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.


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GEAR: BabyBjorn Baby Sitter 1-2-3 (Sammy Bear Pick)

Pros: Seemed very comfortable for SB, has 3 recline positions, foldable for easy storage, portable, no batteries required.
Cons: Teddy bear toy bar is not especially stimulating.

We received the BabyBjorn Baby Sitter 1-2-3 as a gift when SB was about 3 months old. At the time, I didn't think we needed a bouncer, because we already had a swing, but, boy, was I wrong. This bouncy seat turned out to be extremely handy, and it really lives up to its name.

SB seemed very comfortable sitting in the chair, and unlike with the swing, he would sit happily in it for more than 5 minutes without fussing. This was a lifesaver for me. Up until getting this bouncy seat, my hands were barely ever free to do anything (including going to the bathroom) unless SB was napping or someone was around to watch him. With this bouncy seat, I was finally able to eat lunch with two hands. Hooray!

I like the fact that the bouncer adjusts to three recline positions - play, rest, and sleep, although I usually just used the highest position (play). SB never slept in the bouncer, but I can't say that I ever used the sleep position. My parents bought the Fisher Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium bouncer for SB to use in their house, and that one didn't have adjustable positions. In that bouncer, SB reclined so much that he was unable to reach the toy bar. We had to put a cushion behind his back, which didn't seem very comfortable for him. SB did enjoy the lights and sounds that the toy bar makes on that one.

The toy bar on the BabyBjorn bouncer, on the other hand, didn't quite captivate SB. It has three wooden bears and some wooden balls, all of which can spin. Although they are quite colorful, SB never seemed to take much interest in them besides wanting to chew on them, so I eventually just removed it.

He did seem to enjoy the bouncing motion, which is nice and gentle. The bouncing is simply activated by the baby's movements or by pushing on the sides. No batteries required. The seat restraint uses a toggle button, which made it very easy to put SB in and out of the seat. Another nice feature is its portability (lightweight and folds flat).

I stopped using the seat regularly with SB when he started to crawl, because at that point he no longer had the patience to sit in the seat for more than a few minutes. However, I reintroduced it it to him at 14 months after removing the seat restraint, and he now likes to use it as his "reading time chair." He actually goes to the chair himself and sits in it when I open a book. He thinks it's funny when I bounce the seat for him. The weight limit on the seat is 29 lbs, but the seat is already a bit small for SB at 23 lbs, so I'm not sure how much longer I can use it.

It seems that BabyBjorn just discontinued this model as of this year (2009) and has replaced it with a slightly pricier version called the BabySitter Balance, which apparently has an improved folding mechanism and improved adjustability. It does not come with a toy bar, though you can purchase one separately (for $39.95!). This new version retails for about $170, which is $70 more than the BabySitter 1-2-3. However, some retailers are still selling the BabySitter 1-2-3, so if this model interests you, seek one out!

Retail Price: $99.95 [found it on several sites including Albee Baby (on sale for $87.99), CSN Stores, The Portable Baby, Amazon.com (selling for $109 by Portable Baby even though it's selling for $99 on the actual site-strange), and Kohls.com (selling for $125)] Read more...