Customer Reviews

Joovy Groove Stroller Green

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

We bought this stroller for our 14 month old son. (We have the blue one). We have a Graco Literider, which my son rarely used because since birth, he has much preferred to be worn in a baby bjorn or now the Portamee hip carrier. He never lasted more than 10 or 15 minutes in the Graco stroller. I always ended up carrying him in one arm and pushing the stroller with the other. I was skeptical about buying another stroller, but we were going on vacation and I knew we would be walking A LOT and I was really hoping he would stay in a stroller.

I wanted a lightweight/umbrella stroller because of the compact fold and ease in transporting through airports. We needed one with a reclining seat (this one has a 4 position, one handed recline) since my son doesn't nap much, I wanted him to be comfortable if he wanted to on our long walking trips. I am 5'8" and my husband is 6'2", so we needed one with tall handles. The Groove handles are 41", which was very nice. I was a little nervous about buying the stroller without reading any reviews. I had seen the Groove2 (the similar model but it seats two). However, when I was looking at it, I didn't realize the Groove was not yet available and didn't take a very close look. We weren't sure the Groove was going to be available before we had to leave for vacation, so we had to come up with another stroller option, which was the Maclaren Quest.

I phoned Joovy multiple times to inquire about the availability. Everyone I talked to was very helpful (and pointed me in the right direction to get the stroller well before we went on vacation) many of them had been using the Groove and could answer some of my specific questions about it, which helped in buying it without any real unbiased reviews.

When we knew the Groove was going to be available for our trip, we ultimately chose it over the Maclaren because we were going to be in the sun and the canopy on the groove is much more substantial, the Groove came with cup/bottle holders (an add on for the Maclaren)and we would be walking on some dirt and the Groove's wheels looked slightly more rugged. Both strollers stand 41" tall and both have reclining seats (though I think the Groove's might be easier to recline one handed). The Maclaren is just 12.1 LBS, which really made me hesitate to get the Groove at 16 LBS. However, when I saw that there was an attachable umbrella for the Maclaren, I knew the standard canopy wasn't going to be enough to keep the sun off of our son.

So, now that we have it, how do we like it? Well, my husband and son took it for a stroll around the block the day it arrived in the mail. My son did not want to get out of it, so that was a huge relief. Without having much other stroller experience, I can say that it was pretty easy to fold/unfold once you get the hang up it. The canopy is large, with a nice window on top to spy on your child. The handles are comfortable and the one handed recline works well and my son did fall asleep with the seat up and I was able to recline it without him waking (though the directions say not to adjust the seat with baby in it). The cup holders hold a standard 16oz water bottle or a tall/skinny sippy cup very well. Our son never asked to get out of the stroller on our trip, which was a shock, but we weren't complaining.

The only things keeping me from giving the stroller 5 stars (I wish I could give 4.5 stars)are:

The wheels squeak. I didn't notice them squeaking until after my husband pushed it through wet grass and we haven't put silicone on them yet. I don't know for sure if the wet grass caused the squeaking.

The clasp that holds the stroller together (when folded) was unattached (so the stroller didn't stay completely folded) when we picked it up at the gate after a couple of flights. I don't know if airlines are just very brutal on all cargo, but I imagine people with umbrella strollers are going to fly and it was kind of annoying.

The stroller has a handle to carry it when folded. I don't know if it is the placement of it or what, but it wasn't very easy to carry by the handle. The weight distribution was just off. With that said, it rolls very easy by one handle when folded. The Maclaren has a shoulder strap, but I don't know that I would want the dirty wheels touching my clothes, either.

Joovy is supposed to be a premium manufacturer of strollers but this stroller squeaks horribly. The stroller appears to be made with high quality materials except for the wheels. The front and rear are cheaply made and make noise continously. We bought this stroller for a trip to Disneyland and were very dissatisfied with it's performance.

We bought this stroller for my (then) 2-year-old since the weight limit is high and the canopy is perfect for taller kids. It folds pretty easily, although sometimes the bars in back don't like to close up. The clip for locking the stroller closed is very cheap and scratches the frame. Love the drink holders and small pocket in the canopy. The canopy is huge and provides a lot of sun coverage. Underseat basket is okay - wish it was a little bigger. It pushes very nicely, although, like everyone else noted, the wheels will squeak. Some WD-40 took care of that in a jiffy! I have owned many, many strollers (Peg Perego Uno, Peg Perego Pliko P3, Bugaboo Cameleon, Quinny Freestyle, BOB Dualie, Peg Perego Venezia, Mutsy 4Rider Next, Zooper Salsa, Britax Vigour), and all have their advantages and disadvantages. But as far as umbrella strollers go, I'd rank this near the top. I just wish it had a snack tray or kid's cup holder.

The main thing that I love about this stroller is the extra large sun visor and how easily it pushes. My husband is tall and he is able to push this stroller much more easily than our old stroller. The only cons I have are that the light pink gets dirty when you close the stroller (we resorted to putting a bag over the wheels to keep it from touching the pink fabric), the wheels began to squeak the day after we began using it but this was easily resolved with a little WD40.

The stroller is on the heavier side of umbrella strollers but I feel that it's a little sturdier than the Maclaren Quest.

This stroller pushes easily with one hand as well.

I'm happy with the Joovy over the Maclaren.

