Maclaren stroller questions--help, please!

[HappyMommy2]

Hi!
We recently bought a Maclaren Volo to replace our aging Combi Travel Savvy stroller, and we LOVE LOVE LOVE the Volo! Talk about great steering, nice high handles, ultralight frame--and DS 2, normally a stroller hater, begs to ride in it!

However, the lap belt is terribly hard to unbuckle! It was cold outside yesterday and my fingers were numb and as hard as I tried I could not get the buckle undone--I had to loosen the belt and take poor DS shoes off and pull him out the top. Even in the nice warm shopping mall today it took all my strength to unbuckle the thing. The floor model in the store didn't seem to have this problem--I'm wondering if mine will loosen up with time, or if I should call the company and ask about replacing the buckles. Anyone else ever experience this with a Maclaren?

Also, for other Volo owners, has anyone purchased the accessory kit (canopy, cargo bag, etc.)? With our next WDW trip in mind I'm thinking a canopy may be a very useful but if the add-on canopy is a pain to use I don't want to spend the money on it.

Sorry this is so long; TIA for any help you can offer.

Janet

 

[gary4jenn]

It sounds like a manufacture defect and if you needed to get him out quickly, this could be a safety issue.

 

[robinb]

Are you talking about the shoulder straps or the lap belt? I have a Maclaren (bought after my Combi Travel Savvy bit the dust in less than a year) and I always found the connectors (clips?) at the bottom shoulder straps a bit stiff. The lap belt, however, can be undone easily with one hand. FWIW, I almost never used the shoulder straps unless my DD was in a full snit and needed to be restrained.

One more thing ... yes, you should buy the accessory kit. You will need the sunshade and the rain cover at WDW. No doubt about it.

 

[dmonroe]

I never had this problem with my Vogue--bought about 3 years ago. However, I just purchased a Global Buggy (for #2 on the way! ) and I have noticed that the buckles do seem hard to undo. They just feel very stiff or something. I was thinking they would just loosen over time. I hope it's not defective!

 

[pcottrell]

I also have a mac volo (which I love too) and I do not have any problems with the buckle. I would call maclaren customer service and ask them about this. I also have the accessory pack for my volo and I don't use it most of the time just because I use it for errands and mostly inside, but it has come in handy on trips. I used the rain cover this summer when we went to an amusement park and my ds stayed dry as a bone--which is less than I can say for me in my poncho rain gear. This alone to me was worth the cost of the accessory pack!! I also used the canopy alot during the summer months. If you're are plannning to take it to wdw I think the accessories would be helpful to have, esp. the rain shield!!

HTH,
Paige

 

[HappyMommy2]

Thanks, everyone, for your very helpful input!
I think I'm going to call Maclaren customer service and ask about the buckle problem--it does seem to be loosening up a bit, though, so I may give it a couple more weeks before I call.

Thanks also for the input on the accessory pack--I'll be ordering one of those soon!

Janet

 

[my2tinkerbells]

I have to add my 2 cents here. I bought a Maclaren Quest a few months ago, and had the same problem at first. The buckle was very had to unlatch the first few times. But, now it works fine everytime. It just seemed a little stiff at first. Hopefully yours is the same way, and there is no defect! Happy Strolling!