I hate my Maclaren Triumph :(

[Jenny-momof3]

Okay at the strong recommendation from so many people on here I bought a Maclaren Triumph for my ds who is 2 1/2. I've used it several times now and I really don't like it.

My dislikes:

I can hardly fit anything in the basket underneath. And if I hang anything from the handles... the second he gets out of the stroller the darn thing tips over. This is so frustrating for me as I was really planning on taking this to Disney... but I now see this is going to work since I'll need to take stuff with me and there's just no room to put it anywhere.

The canopy seems to not shade him at all. In the harsh July florida sun he's going to need some shade cover.

My likes:

It's very easy to manuever with even my 9 year old ( 50 pounds) in it.

It folds up so small and is so easy to carry with the strap. I thought it would be so easy for the busses at Disney.


I have a HUGE Graco Quattro stroller that I guess I'll take instead. I love that the canops really shades him, there's so much room for storage and all the cupholders are nice too. But darn that thing is heavy and bulky. But I guess that's a sacrifice I'll have to make to have a stroller that's going to fit our needs.

Anyone else not happy with their Maclaren? I feel like I've completely wasted $130.

 

[strmtroopr96]

Maybe try one of these ideas to make the Triumph less tippy:

--you can use ankle/wrist weights and put them over the front wheels. I think they would velcro around your ankle/wrist so put these around the front stroller legs instead.

--depending on what you hanging on the back of the stroller, as your child gets out you can flip the bag or whatever over onto the seat and then flip it back to let your child sit again.

--you can also buy saddlebags (Skip Hop, Carry You, etc.) and then place these low on the stroller sides and it gives added weight in the back and they can actually carry quite a bit w/o being bulky. They should be able to be folded right up with the stroller too.

--For extra sun protection, you can buy a Kiddopotamus Rayshade. They are usually $15 or less and are great at shading your little ones when needed and fold right up small if not needed.

 

[Msslaydbug]

I'm sorry your unhappy with your stroller. I had similar frustrations with my Maclaren stroller. I *hated* that it was so tippy - with very little on the back. For your trip you could buy those walking weights people put around their ankles and put them around the front of the stroller.

We now only use our Peg Perego Pliko P3. It has a massive sun shade and isn't tippy.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

Sorry but I love mine. The stroller we had prior was very "tippy" also, so I knew how to handle it.

Sorry you don't like yours.

 

[nemomama]

I'm so sorry you're unhappy with your triumph! I absolutely love mine. The tippyness doesn't bother me personally, I hang a knapsack off the handles which fits perfectly and I just take it off before I take my child out. I never put much in the basket, I just consider that as a bonus and just throw little things in there as necessary. As another poster suggested, I use the CarryYou saddle bags which are awesome. I also would never go to Disney or any vacation where it's hot for that matter without an additional sunshade. We use the RayShade which blocks UV rays. We also use a stroller fan. I find the sunshade to be fine during other times.

 

[Mickey Fliers]

I have a Triumph that I really like, but I think the important thing to remember is that the Triumph is an umbrella stroller. Granted, it is an expensive umbrella stoller, but an umbrella stroller just the same. It is meant to be lightweight, so it will tip if unbalanced with a heavy bag. It wasn't designed to be heavy duty stroller.

I have taken mine to Disney several times and have never had any trouble. That being said, we don't tend to bring a ton of stuff into the parks. We usually have one backpack and that never gets left in the stroller anyhow.

 

[Tiger926]

I have a Triumph that I really like, but I think the important thing to remember is that the Triumph is an umbrella stroller. Granted, it is an expensive umbrella stoller, but an umbrella stroller just the same. It is meant to be lightweight, so it will tip if unbalanced with a heavy bag. It wasn't designed to be heavy duty stroller.

I have taken mine to Disney several times and have never had any trouble. That being said, we don't tend to bring a ton of stuff into the parks. We usually have one backpack and that never gets left in the stroller anyhow.

Exactly! It's not meant for stuff on the handles, nor too much in the storage basket underneath as it wouldn't be lightweight anymore. It works well for us because we don't bring much into the parks, even when we bring infants, so not much underneath, nor anything on handles. Maclaren makes a good universal carrier that fits on back of stroller - good for water bottle, sunscreen, umbrella, poncho or sippy cups/bottles.

