Confirm my thoughts on stroller, please?

[Lesley]

Okay, I've been through this whole WDW stroller thing before. First time I was pregnant and convinced my 4yo would not need a stroller....though I threw the umbrella stroller in the car at the last minute "just in case". Half and hour into the first day without the stroller and we had to rent one! LOL

Second time, baby #2 was almost 6mo and primarily held in-arms...or in a sling or other carrier. But we had a 5yo who would still need a stroller and had grown out of the old umbrella stroller. And I wanted the stroller to have a canopy and to recline....so he could nap and so we could protect against the sun. And also so little sister could use it...if it became just too hot to be body to body (it was August after all....) I bought a Maclaren Techno. I love this stroller and its seen 3 years hard use. It needs one of the brakes fixed, but otherwise its still in pretty good condition. I'm working on finding out where and how to get the repair done.

Now, I'm expecting baby #3. When this baby is born, my current youngest will be 4yo. She'll definitely still need a stroller at WDW...and she does ride in the stroller fairly often now (for family walks, etc..) Most likely this baby will also be primarily in arms (or carrier) for the first year or two. So I'm considering the Peg Perego Pliko....it has the step on the back for an older child to ride on. Also I can get the Peg Perego car seat for the baby and it becomes a travel system....something I thought would be nice a couple of times when dd was a baby...when she was peacefully asleep in the car seat and would wake up from being moved to the sling! I generally believe in keeping babies in arms...but then again, I know the value of a peacefully sleeping baby. Our other alternatives are to get a double stroller (but child #2 will get too big rather quickly) or use 2 strollers all the time (which seems a bit much when I know my babies don't ride very often...though if we got the Pliko, we would have 2 nice strollers!)

So anyway, have I thought this through correctly? I have plenty of time to decide....but if I want a Peg Perego I want that time to keep an eye out for a great deal. When I got my Maclaren I got it for over 30% off of retail. But I know its really hard to find deals on these brands because they have "minimum advertised prices" and all.... Or do you think I can make do with the stroller we already have?

Thanks for any input!

 

[kaseyC]

I think the Peg sounds great as long as you are sure your 4 yr old will not mind standing. I f you are considering a double stroller look at the Combi Twin Savvy. It is a double side by side, it is no wider than a standard door way, very easy to maneuver and control ( we used it at Ikea on a very busy saturday, if you have never been to an Ikea on a Sat, its similar to being at MK on a busy day LOL). Each seat reclines and it is designed for newborns as well as the older child. It is very well padded with an extended sunshade. Another great feature is it folds up and has a shoulder strap, so you can basically carry it across your back (great for the bus) It is very light, about 17 lbs. I love mine, I just got it as we prepare to take our three dds - ages 7, 2 and 4mos to WDW in August and I did not want to drag my huge Graco double.
Anyway for whatever stroller you purchase check Ebay- I got my brand new 2003 Combi for more than $100 less than what they were selling for at other stores. So check for the Peg as well.
Good Luck and Enjoy your trip

 

[Lesley]

Thanks for the tip! My only fear about a double is that we won't use it for long....but I guess if we get the Maclaren fixed that's not really an issue. And I also fear that we'll be walking around with an empty double stroller....carrying baby while dd walks! If the kids were closer in age it would be a no-brainer.

Thanks again,

 

[CamColt]

My kids are 3 years apart and I found that sit/stand stroller to be invaluable. Im not sure about the one you are describing but some of them have the step for the child to stand and a seat for them to turn around and sit. Thats what we had and we got 2 years out of it. It made 2 trips to WDW, and probably hundreds of miles of walks around the neighborhood. I couldnt have done without it.

 

[BevS97]

we are taking a chicco 2003 which is very similiar to the Pliko. My thoughts are that our baby can lie in the stroller while my dd1 walks, and if dd1 needs to ride, then we can put the baby in a sling. The only big difference is that my dd1 will be 6 when we travel, our last trip she was 4 1/2 and she did use the stroller a fair bit.
I have also got in mind that if we are wrong, and she (dd1) really does need a stroller more often, then we can always rent, or pop out to Walmart and get another basic one, but I think she will probably walk 90% of the time.

another thing to bear in mind, you can't use the step on the pliko when it is reclined, or it has the carseat on it. We will also be using the carseat with our chicco, but I don't plan on using it everyday, just as you have said, if baby is sleeping, then I will let it sleep - I don't like to wake a sleeping child either!

