Yet another stroller thread, please forgive me!

[Lovemy3babes]

I'd like to find a nice lightweight umbrella stroller for my son, who will be 3 in just a week. He weighs around 35 pounds and is of average height for his age. It needs to have a basket but most importantly, it should fold up quickly and easily. My husband isn't going along on this trip so it'll be me doing all of the folding, which makes me nervous. I don't have a lot of money to spend so something reasonably priced would be great! Thank you in advance.

 

[rrkman]

We bought the Graco Mosaic from Target ($99). It worked great for us in WDW. The basket isn't huge but it was big enough for our bag to fit in. Folding took a couple times to figure it out but it is actually pretty easy...all you have to do is pull on a lever with your foot while you push the handles forward...can really be done with only one hand, leaving the other for child duty. The only thing that we didn't like about it was that the model (Target) we bought did not have a holder/pocket within reach of the child (but we did find a different version of the same stoller online that had net pockets for drinks/snacks).

Almost forgot, the main reason we picked this stroller is that for the handles. We wanted something that had relatively high handles and this was really the only one that we could find (in that price range) that had them.

Hope this helps.

 

[stinkerbelle's mom]

You can try Kmart, I've had lots of luck with them. I bought my "big" stroller there a couple of years ago for about $50 & it folds like a dream. Very easy to use 1 handed, has a huge basket, & 2 drink holders for the pusher & the child each. In April we just got an umbrella stroller from there that was on sale for $10. It doesn't have a basket, but maybe you could use a backpack on the back of it. Maybe you could find something in between there. Good luck.

Have a great trip!

 

[SarahKate]

I am ALL for our Maclaren Volo. It's an umbrella stroller and we bought one for our DD then 3 specifically for our Feb 06 trip. They retail for $99 which I had always thought was appaling for an umbrella stroller, luckily they had it for $80 (floor model). I had her sit in it and we were ALL hooked. It's soooooo much better than the cheap umbrella strollers. It folds down very nicely and is very lightweight...perfect for busses. When everyone else is lugging their huge strollers on the bus, you've got yours already folded and inbetween your legs or over your shoulder. They are made for taller people to, so pushing the stroller is a dream. The basket isn't huge (it's mesh), but it's sufficient. You can also buy clip on accessories so you can put on little snack holders, drink holder, etc. I know it might be more money than you wanted to spend but it's very very worth every penny. And this is one of the only umbrellas that you can use til they're about 50 pounds or so. We went through lots of different strollers when dd was younger, and I can't see us using anything but Maclaren in the future if/when we have a 2nd kid!

I know that some folks on here have been able to find Volos on ebay for much cheaper than retail, so that's something to think about (definitely check them out in the store first if you have a TRU or Babies R Us).

 

[Lovemy3babes]

Thanks for the suggestions! I've been looking at Maclarens and though they are spendy, they seem to be really popular and highly suggested. I'm having trouble deciding though between the Volo, Triumph or Quest. I can get last year's model on Ebay for a nice reduction in price so I'm willing to get either of these. Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[amarberry]

You might want to look at Combi's too. They fold up nicely and have a shoulder strap for carrying. The one I have cost less than $100 at Babies r Us. It has a nice sunshade and easily accessible basket (which the Maclarens don't have).

 

[nicolemomof4cuties]

We recently bought the Chicco C5 for our 2.5 year old. It is alot like the midprice Macclaren bought alot cheaper. Ours was 85.00 at Babies r' us. It is very durable material. It has a nice basket and a sunshade that actually works and is umbrella style. The total weight is around 11 lbs. and it has a small handle built in for carrying it. It came with a bonus rain shield. The handles on it are alot taller and have foamy grips like the Macclarens. My hubsnd is 6'1 and he LOVES it! It is the only stroller that we have ever had the he doesn't A. kick the bottom part of with every step and B. he doest have to bend over to push it. We use it alot and it was worth the $$$. My husband also thought that it looked better than all of the Macclaren under the 200.00 mark. The seat and seatback feel more cushioned than the others that we looked at. The seat also reclines. My 2.5 year old son liked this one the best. He got in it and wouldn't try the others. LOL!

 

[SparklePower]

I agree, the Chicco C5 is great! We compared it side by side with the Volo and it was much better. It has a slight recline for our 2 year old who is 30 pounds. It folds very easily and cost around $85. Our 4.5 year old can sit in it as well, she's 42 inches and weighs 38 pounds.
Good luck!

 

[lovesdumbo]

If you go with a MacLaren (I have had good luck with mine) I would go with the Volo. It is the lightest weight and should be very adequate for your 3 year old.

I've had very good luck ordering from Albee Baby. They tend to have very good prices and free shipping and I've never had to pay sales tax either.

