Customer Reviews

Britax Chaperone Stroller, Cowmooflage

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

Length:: 4:19 Mins

Between myself and my friends, it has been impossible to find the PERFECT stroller: lightweight; maneuvers like a Lexus; comfortable for child; cleans like a dream; folds compact and easily; has an extra large basket; and is affordable. Stuff that dreams are made of, right? Everyone I know who is of considerable means (i.e. they're loaded) has more than one stroller to meet these multiple needs. The Britax Chaperone stroller, like so many others, meets some, but not all of a mom's needs.

First, Britax makes awesomely awesome carseats (disclosure: I own 2 of them) and this stroller is designed as a travel system with the Britax Chaperone infant carseat. (It does also adapt to other infant carseats.) That means it's CONVENIENT! You snap the carseat in and transfer the baby in and out of the car without having to wake them up!

Also CONVENIENT is the fact that the travel system folds shut very easily. In theory, you can do it with one hand. In reality, it sometimes gets stuck. Watch the video to see me folding and unfolding the stroller. Once folded, you can still push the stroller to the trunk of the car (something that many jogging strollers cannot do). It folds semi-compact, enough to fit in most trunks, but not as small as an umbrella stroller of course. The seat back also slides up and down very easily. You pull a lever and the seat back falls back. Push the seat forward and it locks back in place. Very much like the driver and passenger seats in a car.

SAFETY: The seatbelt is a heavy duty 5 point harness system, like Britax's carseats. Some would argue that it's a bit of overkill in a stroller (who needs that much protection?), but it's nicer to have it than not, I suppose. The parking brake is also very easy to engage. Just step on it and it pushes on and off. (It also makes it very easy for a mischievous older brother/sister to disengage also.)

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the child snack tray and the adult cupholders. My Valco Tri-Mode and my best friend's Bugaboo don't come with these conveniences and now that I've tried it, I don't know how I can live without them.
My 3-year old LOVES this stroller more than the Valco because of the snack tray, the awesome fact that it's the same pattern as a farm animal (which I'm not too keen on, but there's no accounting for taste), and the fact that she rides so high up that she feels she can see more of the world and sits closer to me and her dad. Unfortunately, I don't love pushing this things as much as she loves riding in it.

MANEUVERABILITY on this thing is awful unless you're on an almost perfectly flat surface. The stroller turns on a dime and, because it's not too wide, it makes turns smoothly and maneuvers through doorways and tight aisles pretty well. However, you take this thing to a place with old, cracked sidewalks and you're gonna be dying for the air tires on most jogging strollers. We tried pushing our daughter through some of the old sidewalks in our neighborhood and, even with momentum, it would hit a dead stop if the sidewalk was raised too high. Even worse, if you're going too fast and you hit one of these snags, you better hold on or you're going to tip your kid forward out of the stroller. And because the child rides high on the seat, compared to the Valco or to the Mountain Buggy or Baby Jogger, you'll have more of a tilted feeling when pushing it over uneven ground. Because I primarily push this thing in old neighborhoods on uneven terrain, it's 10 times more work than a jogging stroller. Don't let anyone tell you that the Chaperone maneuvers as well as a Bugaboo or Mountain Buggy. It's not true except on perfectly flat flooring.

So, all of this led me to the conclusion that the Chaperone would be a great mall stroller! Yes, it folds easily, it has snack/drink compartments for mommy and baby, it has a travel system for when your baby is still small enough to fit in the infant carseat, and it maneuvers terrific on even flooring. But there is one dark side to even this plan. STORAGE: While the stroller basket is larger and more generous than most others I've seen, there's no way to lock it in place. See the video to see this in action. As a result, when you put very heavy bags (and whose diaper bag isn't heavy?) in it, the basket pops open and the bags fall out unless you've very carefully placed them further into the basket. This has been my number one distress about the stroller and it never fails that I've had that basket drop something out at least once a trip. If you're reading this Britax, please put some sort of locking mechanism on that basket!

The other annoying thing about the huge basket is that it extends over the rear axle near the parking brake. As a result, you cannot put your foot on the axle in order to tip the strollers front wheels up to push it over the curb. Thus, when you go over even a small step or the curb, you have to turn the stroller around and go over it backwards. Don't even think about taking this thing up or down stairs with anything in the basket, it will totally be in your way. Another downside to the large basket is that it will negate the possibility of adding a hitchhiker or buggyboard for a sibling.