Bev

 

[Lesley]

Bev, I can actually confirm your thoughts on your stroller situation....we did WDW when ds was 5 and dd 5.5m. Most of the time ds used the stroller and dd was in the sling. A few times she rode and he walked. By the time our next trip rolled around ds was turning 7 and was way too big for any stroller you can buy. Dd was nearly 2. She used the stroller and he walked....but then we all got sick. So once we were all feeling well enough to go out again we rented a double, so we wouldn't wear out ds. I think we've done this at least once on each trip since then. The only problem with the renting a double idea is that it only works with older babies and children. Those WDW doubles are hard...not for napping. I probably wouldn't use one with a baby under a year old.

So anyway, we're also pretty positive that eventually we'll do the double rental again....not every day but on the really busy ones where I can't carry anymore and our middle child is too tired to walk. Those double rentals are quite expensive though...$15 a day!

Is the 2003 Chicco a travel system? Do they make a carseat that fits the stroller? I may have to look into that. I really do hate leaving babies in their carseats all the time....but for an extra 15 min to an hour of sleep every so often...well that may just be necessary for my sanity.

CamColt- I've looked at the sit and stand strollers...it was a consideration for us the last time we were in the stroller market as well. The only thing that really bothers me about them is the bulk. I really wish they'd try expanding the concept into a lighter and more compactly folding model. Though I have never really played with one at the store...perhaps I need to give the "fold and lug" and try and see how it compares. Thanks!

 

[NotUrsula]

1st things first: ANY reclining stroller with a front bar can hold an infant seat, as long as you are strolling along on a flat surface, and not jumping curbs or jolting over cobblestones. If you buy an aftermarket front bar for your Techno, you can use it with an infant seat. (This is not an official Maclaren part, just a front bar that will strap onto any umbrella stroller. I found one at a consignment store for $2. The infant seat does not need to latch onto the bar, just rest upon it.)

You don't need to buy a new stroller in order to put an older child on the back. I would advise buying a Buggy Board or Seat-2-Go, instead. These are both attachments you can put on the back of the Mac to let an older child ride. These have a much larger footspace than the little 2-inch ledge on the back of the Pliko. (The ledge on the Pliko is, IMO, pretty much useless for more than letting them jump on while you cross a busy street. I also have a Pliko; I wouldn't expect a child to ride on that ledge for more than 5 minutes.)

The chief consideration in favor of the Pliko is that it can hold a lot of weight; ~90 lbs. total. It's much heavier than the Mac, though. I have both, just because I just collect strollers. (I have the Chicco Bev mentioned in my collection as well.)

You are probably going to have to ship the Mac to Maclaren USA for the repair. They are not quick, so be sure to send it to them at least 3 months in advance of your trip.

 

[Gillian]

I shipped my vogue back for repairs & they did a great job! But I have found that you can get last year's models on sale in the winter/spring for fantastic prices!

Good luck with your stoller decision. We just had baby #2 and have not invested in anything expensive yet for every day. DS is almost 3. We do have a used Graco front to back that we got for $20 but I haven't ventured out with it yet. I keep joking that I will harness DS to the Mac, rather than get a new stroller.

The reviews on the peg car seat have been bad, haven't they? And they've had recalls?

I think the pliko sounds good, except for the car seat part & I plan to check it out soon.

 

[Lesley]

I've looked at the buggy board....the only thing that really put me off is that you have one more "thing" to lug around. I have not been able to see whether or not it can remain connected to the stroller when the stroller is folded. I'm not really comfortable with just sticking the baby seat on top of a stroller that it doesn't connect to....we do walk on rougher terrain sometimes (the sidewalks in my previous town could be considered rough terrain!) and I have 2 other kids who are likely to bump the stroller.

Thanks for the input that the Peg is more heavy duty than the Maclaren. Its definitely a consideration. I just got an email back from Maclaren with an address to send it to. I'm going to send it out when we get back from WDW at the beginning of Aug. They have until Oct. to get it fixed!

