A pleasant outing doesn’t mean you or baby has to rough it. This travel system includes our ultra-comfortable Quattro Tour® Stroller, the top rated Graco® SnugRide® 32 Infant Car Seat, and stay-in-car base. The stroller is loaded with convenience features like a one-hand gravity fold, deluxe parents’ storage tray with 2 cup holders, and an extra-large, drop-down basket. The lockable front swivel wheels and the one-touch brakes provide enhanced maneuverability and on-the-road ease. Of course, your little one stays comfy in a 4-position, flat-reclining seat with a child's tray with her own cup/snack holder.What the above translates to is a 26.7 lb. stroller. Of course we also registered for an umbrella stroller that would help us be more "light" when traveling by air, etc. Upon our first arrival here in Zurich, we realized VERY quickly that the Graco stroller wasn't going to cut it. First of all, it's simply too wide to fit into the old-style trams. (You can read more about my woes here - specifically #5: http://thecoyleconnection.blogspot.com/2008/12/my-top-ten-zrich-pet-peeves.html )
Secondly, if I were to attempt to lift the stroller with child into the tram, it would be over 30 lbs. I simply could not do this and probably would likely cause lifting injuries to those who would offer to help me. So, after a week of living here, the Chicco umbrella stroller that was meant to be our "light" travel stroller became the every day travel option for Brady. While this umbrella stroller did exceptionally well given how much we used it, it was never meant to travel well over cobblestones (we have some on our way home from our nearest tram stop) or go off-roading. So, during our first visit home in September 2008, we purchased a Peg Perego Aria.
I specifically chose this stroller after reviewing it's width/height and weight. It weighs only 10 lbs. Amazing! This became our major stroller and over the next 2 years was very, very heavily used. When Brady was about 2.5 years old, we started walking more and more places. And recently we've hardly used the stroller except when we go to the grocery store. (Easier to keep Brady in check and easier for me to haul groceries home.) Sidenote: hauling a stroller on quick weekend European "jaunts" has also become a big pain and so that is why you'll note that at around 2.5 years of age, most of our pictures from these "jaunts" have Brady sitting on Bill's shoulders. Brady does incredibly well walking around a lot, but sometimes it's just too much for him.
Well, I'm sure you are all wondering why this is even a blog post subject. The trusty Peg Perego stroller was sold yesterday to another Zurich mom in preparation for our move back to the US. I got the Graco stroller out today for it's first voyage to the grocery store in over 2 years. Brady loved it (calling it his New Jersey stroller) and as I was pushing all 60 lbs of it around (over 25 lbs. of stroller and about 35 lbs. of child), I was remembering all the confusion, stress and angst this stroller situation has caused.
I also feel like I got some "looks" on the way to the grocery store. I'm sure it's all my imagination. However, simply strollers for the US market look VERY different than European strollers. Here are some examples of the major strollers used over here. I've added a photo of our old Peg Perego stroller for comparison. However, even though the Graco was the SUV of strollers and the Peg Perego is a relatively expensive brand, we never paid over $300 for our strollers. Here in Zurich, a basic stroller is known to cost in excess of $700 and can go to $1000 for a higher end one.
Phil & Teds (popular with families where there are 2 children using the stroller):
Bugaboo - another popular model in Europe:
Our Graco:
Our Peg Perego:
