If you have and Expedition type SUV (no trunk space) and a great stroller that fits..

[jel0511]

BevS97 - If you have an older child and don't plan on getting a double stroller, I HIGHLY recommend the Peg Perego Pliko. It is VERY similiar to the Chico and Inglassia one, and it has a small platform on the back of the stroller where an older child can stand. It is such a time saver when walking the mall or even in WDW. I know how slow my 5 year old walks, and if she wasn't riding sometimes, I think I could still be in WDW!!!!

P.S. We'll have to discuss a place for our first meeting!!! My DS is now 2, and with all this different stroller talk, I want to get another stroller!!! Not practical I know, but they just look so cool!!

 

[NotUrsula]

One child, nearly 6 yo, 8 strollers. Nine if you count the Kidco I bought as a gift for a niece. I've gotten rid of all of the American-designed ones except the Rock-n-Roller, though.

DH is philosophical about it, and says that it is not so bad because I collect compact models, for the most part, and they can be stored out of sight. In his view, it could be worse, I could spend more money collecting schmaltzy porcelain figurines that I would expect to display! My mother was once in the business; she worked for Silver Cross back in the 1930's.

 

[Gillian]

Silver Cross is one of the trendy brands (again?)!

I love reading about the strollers that cost $500 or $700 or $1000. I just have to laugh, because so many of the people buying these are just on their first kid, and will be looking for the coolest double stroller before they know it.

And, from the research I've done, there are no fantastic double strollers. The ones that are good for infants are bad for older kids.

 

[Belle5]

Took a Pliko for a test drive. Not sure...The padding seemed thin to me. ( I can't imagine how thin the Maclaren must be if it's thinner than the Pliko. ) I found a store that carries the inglesina. I'll let you know what I think. I understand that with the sized stroller I'm looking for I'm not going to get a bassinet... It's just hard to "come down" from the plush, fluffy pram type strollers I've had in the past. Gotta get over it and be thankful that at least something is made that will fit in my trunk... I only looked at one type of Pliko. I wonder if other models have different padding?????

 

[Dizzie]

I have an Expedition, 3 kids and have gone through 8 strollers ranging from the umbrella to the 4in1 versions. My favorite is the Pliko by Peg Pergo. I have used it at WDW and DL and love the foot stands on the back to carry and extra kid. I'm going to WDW again in Oct and my Peg Pergo will be with us!

 

[BevS97]

trust me, the maclaren is very thin. in fact one model is just like a netting weight.
Has the Pliko (I just realised I've been spelling that wrong all this time), you looked at got a hood and an apron? (I don't know if you use the same term in the USA, the apron is a cover which goes over the seat area so that it is enclosed and more 'pram' like).
You can also get cosy-toes (again you probably have a different term), which is like a small sleeping bag which makes it 'cosier' (funnily enough) of course, this is not needed for Orlando! but that also makes it snugger and much nicer for a little baby.
When I visited the USA with my dd and our Chicco, a lot of people commented on our cosy toes and how nice it was to have a matching blanket, so maybe they aren't as widely available?


Speaking of Silver Cross, (which are unfortunately no longer made), I was just walking past a charity shop on my way into work, and spotted a very old Silver Cross pram, the style that doesn't fold up at all, traditionally used by Nannies (think Mary Poppins here), it looked to me to be from the 60's and was the most appaling purple cordury material, but it was in great condition and it was selling for the grand price of £15 (About $25). Considering these sold new for nearly £1000, that's pretty amazing. If I had room for such a thing, and it's wasn't purple cordury I would have been very tempted!

Bev

 

[welovedis]

Bev-LOL! I think that is the same as one I got before DS was born. I saw an old Silver Cross pram in a Salvation Army (thrift store) for $21 and was thrilled to see one at all. It was this weird purple color and was the ugliest thing you ever saw. Dh laughed and laughed as I made him come with to pick it up and everyone in the store was half-smirking at me all the way.

Well, I pretty much took the thing apart and reupholstered the whole thing, down to the padding. I recovered it in a nice medium gray fabric and used white for the lining. DH's friend took the undercarriage apart and cleaned all the metal so it was like new when he was done. We found (after lots of looking on the internet) new wheels and tires so it looked like a new pram when we were done.

It took alot of time of and effort but it was really cool when it was done. Everyone commented on how neat it was to see an old-fashioned carriage. I have some pics and will have to dig them out and post a link or something.