I had been looking at this stroller for awhile. I was drawn to it because of its look, the fact that it is an umbrella stroller, sturdy not flimsy. It also can hold up to 55 lbs and I love the extended shade on the canopy. Its comfortable to push, my son and daughter are both comfortable in it (they each have one, my son is 22 months and my daughter is 4 1/2 yrs old.) we are going to disney and I wanted to have them for the trip - easy to carry around, lightweight, seat goes down nicely and has a big shade for sun protection. I put it together easy enough. I used it a few times and the wheels do squeak - I have not yet used WD40 but I plan to. When I went to fold it yesterday and put it in my car - it was as if the folding "mechanism" just froze. It took me 6-7 times times of just trying again and again to get it to fold and I am doing it correctly. The first few times I folded it no problem - and the two levers you need to use are easy enough but like I said - I had some difficulties yesterday. Overall I am happy with the stroller - we'll see - that might change once I am on vacation and trying to fold the strollers as everyone is boarding the Disney buses!!!!!

I bought the pink Groove for my 22-mth old. She's tall, and has oodles of space above her head before she hit the sunshade. The seatback is taller than most umbrella strollers. I don't think she could possibly outgrow this stroller. I could just fit myself (140 pounds, 5' 6") in the wide, extra deep seat! The foot rest comes up for extra napping length or to rest legs out on it. Fantastic recline - I would use this for a newborn without a concern (maybe tuck more padding underneath baby perhaps?) The recline mechanism is extremely smooth and actually one-handed. The fabric is thick and good quality - canvasy on front, possibly weather-protective on outside. The light pink is pastel and very vibrant/bright. The sunshade is magnificent (the real reason I bought this stroller) - unbeatable for sunny vacations. While this has an umbrella fold, I do not feel it is that compact - deep from top to bottom, about 15" wide even when folded and extra long in trunk. Also on the heavy side (for an umbrella stroller) for packing and unpacking or carrying whilst folded. The steering was fine on level ground, but it was quite a load pushing my 23 pound child with the 17 pound stroller uphill. It rode over grass no problem. Wheels are squeaky - typical these days. Handles extremely comfortable - I did constantly kick the back of the stroller wheels, though. The pocket on the back of the fabric is good for probably wallet, cellphone, keys and a couple of diapers and wipes. The drinkholders hold a 16oz water bottle but nothing wider, so not terribly functional, however you could put your cellphone/keys in this spot if you wanted, as it does velcro shut. Forget about using the basket for anything more than throwing individual small items in. Whilst it is an average-sized umbrella stroller basket, even with the seat fully upright, the access space from front to back is about 5 inches - most people would not fit a diaper bag through this space (I've never used a diaper bag, but even I was largely unimpressed with this basket). This really was a bit of a deal-breaker for me, as this was to be an outdoor vacation (x 3) stroller, so I figured an accessible, if not large, basket would be pretty necessary. I really wanted to like and keep this stroller (!), and may have if I didn't already have 2 other strollers (jogger for daily, rugged walks and freebie featureless umbrella stroller), but the large fold and extremely hard to access, small basket tipped me over the edge, and I returned my product. I figured I could pay a lot less to kick the back of a stroller (!) and to have a tiny basket. I also felt it handled bumps etc in an extremely average fashion - again, I could pay less to have bumps and jolts for the kiddo! Having said all that, my kid LOVES this stroller and will probably bawl when she realizes it's going back in exchange for the Esprit Sun Speed (half this price). Bottom line, if your kid naps a lot, this stroller would be a godsend. It also would be brilliant for sunny climes. Also reasonable stroller (because of full recline) if you don't have a 'car' stroller yet, to take your kid right through from newborn phase to probably age 4 or 5.

I chose this stroller over the Maclaren Techno XT because it's cheaper but with similar features. The stroller comes with shock absorbing wheels and suspension that are not mentioned on the website. The canopy shields off sun from my baby and she can nap in it with the reclining seat. The basket though, is too small to be practical and the egress is so small that I can never put anything in it. However, having cup holders on an umbrella stroller is like a dream. I'd rather hang the diaper bag on the handles than having to carry a coffee in my hand. I also use the rain/wind cover that comes along quite often in the windy San Francisco area.

I did a lot of reseach before I decided on the Groove.
I must say I made the right decision. I Love it! I bought this stroller with my one year old on mind but also wanted a stroller that could hold my four year old as she still likes to nap. Not only does the stroller can hold her weight the sit reclines completeley down another big big plus.
I love the canope as it gives very good sun coverage. It drives very nice and the best of all it comes with a second set of covers so it really is like having two strollers. I am planning on having it green during the hot months and black in the winter. Worth every penny!

We have tried all the different umbrella strollers. This is our favorite by far. The cup holders and pocket for great for me. The seat pad for the child is so plush and it is washable. The best thing of all is the second seat and canopy in Black. In five minutes you have a completely different look to your stroller. It even has a second harness!!

I highly recommend this stroller!!!

I purchased this stroller 6 months ago as I needed a lightweight stroller to take on trips with us. I wanted a stroller that reclined completely for my baby to take naps when we did sightseeing, and this one really does. It actually gives you several reclining options. The sun canopy goes further down than most other strollers, protecting my daughter from the sun when she's in it, which we need living in Miami. The little net below s big enough to fit everything we need on our walks and trips, it even fits the large baby bag. The rain cover is easy to use and protects perfectly. The wheels are steady and drive well. I have been using it regularly since then and it's aging very well. Overall I am very happy with it and would recommend it. My only critic are the handles which are for me too high being a petite woman and they are unfortunately not adaptable. But they are perfect for my 6 ft tall husband!