Umbrella Strollers: Ratings of Sources
Total of 24 Sources
For an explanation of how we rank reviews, see our ratings criteria page.
1. Baby Bargains
Eighth edition, 2009
Strollers
by Denise and Alan Fields
Our Assessment
This excellent book includes buyer's guides and ratings on dozens of types of baby gear. The authors say they conduct hands-on testing and interviews with parents, manufacturers and retailers before… reaching conclusions. Parents posting to Amazon.com say this is the best baby-gear book available, with plenty of current info and lots of attitude, including sections aimed at steering consumers away from unnecessary features.
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2. ConsumerReports.org
As of July 2009
Strollers
by Editors of ConsumerReports.org
Our Assessment
ConsumerReports.org no longer dates its stroller reports, so we don't know exactly when these strollers were evaluated. Still, enough newer models from companies like UppaBaby are on this list to conclude… that it's reasonably up to date. Editors rate a handful of umbrella strollers for ease of use, durability, safety and maneuverability. There's also a helpful buyer's guide that discusses choosing a stroller based on your lifestyle and budget. Still, the write-ups at "Baby Bargains" are far more detailed, cover a wider range of stroller brands, and take consumer feedback into consideration.
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3. Which? (UK)
As of July 2009
Pushchair Reviews
by Editors of Which?
Our Assessment
Which? magazine is the U.K. equivalent of ConsumerReports.org. Editors, ergonomists and parents all participate in stroller tests, the methodology of which is very detailed. As new strollers are tested,… they're added to a massive database that includes 36 recommended models. Since this is a U.K. website, most strollers aren't available in the United States. The Maclaren Quest, Maclaren Triumph and Silver Cross Pop are three umbrella strollers that receive high ratings from editors and parents among the 36 top picks.
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Standard Baby Stroller Reviews
by Contributors to Buzzilions.com
Our Assessment
The Maclaren Triumph is a Reviewers Choice finalist in this user review portal. Buzzillions.com stands out for its clever consensus snapshots that summarize the most-mentioned pros and cons for each model. For instance, about 110 owners out of more than 150 report liking the Triumph's light weight, while approximately 40 are annoyed by the small basket.
Lightweight Strollers
by Contributors to Amazon.com
Our Assessment
Once you've narrowed your choice to a few models, sites like Amazon.com are worth a visit to peruse owner ratings. One problem, however, is that every time the manufacturer changes fabric colors, reviews of… last year's models are lost, even if the stroller is functionally identical. Still, at least the existing user reviews are current and insightful. There's good coverage here of both the Chicco C6 and the Evenflo XSport, which gets especially positive feedback.
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The Ultimate Stroller Guide
by Erin Renzas
Our Assessment
Cookie magazine has a 19-stroller roundup complete with detailed write-ups and a ratings chart. Scores are based on feedback from parent testers; we would rate this source higher if it gave more detail about how testers were instructed to evaluate each stroller. Among lightweight umbrella strollers, the UppaBaby G-Luxe is the highest-rated model.
7. Choice magazine
Dec. 2008
Test: 3 and 4-wheel strollers
by Editors of Choice magazine
Our Assessment
Australia's answer to ConsumerReports.org carefully tests 12 strollers for durability, ease of use and safety specifications. However, no umbrella strollers make it into the latest "what to buy" list. Models tested during the 2007 roundup have not been retested, but the results are still posted. The Maclaren Quest was the top pick among the limited number of umbrella strollers tested at that time.
8. StrollerQueen.com
May 2009
2009 BIG Stroller Roll-Out!
by Janet McLaughlin
Our Assessment
Stroller maven Janet McLaughlin evaluates the latest offerings from several hip brands including Inglesina, UppaBaby and Peg-Perego. McLaughlin seems to have a vast amount of experience with strollers; she has personally owned dozens of different models and her reviews are interesting despite being highly subjective. The Peg-Perego Si wins this year's Best New Umbrella Stroller award.
Pram and Stroller Reviews
by Editors of StrollersAndPrams.com
Our Assessment
A person identified only as "Annabel" runs this enthusiast site. A few strollers receive in-depth, well-documented reviews (based on four weeks of use) that generally include photographs, and user forums… allow readers to chime in. Since this site is based in the U.K., many of the strollers it covers aren't available in the U.S. The Bugaboo Bee is the highest-rated stroller, receiving a perfect score and edging out runners-up Maclaren Techno XT, Microlite Toro and Quinny Zapp. No new stroller reviews have been added recently.
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Stroller Review Roundup
by Editors of CelebrityBabyBlog.com
Our Assessment
CelebrityBabyBlog.com reviews 15 umbrella strollers including the Quinny Zapp, UppaBaby G-Luxe and Maclaren Quest. The detailed write-ups explore each stroller's strengths and weaknesses, but models aren't formally rated or compared to each other.
