Everyone has needs that need to be met when choosing a stroller. One's must-have features are not necessarily someone else's. Here are mine and these are the reasons I purchased the Peg Perego Si stroller:
1) Handlebar adjustability. My husband is almost a foot taller than me so this feature is a necessity for either of us to participate in pushing our little one.
2) Lightweight. I must be able to load the folded stroller with one hand into the car trunk.
3) One-hand fold. I need to be able to fold the stroller in 5 seconds or less, with one hand and stand upright (see #4).
4) Must stand when folded. We travel quite a bit with different climates and terrains. In and out of subways and buses, wheeling in and out of airport terminals. For such a price, I shouldn't have to bend to pick up or try to look for a spot to lean the stroller against. We've folded this stroller with snow, rain and mud on the ground and our stroller has remained clean because it remains upright when folded.
5) Carriage space. We usually travel expecting to be out the entire day seeing sites and sounds. This means we need to be prepared for climate changes and food needs. We usually pack layered clothing and a light folding ice chest when out and about. Of course, there's the usual travel maps, travel books, my own jacket and souvenirs purchased throughout the day.
6) Canopy coverage. A good stroller canopy must cover the eyes even when the sun is low on the horizon.
7) Rain cover. Most strollers come with fitted rain covers. If not, there are generic rain covers that can be purchased. Rain cover also acts as a wind shield for those very breezy days.
8) One hand push. Depends on the pusher's habits. I drink coffee when I push the stroller so I sometimes push with one hand. Not a dealbreaker though.
9) Must be able to fold with a stroller blanket attached. A lot of strollers cannot fold with the stroller blanket attached (like say JJ Cole blankets). The nature of the fold requires that nothing is in the seat otherwise, it's too thick for the latching mechanism to lock. I find that installing and uninstalling the blanket every time we use it would be a pain. Most of the people I have spoken with who have blankets with strollers which cannot fold with the blanket end up chucking the blanket. They just end up using a blanket that's not attached to the stroller. Then their child ends up pulling or kicking off the blanket.
10) Reclines to flat or almost flat. I like strollers that fold almost flat because I use it in lieu of a changing room, particularly when there is a line into the changing room. I have found this to be an extremely useful feature.
11) Must not tilt back when stroller has no occupant and there's a heavy diaper bag hanging on the handlebars.
Early this month, at the beginning of Jan. 2010, we went on a trip to DC. It just so happened that the Arctic wind decided to blow over the East Coast with record low temperatures and high winds. Lucky us. While my husband attended conferences, I was left with our son doing day trips to the museums and monuments/memorials. Up and down the elevators, escalators, pushing on icy, snowy sidewalks on 29F degree weather accompanied with high winds. Appropriately dressed, my son sat snugly in his stroller inside a stroller blanket, an ice chest for his milk and snacks tucked neatly underneath and a diaper bag hanging on the back for a full day's worth of supplies. Plus, all the museums we visited had security checks (DC and all) so I had to remove our stuff, run them through the security x-ray, fold the stroller quickly with the blanket, run it through x-ray, unfold and re-load gear and my son on it. PIECE OF CAKE!
This is an excellent travel stroller. Heck, this is an excellent stroller - travel or not. What a great addition to our baby gear. I am extremely happy with this purchase. While this is not our only stroller, this is our de facto travel stroller and will be until our son outgrows it. I am looking forward to taking our son and this stroller to more adventurous trips. Awesome job, Peg Perego. Keep it up!