Monday, June 22, 2009

Joovy Kooper Review

4th of July Joovy Kooper!


For years, we have done holiday strollers. And of course, the 4th of July is easy. Only requirement is that it is red, white and blue, and really fun to push! And there you have the Joovy Kooper (with a

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Joovy Kooper and Valco Buggster Comparison

The new Joovy Kooper has been compared to the Valco Buggster. It's fair; in fact, in Oz the Joovy Kooper is known as the Valco Prism! (And the Valco Buggster is now the TFK Buggster! Clear as a dark mesh canopy window? ;)

But how close are they, really? Let's take a look:

The oval shape is certainly similar. And both have extremely wide seats. Although nothing can compare to the Buggster's astonishing 18"; certainly big enough for me to ride around in! ;) They are both umbrella strollers with fairly deep reclines, and huge canopies. And both have a very modern look. But the comparison ends here.
You can start to see how different they look from the back. The Kooper has ergo, foam covered handles that turn in, while the Buggster's are straight up with hard plastic finger grips. The Kooper has two cupholders, and a zippered canopy pocket. It has a good sized basket, though not as big as the Buggster's. The Kooper has the new red brakes. Some people don't care for them aesthetically, but countries such as Australia now require them for safety. The fold on the Kooper is very straightforward, and on the Buggster it is much more fiddly. Although there are several versions of the fold on the Buggster, and some are easier than others.

The Buggster comes loaded with accessories, including a mesh seat pad, front napper bar, boot, sun cover, and rain cover. The Kooper has the aforementioned built-in canopy pockets, side net pockets in the seat, and glow in the dark shoulder harnesses and logo.
Here you can see the difference in the width. The Buggster is nearly 4" wider. But the length is where they really differ, due to the 3 wheels of the Buggster vs. the 4 wheels of the Kooper. 3 wheelers always have to be longer for stability, and in the Buggster's case, it is nearly 9" longer!

Both have a roomy 24" canopy clearance, although the Buggster's seatback is 2" taller. The Kooper folds much smaller than the Buggster, but longer. See the chart below for even more measurements.



Joovy Kooper Valco Buggster


Weight: 17. 5 pds. 18.5 pds.

Width: 21" 23 1/4"

Length: 26.5" 34"

Height: 40 1/4" 40.5"

Seat Width: 15" 18"

Seat Depth: 8" 9"

Seat Height: 18" 20"

Seat to Canopy: 24" 24"

Drop to Footrest: 11" 13"

Seat to Floor: 16" 16"

Folded: 46" x 13" x 12" 31" x 22 x 25"

2009 Stroller Previews

If you would like to see all of the 2009 models, check out our annual "Big Stroller Roll-Out! Just hit the "pay now" button, and you will get the passwords to this comprehensive online magazine, within 24 hours. You will be charged $7.50.

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Thursday, June 18, 2009

Cybex is coming to America!

I was at their product launch today. And guess who their new distributor
is....drumrolll....Regal Lager! They were looking for a full line since they
parted ways with Phil and Ted's. Cybex has front carriers, and the most AMAZING
car seats! They are rated number one for safety in Europe. And of course, Cybex
has strollers...four different ones. The first one is similar to the Mac
Triumph, then they go up in features. With deeper reclines, bigger canopies,
bigger wheels, and front napper bars. The wheels have some wicked suspension.

There is a really nice, feather light (seriously, not hyperbole, the lightest I have ever picked up) carrycot that goes with the top of the line model. But unfortunately, the carrycot has to go
in the seat completely reclined. And flat reclines can't be sold in the US
unless they have those god-awful head curb things. They also have this really
cool line of cloth diapers and covers, and other baby care products. I took a
lot of pictures, and I will post them with more details in the upcoming days.
But, the car seats just blow everything else out of the water that's out there.
Except, they only have the infant seat, and a high back booster. So I'll still be
using the Maxi Cosi whe I switch over to a convertible, which will be soon. I
wish those infant seats were available right now! The booster seat has the best
side impact protection on the market. Really plush and nice. They have two layers of thick side impact support. One folds under when the child wants to nap, so it reclines the seat a bit, and pushes the "wings" out. The wings, though, are more like the thick sides of a padded armchair.