Reviews: Umbrella Strollers
by Editors of Baby-Gaga.com
Our Assessment
Baby-Gaga.com's stroller reviews combine insights from editors and parents. Although it's not clear how many parents were interviewed, the write-ups are balanced, detailed and critical. While these reviews are excellent, they are now very out of date, with no coverage of any of the newest umbrella strollers.
On Test: Lightweight Buggies
by Editors of BabyWorld.co.uk
Our Assessment
This U.K.-based website is part magazine, part online store. The handful of baby-gear tests found here are detailed and critical, but only six products are included in each comparison. In this test of lightweight strollers, the Maclaren Quest Mod comes out well ahead of the rest of the models tested including the Silver Cross Pop and Micralite Fastfold.
Strollers: Product Guide & Review of Styles, Features and Safety
by Editors of TheCradle.com
Our Assessment
TheCradle.com calls itself a "lifestyle destination for expectant and new parents" and features social networking, articles and reviews. There's extensive information on how to choose a stroller with a few recommendations in each category. Editors say the best umbrella strollers are the Maclaren Volo, UppaBaby G-Lite, Combi Flare and the Bugaboo Bee.
Babble Best: New Strollers for 2009
by Nicole Feliciano
Our Assessment
The trendy UppaBaby G-Luxe is singled out as Babble Best in this roundup by Babble.com writer Nicole Feliciano. The write-ups here are somewhat superficial though, and there's no discussion of how or whether products are tested and compared.
Top 10 Lightweight Baby Strollers
by Heather Corley
Our Assessment
Heather Corley, About.com's baby products guide, lists her favorite lightweight strollers. The Maclaren Volo, Valco Baby's Latitude and Chicco C6 top the list. There's no indication that Corley performed any testing. Instead, strollers are chosen for their features and weight. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)
Baby Strollers
by Robin Elise Weiss
Our Assessment
Robin Elise Weiss, the About.com guide to pregnancy, reviews a couple of older stroller models. While each stroller gets a rating and the write-ups are based on personal testing, the strollers aren't… compared to others, and the reviews of the Maclaren Volo and Maclaren Triumph are not very critical. Still, the reviews are at least based on hands-on evaluation. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)
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Absolute Basics
by Sarah Bowen Shea
Our Assessment
This article recommends a wide range of products by age group. It lists the Maclaren Volo stroller as the perfect lightweight stroller, as well as the Chicco Caddy Umbrella. However, it doesn't appear that these models were tested or even examined in person.
Umbrella Strollers
by Contributors to LilaGuide.com
Our Assessment
LilaGuide.com launched in spring 2007, and there are a good number of reviews for a few umbrella strollers. The Maclaren Quest gets a high-average of 4.5 out of five stars in over 50 user reviews.
Product Reviews: Pushchairs -- Buggies and Strollers
by Editors of MumsNet.com
Our Assessment
MumsNet.com members are invited to rate strollers according to nine criteria. Results are averaged, and each stroller is given an overall rating along with a short editorial summary. The Maclaren Triumph, Maclaren Quest Sport and Maclaren Volo are the top rated strollers overall, and each gets a good number of reviews.
National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA)
by Editors of Parenthood.com
Our Assessment
Awards are based on feedback from independent judges and parents. We would rate this source much higher if there was more transparency in the testing process. Baby gear picks from 2008 include the City Mini Baby Jogger, which earns a gold award, and the Quinny Zapp, which gets an honorable mention.
Umbrella Stroller Reviews
by Editors of ConsumerGuide.com
Our Assessment
This is essentially just a giant list of strollers with retailer links. At the time of our visit, only the Graco Mosaic LX and the Britax Preview get what ConsumerGuide.com calls "expert reviews."
Lightweight Strollers
by Contributors to Diapers.com
Our Assessment
Diapers.com, the retail arm of BabyCentre.com, has a parent rating system, and a few popular strollers each get a handful of reviews. While the feedback is interesting, there aren't enough posts to be able to gauge a consensus.
Strollers -- Umbrella
by Contributors to Epinions .com
Our Assessment
Epinions.com is a good place to find owner ratings once you've narrowed down your choices. However, there aren't as many reviews for individual strollers here as at Amazon.com, and most strollers don't have any reviews at all.
Umbrella Stroller Reviews
by Contributors to Viewpoints.com
Our Assessment
This is a user review site with ratings for a number of popular umbrella strollers. Unfortunately, most umbrella strollers do not receive very many reviews. However, the site seems to be growing quickly, so… more reviews may soon be added. The Maclaren Volo Silver gets an almost perfect average score, but that rating is based on just nine reviews. Most other listed strollers earn even fewer comments.
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