in the Houston summer. Unless of course you go with a BJCMD!! :)

[ashleybama24]

We are both short (5'2" and 5'9")! I love the Macs but was so overwhelmed with there variety. Is the triumph or g-luxe tippy?

I live just outside the Heights. Where are you?

[lhafer]

We are both short (5'2" and 5'9")! I love the Macs but was so overwhelmed with there variety. Is the triumph or g-luxe tippy?

I live just outside the Heights. Where are you?

Up in the NE side - Kingwood/Humble area.

The G-Luxe is not very tippy. Maclarens are known for their tippiness, but it's not an issue if you take any bags off the stroller before taking your child out.

Baby's First Furniture and USA Baby both have these umbrellas if you want to check them out IRL. The G-Luxe might be a little tall you for you.

Another option for you might be the Mamas and Papas stroller. I saw them at Babies R Us and liked it a lot. A bit pricier for my taste, but they are all the rage in Europe so I seem to hear.

[ahrimie]

When I tried out the Triumph, Quest, and G Luxe, I felt the G Luxe was the least tippy. For a lightweight, I think it's really good. Plus, the 2011 is only 11 lbs!

[Multimama]

I would suggest the G-Luxe because you will be able to use it for your newest baby a lot sooner than other umbrella strollers because of the recline

You hear a lot of hype about the G-luxe recline being deep, but when I played with one in the store it really seemed very comparable to the Quest recline. (And Poohbear and Maclaren say that the Triumph and Quest recline is the same, although I haven't played with them side-by-side so I don't know.) I can say with confidence that the G-luxe recline is not as deep as the Britax Blink recline, which never gets any hype at all.

[ashleybama24]

As much as I love Macs I need to be able to hang stuff off handles and not worry about tipping if DS wants to be held. What about the Bumbleride Flyer?

[lhafer]

As much as I love Macs I need to be able to hang stuff off handles and not worry about tipping if DS wants to be held. What about the Bumbleride Flyer?

You probably will have a hard time finding that function on any umbrella stroller. Although the BJCM doesn't tip at all when I LOAD it with bags.

And then you can also just take one of the bags and put it in the seat when you need to take your LO out. That's what I tend to do if the seat is empty, and I have stuff on the handles.

[purpelina]

You hear a lot of hype about the G-luxe recline being deep, but when I played with one in the store it really seemed very comparable to the Quest recline. (And Poohbear and Maclaren say that the Triumph and Quest recline is the same, although I haven't played with them side-by-side so I don't know.) I can say with confidence that the G-luxe recline is not as deep as the Britax Blink recline, which never gets any hype at all.

I have an impression that "older" g-luxes reclined deeper, almost flat indeed, that was their main difference with g-lite. The 2011 ones recline less but have a legrest instead.
Can Someone please check this? Any stores carry both models to compare side by side?

[Multimama]

I have an impression that "older" g-luxes reclined deeper, almost flat indeed, that was their main difference with g-lite. The 2011 ones recline less but have a legrest instead.
Can Someone please check this? Any stores carry both models to compare side by side?

My local store says they have both in stock. If they have both on the floor I should be able to look into this tomorrow. What's the best way to measure a recline other than eyeballing it?

ETA: Another thing you could look into to make your umbrella less tippy is Skip Hop saddlebags. Or you can also buy actually weights to put on the legs by the front wheels that will stop it from tipping. The heavier macs will be less tippy (ryder and techno models), but obviously also heavier.

[legaleagle]

What's the best way to measure a recline other than eyeballing it?


If you have an iphone there are a couple free level apps you can get. I would guess you could get something for a droid too. I use them all the time to check car seat installations. :)

[Multimama]

If you have an iphone there are a couple free level apps you can get. I would guess you could get something for a droid too. I use them all the time to check car seat installations. :)

That is so hi-tech! I will look into it. :)

[ashleybama24]

ETA: Another thing you could look into to make your umbrella less tippy is Skip Hop saddlebags. Or you can also buy actually weights to put on the legs by the front wheels that will stop it from tipping. The heavier macs will be less tippy (ryder and techno models), but obviously also heavier.

I love my skip hop bag for this very reason. I love being able to hang it on the handles. Well I guess I am off to compare strollers again! Hopefully I can find a good deal.

[Multimama]

I love my skip hop bag for this very reason. I love being able to hang it on the handles. Well I guess I am off to compare strollers again! Hopefully I can find a good deal.

saddlebags are skiphop bags that you hand on the side of the stroller, so they can help to stabilize the stroller instead of causing it to tip. You can also hang them low down on the frame at the back, which his also more stable.

Here is a link. They come up for sale on Gilt.com fairly often if you don't like this price.

http://www.amazon.com/Skip-Hop-172003-Saddle-Bag-Red/dp/B000I0VM9A

Personally, I just do what PP said and put my bag in the seat when the stroller is empty. But this is another option.

[ashleybama24]

One last stroller to throw in the mix....Inglesina Zippy? Anyone recommend it?

[legaleagle]

I believe the zippy is ~20 lbs so not really lightweight.

[Karinyc]

The new Cybex Onyx has a fabulous canopy (it unzips & is very large/wide) & a great one-hand recline, which you can use with a young infant. If you are looking for something lighter than the Onyx, then the G-Luxe is a nice option.


http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11024767

[rin]

Yeah, the new 2011 Onyx looks awesome, except is that weight on the Cybex site correct? 17 lbs is getting kind of heavy! If the weight's not an issue, though, the Onyx does looks pretty sweet, although unless you need the carseat adaptor feature I'd still probably go for the G-luxe.

[ashleybama24]

So I actually trekked to BRU today and they had NOTHING to look at. One Triumph and one Quest up high on a display that I couldn't reach. They had a whole lineup of Mamas and Papas strollers and that was it! My only other options to look at for lightweight/umbrella strollers was super cheap miniture strollers that hang folded on a clothing rack. Guess tomorrow I am going to have to go to a furniture store to see if they have any other options to look at.