Hopefully you'll reconsider taking your huge Graco as they really are too cumbersome for WDW. I have been banged into and run over so many times with those huge Graco strollers - can't stand them! If used properly, the Triumph is so perfect for getting through the crowds and into the monorails/busses. Awesome WDW stroller, but I will admit I'd like a better sunshade on it. We also bought a Rayshade, but it doesn't work that great, especially if breezy. I just bought a Mac Techno XLR, and it has a fabulous shade - just as good as our Pliko P3!

Good luck with your stroller issues, Tiger

 

[mybabesuz]

I was very disappointed with my Volo too. and I bought two!
Online so I can't really return them.
It's my own fault but it is very hard for me to go to a store with a two and three year old.
I like my Chicco capris a lot better.

Volo Dislikes:
The seats- Capri seats are way more comfy and recline.
Volo seat is only about an inch wider
But capri seat is much deeper.
The Breaks- Volos are hard to use. pushes to side inside of back.
The wheels- Volos are smaller and harder.
The shade- Volos are very flimsy.
The BUCKLE on the Volo is IMPOSSIBLE...
Capri has a wider base... Bad for tall people but it doesn't tip like the Volo.
I'm short....

The volos seats are like plastic coated mesh.
they don't seem like they are very comfy.
I put them side by side and the Volo is not
much wider and the Capri seat is deeper.
The capri says the weigh limit is 37lb vs. 55lb.
but I don't know????
The shade is a lot flimsier on the Volo.
My son keeps grabbing it. I'm afraid it will break.
The Volo Breaks are hard to set.
They go side to side ???
The wheels and handles are better on the Capri.
and the Volo was suppose to be like 4lbs lighter
and when I hold them both I don't feel a difference.
Maybe I will get used to them... Guess they are just different.
The Volo Does handle a bit better. smoother ride too.

 

[tinkandpan]

Sorry you are disappointed. LIke others mentioned, it is an umbrella stroller so it is lightweight- you can either carry less on the back, buy a lower strapped diaper bag, or just make sure you take off the bag on the handles before you let the little one out. There are tip me nots that work great for combatting the tippiness (i use them for the christmas months at the mall) but they do add weight to the stroller. I don't carry a lot into the parks, so i don't feel like i need all the extra room . We also bought a kiddapotomous shade and it works great for us. Good luck- try it out with some other alternatives, i think you'll appreciate the smallness and the light weightness over the graco if you make a few adaptations.

 

[sbrotherton]

I took my larger Graco last trip because I was worried that DD (aka Queenie) would not be comfortable in an umbrella stroller and that we would all pay the price. How bad could it be, right? Wrong! Dragging that thing on and off the buses was NO fun and then, finding room and holding it upright so it didn't fall over on a small child was no small feat either. I am definitely finding something lighter to take on our upcoming trip. For what it's worth, my advice would be to take what you have and use some of these tips to make it work. Good luck!

 

[twinmom2]

I was very disappointed with my Volo too. and I bought two!
Online so I can't really return them.
It's my own fault but it is very hard for me to go to a store with a two and three year old.
I like my Chicco capris a lot better.

Volo Dislikes:
The seats- Capri seats are way more comfy and recline.
Volo seat is only about an inch wider
But capri seat is much deeper.
The Breaks- Volos are hard to use. pushes to side inside of back.
The wheels- Volos are smaller and harder.
The shade- Volos are very flimsy.
The BUCKLE on the Volo is IMPOSSIBLE...
Capri has a wider base... Bad for tall people but it doesn't tip like the Volo.
I'm short....

The volos seats are like plastic coated mesh.
they don't seem like they are very comfy.
I put them side by side and the Volo is not
much wider and the Capri seat is deeper.
The capri says the weigh limit is 37lb vs. 55lb.
but I don't know????
The shade is a lot flimsier on the Volo.
My son keeps grabbing it. I'm afraid it will break.
The Volo Breaks are hard to set.
They go side to side ???
The wheels and handles are better on the Capri.
and the Volo was suppose to be like 4lbs lighter
and when I hold them both I don't feel a difference.
Maybe I will get used to them... Guess they are just different.
The Volo Does handle a bit better. smoother ride too.

well the volvo is the bottom of the line for Maclaren and it is just meant to be an umbrella stroller.
I have two and love them for Disney/large zoo trips. We dont bring much either and what I do bring I dont leave on the stroller. It is by far one of the best as far as steering and holding larger children...IMO

 

[brergnat]

I really want to know...what do some of you take with you to the parks that cannot fit into one backpack? I mean, I go to Disneyland for the day often with BOTH my toddlers. I bring ONE backpack and I can fit a LOT in there. I hang it from the double stroller while I'm pushing, but I have to wear it when I take them out (I can't leave it hanging...I keep my keys and wallet in there too). This backpack (a Jansport from Target) is able to hold everything that me, DH, and our two boys (2 and 3) need for a whole day.

