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Advice on Getting a Bugaboo Cheap

Bugaboo Stroller

Bugaboo Stroller

There is no baby product that inspires lust like a Bugaboo Frog or Bugaboo Chameleon stroller.  Bugaboo has nailed the high end luxury stroller market with it’s rolling art objects.

However, much like a luxury car, there are 2 ways to enter the Bugaboo market.  You can go plunk down $730 new (that is if you can avoid the temptation of the darling accessories that can easily drive the price of a Bugaboo Frog over the $1000 mark) or you can buy a used Bugaboo Chameleon or Frog on Craigslist or Ebay.

Try going the Craigslist route first; for instance there is a Bugaboo Chameleon (retails for $979 new) on New York City’s Craigslist right now for $350 that the seller bought last year.  As another bonus to buying used, frequently you can find extras like the Bugaboo Universal Drink Holster, Bugaboo Parasol, Bugaboo Travel Bag or Bugaboo Footmuff included with the stroller.

If you are not in an area where you can find Bugaboo’s on Craigslist go onto Craigslist’s New York City site, or the site of the closest large city and look there.  Very often sellers will box them up and ship them out to you.

Zigo Leader Carrier Bicycle - Bike, Walk, Run With Your Child

Zigo Leader Carrier Bicycle - Bike, Walk, Run With Your Child

If you are a germ freak and weirded out about putting your baby in a used stroller, consider buying a used Bugaboo then purchasing new upholstery.  You can order a replacement fabric set through Bugaboo which includes sun canopy, seat fabric and bassinet apron for around $100 and you have a huge choice in colors.

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2010 06 09 admin strollers Comments (0) Permalink

Best Cheap Stroller Under $100 — Graco Ipo

 

Graco Ipo
Graco Ipo

If you saw the Graco Ipo roll by you at the mall it would be easy to mistake this cool, European style stroller for a Maclaren or a Peg Perego.  Graco strollers are like Buicks; they may be comfortable and have a cup holder that can handle a Big Gulp but they are not exactly stylemobiles.  Along comes the Graco Ipo.  The Graco Ipo features the one hand fold of a Maclaren Quest, the upholstery styling of a Peg Perego Pliko P3 and the pricing of store brand diapers.  Which makes the Graco Ipo the perfect stroller under $100.

Beyond the Graco Ipo’s fashionable looks, the Graco Ipo has a list of features typically found on higher end strollers.  It has a compact one hand fold, storage basket, reclining seat, adjustable leg rest and it weighs 17 pounds.

The Graco Ipo has some drawbacks which include upholstery that is not removable (but neither is a Maclaren Quest’s unless you break out tools) and smallish hood (if this really bothers you or you live in the Sun Belt consider adding a canopy/sun shade extension available at most baby stores); however the pros of saving at least $150 over its competitors, the Maclaren Quest and Peg Perego P3, without sacrificing style outweigh the few cons.

 

Zigo Leader Carrier Bicycle - Bike, Walk, Run With Your Child

Zigo Leader Carrier Bicycle - Bike, Walk, Run With Your Child

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2010 04 18 admin Cheap Strollers
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Taga Stroller and Bicycle Reaches the U.S.

No need to write up a whole new review on the Taga Stroller and Bicycle.  Here is a review of the Taga stroller from Carrierbike.com. http://carrierbike.com/2010/04/09/taga-stroller-and-bike-hybrid-now-in-the-united-states/

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Zigo Leader Carrier Bicycle - Bike, Walk, Run With Your Child

Zigo Leader Carrier Bicycle - Bike, Walk, Run With Your Child

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2010 04 17 admin Bicycle Trailers/Stroller Combinations Comments (0) Permalink

Win a Free Zigo Leader X2 Carrier Bicycle

Win a Free Zigo Leader Carrier Bicycle

Win a Free Zigo Leader Carrier Bicycle

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2010 03 27 admin Uncategorized Comments (0) Permalink

Zooper Bolero – Best Stroller You Have Never Heard Of

Zooper Bolero

Zooper Bolero

If you are in the market for a stroller that is unusual, beautiful, practical and can be used from newborn on up, consider the Zooper Bolero.

The Zooper Bolero has some brilliant design point.  For instance, while Peg Perego Pliko P3 and Maclaren Quests are great strollers, any parent who has owned one will tell you that the 2 handle style is great for a compact fold, but hard to push with one hand without hurting your wrist.  The Zooper Bolero has the compact fold of the Peg Perego Pliko P3 and a traditional single handlebar that makes steering with one hand a breeze. 

