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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
For the price, it cant be beat., July 9, 2009
We looked around a lot before decided on this stroller, and I'm quite satisfied with it. I'm less than satisfied with Amazon, as the price went up by $25 right when I decided to buy it, so I bought it elsewhere. Beware that Amazon's prices fluctuate every hour. The stroller still gets 5 stars, though, as the rating is for the stroller, not for Amazon. Its not a perfect stroller, but then, I doubt such a thing exists.
First, I'll address some complaints that others had.
Weight. Yes, its a heavy stroller, but all joggers are heavy strollers. I dont know why someone would buy this stroller if they wanted something lightweight. Maybe they just don't realize how heavy 27 lbs is or they didnt look at the weight at all, but if you're not used to lifting heavy things 27 lbs can be a lot. I'm guessing that people who complained about the weight also didn't look around at other strollers of the type. As far as joggers go, this is one of the lightest ones. Most that we looked at were over 30 lbs. Compared to those, this IS lightweight, so if you want a light(er) jogger that doesnt cost $500, then this is the one. Keep in mind that you're going to be lifting a 30 lb child soon (if they aren't that big already) so this is good practice. Despite the weight, my wife was still able to bump it up our steps, with our baby in it.
Tipping. We just got it today, so we haven't used it so much, but we did go around the block and then shopping with it, and we had no problem with it feeling like it was going to tip, even when I purposefully made some very tight turns. It handled like a breeze, turning on a dime as we made our way through a group of kids playing on the sidewalk. Rolls really smoothly, too. Its only a few inches wider than the Graco Snap n Go that we were using previously, so maneuvering through things wasn't a problem.
Smell. There was a smell of new plastic when we first opened it up, but it went away not long after. By the time we got back from going around the block I didnt notice it at all.
Folding. Folding and unfolding the stroller can be a little difficult, though with a little practice I'm sure it'll get easier. Folding it up isn't so bad, and you don't have to pull both tabs at the same time, so thats no big deal, but unfolding it can take a bit of doing to get everything to snap back into place fully. Note that if the seat isn't in it when you fold it up parts of it flop around a bit as theres only one latch holding everything together. With the seat in it its fine, though the seat has to be facing forward. If you plan on folding and unfolding your stroller and lifting it in and out of the trunk all the time, this may not be the stroller for you, but then for that purpose you probably dont want a jogger type stroller in the first place. We bought this for general all-purpose use, and plan to also buy a semi-cheap umbrella stroller for when we need to take the bus and fold up the stroller. Not that it would be impossible or a huge hassle to fold this one and move it around all the time, but it would definitely be easier with a smaller, lighterweight stroller. As I said before, though, if you want a jogger, this is one of the lighter ones.
Assembly. Yes, it is required, but it wasn't a big deal. Instructions were pretty clear, and everything basically just goes where it fits.
Height. For me, the height is great. (I'm 6'4".) The fact that its one of the tallest strollers was a selling point for us. I could see how someone on the shorter side could be uncomfortable pushing it, but my wife finds it perfectly fine, too, and she's 5'6". It would have been nicer if the handle bar adjusted, but for the price, I wouldn't expect it. The handlebar is about 3'5" high, btw.
Seat. This could have been bigger. Our baby is only 10 weeks old and already seems close to the top, but we're not too worried. Theres still a good bit of space for her to grow into it, and only half her growth will affect it. (Since the other half is leg growth which wont push her head up into the stroller.) It would have been better if they had made it a bit bigger, and if they are smart they will for future models, but again, for the price its great. Its great, though that it can face either way (not found in most joggers, even expensive ones) and the feature to hold a baby carrier is great, too. Only the whole seat reclines, though, not the seat back independantly. The foot rest is adjustable, though.
Other issues:
Handling. Like I said before, it handles beautifully. Feels like its floating on air its so smooth and turns so easily. The front wheel swivels nicely and locks easily for jogging. Goes over bumps and cracks in the sidewalk that would stop strollers with smaller wheels as if they weren't there. if its raining, you can easily hold an umbrella and still push the stroller with one hand.
Canopy. Its smaller than I would have liked, but it seems thats standard. It won't keep the sun off her face when the sun is angled towards it unless you unhook it from the back of the seat so that you can pull it further forward. I don't know why all the manufacturers so that, it seems silly to me. A little extra fabric and you'd be able to pull it further forward so that it can protect the baby regardless of the sun's angle. Still worth it for the price, though, especially as you wont find anythign different, even with more expensive strollers.
Construction. Feels sturdy and safe overall, though joints aren't all as tight as they could be, so they can move a bit. I'm not really worried about it, though. It still feels like it will hold up well and last.
Cup holders. They're nice and big, and theres two. Easily holds a bottle of soda, which the cup holder on the Graco couldn't do. Also has a tray to put keys, phone, and other stuff in. It seems older models had a cup holder and tray for the baby, too, which would have been nice, but the bar this one comes with is good too. If Kolcraft is smart, though, they'd go back to the tray.
Storage Basket. Relatively big (especially as compared to others, it seems) though not as big as it looks from behind, since the edge comes down in the front to fit the slope of the frame. Still, we were able to fit a fair bit of groceries in it.
Overall, its a great stroller and a great value. If you're looking for lightweight and portable, you might want to look elsewhere, though, unless you just have to have something with large wheels. If you don't mind the weight and size, though, get it, you won't regret it. The handling and features can't be beat, especially for the price.
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