Are Mac strollers really "all that?"

[molly2004]

Okay, sorry for yet another stroller question. I've been trying to resist for a long time now.

I've just seen soooooooo much on this board about Macs and wonder if they're really that great. We have a double Safari TT jogger with a swivel front wheel. It's terrific for us locally, but huge. We would like two strollers that will fold up and travel well and connectable if possible.

We have two cheapy singles that we got for WDW when the boys were just turning 1. We recently took them out to use and found them very difficult to steer with their weight. We also have a double Combi Savvy that reclines. It's very compact and terrific in that sense, but the boys don't fit in it anymore.

So are the Macs really that good and worth the price? We'd need 2. The boys are 2 1/4 years now. Are they really that "dreamy" to push?

And do the volos recline? I can't seem to tell from their website? Which one is the "lowest" end Mac that reclines?

Thanks for your help!

 

[lindakmonty]

Not sure if I can answer all your answers but I can tell you I had the Mac daytripper for my ds...and I absolutly loved it!!! I thought I was done w/it last year so I sold it... big mistake! We went to WDW last year. DS is now 5 so I wanted to take an umbrella stroller for him. I just borrowed my sisters cheapie... UHHH what a huge difference! The mac was not only so light, smooth, easy to maneuver.... but it was so easy to set up and take down quickly and with one hand...that cheap one was a pain! When you're trying to fold it up quick to hop on the tram and things like that...the mac's are wonderful! The only thing I didn't like was it would tip back if you put too many bags on the back...but at WDW you can just send your packages to the resort... so no problem there! Yes, I would strongly suggest getting a mac! Even if you want to buy used ones on craigslist.org or something. That is where I sold mine....Good luck, and enjoy your trip!

 

[ukwildcat]

Get a mac. We have the mac techno I believe. It reclines fully. It wasn't the cheapest, but it got a great rating and review on Consumer Reports. We love it.

 

[poohfriend]

My 3rd child was 18 months when I bought it. Everything else I had before my Techno Classic was just a stroller.

Steering IS incredible. MY son is now 2.5 and weighs 33 lbs. My DH asked last week if we could get rid of the stroller (just to declutter) I said NO! It is an important piece of equipment for me...even as my son become more independent.

Because the weight limit listed is 55 lbs, I plan on using this stroller for several more years. It's small encough to fit in the back of my car for trips to the mall and still have room for all the groceries if I forget to take it out.

It was a dream at Disney. We marked it with a bright hankie and find it easily after each ride. It folded easily to take on the busses, boats and monorails. Steering. INCREDIBLE. One handed even.

I also use this stroller for other trips. It's great in airports. I can fold it with one hand and hold my toddler's hand with the other! (That said, my DH still needs help folding it each time He just doesn't want to learn!

I also purchased a Skip Hop Duo stroller bag that I use as a drink holder. The only thing I wish the stroller had was a drink holder, but that would interfere with folding!

My version is a little heavier than the VOLO, but it does recline...frankly, we don't use the recline feature enough to justify the extra cost. (But we do like the well padded seat.)

With your aged kids, I would consider it a toss-up. You can buy these strollers for about the cost of renting a WDW stroller in the parks for a week. (Isn;t it about $15/day for a double with the multi-day discount?) If you think you would use it elsewhere, I would strongly consider it! If you think you'll only use it as Disney, your kids will be fine in a double at WDW.

I purchased mine online from ALBEE baby. Extremely satisfied with the stroller and the customer service.

 

[beattyfamily]

LOVE my Mac Quest and wish I bought it sooner. Its great for older kids too.

It's got nice cushion seat, reclines, basket, rain cover (which we used a lot on our August Disney trip), handle to carry, folds small and easy folding, lightweight, canopy, and great stearing.