PRICE: I do believe that this stroller serves a great function as an infant travel system, but it doesn't meet all the needs for older kids. And at $300 for just the stroller (and not including the infant car seat), it's a little steep for a stroller that doesn't deliver on more fronts. I'm not against spending some serious money on a stroller, but you should get what you pay for it. Oh yeah, and at this price, why doesn't Britax include a rain cover like most of the other more expensive strollers?

Since everyone I know ends up getting more than one stroller to meet all their needs anyways, I would recommend that you just buy a cheaper travel system (like Graco or Evenflo) and take the extra money and invest it in a better maneuvering 2nd stroller. Another alternative is just using a Snap N Go type product for the first few months of baby's life. After all, travel systems are only at their very best for when the babies are still infants. In my case, my daughter out grew her infant carseat at 6-7 months.

If you found this review helpful, please let me know!

I do not usually write reviews but since I made a mistake buying this stroller due to there not being enough information/reviews out there yet I figured I would try to help other parents and save them the time and frustration I have had.

Although I liked this stroller in pictures, now that I have received it I am returning it.

First the good, The stroller has lots of great features including 2 cup holders, one hand fold, easy to access storage basic and a 5 point harness. However it is lacking in the comfort area. The seat has very little padding leaving a lot to be desired when it comes to comfort. It also has bars near the childs head that are not covered by any padding when it is in a semi reclined position. I was willing to purchase extra cushioning for the seat and modify the padding until I realized what I found to be the biggest design flaw, the seat cushioning is not washable, just wipeable. For the price of this stroller I would expect that I would be able to atleast hand wash the cover but that is not the case. What happens when your childs diaper leaks...that can get pretty gross and is bound to happen a few times. I called Britax to be sure and they confirmed that although you can wipe it you can not actually submerge it to handwash it because there is cardboard in the seat cushion and you can't actually take the cover off the cardboard. They said it was a brand new design and that they would let upper management know of my concern. Hopefully they will fix these problems but until then I would say buyer beware.

I'm gonna give back by writing a review. This is a new product and I couldn't wait for it to be released. I ordered this but was wary as I hadn't heard anything, couldn't find a review, and was going merely on faith. I love my Cowmooflage Chaperone Carseat and I hoped I would love this stroller just as much.

Jackpot! I love this stroller, flat out simple as that. I will admit that I am a Mamma to 5 and I have never had a travel system....so perhaps I am enchanted with that fact alone.... but I just love this stroller regardless. I feel like everything was well thought out... made well and I have no complaints. The stroller is full size... comparable to the size of the Inglesina Zippy which I loved when I owned one. I love the Cowmooflage fabric.

The stroller has an articulating handle which is great because I'm tall... I kick the back of almost every stroller I've ever used (even the ones that are made for tall people).... but I am able to walk behind the Chaperone just fine... YIPPPEE!

The stroller has a true one hand fold... Same exact concept as the Baby Jogger City Mini... Pull the center tab at the seat and Voila... closes... It works well. The canopy/shade isn't as full sized as I would like but is certainly adequate. The Baby Jogger Mini has a bigger canopy which I love.

I thought the wheels were plastic... so I was concerned about that... but they are not... They have a rubber tire like feel and so ride smoothly... even on the street and some of the trails behind our house resulted in a very smooth ride. The stroller moves fantastically and is able to be pushed with one hand.... I actually navigated this stroller in addition to a [...] shopping cart full of food quite easily (one cart with each hand)...

The underbasket is quite generous. There is a child tray (but can be used without) and also a parent tray, which is quite useful (room for two drinks and a compartment for keys/cell phone etc..).

The wheels pop off quite easily if needed... foot rest articulates for a child quite nicely.

The matching baby car seat pops in so easily... like a dream! It has a very creative mechanism and I'm not sure I could adequately describe how it works... other than I really like it and have no complaints whatsoever... An adapter strap is included with the stroller for other car seats which are compatible.

I absolutely love the foot brake which can be set by pushing down and is also released by pushing down... just like the brake in our minivan... I love not having to try to pull up on the brake with the top of my toes which always results in a sore toe! My only complaint thus far has been when I accidently kicked the brake while walking and accidently engaged the brake... not a biggie...