Unfortunately when our house burned a few years ago the pram was inside and we lost it in the fire so I can't take a pic of it now.

Sorry to be so OT but glad I am not the only "stroller afflicated" member of the DIS. Now that DS is 6 I really can't justify buying another stroller for him so I have to be satisfied finding strollers for friends, neighbors, etc.. or the kids in my daycare-lol! Any type of strollers anonymous clubs out there?? LOL!

 

[Belle5]

Bev,
I have seen the cozy toes here. (At least on line.) What you call an apron I think we call a boot.

Welovedis---what a rewarding project! That would be fun to have just to wheel the baby around the neighborhood. (Of course, that would not fit into many of our vehicles.)

Bev--you can go back to that thrift store now. Welovedis has given you a great idea for a project!

 

[welovedis]

Belle5--I forgot to mention the maclarens. I have one (or 2-lol) and I really like them for the durability and the weight, size, etc... However the padding is not going to be anywhere as nice as the Pliko since they do fold down so easily, compactly, etc..

If you are used to a cushier type of pram or carriage then the Pliko is probably the best you will find for the space you have in your vehicle. I'm not sure about the different models having better padding but that might be true. But then you might be sacrificing the smaller size and portability to go with heavier and thicker padding.

Do you know which model of Pliko you looked at? Some have more padding than others so I wonder if you might like another style of their stroller better than what you saw?

Anyway--I hope you can find something you are looking for, I know how hard it can be when you have to just "settle" for something that is not exactly what you were hoping for. Good luck!

 

[Dizzie]

The Peg-Perego I have does not have the apron but it is an option. The new Pliko Completo has the apron and the rain shield. I'm not sure about the cosy-toes but it wouldn't surprise me if you can get it. Good Luck!

 

[NotUrsula]

... but most import mfrs. sell them as options. The term dealers here use is "boot." Floridians don't see them very often, I would guess, but they are fairly common in places like Boston, NYC and Chicago, where people do walk in all weather, and where it gets cold enough that a simple blanket isn't enough. You can buy generic versions that are made to fit almost any umbrella stroller.

I have to say that I think that the padding on the upper-end Maclarens is very decent. Not on the Volo, of course, which is mesh, or the next model up, but once you go better than that, it's about the same as what is on the seat and back surfaces of the Pliko. (Their old top-of-the-line, the Opus, was very heavily padded, BTW, but it was heavier, so it wasn't very popular. You might be able to find a used one.) You can always put a fleece underneath the child if you like; that's a much more compact solution, and it will protect your upholstery from sunscreen. Also, for a really small child, very soft, fluffy padding is not recommended on any surface where they sleep, as it is a suffocation hazard.

Something else to think about is that really well-engineered strollers don't NEED really thick padding to make the ride comfortable; the suspension takes care of that aspect. Here's a test you can do to determine a bumpy ride: go to the toy section of the baby store and pick up a loud rattle that sounds with very slight movement, then take it with you when you test strollers. (Toy maracas are very effective for this.) Put the rattle in the seat of the stroller when you test it; the bumpier the ride, the more noise the rattle will make.

BTW, getting back to the original topic, fitting the thing in a vehicle. Most stores will let you test putting the folded display-model stroller in your car; just go to the service desk and hand them your driver's license and a credit card as security. Of course, you should carry it to the car rather than rolling it, so as not to soil the wheels in the parking lot.

 

[gravymom]

Here is what I did for a stroller for WDW (and frequent mall trips here at home) for my now 5 yo and 3.5 yo (my 16 month old rides on me in a sling). I got a Mountain Buggy Urban Double stroller specifically to be able to handle the older two who are quite tall. The oldest has asthma and can wear out quickly and get cranky, so I like to have her ride. It is also easier to keep up with them in the buggy. It folds up fairly compactly (we folded it to ride on the bus once with no problems), rode on the monorail and the boats with it opens and kids in it, it fits through gates and doorways easily and steers wonderfully. It is a jogging-type stroller and would be comfortable for even a tiny baby. WE have a roofrack on top of the car and we throw the stroller up there to travel.

Good luck.

Amy

 

[Belle5]

We finally purchased the stroller for our coming arrival. We ended up purchasing the Combi Ultra Savvy. It is a fully reclining lightweight stroller that should be only 10" thin when folded up. It received great feedback on Epions.com. The price at Babyage.com was even better than Strollers4less.com. It is the 1992 model but instead of costing $300 we paid only 1/2 of that.