Oh, and the harnesses on the strollers are the same as the car seat! So you just push this
button to make the straps looser or tighter! Now why someone else hasn't thought
of that one sooner...I also like the fit and finish on all of the products. I
didn't notice any gloppy welds or fraying fabric or crooked seams. You can see that a lot of thought went into the design; where they place the rivets, the shape of the frame, the quality of the fabrics...I think if they catch on with the celeb crowd, they could be a big hit in that genre. Otherwise, they are similar to Macs in a lot of ways, although the canopies are fuller, and the reclines are deeper. And I do think the way the harness adjusts is really nifty! Oh, and the recline is somewhat easier than Macs, too. It has one lever in the back, and it is very smooth.. The sale dates of the products will be staggered, starting with the
strollers in August.

http://cybex-online.com/site/uk/products/pushchairs/callisto.html



I can help you find the perfect stroller for YOUR needs. Don't let a salesperson sell you a stroller that won't work for you! For more info on consultations, visit strollerqueen.com There are lots more reviews here, and info on how to get the 2009 BIG Stroller Roll-Out, an online magazine of all the new stroller models. strollerqueen.com

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Joovy Ergo Caboose Review

Joovy Ergo Caboose

Ergo, St. Patrick’s Day Boys
Long before Stroller Prince 2.0 made his way into this world, we felt like somebody was missing. My friend Catherine felt the same way. And so we were all overjoyed when her son made his grand entrance on March 17th. Now she was considering names. “Oh, that’s a no-brainer”, I said. “Call him Patrick.” “No”, she said. “But, he was born on St. Parick’s Day, you have to!” I implore. “No”, she says. “Well”, I grumble, “If *I* ever have a boy on St. Patrick’s Day, I shall name him Patrick. And I did, and I did, or a variation thereof, heehee. Hey bro, get in here

Strollerqueen.com

I can help you find the perfect stroller for YOUR needs. Don't let a salesperson sell you a stroller that won't work for you! For more info on consultations, visit strollerqueen.com There are lots more reviews here, and info on how to get the 2009 BIG Stroller Roll-Out, an online magazine of all the new stroller models strollerqueen.com

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Maxi Cosi Loola Review

The Loola on the Pier

Dave Price of the CBS Early Show wanted to see a jungle of strollers. And that's what he got. The crew came and oohed and aahed my collection. But which was the one that really caught their eye? The Maxi Cosi Loola, formerly known as the BebeConfort Loola.








For years, we in Strollerland were forced to import this French beauty from Europe. And we paid a pretty penny to ship her over. But as you can see, she's worth it. So, beautiful day on the beautiful Pacific, for my beautiful daughter's birthday...yep, choose the most beautiful stroller. And it was only a coincidence that the vibrant aqua and turquoise of the "ChocoMint" matched the sea. The handles are not height adjustable, but you can rotate them in, for a more comfy push.


The Loola is a rare beast; it's a reversible umbrella stroller. The seat is very easy to reverse. It just pops on and pops off. One nice thing is that you can fold it in one piece, with the seat in either direction. And the fold is much more compact than on most reversibles. It stands alone when folded.











The wicked shocks made the Loola's performance on the bumpy pier a lot better than the small wheels would have suggested. It's small size allowed it to zip around the crowds, without running anyone down. The full canopy made it a pretty good choice for the sun. The plush fabrics and deep recline made a very cozy bed for SP 2.0. So all things considered, the Loola is not a bad choice for a full day outing.




But since it was a birthday party, with lots of pre-teen girls, SP 2.0 spent most of it being passed around.













So the Loola pulled a double duty carrying the birthday presents. You can load an awful lot onto this stroller, with no fear of it tipping. It is very solid. Another really nice feature is that you can lock the front swivel wheels into a fixed position, without bending down. The wheel locks are little switches up by the handles!



Oh, there's SP 2.0, surveying the waves!

At the end of the day, he did take a nice long nap.
The seat pad is reversible and washable. And not that we needed it this day, but the Loola does come with a rain cover.  Maxi-Cosi Loola Stroller
Weight: 28 pounds
Seat Width: 12"
Seat Back: 20"
Seat to Canopy: 22"
Width: 24"
Length: 28"
Floor to Seat: 21"
Handle Height: 37.5"

Monday, June 1, 2009

Strollerqueen's Magnificent MBUD Deal!

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