I'll update later if I think of anything... so far... I am in love!

OK, so I went with the chaperone thinking that it is a britax, and their car seats are fantastic. BOY WAS I WRONG!!! I will start from the bottom and work my way up.... Within a few WEEKS of owning it, the wheels started rusting and squeaking. I got my WD 40 and sprayed, the squeaking was gone, the rusting was not. The basket does not stay up. The whole stroller is very cumbersome, and where it was no big deal to take my son down the stairs in the carriage, with my previous stroller, here, it is really heavy, and klutzy. The way it folds, you need to lift the childs tray, and then pull the strap in the middle. The tray gets stuck, and sometimes I just dont fold it, cuz I can not fight with the stroller. The trimming is fraying, and I noticed that about 5 weeks into owning it. If u ask me, I would say STAY FAR FAR AWAY!! DO NOT BUY THIS PIECE OF GARBAGE. I am sure that this is a work in progress, so Britax will be working to improve their strollers but for now,, stick to the car seats,,,
(Just to qualify myself, I had a graco stroller from a travel system, that people thought was new, and I used it for both of my boys, they are 11 months apart, and it lasted great until I went to the mountains where it became moldy from the humidity.)

I've owned this stroller 6 months. I've owned a total of 12 strollers over the course of 9 years. Here is my opinion on this stroller and why you shouldn't buy it.

First, after the first weekend owning the stroller, the brake broke. I called customer service after a few months to exchange it as not only the brake broke, but the lining in the basket separated, the wheels kept falling off, and the latch was sticking. I spoke with a woman named Helen in customer service. Helen would not take down my concerns about the stroller (her comment: We're giving you a brand new stroller. What else do you want?) So here are my complaints:

Chaperone stroller design issues:

1. Bottom basket falls down even at a small bump and... items fall out. Other manuf. have a latch that opens and closes the bottom basket. That would be helpful. This drives me nuts every time I use the stroller. The bottom basket, while large, is useless because I can't use it.

2. Front wheels fall off when I take the stroller out of my Town and Country. Perhaps a better latching system for front wheels.

3. Parent tray often falls off. Better latching system for tray.

4. Three point harness should be a five point. Children can still climb out of this one.

5. Cushions on the straps of the buckle. If I try to tighten them so my child doesn't climb out, they are too tight around her neck and cause a red spot.

6. The stroller is hard to open and stay open. I often have to "throw" it open to get it to latch. I learned this the hard way when I thought it was latched, placed my daughter in the stroller, and it closed on her.

7. Locking mechanism when stroller is folded often sticks so it is very hard to open. I have to push pretty hard and have broken a few nails.

8. Cushion should be fully removable in case of accidents. You can only spot clean it.

9. The braking system is inherently flawed. My brake broke the first weekend we had the stroller.

Positives:

I like the parent tray and the child tray. I like the pattern. I like that it is large and roomy.

3 vs. 9. Purchase with caution.

EDITED TO ADD:

Here I am a year later with the replaced stroller. The bottom foot area is broken and no longer will stay up. The mechanism on the basket that keeps it *sort of* locked in place has failed and now the bottom just hangs down. Also, my biggest concern- my now two year old was able to rip the bottom strap from the seat. (At which point I realized it is only sewn onto the very thin fabric.) She immediately slipped down and was choking on the two side straps that were still connected to the middle piece. This stroller in my estimation is now trash. We VERY rarely used this stroller anymore due to the basket being broken. I only used it today due to its large canopy. I'm so frustrated with this stroller that could have it all, but due to its poor quality, it falls so far short of Britax reputation for great products.

I have three children and this is my 6th stroller. I did a lot of research before buying this stroller. I have owned seven different Britax carseats and have loved them all I am am really disappointed in this stroller. I did receive one of the first ones so I am hoping Britax fixes the problems. I have probably used my stroller 10 times but I am so frustrated with it I think I might have to purchase a new stroller. I have the entire Chaperone travel system but the stroller has so many problems. #1-I can't get the carseat out of the stroller without having to try again and again. I have to jerk the carseat to get it to release and sometimes this doesn't work. #2-the tray has to be folded up in order for the stroller to fold-mine does not stay up so I have to fight with it. #3 before I even put my child in it for the first time one side of the canopy broke when my husband was trying to open the stroller. #4 the stroller is difficult to open it is akward and easily gets scratched on the ground when having to try and open it. #5 it is also difficult to close and sometimes takes several tries to get it to close. #6 The final thing that happened that has frustrated me to no end is the wheel fell off when I was Christmas shopping.