 

[shelly3girls]

DH was really upset I bought another stroller until...we used it in WDW with my 4 yo. It pushed like a dream! We both swore we wasted money on every other stroller we bought. I owned (USAir broke it) the Triumph but I had an older model that only held 45 lbs. With a new baby on the way we purchased the Quest. I don't know if it is just b/c it is a newer model but the Quest has more space than the Triumph and will last us longer although I love the carry strap of the Triumph. I believe the Triumph is the lowest end model with recline. If there is a Babies R Us near you then take it for a test drive (but order it online at Albee for much cheaper). You may not notice a big difference from other strollers b/c of the age of your boys but you will really notice it when then get above 40 lbs! Good luck!

 

[DISNEYFOS]

The steering is just the best thing. easily open doors and steer thru with one hand... I wasted a lot of time and money on others before I broke down and bought one. I don't regret it in the least.

 

[mexican-mouseketeers]

I just bought a Quest from Albee baby last week for my 38 lbs almost 4 yo, and let me tell you that this IS the stroller, especially for an older kid.

Last year we bought a Combi (weight limit 45 lbs) thinking that was the last stroller, had a high limit, lightweith stroller, yada, yada, yada, but it is impossible to steer while dd is sitting in it and the footrest was definetly too high and small, so her feet dangled over the wheels stopping them (especially when she was sleeping).

Well, now on the Mac Quest, it is definetly a roomier stroller, has a basket, a pouch in the back of the canopy, beautiful fabric (the albee baby special fabric, can you say pink?), reclines more than enough, and best of all, it is really easy to push with my 38 lbs daughter in it, even while using only one hand (had to try, since I will be traveling to NYC alone with her and will need to pull a bag with the other hand).

So I am truly happy that I bought it and my one regret is not buying it one year ago and saving the cost of the Combi.

Julie

 

[JLS]

I seem to be in the minority, but we purchased a Triumph (based on great reviews) before our baby was born, and tried him in it starting at about 4 months. Kept trying. He just does not like that stroller. I always felt like he was very slumped over. It does not recline back very far and so he would never fall asleep in it. And, most importantly, it does not have a TRAY. Our baby is constantly hungry and we like giving him little snacks (crackers, cheerios, etc.) when we are out an about all day. Also, he drinks a lot of water and likes having his sippy cup at hand. I don't like the fact that the Mac doesn't have the tray. And anything we would give our baby to hold or play with always ended up falling right down, including putting a blanket over him. I also don't like the fact that in the Triumph you cannot just toss stuff like a purse into the basket below - difficult to access the storage area, IMO.

So, regrettably, we ended up buying a Peg Perego Aria. It is very lightweight (my #1 factor) and has the tray, and folds up easily. The steering is not as good as the MacLaren and frankly it does not seem to be made as well. Also, the sun shade is CRAPPY on that stroller. So, I'm not thrilled with it and think it was overpriced, but it suits our needs better at this time, and that is the stroller we took with us on our recent WDW trip.

I often wonder if I had gotten a higher-end Mac model if I would have liked it better??

 

[nuttylawprofessor]

Yes. Macs really are all that, especially for a mall/car/theme park stroller. You *can* steer them one-handed, but the ease of that steering is all relative. We have a Bugaboo and a Mountain Buggy. They're really one-handed steering and make the Mac look like a poor-handling stroller. But compared to most of the Graco and Evenflo (even some Peg Perego) models on the market, the Mac steering is way better.

Volos do not recline. They're very basic umbrella strollers with a shoulder strap for easy carrying.
Triumphs have a bit of recline that requires you to fiddle with a strap/string. They also have that nifty shoulder strap.
Quest has a deeper recline with specific settings. The leg rest extends for a deeper seat/better sleeping position. No shoulder strap on this one, but it does have a carrying handle.

All three of these strollers have fairly small wheels, so you might need to "pop a wheelie" a little more often over rouger terrain.

Mac now has some competition. I recently test drove the new Inglesina's. If I were replacing my Quest, I might try the Inglesina Trip. It's got all the bells and whistles of the Quest, plus a cup holder for the driver, taller handles for taller drivers, a deeper recline on the seat, and larger wheels. Plus, it weighs a tad less than the Quest and has a MSRP of $180. It really looks fabulous. The Swift should also give the Mac Triumph a run for its money.

