So after reading about the ginormously massive recall (Every umbrella stroller sold at Toy R Us and Target since 1999? Are you serious?) of Maclaren strollers the other day on FIPS, we thought it only appropriate to do a round up of inexpensive strollers that won’t cut your kid’s finger off, or at least weren’t known to as of this writing. We don’t claim to be experts, so we trolled parenting web sites for cheap (-er than your average Maclaren) strollers that got positive reviews. Let’s roll out our contestants!
1. UPPAbaby Gluxe– $160. Our first one on the list weighs in at 11 lbs and even fits down the bus aisles. Cookie listed this one as ideal for “urban families that depend on public transit,” though also mentioned it had a bumpy ride. But since it is so light weight you can just carry the stroller on your shoulders over those rough patches of asphalt.
2. Combi Cosmo Ex– $130. Our option two weighs in at 12.8 lbs, though listed under cons on strollerreviews.com was no cup holder for parents. Talk about a deal breaker. It does however have a removable washable seat cover and a “3-second easy fold” to try and make up for it.
3. Ingesina Swift– $109. Number three weighs in at 13 lbs, our heaviest so far, but scored A’s across the board on Baby-Gaga.com. Though the Swift has no cup holders for the parents OR child, the review said it has a smooth ride and excellent maneuvering.
4. Evenflo XSport Plus Stroller– $40. Number four weighs in at a mere 10 lbs, and with a price tag under $50 one quickly beings to wonder what the catch is. In a very detailed review on Gruntlings.com, it gets down to specifics. This stroller is not a luxury stroller and doesn’t try to be, has only a 3-point harness, and doesn’t recline. But did we say it’s only 10 lbs?
We also did see that you can request a repair kit for your Maclaren stroller.
View Comments (2)
What about the umbrella strollers that sell for $20 at TRU or Target? An umbrella stroller is an umbrella stroller imho and you can't beat that price. (but then I never did get the cult of MacLaren)
The problem is that every other stroller company way back in the day started copying Maclaren's design. Just because Maclaren is the only one who has so far made a voluntary recall, don't think your kiddo's pinkies are any safer in any other stroller. But also think of it as survival of the fittest, because in order to chop of your kid's fingers you have to be dumb enough to put the kid in while you are either opening or closing the stroller, so just read the instructions and you'll have a kid with all 10 fingers. That being said, I'm a cheap bastard and find it hard to spend that much on something that I'm going to throw out in three years.