I guess I just wonder why the "tipping" is such a problem for so many people? Do you really load up your strollers and then leave them parked WITH all your stuff in/on them? I'd never do that...people steal stuff. I just wonder if you couldn't "lessen the load" so to speak; it makes it a lot easier to get around if you have less to carry.

I have two Maclarens, and I love them. I had a Chicco Capri and that thing was absolute junk. I sold it and bought my second Maclaren.

If you need more shade, buy a RayShade. They carry them at Babies R Us or online. No stroller shade *really* works that well...that is why the RayShade was invented.

 

[hammie59]

Okay at the strong recommendation from so many people on here I bought a Maclaren Triumph for my ds who is 2 1/2. I've used it several times now and I really don't like it.

My dislikes:

I can hardly fit anything in the basket underneath. And if I hang anything from the handles... the second he gets out of the stroller the darn thing tips over. This is so frustrating for me as I was really planning on taking this to Disney... but I now see this is going to work since I'll need to take stuff with me and there's just no room to put it anywhere.

The canopy seems to not shade him at all. In the harsh July florida sun he's going to need some shade cover.

My likes:

It's very easy to manuever with even my 9 year old ( 50 pounds) in it.

It folds up so small and is so easy to carry with the strap. I thought it would be so easy for the busses at Disney.


I have a HUGE Graco Quattro stroller that I guess I'll take instead. I love that the canops really shades him, there's so much room for storage and all the cupholders are nice too. But darn that thing is heavy and bulky. But I guess that's a sacrifice I'll have to make to have a stroller that's going to fit our needs.

Anyone else not happy with their Maclaren? I feel like I've completely wasted $130.

Ya know, I did a similar thing, although I didn't buy a Macleran. For months I had this constant dread in the back of my mind of lugging my full sized graco onto the disney buses for our upcoming trip. So one day I was in target and found an awesome deal on a cosco deluxe light weight stroller (can't remember exact style). Anyways, it's basically a glorified umbrella stroller that has child and parent trays, canopy, and 2 recline positions. I was so happy thinking all my troubles were solved since this one would be way easier to take. Well, after a few times using it around town, I found it very uncomfortable to push due to the shorter handles (I looked like a hunchback) and my dd just didn't like being in it for long periods. Since my graco fully reclines and is at a normal height, we're now back to taking that one. Oh well.....

 

[JackJack08]

I have a Triumph that I really like, but I think the important thing to remember is that the Triumph is an umbrella stroller. Granted, it is an expensive umbrella stoller, but an umbrella stroller just the same. It is meant to be lightweight, so it will tip if unbalanced with a heavy bag. It wasn't designed to be heavy duty stroller.

I have taken mine to Disney several times and have never had any trouble. That being said, we don't tend to bring a ton of stuff into the parks. We usually have one backpack and that never gets left in the stroller anyhow.

Exactly. Love my Triumph (when I need an umbrella stroller instead of my larger, everyday stroller.)

 

[tzolkin]

well, i bought my volos as an alternative to cheap umbrella strollers, so i am certainly not disappointed. my kids are 9, 4 and almost 2. i have never used a stroller with any of them, so i don't have much to compare it to. we bought two volos for our upcoming disney trip and have actually used at least one every time we go out.

i guess i had no expectation of the stroller holding anything (i had never seen an umbrella stroller with a basket before), so i have actually been thrilled that if we go to the mall we can fit all (5) of our winter coats into the two volo baskets. i've never had any reason to hang stuff off the handles, but i can see that it would definitely tip. i'm sure the weights would work, but for me that would kinda defeat the purpose of having such a lightweight stroller. the only problem i've ever had was last weekend my husband took my son out to put him into his carseat. it was very windy and the stroller went flying across the parking lot with me chasing it down.

i really didnt see too many stroller options that would suit our purposes. we needed something compact, but both our kids are 40lbs and weigh too much for nearly all of the cheaper strollers. i'm sure if i was used to the features of a big stroller i might be disappointed with the mac, but i would keep in mind that there was a reason i didnt want to haul that big stroller along.

 

[mom2aredhead]

We're basically done with strollers now (my son is 4.5 and we only used the stroller about 1/2 the time last trip) but I never understood the appeal of the Mac's. A few summers ago, I went to Sesame Place with my sister, who swears by Mac strollers, yet almost the whole day her daughter was sitting or napping in my son's big Graco while he pusked the elmo dolls around in her Mac.