No matter which stroller you choose-you'll want to have one bag/backpack...that you can put all your stuff in because you'll have to empty the stroller basket to fold up the stroller to get it on the bus.

Have a great trip!

 

[Lovemy3babes]

Girls, what's the weight limit of the C5? My son is already 35 lbs. so I'd like to get one that will last us awhile. Thanks!

 

[pooh'smate]

I also would go with the Mac Volo. I love mine. It is easy to fold, lightweight, and has a carrying strap. My daughter hardly ever sits all the way reclined in her stroller so I don't mind that the seat doesn't recline at all. Good luck.

 

[pooh'smate]

I think it is good till 37 pounds. I just bought my Volo a couple weeks ago and I looked at the C5 but I wanted a stroller that had a higher weight range.

 

[dementia412]

You don't need to spend a ton on an umbrella stroller. I bought a Cosco one for 20 bucks and it lasted through three kids and I pushed loads or laundry and groceriers on it as well. I pushed it through snow, mud, rocks... for about 5 years, then it finally went wacky on me just as my youngest was able to go on long walks. I loved that thing, and felt like I'd lost a pet when we got rid of it I know it's silly, but that cheap Cosco stroller made having three kids (6, 4, and 2 when it died) alot easier. It folded with ease, had a basket and a shade. What else do you need?

 

[SarahKate]

The Volo is good for up to around 50 pounds, whereas most of the lower end umbrella strollers are not designed to withstand that much weight.

The Volo is the most lightweight....it's about 8 pounds and super light...the Triumph & Quest are going to be more heavy (not by a lot, but sometimes just a few pounds makes a difference).

One GREAT thing about the volo is the material. It's made out of a mesh. So it's cooler than the cushy strollers AND if it downpours while you're at WDW, no worries because it will be dry in 5 minutes.

We've had 2 cheap umbrella strollers - I think one was a Cosco and can't remember what the other was. You truly get what you pay for and there's no comparison to the Volo. I think for people who are shorter, they are probably fine. But you couldn't pay me enough money to push one of these cheap ones around WDW for 7 days....I wouldn't be able to stand up straight at the end of the day (DH is about 6' and I'm about 5'8").

Folks out here are VERY much for their fav brand of stroller, whether it be Mac, Chicco, Combi, etc. I think the best idea for you is to just go to a store and check them all out and see for yourself!!! I am totally sold on Macs and can't foresee ever changing brands....and they're British too, which is kinda cool.

 

[Lovemy3babes]

Thanks so much everyone! It's going to be either the Volo or the Quest. I hope to order one today so just need to figure out which one to get.

 

[nicolemomof4cuties]

The weight limit for the C5 is 37 lbs.. The stroller is very sturdy, however, and I believe that it would be fine for a heavier child. We used a cheapy 9.99 model from Wal-mart for the past 2 WDW trips and occasionally our 5 and 6 year olds would sit in it and it was fine so I am pretty sure that the MUCH sturdier C5 would be fine. The max weight on the volo is 55 lbs. I find that odd as I personally thought oat Babiesrus that the C5 was quite a bit sturdier than the Volo as did my cousin.

 

[mom_2_boys]

This is my first trip to WDW with the kids - DS2 and DS4. Is it better to bring your own stroller or rent one? A double stroller in the park will cost me over $100 for our stay!

Any thoughts from a veteran travler?

 

[themcfamily]

We took our Maclaren Triumph to Disney last year. I'd bought it for our 2 year old to use at home, but used it at Disney for our 4 year old (the 2 year old stayed with Grandma). It was AWESOME. I love that stroller so much. It absolutely glides over any kind of surface. It has a decent size basket beneath. The best part is that, unlike less expensive umbrella strollers we've tried, the handles come up high enough to easily grab a hold of and push. No stooping down to reach the handles. It folds up really small and has a shoulder strap to carry it with.

We'll be taking it again this year.

 

[Lovemy3babes]

Thanks so much for the info everyone! I was leaning towards the Quest but just couldn't justify that price so the Volo is what I bought. I ordered it Friday from www.barebabies.com. I was able to get a good deal on a 2005 so I also added on the organizer. I can't wait to try it out!

 

[Tumblwd501]

Not that it matters much now since you've already ordered the Volo, but for others that may wonder.. we went with the Quest because it could recline and our DS3 (DS2 at the time of our last trip) will fall asleep at the drop of a hat. But will only stay asleep if he can lean back. hehe Go figure!

Ironically, my DW had to convince me, the cheapo that I am, to get a Maclaren for our trip. After one day of using it, I couldn't imagine trying to use any of our other either bulky combination or lightweight umbrella strollers!! I was thanking her profusely for convincing me to get the Quest! And since the max weight limit is 55 lbs, we'll be taking it again in a few months!