Customer Reviews

Britax: Preview Lightweight Umbrella Travel System Stroller: Unity Blue

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have been in search of a stroller to replace my Graco Quattro tour travel system. My daughter is 1 1/2 and I am done with the bulk of a heavy stroller. I have been researching strollers for 6 months and was glad to see the new Britax stroller as another option. I am very pleased with our Marathon carseat from Britax so I thought I would give the Preview a try. I was hesitant since I could not find it locally to see in person but was not disappointed.

It is extremely lightweight (but does not tip when bags are hanging on the back) and designed like a higher-priced stroller. Very streamlined and high-tech. It maneuvers very well--like the Maclaren strollers (make sure your front wheels aren't locked so they swivel). The fabric is very well made and padded well (compared to most umbrella strollers). It folds easily and is fairly compact when collapsed. The sun shield is comparable to most other models I have looked at but still not extremely generous. The basket is big enough to hold a purse and small diaper bag. The best part is the bag on the back which could be used as a pseudo-diaper bag with diapers, wipes and change of clothes. Outside it holds a small water bottle, keys and cell phone. The bag is removable and has a carry strap. It has a 5 point harness which is optional by removing the upper straps. My daughter loves the bar in front and puts her legs up like a recliner. I can not say how it works as a travel system with the Britax infant carrier.

Negatives: I had some trouble putting on the hood but Britax customer service was helpful (one of my clamps was rotated backwards). Also, when you unfold the stroller you need to adjust the footrest each time (but you need to be down there putting your child in anyway and it is not difficult to do).

I don't think you will be disappointed with this stroller. All of them have a few negatives but it is well worth $119 when comparable models are $199 and up.

Good luck!

We bought both the Britax Preview Stroller after Consumer Reports reviewed the Britax Companion Car seat as the safest of the infant/rear-facing seats on the market. The Preview stroller accommodates the car seat well. The seat snaps in easily to the stroller. The stroller is not overly bulky and many places list it as an "umbrella" stroller rather than a travel stroller. The stroller is very stable as long as you lock it once you unfold it. While at first it is difficult to maneuver with one hand, becomes easier to manage fairly quickly as you learn how it moves. I agree with the previous reviewer that the sunshade doesn't seem to fit quite right, but a few adjustments and it works now. Storage is great and we love the detachable bag too. We'd probably not have looked at this stroller if it wasn't for the CR review of the Companion car seat, but we're glad we did. We did get a jogging stroller as well, for the times when we need more maneuverability. But since infants are not supposed to be in jogging strollers until about 6 months old, we haven't even unpacked that one yet!

I bought this stroller because I bought the matching car seat the britax companion. However, I think I would have not bought the stroller if I had known its capabilities. The stroller is very light weight and easy to open and close with a little technique that I use (to open- push the grey handle down and then with your foot push down on a little black knob until the stroller locks) Although, when the stroller is in its fully reclined position you are unable to use the storage compartment,and there are no cup holders. Although it does come with a handy diaper bag that conveniently attaches to the stoller. Which can hold quite a bit of diapers, travel pack of wipes, extra clothes, a few toys, and a bottle of water (about the size of a crystal geyser bottle). As far as maneuvering the stroller, its okay, I do alot of walking and even some stroller off-roading- and so far its held up but its hard to move over lots of bumps or not quite equipped for dirt paths, and not for one handed use, (ours veers more to the left side). and the sun shade is not deep enough to block the sun out of my daughters eyes. All in all it does the job, and is great with the infant car seat in it.

I recently got this stroller after a lot of research on strollers and thought I'd add my opinion since there wasn't much out there when I was looking. My baby hasn't been born yet so I can't really comment on the durability or usability yet, but as far as the basics, it has it's definite positives and some negatives. It is much lighter than most strollers out there. That was the first and main attraction for me. It also helps that it is compatible with the top rated infant car seat (the Companion). It is well padded and comfy looking. And when folding, it doesn't crash down or scratch on the ground or anything like a lot of strollers do. However, as far as folding goes, it could be easier. It takes at least two hands. Maybe a foot and elbow too. I'm hoping it gets easier as the stroller gets more broken into and the fabric gets softer, but I really have to fight to get it folded.

Some other minor things I've noticed when comparing to other strollers: 1) It takes two hands to recline the seat. 2) The basket is pretty much unobtainable when the seat is reclined because the back doesn't pull down like some others. 3) It's still not exactly compact when folded. However, it's better than most that come as a travel system. And 4) the material isn't machine washable.

Overall, I think it's going to be a great stroller. I think it looks better in person than in pictures and the benefits far outweigh the little drawbacks. As far as I can tell, it maneuvers very well, the removable "diaper bag" on the back is great, and like I said, it's so much lighter than most of the strollers available as travel systems!

This stroller has some great features that help me out a lot. First of all, it's extremely easy to maneuver. I can pull it and push it in any direction and it glides smoothly along. The attachable diaper bag would be great except I usually carry a pre-packed diaper bag with me anyway and rarely use the attachable one for diapers and such.
It's also very comfortable for both of my kids. If my 2 month old is in a sling, my 2 year old loves to ride in it. The folding foot rest area is great too. It unfolds to lengthen the riding area for a sleeping child or folds down when they're awake.
I haven't had any difficulty folding it down, but it's a little stiff when I'm trying to put it in the upright position.
A feature that I don't like is that the storage compartment underneath is pretty small and when the seat is in the reclined position (which it must be for the car seat to fit in it), the basket is not easily accessible. If you're like me and like to stuff your purse and bags in the basket when your shopping so you don't have to carry them, then you might not like that feature.
The other problem is that it's difficult to steer with one hand. If I'm trying to hold onto my 2 year old with one hand, I have to really struggle to keep the stroller straight.
I like this stroller over all, but there are a few improvements to be made. It really depends on what your stroller needs are.