It seems to me that all of the "features" are great when you're not using it (folds small, easy to store, light weight, carry strap), but when I actually needed to put a child in it, store a diaper bag underneath, and give my son a drink and/or snack, and throw a shopping bag over the handle, it just didn't cut it. I also had a big Graco that we took on a few WDW trips. When I compare the amount of time my son spent in it and how it made our trip much easier, it was worth the the few minutes or so every day that it was a hassle to fold on the bus or carry on/off the tram. I guess my point is that I need my stroller to be convenient when I am using it, not when it is standing in the corner taking up less room and weighing nothing.

Eventually (when he was older, potty trained, and we didn't carry so much "stuff") I replaced it with Safety First stroller that was a bit lighter than the Graco but still had a comfy seat and tray for him, a tray for me, and large basket underneath. And I spent less than $50.00 on it.

 

[labdogs42]

I have a HUGE Graco Quattro stroller that I guess I'll take instead. I love that the canops really shades him, there's so much room for storage and all the cupholders are nice too. But darn that thing is heavy and bulky. But I guess that's a sacrifice I'll have to make to have a stroller that's going to fit our needs.
:

I have taken my Graco Quattro Tour to Disney 5 times already. Sure, it is bulky, but that stroller is a workhorse! If you are used to it, take it. I tried to get myself to like the macLarens, but every time I looked at them in the store, I just couldn't get past the little basket and the tippiness! Take the Graco -- you'll be glad you did.

 

[hoosiergirl7]

I'm sorry you hate it but I still love mine. The stroller is made of Titanium which is really lightweight but yet really strong. If I have something hanging over the handlebars and my son gets out I just put whatever it was into his seat until he decides he wants to sit again. I have been meaning to buy the velcro weights for the front wheels but keep forgetting.

My DS thinks the Mac is more comfortable than his old Graco that we sold. I no longer have to deal with a diaper bag and only had a really small one when we bought our Mac and had no problem fitting it in the basket in the bottom. I'm actually amazed as how much I can fit in the bottom. I've never had a problem putting plastic shopping bags in the bottom.

 

[chris8091]

Ah....The Great Stroller Debate

Maybe it may take a little time for you to get adjusted, it did for us.

We purchased a Techno XLR for our trip to San Fran. At first we were not too impressed, but after touring the city for a week, it was worth it. Large hood, full recline, big wheels, cushy seat, and we picked up the footmuff which was nice (good place to hide a few extra things below our son's feet)

it can be a little tippy, just have to be mindful. We did the backpack on the handles and took it off whenever we took our son out.

After getting home, we started using the Peg again, and there is a big difference in the handling. We didnt notice it at first, but the Macs really are smooth.

All in all, we are happy with both our strollers, they are used for different things - the peg is for closer to home, the mac is for traveling (mainly)

If trying it out longer doesnt work for you, maybe you can head to your closest babies r us and test out some other strollers.

Good luck with whatever you decide.
Chris

 

[NotUrsula]

If you are used to a big Graco, you've gotten used to hauling everything but the kitchen sink everywhere you go, and I have to tell you, that's a BAD HABIT! Force yourself to break it when travelling. You won't believe how much more free you will feel.

Half the time I don't take my diaper bag out of the car even on local outings. I keep a ziploc in my purse that contains a smaller ziploc of wipes, two diapers, a spare onesie, a teething ring, and a 12 inch square flannel piddle pad. I really don't NEED anything else. (I do nurse, so I don't schlep cups or bottles around.) At WDW my flat-pouch cloth packpack has a few more items, including sunscreen and jar of food, bib, spoon, etc., and a change of clothing and chamois for fountain splashing, but it is still not large nor heavy.) The rule is that if it doesn't fit in the backpack, it doesn't go to the park.

Most importantly if you are taking the buses, train yourself to not use the basket at all! If you are folding the stroller and carrying it (as you don't do when you have a vehicle), then you have to take everything out of the basket every time and also carry the stuff -- gets old REALLY fast. Have all park purchases either sent to your resort or held at the park gate -- don't cart them around with you. It's a PITA and they are at risk of getting stolen.

You also have to fold the stroller for the train at the MK, where your Triumph can come along but your Graco cannot, because it is too big. Travel stroller users can use that train as transport across the park, but people who use the behemoths can't do that, because the stroller won't fit. For them, it's just another ride.