Chicco umbrella or other?

[beckyhd13]

I need a simple umbrella stroller for mall shopping and that sort of thing. I'd like to stay under $150, so I was thinking about the Chicco Liteway, but don't see many people recommending them on this board. Am I seriously missing something? My mom has a used Maclaren and I don't see anything that makes me think a Maclaren would be better than the Chicco. Any thoughts? Any other umbrellas we should try out before buying?

[beckyhd13]

Still looking for some thoughts on this - would appreciate any advice on umbrella strollers. Thanks.

[roseyloxs]

How large is your child? I like the looks of the liteway and have played with it in the store. I think the main complaint is that as the child gets bigger it doesn't steer as well.

[beckyhd13]

Older one is 20 mths and 25 lbs, younger is 4 mths and 14 lbs. I'd say they're both likely to be pretty average sized.

I think another option might be the g-lite or g-luxe if people have thoughts on those compared to the Chicco.

[TwoBees]

I don't think there's anything wrong with the Liteway, but there are other options that are better value for your money. Maclarens tend to last and last, so you can get a lot of use out of them and they have good resale value. Uppababys as well. The G-lite and -Luxe have better canopies than the Liteway too, I think. Another option is the Britax B-Nimble.

[legaleagle]

So you need something That reclines bec of the 4 month old. That eliminates the g-lite. I haven't seen one personally but the swift seems very nice for the price.

[edurnemk]

We have a Liteway, it's a nice stroller for babies but HARD to steer with a heavier child. i've never owned a Maclaren though, and I think no umbrella stroller will have a great push, you need a single bar handle for that. (for full disclosure I'm a push snob)

Have you looked at Cybex strollers? They seem much sturdier than Macs IMO.

[roseyloxs]

The Aprica presto flat as the name implies has a flat recline and a standing umbrella fold. Its on sale at Albee for $99 (http://www.albeebaby.com/aprica-presto-flat-stroller-premiere-red.html) and Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Aprica-Presto-Flat-Stroller-Black/dp/B004MDLBBI/) has about a dozen reviews to look over. I read on some random blog that it has an excellent 2 handed push but doesn't have a one handed push if that's important to you. The nice thing about Apricas is that their seat is very high in comparison to other umbrellas.

I am pretty tempted but already have an umbrella that my dd adores so I am bit torn (its a cybex by the way and as the pp said they are sturdy and not at all tippy like the Macs).

[chillinoutmaxin]

I have a Mac for umbrella. I love it. Unless the child is out then it falls over backward with my gigantic bag hanging on the back but my big strollers have done that too (you'd think i'm transporting bricks!). The push is nice but i'm not a push snob. Steers great even with a 6 year old in it. Mine gets light use. Maybe twice a month. A must have for me are strollers that are low and obstacle free so the child can climb in an out by himself. I'd buy the Mac again.
I think the chicco lightway has a chocolate brown one that I'm in love with but I've never seen it in person. I thought the recline looked nice.

[beckyhd13]

We saw the Liteway in person today, as well as the Maclaren and the G-Luxe. Definitely liked the Maclaren the least. I really liked the G-Luxe, but am trying to decide if it's worth the extra $80 since they won't discount them or accept coupons. I liked the extra big canopy and the stand up fold, and it is a few pounds lighter, which is nice. And since I'm always wearing flip flops, I really liked that you release to fold with your hands instead of your feet.

We use a snap-n-go for the baby, so I'm wondering if we should get the D-Lite, since by the time we use it for the little one, she'll be older. They didn't have any floor models, so I hate to buy without seeing one.

I'm concerned about all of the negative Amazon reviews on the G-Luxe and the G-Lite with so many people saying theirs broke.

[Brennavelle]

Just throwing in a suggestion for the Inglesina Trip. I just got one to take on vacation instead of my Evo and so far I'm enjoying it. It's very high quality and I like that I can fold it with one hand while holding DD (no problems in flip flops or barefoot). It's heavier than the G-Luxe at around 15 pounds but it seems like it's worth it to me for the near-flat recline and more substantial feel. Albee baby has the green one on sale right now for 169.99 so it's just a tad bit over what you wanted to spend but still cheaper than the g-luxe.