Graco Metrolite

[Nicolepa]

Anybody have this stroller? What do you think of it? Is it good for Disney?

I am trying to figure out what stroller I want. My baby is 6 weeks old. Right now I'm just using the snap and go. We will be going to Disney in August so he will be 5 months. My neighbor gave me her old Peg Perego Pliko and I hate it. The basket is useless, if you have the stroller reclined the visor doesn't cover them and if you cover them with the visor is raises the seat. There is no way I can take this to Disney. I can't figure out for the life of me how to get the diaper bag in and out.

I want something a bit more substantal than the Mac's but not as big as the stroller systems. I also looked at the Chicco but I didn't like the handles and the basket seemed hard to access (although not quite as bad as the Pliko I have)

This is the one I'm looking at. http://www.albeebaby.com/grmelxist61i.html
Does anyone have this specific one? Does it have the bar to raise/lower the seat or the strap? I went to BRU today to try them out and some had the strap and some had a bar.

Any other ideas on a stroller to try? Thanks!

 

[KelleyD]

I have the metrolite. My son is now 13 months.

if you cover them with the visor is raises the seat.

I am not sure what this means?

I am actually looking at moving to a mac because my son will be 19 months when we go. If he was 5 months then I would bring this along...right now just a little heavier then I would like.

This stoller is nice. You can change the position of the handlebar, I can hang my diaper bag on the handle and not worry about it tipping, moust of the time. My son likes it better then the jogger because he can sit more upright in it.
The canopy on the metrolite does not move. On my jogger the canopy moves and can go all the way down, blocking the sun if its in front...BUt I don't know if they make "regular" strollers like the metrolite where the canopy can move. You could consider getting the extra ray shade.

In fact I just bought one of those, if you would like when i get home tonight i can see if it fits on there.

Like most strollers when in recline very difficult if not impossible to access basket. Basket holds alot of stuff.

Also - that snack tray in front pivots out on one side so when your kid gets chunky - like mine, you can slide that out for better access to the seat.

Hope this helps. OH - keep in mind this is a "travel system". One of the smaller ones though...

 

[Nicolepa]

I have the metrolite. My son is now 13 months.

I am not sure what this means?
....

Like most strollers when in recline very difficult if not impossible to access basket. Basket holds alot of stuff.

Also - that snack tray in front pivots out on one side so when your kid gets chunky - like mine, you can slide that out for better access to the seat.

Hope this helps. OH - keep in mind this is a "travel system". One of the smaller ones though...

On the Peg if you pull the canopy down too far it will pull the seat up so it is no longer in the reclining position. the canopy is attached to the seat so the amount it can move is limited to what position the seat is in.

I don't mind not being able to access the basket when the stroller is down. I think most of them are like that. I just don't want to lug around a 30 pound stroller. I did that with my first two as that was the only option for a stroller system back then.

Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[DreaGirl]

We used the MetroLite for 23 months. It is very lightweight and has a great basket. The canopy is okay, not the greatest, but you can get an extender if you really need it.

The only thing I don't like about it is the way it folds. It folds flat, so it takes a lot of room in the trunk.

We took it to Disney in October when DD was 18 monhts. It was great! We would lay it flat when she was tired. It has a great snack tray and cup holder for her and like I said, the basket underneath more than met our needs.

We just bought the Mac Triumph for our upcoming trip because we don't need that big stroller anymore. But it was def. worth the money for two years of use.

 

[laughinplace199]

We have a Metrolite for DS, who is 17 mos. I got it before he was born. I chose it because I knew I wanted a Graco Safeseat infant carseat and I wanted a stroller that the carseat could easily attach to. Plus, it is smaller than some of the other travel system strollers out there.

I know lots of people like Maclarens, but I didn't want an umbrella stroller for a newborn, so that's another reason why I went with the Metrolite.

What I like about it:
Size
Comfort for baby
5 pt harness
Larger basket underneath
Access to basket is easy, even when baby is reclined

What I don't like:
It's a but bulky when folded
How the harness releases - There's no way to keep the shoulder straps fastened to the waist strap when you undo the harness. Every time you undo it, the whole harness gets undone. At WDW, every time I put DS back in the stroller, I had to reattach the shoulder straps and then the waist part. It would be nice if they had it so the shoulder straps would stay attached to the waist part all the time.

I just bought a Peg Aria for our trip to WDW. It's a little bit smaller than the Metrolite, it's a lot lighter, and it has the type of harness that can keep the shoulder straps attached. However, I will have to make sure I don't need access to the basket if DS is asleep.

