Umbrella Strollers

Best umbrella strollers

Maclaren umbrella strollers easily receive the best reviews among lightweight strollers. Most Maclaren strollers share the same basic design, with more features at each step up in price. All Maclaren strollers get excellent reviews for maneuverability and style -- most parents say they're well worth the extra money over low-cost umbrella strollers like the discontinued Chicco Caddy (*est. $40) or Chicco C5 (*est. $90) . The entry-level Maclaren Volo (*est. $130) weighs 8.6 pounds and includes a canopy, basket, sun shade and carry strap. The seat material is removable and washable, made of a polyester mesh rather than fabric.

Parents rave about the Volo, saying it offers the perfect balance of light weight, durability (thanks to its brushed aluminum frame) and easy folding. Drawbacks are a small underseat storage basket and thin padding, which makes this stroller uncomfortable for children when used for long walks. The Maclaren Volo umbrella stroller does not have a reclining seat, which makes it best for older kids (over six months) who don't need to recline in their strollers as often. We also found excellent reviews of the similar Maclaren Triumph umbrella stroller (*est. $120) , which adds a reclining seat (but no full recline). This makes the Triumph appropriate for younger babies (older than three months), and parents say it's nice to have the option to recline the seat. A rain cover is also included, but at 11 pounds the Triumph weighs more than the 8.6-pound Volo.

As you go up the price scale, Maclaren strollers don't look like such a great value. The 12.2-pound Maclaren Quest (*est. $200) , for example, is nearly identical to the Maclaren Triumph. For the extra money, you get two extra reclining positions, some reflective accents, a UV viewing window in the canopy and an extendable leg rest -- additions that might not be worth the extra $100 over the Triumph. The Quest does look snazzy, though, and it comes in two versions -- the Sport and the Mod -- which differ only in aesthetics. The 14.2-pound Maclaren Techno XT (*est. $280) adds extendable handles -- helpful for accommodating parents of differing heights. The Techno XT also has a small sun visor and suspension for the wheels. The Maclaren Techno XLR (*est. $300) weighs 16 pounds and has all the features of the Techno XT, but the XLR has a higher 65-pound child weight limit. Other Maclaren strollers are rated for kids up to 55 pounds.

To summarize, reviewers say Maclaren's super-stylish, high-quality umbrella strollers are durable and functional, and well worth a look for urban parents who use strollers as their primary vehicles. The Maclaren Volo and Triumph umbrella strollers represent the best values. Parents commend Maclaren strollers for maneuverability. Some say they've tried other strollers and keep coming back to Maclaren.

Inglesina makes several strollers with umbrella-style handles. The 17-pound Inglesina Zippy (*est. $300) couldn't be classified as lightweight, but it's one of the best feature-loaded strollers. We cover this stroller and the new 18-pound Inglesina Urbe (*est. $250) in our report on full-featured strollers . The 14-pound Inglesina Trip (*est. $180) , and the 13-pound Inglesina Swift (*est. $120) compete head-on with Maclaren strollers.

We found more reviews for the Inglesina Swift than we did for the just-introduced Inglesina Trip. The Swift is comparable in features to the Maclaren Quest, with a four-position recline and large canopy. While it's less expensive than the Quest, the Swift skips the peek-a-boo window and extending leg rest. Pricewise, the Swift is closer to the Maclaren Triumph (which has two reclining positions) and weighs two pounds less. While the Inglesina Swift gets a very high score at Baby-Gaga.com, editors rate the Triumph a bit higher, and among parents who tried both models, several say the Maclaren stroller is easier to steer. Another difference is that the Maclaren stroller has a 55-pound child weight limit, while the Inglesina is rated for kids up to 45 pounds.

The Inglesina Trip (*est. $180) weighs 14 pounds and adds a peek-a-boo canopy and parent cup or bottle holder. We didn't find much feedback yet for this new stroller, which also has a 45-pound weight capacity. Both do have washable fabric.

Chicco has positioned itself somewhere in between Maclaren's classy strollers and Kolcraft's cheap umbrella strollers. The recently discontinued Chicco London (*est. $70) was more stylish than the cheaper Kolcraft umbrella strollers, but parents said it wasn't any more durable. This may have been the reason the London was discontinued and the Chicco C5 (*est. $90) , which has a heavier frame, higher handles and an easier-to-master recline, was introduced. Described by the manufacturer as an upgrade to the London, the Chicco C5 (also know as the Ct 0.5) weighs 13.5 pounds, has a five-position recline and five-point harness, as well as an adjustable footrest and a shade that can be removed. This newer stroller has received enthusiastic reviews from owners posting to Amazon.com, who say it's easy to use and reasonably priced. Overall, the Chicco C5 is a good compromise for those looking for something nicer than a Kolcraft or Chicco's own Chicco Caddy, but don't want to spend more on a Maclaren.

