My thoughts on the Indie

[arivecchi]

I had to try a gorgeous Ocean Indie that popped up on Strollerista. :) While I understand why people like the stroller, I was totally underwhelmed once I got it. :( I guess I prefer beefy and sturdy ATs or light umbrellas.

The Indie has a pretty nice push. It is quite light for its size. I personally much prefer the push and maneuverability of Mountain Buggies. The narrow front of MBs allows one to navigate very tight turns while the Indie is wider at the nose. I did notice while trying it out with DS1 (who does not fit at all BTW height wise - the seat is roomy but not unusually tall) that you feel every single bump. Needs better suspension IMO. The canopy is nice and big but my kids did not like it down because they cannot see ahead. The canopy would be great for infants, but not as great for older kids. I guess my kids got used to the mesh part of the MB visor that allowed them to still see ahead.

The basket while large is made of a very thin material. I much prefer the thicker Valco, Mutsy and MB baskets. The Ocean fabric is gorgeous, but the footrest is all fabric which worries me - especially since I live in Chicago and have to deal with snow and slush. The brake is nice and substantial but interferes with board use. A board may be able to be attached but it would have to be far out and the handles high up in order to still be able to apply the brake.

My biggest issue with it is that it feels flimsy. The handlebar especially. I am not letting my DH touch it because I am pretty sure he would break it in no time flat. It is also much larger than I expected. I thought it would be comparable to the Swift, but it is just a tad smaller than the much beefier Terrain. It has a two part fold which annoys me for car use.

I think there is no comparison to the Swift, which is smaller, more narrow beefier and sturdier. To me the Swift feels like a higher quality stroller and I think it is much more versatile as it is truly small enough to be a great indoor stroller.

Sorry, it was a mixed bag for me. Nice stroller but kind of a jack of all trades master of none for me. Glad I tried it, but it's already listed on my CL. It really made me want to buy a Swift again! LOL!

[swissair81]

I did warn you...
You wanna buy my Swift? ;)

[arivecchi]

I did warn you...
You wanna buy my Swift? ;)
Are you serious?!

[swissair81]

are you serious?!

:) cym :)

[mackmama]

I also was not impressed with the Indie. I returned the Indie and bought the MB Swift. I LOVE the swift. I don't think the Indie and Swift are comparable. I think the Swift is more similar to the Bee actually in size. I do think the Swift's seat is a little narrow, but that's my only complaint. As I mentioned in another thread, the Indie and Terrain are almost the same size which I did not expect or want. In general, the Indie did not feel as solidly built as MBs. The Indie handlebar felt loose, and the steering also felt loose. The suspension did seem good on the Indie, and maybe that also contributed to the loose steering feeling. I did like the adjustable footrest and fabric colors on the Indie. Definitely prefer MB overall, though, as does DH.

[momtoax3]

It is too bad you don't like the Indie, because I really like ours. I think the difference in fold between MBs and all other strollers makes up for the feeling of "sturdiness"; however I can attest to the sturdiness of of our Indie. It has been on snow and trails, and does great. Of course, the 16 in BOB or Terry wheels would be better in rough terrain, but it worked fine for us. My 3 year old says it feels bouncy.

At first, I thought the handlebar felt a little too far out, until I discovered that it is perfect when using a board. While I do like the Swift, when I tried it out with my older daughter, I could not convince her to get her head between the canopy and handlebar because it was a tight fit. No problem on the Indie.

As for basket, ours has taken a beating, cramming in a ton, and it still looks great. The footrest issue really isn't one, because when my girls have slushy/muddy feet, the footrest cloth can easily be tucked down, revealing a rubberized footrest. The brake, recline mechanism, and fabrics (and color options) are nicer than the Swift IMO. Lastly the aesthetic....Seriously one of the prettiest ATs out there with excellent resale value.

But as I have said before, they are both great strollers...I like the Swift a lot...just like the Indie more for us...just felt the need to chime in in case someone is on the fence.

[arivecchi]

It is too bad you don't like the Indie, because I really like ours. I think the difference in fold between MBs and all other strollers makes up for the feeling of "sturdiness"; however I can attest to the sturdiness of of our Indie. It has been on snow and trails, and does great. Of course, the 16 in BOB or Terry wheels would be better in rough terrain, but it worked fine for us. My 3 year old says it feels bouncy.

At first, I thought the handlebar felt a little too far out, until I discovered that it is perfect when using a board. While I do like the Swift, when I tried it out with my older daughter, I could not convince her to get her head between the canopy and handlebar because it was a tight fit. No problem on the Indie.

As for basket, ours has taken a beating, cramming in a ton, and it still looks great. The footrest issue really isn't one, because when my girls have slushy/muddy feet, the footrest cloth can easily be tucked down, revealing a rubberized footrest. The brake, recline mechanism, and fabrics (and color options) are nicer than the Swift IMO. Lastly the aesthetic....Seriously one of the prettiest ATs out there with excellent resale value.

But as I have said before, they are both great strollers...I like the Swift a lot...just like the Indie more for us...just felt the need to chime in in case someone is on the fence.Thanks for chiming in! I appreciate your thoughts. I think what you said regarding the board is interesting. I was thinking the Indie one seemed like a tight fit, but I don't have a Swift in front of me to compare. I don't remember DS having issues getting inside the Swift handlebar. He did have problems in the Terrain because of the handbrake.

Also, my Indie does not have a rubberized footrest. Just the metal frame. How odd.

Aesthetically, I am drawn to MBs and Valcos, so I definitely prefer a more simplistic/streamlined/masculine look. I get that many people much prefer the Bumbleride look though.

[newg]

My indie twin has a rubber footrest too........I don't think I would like it as much if it was fabric......that's actually one of the things I don't like about the PT sport I have.

I don't have any other AT strollers to compare it to, besides the 6yr. old PT sport.......but I'm starting to feel like the Indie is more of "crossover vehicle".........which works for some, and not for others :)

[Kaylee31]

My indie twin has a rubber footrest too........I don't think I would like it as much if it was fabric......that's actually one of the things I don't like about the PT sport I have.

I don't have any other AT strollers to compare it to, besides the 6yr. old PT sport.......but I'm starting to feel like the Indie is more of "crossover vehicle".........which works for some, and not for others :)

My '11 single has the footrest also. That is weird that the ocean doesn't...

Indie as a crossover, lol. Good analogy, b/c I think the Indie is good for those who don't like rugged, utilitarian-looking ATs. I was not impressed with mine either. I also thought it would be much smaller than my Terrain. It does seem flimsy after pushing an MB for so long. I do appreciate the lighter weight & the footrest though. And it's pretty! :D

[scriptkitten]

How does your 2yr old like it, other than the hood?

My kids complain about the duet hood constantly. They like the "cAve effect" of the bob and bj hood. They are constantly trying to yank the duet hood further down. They do like the duet otherwise

[swissair81]

How does your 2yr old like it, other than the hood?

My kids complain about the duet hood constantly. They like the "cAve effect" of the bob and bj hood. They are constantly trying to yank the duet hood further down. They do like the duet otherwise

It must be what they're used to. My son used to cry when I owned my old MBUD, because the sun was always in his face. I sold it for that reason. He doesn't complain about my Duo or Swift hood at all.

[abh5e8]

i wish the swift had an inline doubles kit option :)

[arivecchi]

How does your 2yr old like it, other than the hood?

My kids complain about the duet hood constantly. They like the "cAve effect" of the bob and bj hood. They are constantly trying to yank the duet hood further down. They do like the duet otherwise My 2 year old kept pushing the canopy up. We have the opposite problem! :ROTFLMAO:


i wish the swift had an inline doubles kit option :) Tell me about it!