Jenn- I can totally see where the Triumph wouldn't work for you. I really don't think the Triumph is worth it. If the child is older, go Volo. If the child is younger, go Quest. If you like to have a tray for the child, then you're not going to find many european models to go with. Americans seem to be the only market that wants the kids to eat on the fly. We've never had a tray on any of our strollers, so we don't really miss it.

I strollers.

 

[molly2004]

Wow, I think you've sold me. I going on a test drive a Volo tonight, though without the kids. We'll just have to find something that weighs 35 lbs to take with us! Weight limitations, compactness, and height are our biggest concerns (DH is 6' and I'm 5'6" and we kick lots of other single stroller tires and breaks).

With all the hunting I've been doing online all day (it's been a slow day at work ) I just can't decide between a 2004 model with no canopy or later model with canopy. The thought of a canopy is nice, though I've read that they're really cheap and wonder if they'll break off easily, given that that older ones were add-ons.

Thank you everyone!

 

[shelly3girls]

I feel like every post above has hit my impressions dead on. I know that I am totally nuts but.....
We own a Quest for our older DD and plan to use it for the baby when he gets older (probably around 2). For now we bought him the Peg Aria b/c of the tray issue that a PP mentioned. My mother is buying me an Inglesina Zippy as our main stroller when the baby will be in it for long periods of time. Oh, and I cannot forget the stroller frame that I have for the infant seat.

Yes, I am crazy but I am very happy with my stroller for each situation I plan to use it.

 

[jessica52877]

Love my mac! My son was 3 1/2 but loves strollers so I went for it (two months after getting a Peg). I love the mac so much more! Easier to manuever, he weighs 33 lbs. I mainly got a new stroller because as you said the other was just getting too hard to steer with his weight. Go for it! We have a quest!

I went with the 2006 model simply for the fabric choices but LOVE the pocket on the back. I slip a drink in there if a cup holder is important. It is seldom I need or want one but when I do it goes in there nicely, holds two in fact. Also wanted to say this is the first stroller my husband has LOVED and will actually push. He is 6 feet tall and just loves it.

 

[o2bacelt]

We love our Mac. Wish I had really known about them before. I LOVE it. The only other stroller I remotely like is our jogging one.

Can't say enough good things about it. We got one of the new Triumphs when the 2006s came out. We had the only lime green canapy stroller in WDW, it's was great to be able to see it in the sea of strollers.

Held up great on the flights to and from Florida. I put our stroller in a bag.

HTH,

 

[molly2004]

So we went out and test drove a Volo. Wow! Okay, I want one, or actually two!

However......

DH tried it out too. He's 6 feet. He says the handlebar height is "just okay," not great. He was also still kicking the back wheels, though not as often. Is this a common complaint?

I'm really frustrated now. It's too much money for him to not be completely happy with it. I don't want to get the Triumph because it only holds up to 40lbs. I need as much weight capacity as I can get. The Quest is also far too much money for something we need two of and will only use when travelling.

What do I do now?

 

[shelly3girls]

As far as I know the Triumph also holds 55lbs. The older model years did not but I believe they do starting around 2005??

 

[flipflop]

Did you check the Mac website to see if they make handle bar extenders? I know my girlfriend has them but I am not sure if they are for her mac or the mountain buggy.

I LOVE our Macs (twin traveller and a quest). I could not live without them. I will not repeat all the positive things already said - I will just "ditto". My DH is 6'4'' and he has no problem pushing the strollers. We also have an Inglesina (a triple) and I must say that is one nice stroller...whew...since they are making lighter versions to compete with mac maybe you can check those out and see if the handlebars are higher.

 

[o2bacelt]

I've got a 2006 Mac Triumph and it's 55 lbs. not 40 lbs. Hope that helps.

My hubby is 6 feet tall as well and he LOVES the Mac. He hated our cheapo umbrella stroller.

 

[molly2004]

Now one last question. I see that the newer Volo models have a white canopy. I would imagine that this would be a dirt magnet. If you have one like this, do you find it difficult to keep clean, especially with being sent through gate checking? Do you think Scotchgarding it would work?

Thanks!