Customer Reviews

The First Years Indigo Stroller, Retro Red

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(29)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

I just got this stroller in and wanted to post a review for those who are contemplating buying it but can't find any reviews. That was me not too long ago, but I decided to take a chance anyway. So glad I did! First off, the ease of putting this stroller together made it worth it. I didn't even have to take out the directions. Snap in the wheels and the seat and your good to go. Second, the frame is very lightweight and the wheels are larger so turning and maneuvering through tight spaces is a breeze. The wheels are even big enough to take it to the beach, which we plan to try out in a few weeks. The whole stroller is also very narrow, though the seat is really roomy. The narrow frame makes getting around tight spots and into narrow door ways quite easy. The seat held my 10 month old, 23 lb baby boy and there was lots of room to spare. The seat also adjusts so he can sit all the way up or recline for a nap. The basket is large enough for a diaper bag and a few other things. I like that the access is from the front and wide open because it makes getting things in and out a lot easier. The parent "tray" is actually a canvas material that has a zipper pouch for storage (big enough for my wallet and iPhone and a diaper) and 2 cup holders and 2 other compartments for keys and such. A lot of thought obviously went into what other strollers lack when this one was made. To fold it, the seat snaps right off and the frame folds flat and takes up very little space. This would easily fit into a car trunk and fits into my SUV without any problems. My son LOVED the fact that he could face me while we stroll along and I can sing to him or make silly faces and he doesn't get upset about having to sit in a stroller. This was our issue and the reason I wanted a parent-facing stroller. The bar across the seat is great as he holds on to it and uses it for teething. Everything on the stroller that is canvas comes off for washing with snaps, so looks like that would be easy to do. The material on the bar zips off as well for washing. We have the red one and I love this color. A little darker than the picture and better in my opinion. Overall, I would HIGHLY recommend this stroller! I would have paid lots more for the same one and there are ones on the market that have similar looks and features for triple the amount!

Pros:
Lightweight
Easy Maneuvering
Parent or Outward Facing
Folds Flat
Big Storage Basket
Comfortable Seat for Baby
Large Canopy Shade for Baby
Very Useful Compartment "Tray" for Parents
Big Wheels
Great Color

Cons:
Removing Seat to Fold (You can fold with seat but it makes for a much bulkier fold)


That's all I can think of for now. As I use it more, I will update with more information. You won't regret this purchase!

When I first saw it I fell n love, it is a very attractive and modern looking stroller.
I've had this stroller for a month and a half, and I had to edit me review. I've had too many issues with it for just having had it for this short period and using it gently. From the begining the wheels made a screeching noise, I put some wd40 and didn't help much and after a week had to oil up again...like I mentioned before it only helps lower the screeching doesnt stop it. The rubbery handle is already coming off and won't last long before it rips off in pieces. The seat feels wobbly, my baby is 15 lbs I don't forsee this being sturdy for a 30 lbs baby let alone a 50 lbs kid, like it says. Trust me no one more than me wishes that it was the perfect stroller, but unfortunately you get what you pay for with this one :(
Now, I need to see how I'm going to return it and get something better.

The First Years Indigo is a great lightweight stroller with 3 different modes (front-facing, parent-facing and bassinet mode) which is reasonably priced!

The stroller weighed in at 22 pounds.

The color is gorgeous - it's a bright happy red. It makes quite a statement and fellow parents seem to admire it. It steers like a dream indoors and outdoors. You can literally push it with a finger. The front wheels rotate 360 degrees so it turns on a dime. It accommodates children up to 50 pounds and 40 inches.

It accepts the following car seats: First Years I450, First Years I470, Graco Snugride, Snugride 32, Snugride 35, Chicco Keyfit and Keyfit30. It comes with a bumper bar, a parent console and a car seat adapter in a cute black bag.

Dimensions:34.5 x 23.5 x 41 inches

Here's a summary of the pros and cons:

Pros:

Easy to assemble (clear instructions)
Three positions - front facing, parent facing and bassinet mode
Reasonably priced
Steers like a dream - you can push it with a finger
Very cool-looking
Accepts various car seats
Seat can be removed to be used as a snap-n-go type stroller frame
Easy to fold and unfold
Easy to rotate the seat between positions
Basket is huge and easily accesible
Feels sturdy and stable
Easy to adjust harness (easy to close and open as well)
One-handed steering
Comes with parent console which can hold drinks, keys, cell phone, bottles
Seat can be pretty upright or very reclined
Adjustable legrest
Extendable canopy
Mutiple recline positions
Wheels feel substantial and well made for non-air tire wheels
Adjustable leg rest


Cons:

