Not quite the jack of all trades that I was expecting
July 24, 2018
The concept of this stroller is amazing. I love the idea of the light weight reversible seat, the large basket for a travel stroller, the hand brake rather than foot break, the giant canopy, and adjustable harness that enables a 5 point or 3 point harness depending on the size and preference of the child. I love the idea of the belly bar. The low star rating is because this stroller is only good in theory.
Starting at the top of the list. Yes, the seat reverses, but depending on which way you fold it, the seat either gets trapped when folded ( good thing) or, just the frame locks, and the seat freely swings out as you lift it into your trunk ( bad!)
The basket is good. It's sturdy and deep and easy to access. Easier to access when the child is parent facing. I also love the zipper pocket. No complaints here.
The handbrake is INCREDIBLY stiff. I have actually panicked a couple of times when I couldn't unlock the wheels, because the only unlocking is done via a button, rather than a lever. You need to have a very strong thumb! Great concept, awful in practice. Also, my child can reach the lever when parent facing, and randomly lock the wheels while we're strolling. Would have been better to put it out of reach of a child, maybe?
The canopy is large, but flimsy and looks like it just got rescued from the jaws of a trash compactor. It also falls backwards towards the seat, as the seat reclines. It only really works when the seat is upright, since gravity holds it down, unfortunately gravity pulls it in the opposite direction and your child who is laying flat, and probably trying to sleep, gets blasted with bright sunlight unexpectedly. I have pushed the stroller with my stomach while holding the canopy taut over his body. Not a good look.
The harness is very finicky. The one on my stroller has one side that snaps in quite nicely, and the other side doesn't snap at all, meaning I have to hold the top portion of the shoulder strap in the groove of the waist strap while inserting it into the buckle. My child loves riding in the stroller so we don't have too many issues with him squirming, but it takes the same finesse as putting on a necklace clasp, you have to line it up just so, otherwise it all crumbles in your hand and you have to find the pieces to click together again. I know baby jogger can do better, the clasp on the GT is amazing, they know how to make this concept work, so why cheap out on this new concept?
The belly bar is only useful when the child is sitting upright. If you recline the seat, the belly bar hits the child at the knees, sometimes literally. I have to remove the belly bar when my child is sleeping, hold the canopy over his body, and push with one hand. This stroller does not have good one handed maneuverability at ALL. It feels very heavy. My child is barely 25 lbs, I really don't know how a 45 lb child can ride in this if this is how it feels now. I am so disappointed!
Pros
- Very lightweight
- Reversible seat
- Good size basket
- Mesh peeka-boo instead of plastic
Best Uses
- Travel
- Paved surfaces
- Malls
Cons
- The handling
- The puzzle piece buckle that falls apart in your hands
- The canopy