GEAR: Kolcraft Tour Sport Umbrella Stroller (SB Pick)

3/4

Pros: Sturdy, reclinable, lightweight, easy to fold with one hand, comes with mesh storage bag and cupholder, inexpensive.
Cons: Canopy is pretty useless, front wheels often start off sideways, a little difficult to maneuver with one hand, 3-point harness only.

I got this Kolcraft umbrella stroller for SB when he was about 11 months old. We needed a lightweight stroller for a trip we were taking, and there was no way I was lugging our travel system stroller on the plane. We have the Graco Quattro Tour Deluxe travel system, which is great for taking walks, but it is much too bulky for travel.

I had a feeling that once I got a lightweight stroller, I would be using it a lot more than our travel system stroller, so I wanted one that offered all (or at least most) of the convenient features of a regular stroller. These were the things I looked for:

-reclinability
-storage bag or basket
-ideally, a snack tray, but at least a cup holder (now I know that you can purchase a separate attachment to hold things like cups and snacks, but who wants to shell out more money if you don't have to?)
-canopy

In addition, it of course had to be lightweight and easy to fold, preferably with one hand, and cost less than $100. That may be a lot to ask for in an umbrella stroller, but I was still a little surprised to discover how hard it was to find one that satisfied these requirements. I did a lot of research on the web to see what umbrella strollers people liked best, but I found really mixed reviews for almost every one that I looked at (see bottom for comments on other strollers I looked at).

The Kolcraft stroller was the only one that satisfied all of my requirements and also got pretty good reviews. Plus, it was one of the cheapest of all the ones I was considering. It is lightweight (just over 11 lbs.), easy to fold, and reclinable, and it comes with a small mesh storage bag as well as a detachable cup holder. I have been using the stroller for about 6 months now, and I am pretty happy with it. SB seems comfortable in it and has even taken a nap in it. But I do have a few complaints, which is why I gave it a 3/4 thumbs up instead of a full one.

In terms of the good points, it is pretty well built - the fabric is durable and the metal frame is sturdy. Also, as mentioned, it is lightweight and easy to fold, even with one hand. It has a lever in the back that you push to the left and then up to fold the stroller. It took a few tries to figure out how to do it with one hand, but it's not difficult. Also, the detachable cup holder is very handy for holding either my drink or SB's, though it does come off occasionally when the stroller is folded up in the back of the car (I would remove it before the stroller is stowed on a plane). It doesn't come off easily when you're actually using it. I like that the seat back is padded and easy to recline. You just unhook two plastic hooks and hook them onto two lower bars. The storage mesh bag is small but still handy. It's big enough to fit a few diapers and diaper wipes. It can also hold a couple of water bottles.

As for the bad points, one of the annoyances is that the canopy doesn't provide much sun protection. Although it is adjustable, it is not very wide from front to back, so the coverage is minimal. Also, it tends to pop off when you fold up the stroller, which is fine if you're just putting it in the car, but when you're out and about or going on a plane, it is annoying, because you end up having to carry it separately. The other annoyance is that, for some reason, the front wheels tend to be in the sideways position when you start pushing. This requires putting some muscle into the first push to get the front wheel position to go from sideways to straight forward. Once you get going, it is pretty easy to maneuver, although not with one hand. Another point that might deter some people is the fact that the stroller's weight limit is only 35 lbs. Also, the seat back is not very high, so big kids might not have much to rest their head against. Lastly, it only offers a 3-point harness. This does not bother me so much, since SB is big enough not to fall out of the stroller when leaning forward, but I would not use it for a small baby.

All in all, I think the Kolcraft stroller is a pretty decent umbrella stroller, especially for the price. It has its weak points, but I don't know if any umbrella stroller is perfect. If the annoyances I mentioned wouldn't bother you too much, then I would say that this stroller is a pretty good choice.

Retail Price: $39.99 (available from Amazon and other retailers)

Comments on other umbrella strollers:
MacLaren Triumph
If I had been willing to go over $100, I might have gone for the MacLaren Triumph umbrella stroller, as it got pretty good reviews. It has a recline feature, and reviewers say it is easy to steer, lightweight (11 lbs), and easy to fold with one hand. Also, it comes with a storage basket, carry strap, and rain cover, though it does lack a cup holder. It has a 5-pt harness, and the weight limit is 55 lbs, which is a nice bonus, since most other umbrella strollers are limited to about 35-40 lbs. The main issue with this one was that it was just too pricey for me.

(The strollers below all sell for under $100.)

Chicco C6
It has most of the stuff I was looking for: reclinability, lightweight (11 lbs), storage basket (but no cup holder), and it even has a handy carry strap and bag. I decided against it, though, because many reviewers complained that the placement of the handlebars cause you to constantly kick the rear wheels when you push it. I thought that would be pretty annoying and a little jolting for the rider. It does have a 5-point harness, though. Can hold up to 37 lbs.

Graco IPO
It's reclinable, has a storage basket (but no cup holder), is foldable with one hand, and looks sturdy. It also has a 5-point harness and accepts up to 50 lbs. It got pretty good reviews, but what put me off about the stroller is its weight. It weighs 17.5 lbs! If I wanted one that heavy, I'd probably just stick with my regular stroller. Most other umbrella strollers I looked at weigh 10-12 lbs.

Evenflo X Sport Convenience
This got a lot of good reviews. Almost all reviewers said it was a great buy (you can get it for about $40) and found it easy to use. It is lightweight (about 10 lbs), has an adjustable canopy, and even comes with a storage basket and a console that has 2 cupholders and additional storage. Some people did complain that the basket is too small for any practical use, and others had the kicking the rear wheels problem. (The X Sport Plus version of this stroller has adjustable handle height, which would probably fix the wheel-kicking issue, but it's a little more expensive.) Also, it only comes with a 3-point harness. The main thing that stopped me from purchasing it is that it doesn't recline. Can hold up to 40 lbs.

Combi Flare Lightweight Stroller
This stroller has all of the features I was looking for. It is lightweight at just over 11 lbs, has partial recline, adjustable canopy, a storage basket, and a removable cup holder. It even has a carrying strap, and it can hold up to 55 lbs. It is compatible with a Combi shuttle infant seat if you have one of those. The main reason I did not get this one is that it is more expensive than the Kolcraft (though under $100), and several reviewers commented that it is hard to maneuver and that the seat is narrow.