Seat could be deeper (it would not be a good stroller for really hefty/big kiddos)
Manual says basket should only hold 5 pounds (although I have put lots of groceries in mine)
Seat is made out of plastic material, not fabric (fine by me - easier to clean)
Harness could be more substantial
Somewhat wide fold with seat (I did not fold it without the seat)
Canopy is somewhat limited
Stroller will not last past age 3 unless you have a small/short child


The fold is not as compact as an umbrella fold, but is more compact than the fold of an air tire stroller. I did notice that the back wheels seem to wobble a little in rougher surfaces, but the movement does not affect the steering or smoothness of the ride at all so it did not bother me. The wheels are large enough to ride over bumps in the sidewalk and the stroller does not get stuck at every bump and crevice. In my opinion, the ride is pretty darn smooth for a non-AT stroller. The stroller seems very stable.

The seat has 3 recline positions (bassinet/flat, reclined and upright). I would probably add a blanket or a snuzzler for a newborn when using the bassinet to make it more comfortable

I took the stroller to a nearby drugstore and loaded the basket. Tons of room. Very happy with it. It steered beautifully among the aisles and my son seemed happy to be higher off the ground (compared to our other strollers).

All in all - I would say you can get great bang for your buck by getting this stroller for an infant and using it until the LO is about 2.5 or 3 years old (depending on height)! It will not be as smooth a ride as an air tire stroller but is a great alternative to an umbrella stroller or traditional stroller. It is also a good alternative for parents who want the parent-facing feature without having to spend lots of money on a Bugaboo or similar stroller.

I would definitely recommend it to friends and family! Love it so far!

ETA: The wheels are a bit squeaky after use outside, so you will need silicone spray. First Years will have to work on this issue.

Although I had been using this stroller and loving it more each day, I started having trouble with it very soon. The wheels would squeak really bad and I would oil them every day. That isn't such a major problem, but I called The First Years, and they sent me a replacement stroller. I was using the replacement stroller for about two weeks, when, as I had expected, it started squeaking as well. I was resigned to the fact that I'd oil my stroller daily, I still loved it and so did my baby. However, after about two weeks, while pushing the stroller in a park, the plastic piece on the frame came apart, making the stroller unusable.

As usual, The First Years provided great customer service, and sent me yet a new one. Four weeks after getting the new one, my third stroller had the same problem again with the plastic piece. I've since returned the stroller for a refund and gotten a Graco Literider. Although it doesn't have the modern styling, I know that I can rely on the superior quality of Graco to get us through several years. Even though I miss the Indigo, I've had enough of The First Years, and do NOT recommend this stroller.

I have 2 children and have owned 8 different strollers with the 2 of them. My son is 3 months old and I was on the lookout for a stroller that would be comfortable and convenient for him now, but would also be able to transition to him growing with ease. I tried EVERY stroller in 3 different stores and had narrowed it down to 2. Neither one had exactly what I wanted. When I found this stroller it seemed it might have everything I wanted. Well it does and more. I love everything about it. You can fold it with one hand and it clips itself when you fold it. You can fold it with the seat on as well as with the infant car seat attachment on. The basket is huge and holds everything, the wheels are not too wide to fit anywhere. It is up high so that I can feed baby while strolling. The front wheels swivel but they can be locked to rock baby back and forth. The parent organizer is awesome and holds everything and it has a really handy zipper pouch to secure things. It doesn't take up much room in the car at all. The only cons I can name are the shade is not very large so I bought a Ray shade to extend it for $14 and it doesn't seem to have an adjustable handle as stated, but it is up so high that it is already comfortable for my 6' 4" husband to push. I will recommend this stroller to everyone - it is awesome!!!!!!

So I ordered this stroller for my 4 month old son and at the time didn't read any reviews on it...it was pretty much an impulse buy!! And then I went back to read reviews and people were talking about this they didn't like and this they didn't like apparentley they didn't get the same stroller I did. Our first big outting in the stroller was the Houston Zoo and this stoller was amazing!! My son absolutely loved it it has like 3 postitions you can put it in sitting up slightly layed back or all the way back (which comes in handy when you need to change a diaper) I like that baby can face out towards the world and take everything in or just face towards me and daddy while were pushing him around our son loves this stroller!! And so do we...we were recently stuck at a friends house because of bad weather and didn't have our playpin on hand so we reclined the stroller and he slept all night in it no problem and we have found that he will take a better nap in the stroller than in the playpin (we do buckle him in though because he likes to try and roll over in it and we don't want him falling out) and you'll see people talking about the wheels squeakin or making noises obviously they haven't had any other stroller because they all do that its simply the plastic of the wheel rubbing on the metal rod we sprayed WD 40 on it once and havent had another problem...but thats not something that should make you reconsider this purchase (all strollers squeak whether its the first day you use it or a few weeks later!!) I would definitely recommend this stroller to anyone (and it gets alot of compliments everyone loves the red and say it looks like a bugaboo stroller and obviously its not bugaboo price) there is one thing I don't like about it you have to remove the seat to fold it up or else its really long and doesnt fit in most small compact cars!! but even that isn't a big flaw...its got a lot of mom and dad space you can fit 4 20oz bottles sodas in the mommy compartment at the top and plenty of room on bottom for shopping bags and if youre a mom that likes to shop this is the stroller for you it can move through the skinniest aisles with ease!! I love this stoller!! If you want to know anything else comment this review and I'll answer your questions!! Once again GREAT stroller :)

