Before I had Mara, I had no idea what I was looking for in a stroller. I knew I wanted a Graco Travel System–lots of friends that said good things about those–but I didn’t realize the variety of features within those parameters, and I didn’t know which features to look for. I ended up buying a Graco “Travel System” second-hand for $100: this included the carseat, two bases, and the stroller. It sounded like a good deal–only used about five months for one child. Compared to buying all those items new, it sounded like a great deal!
But it wasn’t.
One of the stroller wheels “shimmies” [is that a word?] whenever I walk any faster than a stroll. The carseat (having gone through three children now) is seriously on it’s last leg!
But my biggest complaints are–well, BIG ones!
The stroller is HUGE! Massive! Cumbersome! Unwieldy! It takes up the entire trunk, and you have to put it in just right, or it doesn’t fit. When the stroller is in my trunk, hardly anything else fits.
My other big complaint is the “large” basket under the stroller–while indeed large–is basically inaccessible (I didn’t know I would need to pay extra for accessibility!–I assumed that came with.) But none of my diaper bags (big or small) ever fit in the basket, so if I was going someplace, I would take the things I needed out of the diaper bag, and put them in the basket! When I got back to my car, I would take them out of the basket and put them back in the diaper bag! (How inconvenient and counterproductive!)
I did like the parent tray (two cup holders and a place to set your keys and cell phone). But quite frankly, that was about it.
After using that stroller for two kids, I decided, “NO MORE!”
Last week a mom of twins passed on to me a stroller that she hardly used. It looks brand new! (Understandably, since it’s a single stroller, and she had twins! She hardly ever went out with just one!)
At first, I wasn’t thrilled, because the sun shade was missing and there was no cup holder. (Where will I put my coffee when I’m at the mall?! LOL!) But the mom who gave it to me had left some of her stuff in the stroller and when I contacted her about that, she said when I brought her things back, she would give me the sunshade which she just found in the basement!
I looked on Gracobaby.com and found that I can order a replacement cup holder from Graco for $6! I’m so pumped!!!!
This stroller folds compactly, like an umbrella stroller! and yet it still holds the infant carseat. (How did they manage that?! There will still be room for groceries in my trunk!!!)
Plus, my diaper bag fits easily in the basket, and I can even unzip it, while it’s in the stroller basket! Amazing!!
This stroller overall is in much better shape than my old stroller, having been hardly used.
I’m so excited about this stroller that I want to plan an outing, me and one child, just so I can use it!
Anyway. . . here is the AMAZING stroller! Hopefully I will feel the same after I’ve taken it to the mall once or twice. 🙂