I think this is the 5th stroller we have bought and it is by far our favorite. We bought it because as far as we know it is the only stroller that is compatible with the Britax Companion Infant Car Seat.

We have a 3 year old and a 5 month old and they both like riding in this stroller. It is lightweight and very manuverable. The collapsing mechanism is a bit stiff and hard to use at first, but now it is super easy and quick to open or collapse it. I can do it with one foot and one hand. It folds pretty compactly and I don't have any problem pushing it into the back of the trunk of my Volvo.

The infant car seat was easy to attach to the stroller. We just kept the fabric cover off of the front bar and then we just had to recline the seat slightly. It locks in place easily.

The basket is a good size and easily accessible. It is easy to recline the seat by pulling up and back on 2 levers in the back - I can do it while standing in the front or the back of the stroller. I also like that the foot rest can pushed straight up so that my baby's legs don't hang over the edge of the seat.

This is a great stroller and I think it is very reasonably priced. Britax makes great products and I think this one will last us awhile.

This stroller is awesome, really. It is very easy to use, extremely lightweight and small enough to fit anywhere. I also like that I can easily maneuver it through narrow store aisles and cram it in the smallest space in the car. You do, however, need two hands to open it. This is only due to the fact that it is so lightweight that it does not fall open on its own, but must be pushed open with the little knob with your foot.

The basket underneath is on the small side, but can still accommodate a purse or a few items in the grocery store (nothing too heavy, though). The only trouble is the clearance from the stroller back; I could just barely squeeze a large 23oz. can of formula into the basket.

The attached accessories bag comes in very handy; I like to keep an extra diaper and burp rag in there, as well as a bottle of water for me and a baba for my son. The outside pockets easily hold my keys and cell phone, although one of the pockets was designed to hold a water bottle. I also like that this bag can be detached and carried like a purse.

The shades offer as good a coverage as you can expect from any stroller, and the peep through window is nice, but be sure you're not burning your baby's head while this is open on a sunny day. I also purchased the Britax Companion Infant Car Seat and they work perfectly together. Both shades pulled together at the same time can create a clamshell effect, which is great from grabby grannies in the mall. A big bummer about the canopy when just using the stroller is that it must be removed to fold the stroller. I found this to be so inconvenient that I ended up leaving it at home most of the time (no biggie, I usually just put a brimmed hat on my son).

The five point harness is an excellent safety feature and can be adjusted to fit just right. The adjustable leg rest is great for a small baby who doesn't need to have his legs dangling over the edge yet.

The only drawback to this stroller is that it becomes more difficult to maneuver as your child grows heavier. No biggie, that's to be expected with a small, lightweight stroller. I simply upgraded to another Britax stroller with bigger wheels (bigger wheels=easier to push and steer!). An excellent company with a great reputation; I will never purchase another brand for my baby transportation needs.

After tons of research and test-driving this stroller in the store, I thought I'd found The Perfect Stroller. I was so excited to get it home and let my ten month old out for a "test-drive". I encountered problems immediately. First, the stroller was Extremely difficult to open and close. It was so stiff I found myself leaning on it with all my weight just to get it to open. Getting it to fold back up was no picnic either. I'd read other reviews about this stroller being "stiff" at first, so I figured it would get better. Three days later it still hadn't loosened up. I also found the recline on the seat mechanism to be very stiff and awkward. The final straw came when I noticed that I kept kicking the wheels every seventh or eighth step. I'm 5'4" and don't have an unusual stride. It was annoying. I decided to return it while I still could (thankfully I purchased it at a local store that has a wonderful exchange policy!) I did like a few things: it seemed very comfortable for my son, and I appreciated that it felt sturdy, and it did have a nice basket. Perhaps I got a lemon, perhaps the folding mechanism would have loosened up over time, but I didn't feel like taking the chance and then finding that it didn't...

I bought this stroller strictly because I loved the companion carseat, and the carseat is HEAVY! I love the stroller for it's weight and use with the carseat. That being said, as others have noted, you can't access the storage underneath or push it well one-handed with the carseat on (hard to walk the dog too). The folding mechanism did loosen some with repeated use (I've used it 5 months now), but takes 2 hands minimum.
Now that my infant is using it without the carseat, it's OK. I like the support and 5 point harness, but the sun shade is small and it has no tray, so I can't attach my toy bar without it sliding upside down. A try would also be nice for juice boxes and snacks when he's eating. I feel the need to get a different stroller to accomodate an older infant/toddler.
I bought a britax forerunner to try to make up for the deficiencies, but I'm not impressed with the manufacturing of that at all. I've returned it once already, and the replacement I got is not put together correctly either. I love the styling and features, but can't seem to find one that works!!!

As typical of Britax, the safety features/sturdiness of this stroller are not rivaled; however, this stroller is difficult to steer with one hand, akward to open & close, and recline. I have two kids, and I am unable to hold my daughter's hand and steer the stroller with the other. I thought this stroller was the answer for a compact stroller, but I am now shopping for a new one (even though my son is already 16m old)! The negatives take away from any of the positives.