I really have no complaints about this stroller. There are plenty of things I love about it. I purchased it in the gray color, and I absolutely love it. The red was too bright for my liking. Inside of the canopy is a really nice blue color, which you can see in the pictures I uploaded. I love that the bar in the front is detachable, and I also love that the parent compartment comes off. I prefer the way it looks without it. Finding a stroller with a reversible seat at such a good price is really incredible. It was so easy to put together. The car seat attachment is easy to use, and my graco snugride fits in it perfectly. It's an incredibly versitile customizable stroller, and I am so glad that I picked this one out. I was originally looking at the maxi cosi foray. I took that one for a spin in the store, and I liked it, but it isn't the least bit better than this one. and this one is half the price. plus the other strollers usually only accept the same brand of car seat. This was an awesome buy, and I would recommend it to anyone.

If there is an interest I will make a video review of this product. It's an okay stroller- but I thought it had suspension because of a previous reviewer. It does not. I took it to my dad to impress him and he told me (he is a car mechanic) that it does not have any type of suspension. The canopy is sooo tiny that it's useless and has no "peek-a-boo" window. My son's feet already reach the bottom of the footrest and he is 29" tall wayyy below the supposed 40" height limit. The wheels measured up are actually about the same size as my Kolcraft snap and go. There is no snack tray. There is no bar to push so both the brakes go on. The handle is not height adjustable- but at 5'4 I can tolerate the height. It does turn on a dime, but does not glide easily over grass/gravel like the Kolcraft contours does. The stroller itself (without the seat) will fit into the trunk of my vw beetle- so that's a plus. But like another poster said a canopy extension is necessary for this stroller. If it weren't for my beetle I would get a Mia Moda Atmosferra it's [...] more but has bigger wheels (so I am guessing it is as smooth as the kolcraft contours stroller) a huge canopy that covers the whole baby (and has a peek-a-boo window) and cup holders/snack tray. Also my wheels are squeaky as hell- so bad that an elderly couple walking behind was commenting about the loud squeaking and what could be making that noise.
If you have any specific questions you can feel free to email me @ [...] and I will answer. I am posting my email address because choosing a stroller was an agonizing process for me and I had sooo many questions that went unanswered until I actually got the thing.

EDIT
5/22/10
I have had the stroller for about a week now and feel different about it. I still am disappointed that the stroller doesn't have a large canopy or a window. But now after taking it for a few walks and oiling the wheels- and after getting a canopy extension - it has grown on me. The back of the seat is 4 inches taller then the Kolcraft Contours and the Mia Moda atmosferra. I have never tried the Kolcraft Contours on the grass so I can't say the Contours is better. From what I have read - none of them are that great on the grass unless they have air tires. But I can say that the stroller frame itself is wayy more stable then my combi, although the seat does bounce around a bit when going over rough terrain.

What has become the first struck of this stroller is the bold & beautiful red color (we ordered the retro red) ! LOVE it! ;)

PROS :
1. Great red color, looks like a high-end product!
2. Great price :)
3. Easy to assembly
4. Up to 50 lbs(22.5kg) or 40" (102 cm) tall
5. Great (huge) size of storage basket and parent tray!
6. Light weight and easier to maneuver compare to my last stroller
7. Rear-forward facing
8. The baby basket is narrow but so roomy and can almost recline flat.
9. Include universal attachment for infant car seat, compatible with The First Year I450, The First Year I470, Graco Snugride, Graco Snugride 32, Graco Snugride 35, Chicco Keyfit, Chicco Keyfit 30.

Cons:
1. Need to remove the seat if we want to fold the stroller better.

We bought this stroller for our baby, hoping to use its reclining/bassinet feature so that our baby would be able to lie in it (like in the old-time strollers). But it turned out to be extremely uncomfortable - the part of the stroller which reclines is too short for a normal newborn baby, and the structure of the seat means that the baby has to keeps his legs folded at all times. So the bassinet feature is absolutely useless. We are sending it back.
I don't know whether the stroller is convenient as a seating stroller, so I gave it 2 stars out of 5.