I have the chaperone infant seat and this is the only stroller that works with it, so you don't have alot of choice. Overall, a terrible purchase. Hardly any storage space under the seat. The basket will collapse for no apparent reason and everything falls out. If you co off road, like a park or boardwalk, dirt gets into the wheel assemblies and squeaks like you can't imagine. Not very padded. Hard to clean. Wheels are not durable at all. If you are on uneven terrain, it does not do well, like uneven sidewalks. You have to do a little work to go from using the infant seat to not using it. Pieces have to be flipped up and buttoned down. It is never easy to put the infant seat in either. Almost always have to try at least twice. I have had this for over a year. It has already been replaced by Britax twice. I also think they are discontinuing this soon and just not telling people. The coowmooflage pattern has already been discontinued, they are no longer making it. As a plus, I do get alot of compliments at the mall.

We've had this stroller as part of a chaperone travel system for 6 months now and at first I was very pleased. Easy in and out, fairly compact, good build quality, But now that we're at 6 months I can't reasonably counter my wife's argument that this is a bad stroller. Her reasons:

Squeaky wheels that are already starting to rust over at the hub
Collapsing is just as easy but expanding into upright position is getting harder and harder and sometimes it takes brute force it seems
Bottom rack folds down too easily (can lose stuff)
Poor design: The top handle bar gets beat up if you position the stroller as recommended on expansion--rubber is all torn
The sun shade is week and falls off
Bad safety: the wheel lock sticks and doesn't always work as it should

It has some good things about it but the list above is pretty exhaustive and counters all that good. Am in the process of contacting Britax to see what they can do. Disappointing!

Update 8/20/2011: Got a new stroller from Britax without trouble--new one appears to be somewhat better but may be just because it's new

I'm long past the daily need for a stroller, but I pull this thing out everytime I sense someone is about to fall asleep or will fall asleep during the outing.

1. This is the easiest stroller to click-n-go with one hand currently being sold. It easily clicks open, and does so safely, and closes with equal ease.

2. It's sturdy, durable and easy to steer.

3. The sheer behemoth size of this monster makes a perfect sleeper stroller even for a five year old, which I've had a few in who slept soundly.

4. This is rugged enough to stand up to everyday use, but I'm glad I no longer have to.

5. One would think that the 'Cowmooflage Print' would be an awful choice in fabric pattern, but after I got this it was quickly apparent that his was actually the best color for several reasons.

This stroller gets a lot of remarks, ooh's and aah's and people all fancy the cow print when they see it in real life versus in a picture.

I bought this stroller when I purchased the chaparone infant car seat. Britax is suppose to be the the "go-to" people for car seats but they are not the go to people for strollers. It's unfortunate, too, since I paid a lot of money for this stroller. The stroller arrived folded and it took me a while to find the "release" method to unfold the stroller. The "release" is the same color as the other parts. Perhaps if they could mold this "release" part a bright color to attract your eye's attention. Next, I tried to figure out how the seat "locks" onto the stroller but it really doesn't lock into place. I did not get that clicking sound to give me the warm and fuzzy feeling that the seat is secure. In fact, I could simply lift the seat right off the stroller. My previous stroller was Gracco brand and that product gave me the feeling that my child's seat was secure. I had much more confidence in the Gracco than I do this Britax stroller. Finally, once you have the seat in place, the seat is not level as indicated by the bubble in the level device on the side of the seat. Of course, my child is angled down and spits up in the seat while I was strolling him. I had to place something between the stroller and the seat to level the seat. Overall, I'm quite disappointed with this stroller and am not thrilled to use it because I don't perceive it to be secure. I have not used the seat of the stroller yet as my child is still less than two months old. However, as previously reviewed, there is virtually no cushioning on the seat back. Obviously, my insecurity with this stroller leads me to think just how safe is the seat? Britax sells a high end seat with a low end stroller? It just makes you wonder.