Gillian, thanks for the mention of the problems with the Peg seat. I'll have to look into that. It doesn't seem like any of the other higher end stroller makers do car seats.....and I'm really hesistant to spend money on one of those Graco or Evenflo travel systems, since I don't care for the strollers (and most of the car seats aren't well padded). It may be that I just have to give up on the travel system idea.

 

[Lesley]

Gillian, can you point me to where you've seen bad reviews of the Primo Viaggio? I can't really find much negative. They did have a recall on last year's model...relating to the positioning of an adjustment button or something. Consumer Reports rated it very highly...one of the top 2 choices for infant car seats. And their other top choice had a recall (the 2003 Peg has not been recalled)

Also, I've just seen that Combi does have a travel system...something I may look into further. Unfortunately I have to travel to Greenville or Charleston to see one....

Thanks again everyone!

 

[reeanna]

Hi Lesley. I recently purchased the BuggyBoard for my 3.5 yr old son and we both love it. Tried the double stroller thing for a while but spent more time strapping him in/taking him out than anything else. In answer to your question- you can not fold up a stroller with the BuggyBoard in place, you must remove it (only takes a second to do) but then as you said- one more thing to lug around with you. It's also helpful if the stroller you have has long or extendable handles. I have the EuroTrend Sport by Baby Trend and it works out great with the BuggyBoard because it's got long handles. Otherwise, you may feel as though you're crouching over to push the stroller with your child on the board. My son is able to sit sideways on the board when he gets really tired. Overall, its been a great product for us. Good luck in your search!

 

[BevS97]

Lesley

The chicco is available in the UK with a carseat, I assume the carseat is available in the states too, but I am not 100% certain. It completely locks to the pushchair, there are little pins to hold it in place. I have one upstairs, but baby isn't due until the end of August, so we haven't used it yet, although my dd1 has put her baby dolls in it a few times, and they do look nice and comfy!

It is bigger and heavier than a Maclaren when folded, but then it is a nicer more comfortable pushchair than a Maclaren. I love Maclarens for older kids, but I'm not a big fan of them for babys.

When the Chicco (or the Pliko) is folded I don't think it should be any hassle on a bus or tram. It also has a step like the Pliko (with a big sticker on it, saying this is not for children to ride on, as does the Pliko, at least in the UK!) I agree with notUrsula, it's a very small step, it's not designed to be used for a long ride.

To be honest, the Chicco and the Pliko are so similiar that other than price, I couldn't pick one over the other - the Chicco has slightly different handles, and at least for me, it was a lot cheaper, but other than that, there is not a lot in it.

Bev

 

[NotUrsula]

Chicco infant seats are probably one of the most popular brands in Europe and the UK, if not THE most popular brand. Unfortunately, they are not marketed in the US, and the US-based Juvenile Products Safety Council and Consumer Products Safety Council do not rate them. The seat that is included with the European Chicco travel systems is the Chicco Synthesis, their all-time best seller. All my cousins use these seats.

Could you use a Chicco infant seat in the US? I'd feel perfectly safe doing so, as EU safety standards for carseats are quite strict; more so than the US standard, in fact. (Be warned that a foreign-made carseat won't have an FAA sticker, so you could be prohibited from using it on US-based aircraft.)

If you wanted to purchase a travel system from overseas, you certainly could. Several UK online nursery-goods merchants will ship to the US. The prices shown on UK websites will include 17% VAT, which you would not have to pay, so you would need to check with the merchant in terms of an actual price for a US customer; could be tricky pinning it down, the way the dollar is fluctuating at the moment. Shipping would not be cheap, of course, but it probably would still be less than the VAT.

BTW, when I said that you didn't need to use a special stroller to hold a seat, I didn't mean that the seat would just be balanced on top. With all my strollers that have a front bar, the bucket of the carseat wedges into the stroller seat quite snugly; it takes effort to remove it. For add'l safety, I also looped a wide webbing-strap around under the stroller and buckled it, the same way you would buckle it in with a seat belt. (I kept the strap on the stroller handle if I wasn't using the carseat; it was very useful in winter to cinch up coats so that we didn't have carry them when indoors.)

PS: You can screw small fasteners to the bottom side of a Buggy Board so that it can be hooked onto the stroller when not in use. I rigged one that way for one of my nieces; she says it works just fine. The handles on all 3 of the strollers we are talking about here are long enough for use with a buggy board.