Umbrella stroller review/recommendation (long, sorry)

PenelopePond · July 2012

I know before DS I had no idea what to look for in an umbrella stroller. I bought one that matched the nursery decor (Precious Planet). The stroller seemed pretty good. It had a sun shade that could be detached, so we could adjust it to where the sun was. That seemed nice. It also had a small bag on the back, just big enough for a jacket for DS. Quickly I realized it wasn't that great. When it folded up, the dirty wheels rubbed against the sun shade. The sun shade was filthy in no time. It also didn't turn very well.

Our second umbrella stroller was a joke. I got it for $15 at Shopko when we were on vacation. No sun shade, no bag on the back. That thing was really hard to push, and trying to get it to go the direction we wanted was a joke.

A couple months ago I had had enough. I went online and looked at umbrella strollers on every website I could think of. I didn't want to get another cheap one, it we couldn't really afford an expensive one (well we could, but didn't want to). I finally came across The First Years Ignite Stroller. It had lots of great reviews, the priced was good ($45 when I got it), and there was free shipping and returns. I decided to go with the City Chic color because it was cheapest and I liked that it was black so it wouldn't show dirt. Bonus: it had a nice sun shade and a small basket area to put stuff. Sold! We've had it about two months now and I love it! It moves so well. No more struggling to get the wheels to go the way I want. It rolls smooth and easy. The sun shade is big enough to cover DS when he's sitting back. The back reclines a bit, so if he falls asleep he's more comfortable. The straps not only go over his waist but his shoulders too. That's huge for us right now. DS liked to stand up or lean really far forward in the other strollers which made it even more difficult to push. He was also able to climb out the top while buckled in. Not anymore. The basket in back is not super easy to get into, but it's not a negative for me. I have a lot more room than I had in either other stroller. Also, it has a great little pouch that hangs between the handles. One side of it zippers closed so you can easily put your keys, phone, and wallet in there for safe keeping. The other side has a spot for a water bottle, which I really love. Also, the whole stroller sits up higher and the handles are taller. This makes it easy to go up and down curbs and there's no slouching over to push it. It really is way better than I could have hoped for, and the price was great.

They are slightly more expensive on amazon right now, but I'm sure that could change at any time. Here's the link, sorry I can't make it clicky.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002WB2GB6/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i00

Sorry this got long. I hope it helps someone.

ETA: if you look below the price on the right, there are other sellers for the strollers. This one is cheaper through amazon and they do free shipping, so make sure to look at that.

terri_doula2010 · July 2012

Great review!

We ended up getting this one after going through a few used crappy ones: https://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3994452

We wanted it to be really affordable, but we needed it that day (about to go on a trip), which is why we ended up at Babies R Us. A good basket is non-negotiable for us and I wanted one that steered really well after our super cheap used ones. We've had it since March and it has been great so far!

weddingnewbie2011 · July 2012

Thanks for the review! Guess i made a rush decision with ours (FTM no idea what to look for, but thought reviews looked solid and it was on sale). I got Kolcraft contours lite

https://www.amazon.com/Contours-ZL014-TLO1-Lite-Stroller-Tangerine/dp/B0030EH8OO/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1342273860&sr=1-1&keywords=kolcraft+contours

Hopefully it'll work out fine, but I guess now I know the features I should look for

enjoylife · July 2012

Thanks for the review! We are looking to buy one for our trip next month (flying) and ai don't want to take out city mini. I had been looking at the Maclarens but didn't want to spend the $$ since #2 will be here shortly. I'll be sure to check out both umbrellas.

herlysgirly · July 2012

Wow, that looks like a nice umbrellas stroller! I like that it has a basket on the bottom.

With DD, we just went with the "Deluxe" Babies R Us brand one...

https://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=10884643 <<this one, but orange/pink with flowers.

It has a shade and the bag on the back, so it has worked well for what we've needed it for so far.

damabo80 · July 2012

I recently got the Cosco umbrella for DD. hate it.

Hard to push, and the handle is so low you have to bend over at a 45 degree angle.

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Umbrella stroller review/recommendation (long, sorry)

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