 

[KelleyD]

Contrary viewpoint...

It would be nice if they had it so the shoulder straps would stay attached to the waist part all the time.

I know it defeats the point of the 5 point harness but my son at 13 months much prefers just the waist straps to be buckled, so I like that i don't have to have the shoulder straps on him...

 

[hoosiergirl7]

We had one for DS and I loved it for the 1st year and then we stopped using it. I liked it for the fact that it was lightweight and I wanted a Graco infant carseat. However, when you travel every couple of months on airplanes (especially when I started traveling by myself with DS) then it gets to be a pain in the rear and we switched to a Maclaren. I'll never go back to another stroller again. I'm now a devoted Mac user.

That being said, I know lots of people who love their Peg Perrigo strollers and wouldn't trade them for the world. I would look into one of those instead of the Metrolite. I know it's more expensive but I know there are a lot more features with the Peg.

 

[Nicolepa]

We have a Metrolite for DS, who is 17 mos. I got it before he was born. I chose it because I knew I wanted a Graco Safeseat infant carseat and I wanted a stroller that the carseat could easily attach to. Plus, it is smaller than some of the other travel system strollers out there.

I know lots of people like Maclarens, but I didn't want an umbrella stroller for a newborn, so that's another reason why I went with the Metrolite.

What I like about it:
Size
Comfort for baby
5 pt harness
Larger basket underneath
Access to basket is easy, even when baby is reclined

What I don't like:
It's a but bulky when folded
How the harness releases - There's no way to keep the shoulder straps fastened to the waist strap when you undo the harness. Every time you undo it, the whole harness gets undone. At WDW, every time I put DS back in the stroller, I had to reattach the shoulder straps and then the waist part. It would be nice if they had it so the shoulder straps would stay attached to the waist part all the time.

I just bought a Peg Aria for our trip to WDW. It's a little bit smaller than the Metrolite, it's a lot lighter, and it has the type of harness that can keep the shoulder straps attached. However, I will have to make sure I don't need access to the basket if DS is asleep.

I have a minivan so trunk space isn't really an issue. If I need extra space for something I can always put one of the seats down, even if all 3 kids are w/me I have an extra seat.

I also don't like the idea of an umbrella for an infant. I will probably buy a Mac when he's a year or two, but he just didn't look comfy in it at this age.

 

[Nicolepa]

That being said, I know lots of people who love their Peg Perrigo strollers and wouldn't trade them for the world. I would look into one of those instead of the Metrolite. I know it's more expensive but I know there are a lot more features with the Peg.

I have a Peg and I hate it. The basket is almost totally useless, there is no way you could ever get a diaper bag or shopping bag in there. I'm just thankful it was given to me and I didn't actually spend the $$ on it.

I think I'm going to go ahead and order the Graco. For $90 even if I only get a year out of it I will be happy. Then he will be older and I can go w/a Mac, or maybe I'll like the Peg I have once he's bigger and doesn't need to recline all the time.

Thanks everyone!

 

[Lilyzmom]

I see you've already decided to order one. I have had one since my daughter was born. I think they are great! The basket underneath is huge. I hate putting Lily in the shopping carts (so germy) so I kept her in her stroller and I could put a ton of groceries underneath the seat. I put her small diaper bag on a ring on the handle. It is kind of bulky when folded, but it is definitely a smaller travel system. I never used the 5 point harness anyway. I actually pulled the straps back through the padding so they wouldn't get in the way. I wanted an umbrella stroller, so I just bought a Maclaren quest through Albee baby. Lily is 20 months so we're ready for it. But I still use the Graco sometimes.

 

[GoinToDisney]

I know you already made up your mind, but I figured I'd respond anyhow in case someone else has the same question. We had the Graco Metrolite and hardly used it. I do like that it reclines all the way back and that the basket underneath has a handle to open it up for access when the stroller seat is reclined. However, it is huge to me and that makes it harder to steer through a crowd. We actually used a cheap $40 Carters stroller much more, and now we have the Mac Quest, which we love. It's good for babies because you can extend the seat to make more room for their legs and it reclines pretty well. If I had it to do over again, I would skip the metrolite (only got it because it was part of a travel system) and use the snap and go with the car seat, especially with a 5 month old. If he/she is asleep when you arrive at a table service meal, you can just bring the car seat in. They don't always allow strollers in restaurants. Plus, I'd need the car seat for the plane any how. Then I would go straight to a Mac (but not a Volo... must recline well at least as well as the quest does). However, if $90 isn't a lot of $$$ to you, then I say go for it and enjoy.