The Zooper Bolero seat also converts into a bassinet for newborns, so you don’t have to put a bassinet attachment onto the frame like you do with Bugaboo Frog and Bugaboo Chameleon strollers.  Also the Zooper Bolero is compatible with popular infant car seats including the Graco Snug Ride, which some strollers in the same $300 price range such as the Maclaren Quest are not.

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Zigo Leader Carrier Bicycle - Bike, Walk, Run With Your Child

Zigo Leader Carrier Bicycle - Bike, Walk, Run With Your Child

The Zooper Bolero is also a great value.  Zooper products are very durable, I had a Zooper Waltz for about 3 years as my main stroller, and it was in great shape when I passed it along to another mom.  They also come with accessories that other stroller manufacturers such as Maclaren charge extra for including: a cup holder, rain cover, UV shade, and boot or sleeping bag.  My son was shy so the UV cover was wonderful for him because it kept strangers from touching him in stores (if you are an expectant parent you will be surprised at how often this happens).  The UV cover is like a mesh shade that covers the stroller and also darkens the stroller’s interior to make napping on the go a more calm experience.

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2010 03 27 admin Traditional
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Joovy Caboose: The Perfect Double Stroller

Joovy Caboose

Joovy Caboose

Finally a stroller company realized that double strollers aren’t only for people with twins.  The Joovy Caboose is the perfect stroller for the typical family with kids a couple of years apart.  The old stand-by Grace DuoGlider was not designed for bigger kids, those over 18 months.  In order to get a toddler into the seats you have to remove the tray and aim squirmy little legs into the small leg holes, which I can never do on the first try, then replace the tray before leaving the food court. 

The Joovy Caboose design is awesome because instead of a second seat that you have to wrestle a big kid into, it has a platform on the back which toddlers can get on and off easily by themselves.  I have even recommended this stroller to mom’s with a new baby.  The front seat is compatible with all the popular and safest infant car seat carriers including the Britax Chaperone, Britax Companion and the Chicco Key Fit 30. The rear platform is great for holding bags, which means you don’t have to hang them from the stroller handles and risk tipping the whole stroller over. 

 When baby number two comes along you don’t have the expense of buying a stroller all over again and hope that you can get some of your investment in a single stroller back through a garage sale or Ebay.

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Zigo Leader Carrier Bicycle System

Zigo Leader Carrier Bicycle System

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2010 03 13 admin Double Strollers Comments (0) Permalink

Maclaren Stroller News: How to Install Recall Repair Kit & No Design Change for 2010

maclaren stroller

maclaren stroller

The recent Maclaren recall affects all Maclaren strollers including the Volo, Triumph, Quest Sport, Quest Mod, Techno XT, Techno XLR, Twin Triumph, Twin Techno and Easy Traveller models produced since 1999.

The company will send you a free repair kit, but having had bad experiences with recall repair kits in the past with tiny screws and plastic parts,  I took my Maclaren Quest  to the Maclaren Showroom store in Soho to be fixed.

The kit is much less complicated than I expected.  It consists of 2 pieces of fabric that zip together to enclose the side hinges on both sides of the stroller.  There have been 15 reports of little fingers being caught in the side hinge with 12 of those children getting their fingertips amputated, so I would strongly recommend calling for the free Maclaren stroller recall repair kit.

Post-repair I was a little worried that my Maclaren Quest wouldn’t fold correctly since the repair kit is a very thick fabric that comes very near where the side clip catches the frame when the stroller is collapsed.  My Quest folded and stayed folded with no problem at all.

Interestingly, the 2010 Maclaren models have no design alterations from the previous models; they will just come with the zip on hinge enclosures already installed on the stroller.

See the press release on the Maclaren stroller recall from the Consumer Products Safety Commission for futher details.

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Zigo Leader Carrier Bicycle System

Zigo Leader Carrier Bicycle System

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2010 02 07 admin strollers Comments (0) Permalink

The Best Stroller for Tall Parents

Inglesina Zippy Stroller 2010

Inglesina Zippy Stroller 2010

Ever look at those cute petite moms with perfectly proportioned Maclaren Triumph strollers with a little envy?  If you are over 5′10″  and have a baby you have probably figured out that most strollers were not designed for you.  The longer stride of a taller person can lead to stepping on the back of the stroller or hunching over to push your precious pumpkin.  Not fun.