Zooper makes one of the best-reviewed full-featured strollers, the Zooper Waltz, covered in our companion report. We didn't see great early reviews for the inexpensive Zooper Salsa (*est. $130) , but some other Zooper strollers get better reviews. Most of these are entirely new for 2007, so they haven't yet amassed a lot of parent reviews. The 14-pound Zooper Twist (*est. $180) is probably getting the best reviews so far, with at least one endorsement in a professional review, plus some good user feedback. The Zooper Twist is a bit more plush and padded than some of the Maclaren strollers, and although it has umbrella-style handles, it doesn't actually fold like an umbrella. Rather, it hinges in half from top to bottom. The Zooper Twist has a four-position recline, an adjustable leg rest, a peek-a-boo canopy and shock absorbers. It's meant for kids from six months to 45 pounds. Altogether, reviews say the Zooper Twist is more successful than the Inglesina Trip and Swift at bridging the gap between cheap umbrella strollers and luxury strollers. Parents say it maneuvers well. Given the similarities between the Maclaren Quest and the Zooper Twist, you might want to give them both a test drive.

The Zooper Hula (*est. $270) weighs about 17 pounds and couldn't really be called lightweight. But it does have a fully reclining seat and full complement of features, so it's appropriate for newborns. We found only a few early user reviews for this stroller. Parents seem to like it so far, but say it's on the heavy side, and some add that it doesn't recline quite far enough for newborns.

Combi, which makes several lightweight strollers, is in the midst of revamping its line. Reviewers say that's a good thing, since parents had reported durability problems with the discontined Combi Savvy Soho (*est. $90). The newest Combi strollers are the Combi Cosmo ST (*est. $60) and the Combi Cosmo DX (*est. $100). The 12-pound Cosmo ST has a one-hand fold, reclining seat, three-point harness, canopy and carrying strap, as well as a feature lacking on Maclaren strollers, a removable front napper bar. The more expensive Combi Cosmo DX adds a removable cup holder, a five-point harness, a window in the canopy and a washable seat cushion. These strollers hinge in the middle to fold, rather than folding like an umbrella. We didn't find that many reviews on the Combi Cosmo strollers.

Peg-Perego, better known for its luxury strollers, also makes a borderline lightweight umbrella stroller. The 16-pound, fully reclining Peg-Perego Pliko P3 Classico (*est. $330) is covered more completely in our report on full-featured strollers . The Pliko umbrella stroller has a fully reclining seat, so it's appropriate for newborns. One of the nicest features of the Pliko Classico is its adjustable-height handlebar, which is ideal for parents of differing heights. Although it costs more than other umbrella-type strollers, it arguably gets the best reviews among feature-loaded models. Although it's not very lightweight, the Peg-Perego P3 Classico could be an option if you happen to like this handle style and don't care as much about light weight.

Important Features: Umbrella strollers

Experts say the following about buying a lightweight stroller:

• Be cautious about buying a used stroller. Higher-end strollers, like those made by Peg-Perego and Maclaren, have a high resale value, and you may find a bargain on eBay. But be sure to check for recalls and give the stroller a good once-over before using it.

• You can find bargains by looking for last year's fabrics. Stroller models often don't change much year-to-year, so sales on last year's fabrics and colors are common and you can save $100 or more if you time it right.

• Check the stroller for balance. Make sure the stroller doesn't tip backwards when light pressure is placed on the handlebars and check for sturdiness and stability (i.e., a wide wheel base with the seat mounted low and deep within the frame). Reviewers say it's a bad idea to hang bags and purses on the handles of a lightweight stroller, because this can cause the stroller to tip over.

• Use caution when buying a stroller on the Internet. While Internet reviews are helpful, buying a stroller on the web without handling it in the real world can leave you at a disadvantage, since variations in height, strength and personal preferences are difficult to consider. You can always try out a stroller in a store, then check online for discounts or sales.

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

# of Picks	Model (with retailer links)	Details from Amazon.com
4	Maclaren Volo (*est. $130)	details
4	Maclaren Quest (*est. $200)	details
3	Maclaren Triumph (*est. $120)	details
2	Zooper Twist (*est. $180)	details
2	Peg-Perego Pliko P3 Classico (*est. $330)	details
1 each	Silver Cross Micro V. 2 , Inglesia Swift , Silver Cross POP , Zooper Hula , Chicco Caddy , Chicco C5 , Maclaren Vogue (discontinued)

Maclaren lightweight strollers easily get the best reviews among umbrella strollers. The entry-level Maclaren Volo has a single-position seat, while the more expensive Maclaren Triumph has a two-position recline and rain cover. We did find some good reviews for a challenger, the Zooper Twist, which folds top to bottom instead of along a vertical axis. The Peg-Perego P3 has umbrella-style handles, but at 16 pounds, it's not really very lightweight. This stroller is covered in our report on full-featured strollers .

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