 

[Eyore4Ever149]

For anyone interested, I went to several shops and checked out all the strollers and selected a Graco metrolite- I noticed there are some variations within this catagory.
I dont know the exact style of the one I just bought (on sale for $80!)
I love it
-lite
-different basket than many of the other Gracos-the bar the basket netting clips into is part of the frame and will not colapse when a heavy bag rests on it.
-decent depth to drink cup holder for adult
-has a netting that is attached to the canopy to help block out sun and bugs
-padded seat with bar adjustment on back of seat instead of pull strap
Its black and brown so doesnt show dirt

 

[Nicolepa]

If I had it to do over again, I would skip the metrolite (only got it because it was part of a travel system) and use the snap and go with the car seat, especially with a 5 month old. If he/she is asleep when you arrive at a table service meal, you can just bring the car seat in. They don't always allow strollers in restaurants. Plus, I'd need the car seat for the plane any how. Then I would go straight to a Mac (but not a Volo... must recline well at least as well as the quest does). However, if $90 isn't a lot of $$$ to you, then I say go for it and enjoy.

I have a snap & go and I love it, but I wouldn't use it for Disney. We are going in August and it would be way to hot for him to sit in the carseat all day. Plus I don't think he will be in the infant carseat by then. I hope he is, as it's so much easier to travel w/the infant seat. He is already probably 13 pounds and I have a feeling he will be over 20 when we go. As for the resturants, I have never had a problem bringing a stroller in if the infant is sleeping.

As for the $$ I figure I will save at least that by having a decent basket. Juice boxes & water @ Disney are $2.50 a box. I buy them offsite, freeze them and put a small cooler in the stroller. Much, much cheaper.

I haven't ordered it yet. I am going to go to the consignment store today and see if they have any, but I have a feeling the price will be close to the same.

 

[amyj1024]

We have a Metrolite and I love it. I bought it when I had my second baby. We were able to use it with our Graco infant carseat and it wasn't as big and bulky as those travel systems. Also, I don't think that anyone has mentioned but it is GREAT to steer. I had 2 other strollers for DD, and they both were awful to steer in the store, mall, where ever. The metrolite is still smooth and easy to push after a year. I actually like the harness, especially when they are little, it is very easy to get them in and out because all the straps seperate. My son loves sitting in his stroller, ours also came with an attached bug net, that can be pulled down over the tray. We don't use it very often, but it folds back out of the way. The basket is nice and large.

The only thing is I am considering a smaller stroller for our trip to disney, my DS will be 18 months --I am not sure, since my son loves it so much, and I know he is able to sleep in the stroller with no problem, I also like having the tray on it as well---at least I have a few months to decide about that, but I would definately recommend to a new mom. Its a great stroller and not too big.

 

[shelly3girls]

I see you already ordered it, I really think you made a great choice. After 3 kids and many strollers, I think the MetroLite is one of the best strollers to travel with an infant. I have 3 different Mac's, Peg Aria, and the MetroLite. I originally bought the MetroLite for our nanny and now we end up taking it to travel. I also like the Aria for infants but it costs a great deal more.

Next time we travel when DS is over 2 we will probably take one of the Mac's. The reasons I prefer the Graco for the infant are...

1. Larger basket and I could attach the diaper bag to the handle without it tipping.

2. Tray for snacks as baby got a little older.

3. relatively light weight compared to some others.

4. nice size wheels

5. nice recline

 

[Nicolepa]

I haven't ordered it yet. I will probably do it this weekend. I went to the consignment store yesterday and as I suspected all the strollers were more than the one I found online. They wanted $100 for a used Metrolite. The cheapest stroller I found there was $90.

I am going to another consingment store this morning to look for PJ's, they dont' usually have a lot of strollers but I will see what they have.

Thanks again for everyone's input!

 

[blana]

I have the metrolite & enjoyed it for quite a while. Don't really use it much anymore. When we need one now, we bring out our Capri, instead, which is a "nice" umbrella, including a little bit of recline. My only comment for Disney use of the Metrolite, are you using Disney busses or drivign to the parks? The M. folds down flat, but wide as others have mentioned, which might get annoying for you dealing with it on the bus. Our Capri folds up pretty small, so it wasn't a real issue.