Consider the Inglesina Zippy.  The stroller seems to have been designed for taller parents.  The stroller measures 42 inches tall with the handles set to their lowest position.  Then the handles telescope out another 2 1/2 inches to make it one of the tallest standard strollers on the market.  Other reasons to buy an Inglesina Zippy, removable washable seat covers (something that doesn’t exist on a Maclaren) and it comes standard with a cup holder for mom and baby.

The only reason not to buy a Zippy is if you have your heart set on the highly rated Britax Chaperone or Companion infant car seats or on the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio infant car seat, since Inglesina is not compatible with anything other than Graco infant car seat products.

Zigo Leader Carrier Bicycle System

Zigo Leader Carrier Bicycle System

Maclaren Techno XLR Stroller

Maclaren Techno XLR Stroller

Another strong choice is the Maclaren Techno XLR, slightly taller than the Maclaren Triumph or Maclaren Quest it also features the telescoping handles.  The 2010 Maclaren XLR is also compatible with a wider variety of infant car seats than the Inglesina ZIppy including the Peg Perego Prima Viaggio, Britax Companion, as well as the Graco Snug Ride.   The only thing I don’t like about the Maclaren XLR and their other strollers is that the basket is a little small and there is no cup holder.  Maclaren does sell a Universal Organizer for $25, but it is really only made for soda or water bottles.

Both of these models will set you back about $365, but it may save you on chiropracter visits in the long run.

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2010 02 05 admin Stroller for Tall Parents Comments (0) Permalink

Best Stroller for Quads

Foundatrions Quad Stroller

Foundations Quad Stroller

So you have mastered night feedings, cashed out your 401K for Pampers and are starting to come out of the fog of being a new parent of multiples.  Finally you are ready to leave the house.  Then you realize the world was not made for mommies of multiples. How are you ever going to walk around the mall again?

Classic quad strollers are gigantic tanks made more for a daycare center then a busy family and others such as the Runabout Quad are so big they need their own car trailer to move them around.   Some people opt for 2 double strollers, which is fine if your mother is always around to help push, but what if you want to go out alone?

 The Foundations Quad Stroller is the best choice. Not only is its Maclaren style more attractive than the Runabout Quad—it is collapsible and the side by side style is far easier to maneuver than the tandem stroller.  For a multiples stroller it glides smoothly even at the higher end of the weight range.  While the Foundations Quad Stroller weighs in at a hefty 57 pounds, it can hold up to 160 pounds in weight, which should last at least 3 years if you have quads. The stroller will also glide through standard width doorways which makes going out alone with four kids easier.

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Zigo Leader Carrier Bicycle System

Zigo Leader Carrier Bicycle System

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2010 02 03 admin Quad Strollers
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Best New Bike Child Carrier Zigo Leader X2 Leaves Burley in the Dust

Zigo Leader Carrier Bicycle

Zigo Leader Carrier Bicycle

The Zigo Leader X2 is a revolution in bike child carriers.  When I bought my Burley D’Lite I had visions of contented kids enjoying the bliss of a bike ride in comfort. After using the Burley D’Lite a few times, I found it to be a mommy panic attack on wheels.  Hitching the trailer to the bike was a pain. Then I found myself spending most bike rides looking over my shoulder to make sure the kids were ok and no one was flying up behind us. My Burley D’Lite has been hanging in the garage so long it is more of an art installation than a practical, fun biking accessory.  I also never really used it as a jogging stroller since it isn’t very practical or attractive.

 Along comes the Zigo Leader X2

The Zigo Leader is one of those “why didn’t someone think of this before” baby/kid products that should be at the top of everyone’s baby registry. The Zigo Leader features a child pod which holds 2 kids comfortably and fits on the front of the custom made bike.  Brilliant!  Now the kids are in my line of sight and I can concentrate on enjoying the ride.  Then the ChildPod separates from the bike frame really easily, the front wheels on the ChildPod come down and voila a totally cool stroller for walking or jogging. I am also excited about being able to bike to the grocery store child free and toss my purchases in the child pod.  It is also far easier to take off and stop with the child on the front than hanging behind you in a trailer.  I felt I had greater control over my child’s safety with the ZIgo Leader X2 than with the Burley D’Lite.

The Zigo Leader X2  reminds me of when the Bugaboo first came out years ago with a design so radically different from typical strollers people stared with lust.  If Sex and the City were still on the air, Miranda would be swinging through Central Park on a Zigo Leader X2.

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2010 02 01 admin Bicycle Trailers/Stroller Combinations Comments (3) Permalink