*Fun feature that I wouldn't look to find but may end up being happy that it's included is the acoustic canopy. Somehow this stroller canopy is fitted with surround sound for your baby to listen to their little CD's. Is that hysterically funny, or what? My teens think it's way cool!!!

I sure hope we like this stroller as much as the other folks who rated it on Epinions. I do want to thank all of you for you input and time. It was actually by looking into some of your suggestions that I stumbled onto this little stroller. My last son (6 years ago) had a full sized Combi that we loved. I'm hoping the same for this compact stroller that should fit nicely into that tiny car trunk of ours!

 

[welovedis]

Belle5-I think you made a great choice! i see many of these around and have chatted a bit with the moms & dads who have them. They have all been pleased with the stroller. I have the Travel Savvy right now and love how quickly, easily and SMALL it folds.

Best of Luck!

 

[madge]

we have the chicco trekking and it fully reclines--we used it last summer for our (then) 8 month old DD. We like it a lot--it is not a light stroller, though. probably 18-20 pounds. It stands alone when folded and has a decent basket underneath. I especially like that fact that the restraints are 5 point harness.

edited to add: I have a combi and lov it, too! I think you made a great choice!

 

[dijid]

I was just going to suggest the Ultra Savvy, but I see you already bought it. I had an older Savvy Z that I loved with my DD, but my DS is too crazy for it, and we had to buy something with a 5pt harness for him.

For the strolleraholics here - might I suggest joining in the fun at:
http://messageboards.ivillage.com/iv-ppstrollers

I'm up to 10 strollers over 4 years for two kids (although only 5 are still in my posession) and in the market for a new double stroller

 

[cambridgek]

Don't know if someone else suggested this, but Denise and Allen Fields have a great message board-www.windsorpeak.com that offers great suggestions on every baby product on the market.
Good Luck!

 

[BevS97]

madge, I'm glad to hear your like your trekking - we bought one last week for our baby due in August, and are planning on bringing it in December.
We had a similiar one for DD1 5 years ago, but the new model does seem heavier and more substantial

bev

 

[madge]

Bev,

we have been very pleased with our trekking stroller. I was originally interested in the Pliko, but saw that the trekking has most of the same features at a lower price tag. THEN, I found it on ebay--the seller mistyped chicco as chico so it got virtually no bids. I think I paid around $50 for it

my hisband hates pushing the combi--thinks the handle is too low. but he doesn't mind pushing the chicco strollers at all. we just bought the new umbrella stroller Chicco mkes and are thrilled with it so far....

we haven't decided which of the 3 will make the trip to WDW this fall yet

does anyone reccommed a good stroller bag/organizer product for the strollers that don't have a basket underneath? Nothing too big, but enought to store some essentials fo the day?

 

[2_infinity]

I recommend the Chicco as well. I have a Chicco 2002 that I purchased for my 2001 trip to DW. Unfortunately, it arrived the day AFTER we left.

Anyhow, it has a higher canopy, so it's suitable for the day when that baby gets bigger. ;-)

It reclines to nearly flat and the 5 pt harness is a MUST! The front bar is removable (which is why I bought it for my then 2.5 yr old -- I was dreading lifting him up into the stroller each time). The handles rotate so you can find the best position for you. It also folds up like an umbrella stroller and can stand on its own. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this stroller and cannot wait to use it for our Dec trip, with my 2.5 yo son.

Here's what the website says:

• Chicco 2002 is a lightweight stroller designed to suit every situation. Its unique 3 position suspension system adjusts to the childs growth. Thanks to the 5 point harness system and fully reclinable seat, the stroller is decidedly more comfortable for your baby. Stroller folds in seconds and can stand upright by itself. In addition, it is equipped with extra padded armrests and backrest. By acting on its bear-shaped central control device, the backrest can be reclined to 4 different positions. The newly designed twist handles are adjustable to 8 positions, according to the height of the user: they are ergonomic and easy to adjust. Designed into the stroller is a small platform that helps to overcome all kinds of obstacles easily; mounting of any pavement step is no longer a problem. The stroller also features a deluxe canopy and deluxe basket. 4-position recline.

http://www.thebabyoutlet.com/Level3.asp?Page=1816&Category=