Thursday, December 23, 2010

Zooper Tango Review

Tango with the Jonas Brothers
Maybe it was the total lunar eclipse. Or the Ursid Meteor Shower. The Winter Solstice. Or the alignment of everything celestial. Because, as we were reviewing the Zooper Tango, some heavenly bodies appeared. Like shooting stars. Or more accurately, Disney movie and music stars. 
 
Can you tell who they are?                                                                                  
  
 How about now?
  Yes, indeedy, it is none other than Joe and Nick Jonas! Joe is in the grey sweater and black shorts; Nick is in the green hat and yellow shoes.  
 For some perspective on where we are, in relation to where they are.
First, this glorious 2011 Zooper Tango, in Jungle Earth, with the matching boot.
Behind the Tango, my friend Shelly playing soccer. And behind her, Nick Jonas.
Tango with the new, awesome, water resistant canopy. 
Which can be operated independently.
Shelly, and Joe operating independently.

This two-seater Tango is really handsome; quite the head turner. 
And these two handsome Jonas brothers are certainly turning the heads of a lot of tweens and teens.
The seats can be reclined individually, with the use of this lever. What is unique, although it shouldn't be, is that the seats go completely flat. Perfect for a younger child.
Younger brother Nick, with our youngest soccer player Peter.

The basket on the Tango is HUGE.

So are Joe's biceps, yikes!  
The upscale but cool Tango has a storage compartment on the back.
 
 As does Joe's upscale but cool Mercedes.

The Jungle Earth is a natural amongst the fall leaves.  Joe is a natural amongst the other players.

The Tango is very easy to open and close. In fact, a little too easy on the 2007/2008 models. They were recalled because several models collapsed in half, when children were in it. No serious injuries were reported, but there were reports of scrapes and bruises. I asked a Zooper spokesman if this flaw had been corrected on current models. He assured me it had. This is what he had to say:
"After extensive study and examination of the 2007/2008 Tango, we identified that the defect is derived from the plastic front latch frame lock.  We replaced it  with an extra-strong die cast front latch frame lock, for all 2009/2010 and 2011 models. With this new die cast front latch frame lock, we have not received a single complaint, or service request since. We are confident that the defective design of the plastic front latch frame lock has been rectified."

I did not, however, ask Nick and Joe to post for a picture. They were just out with the boys having fun, on a late fall afternoon. And I didn't want to spoil it.
A helicopter did, though, at least temporarily. Our peace was shattered by the loud whirring of blades.
We all looked skyward, thinking they might be Paparazzi. But after circling for a bit, they took off. Maybe chasing bad guys.
Joe was chasing his bulldog, Winston.
When folded, the Tango stands upright.
 
 The Jonas Brothers are known for being upright in their belief; real stand up guys.
 Finally, there were some reports last year that Zooper had gone bankrupt. As Mark Twain once said, "Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated."
 And, based on the success of the Jonas Brothers music, movies, TV, touring, and merchandising, don't expect their demise anytime soon!
     Zooper Tango
Weight:                                  32.5 lbs. (w/footmuff and cupholder)
Seat Back:                             18.5"
Seat to canopy:                      23"
Seat Width:                            12"
Seat Depth:                            9-13"
Drop to footrest:                     9"
Seat to ground:                      19"
Length:                                  25.5"
Width:                                    30.5"
Height:                                   43"
Folded:                                  41"L x 13.5"W x 43"H
If you want to see all the new stroller models coming out in 2011, go to Strollerqueen.net And if you want me to help you find the perfect stroller for you, go to Strollerqueen.com   
  

Monday, December 20, 2010

Zooper Waltz Review

Waltz with Santa
 Why would you need the Zooper Waltz' new water resistant canopy in Southern California? The answer lies below. And it's now  because of the torrential downpours we are having now. it's because Santa Claus was coming to town. And it was a nice, bright sunny day. The crowd was becoming impatient, so a firefighter decided to entertain them.
 With a very big hose. That shot water high into the sky. It was not something we expected.
But then I realized, this is a great opportunity to try out the new, improved Zooper Waltz!
So I let her stand alone out there, under the power of the fire hose.
 
 And she took it all in stride,
 little Trooper that she is!

There's a lot of reasons to love the new Waltz. Aside from the canopy's water resistant powers, it pulls all the way down, so your child is fully covered.  And when you add on the boot, you effectively have a little carriage.
There is a full net in the back, so you can get more airflow on hot days. And a huge pocket on the back of the canopy, that is divided in half. 
The seat has a legrest.
and a full recline,
which is done by a lever in the back, not a drawstring, yay!
There's a nice cupholder, placed down low. That means liquids can't splash on your stroller, or your child.
But THE best feature, in my opinion, is the front snack tray!
It is huge, and actually functional! So even if you are not a fan of feeding your child in the stroller, which I am not, it works great as a play tray, for SP 2.0's little cars. 
 Anything that will keep him happy while Christmas shopping is aces in my book!
The Waltz is fairly lightweight. Super easy to fold, and stands up when folded.
 
You can even roll it behind you, which turns out to be quite a useful feature. 
 And the maneuverability is very good. 
   I figured the Waltz would be an excellent mall stroller. But I was happy with it's performance outdoors, too.
That cute bag on the back is a Banana fish, btw.  (I know I will get asked.) Provides a festive touch! 
 
Amidst a fleet of Police cars, 
firetrucks, and classic cars,
 
Santa finally arrives!
 SP 2.0 was so excited to meet him, that he broke loose from the crowd and rushed towards him. 
"Hi Santa! Hi Santa!" "Wait your turn, little boy."
  So he had to go to the back of the line.
 

And he waited, 
 
 and waited.
 And waited.
  
  FINALLY! Would you be surprised to know that he asked for a firetruck? :)

Weight:                                 19 lbs. (w/footmuff and cupholder)                     
 
Seat Back:                            18.5"

Seat to canopy:                   23"


Seat Width:                           12"


Seat Depth:                            9-13"


Drop to footrest:                     9"


Seat to ground:                    18"


Length:                                  25.5"


Width:                                    21"


Height:                                   41"


Folded:                                   41
"L x 21"W x 15"H


  If you want to see all the new stroller models coming out in 2011, go to Strollerqueen.net And if you want me to help you find the perfect stroller for you, go to Strollerqueen.com