|
- PERFECT!I saw this stroller for the first time on Amazon.com and fell in love! However, upon reading some of the reviews about it being "too heavy" and taking to long to diassemble to put away, I almost did not purchase it. But I am so glad I did! As far as the weight-are you people serious?? Have you never lifted a toddler?? It is not much heavier than my 3 year old!-It isn't like you are carrying it on your back accross the desert lol! Most of the time it is just unloading and reloading in car right? Seriously, it's not that heavy. Onto it taking too long to disassebmle-NO WAY. It literally takes me about 45 seconds to take off the seats, fold and put it in my car. Bottom line, I LOVE this stroller! I have gotten so many compliments on it and everyone I know wants one-even people I don't know stop me to ask where I got it! Rating: - Kolcraft Contours Tandem vs. Joovy Caboose Stand-On TandemAfter giving the Kolcraft Contours Options(K) and the Joovy Caboose Stand-On(J) strollers "test drives" in-store with my 3 & 1 year olds, I decided on purchasing the Kolcraft. The major differences I noticed between this stroller and the Joovy are: 1. The K has ample, easily accessible basket space for a large diaper bag/shopping bags, etc. The J basket will NOT accomodate the diaper bag a parent would need for two small children, plus its accessibilty seems awkward. 2. Although the K is longer than the J, it feels more maneuverable and the ride is just as smooth. The K is lighter to push, though to be fair, the J does come in an Ultralight model, which I did not try because of price, but I don't think it would have made a difference in my final decision. 3. The seating options of the K are priceless! The two seats can be positioned forward, together, or back to back without compromising head and leg room for either child. This was my favorite feature. The J simply does NOT have enough room for a toddler or preschool age child (in my case, 3 year old) to sit down in back if the forward facing seat is reclined at all. The only negatives I can see with this stroller are the absence of child trays and the laughable foot rests. The parent tray is very nice, but the children only have foam covered bars. I suppose sippy cups or toys could be attached to these, but there's nowhere to put a snack container. My 1 Y.O.'s feet will fit in the footrest except they're about 4 inches above it when the seat is upright; my 3 Y.O.'s feet reach the foot rest, but the rest is so shallow it's really of no use to her. This doesn't seem to affect the kids (what child minds dangling feet?), so no big deal. After our test drives, my opinion is the Kolcraft Contours stroller is much more comfortable for the parent and children and truly more child friendly - based on the giggling going on while I had my two girls in the together-facing position. I would say that it probably would not accomodate two older children very well, but a 1 Y.O. & 3 Y.O. fit nicely. The seats are surprisingly easy to adjust for Mom or Dad, and sufficiently padded for Baby. This stroller is a TERRIFIC purchase for the price and I'm really looking forward to using it often. Rating: - Keep shopping!!I bought this stroller for my two year old and newborn. I loved being able to change the seats around and it steers like a dream. Then, I had to put it in the car. To fit in the back of our minivan, I had to completely remove both seats. The fold down is awkward and lifting it over the Odysee's lip is nearly impossible. I read one review that had the weight listed at 40 lbs, but the shipping weight is 53 and I think it has to weigh 50 pounds. Our now almost 3 yr old weighs 24 lbs and the seats were not deep enough for her. After 2 months I found that I would rather carry the baby and chase the toddler than deal with this stroller, so I sold it and I am looking for a replacement. Rating: - Good Concept, BUT.....We bought this intending to use it for our 2-year old and newborn. I thought it was great that you could attach the infant seat. The claim that it "fits most infant car seat brands" is misleading. It does accommodate many brands, BUT NOT all infant carriers within each brand. Unfortunately, this info is not available on the mfr website, but only in the assembly instructions. And our infant carrier (Evenflo On My Way) is one of the car seats that the stroller doesn't accommodate. Second, you have to remove the rear seat every time you want to fold the stroller. UGH. Once again, this isn't something you learn until you read the instructions. Third, this thing is HEAVY. We ended up returning it to the store and are still searching for something else, probably a side-by-side since they seem to be lighter. Rating: - Great designThis stroller is very well-designed and easy to use with my two-year-old and two-month-old. It is basically a sturdy frame with upright prongs that you attach the seats or carseat adapter to. Working with the seats is comparable to moving a baby carseat in and out of a carseat base - very quick and easy. I was leery of having to remove a seat in order to fully fold the stroller, but it literally takes only a few seconds. The carseat adapter is well-designed and also very easy to use - you drop the carseat into the frame and secure a belt over it, no snapping or fancy maneuvering involved. The seats are plenty big even for our tall, leggy two-year-old and the five-point harness is secure and comfortable. The footrests on the seats are designed for smaller kids (I'd say 1 and under), but older/taller kids can rest their feet on the support bar that goes across the cargo basket. Folding the stroller down is also quick and easy - the only reason it requires two hands instead of one is that you have to pull release triggers on either side of the stroller at the same time. The large wheels roll easily on ordinary surfaces (asphalt, sidewalks, indoors) and make the stroller seem lighter than it really is. Overall, all the components are sturdy and well-made - much more so than the Graco tandems (or Graco single strollers, of which I've owned several). And the price is very reasonable given the quality, I think. On the down side - there are no snack trays or drink holders for the kiddos, although there are safety bars that go across their laps. Also, if the child in the back drops or spills anything, it will fall into the cargo basket (I guess this can be a plus or minus depending on whether the kid is dropping a treasured toy or a handful of smashed goldfish crackers). Finally, dang, it is heavy. I know all double strollers are, and this one is not *unusually* heavy for a double, but I was still surprised at how much effort it took for me to get it up off the ground and into the back of our minivan. I am tall and fairly strong - if you are petite and/or unable to lift a bulky fifty pounds, I'd think twice. The weight is the only reason this stroller gets four stars instead of five.
|