which cheap umbrella?

[bobandjess99]

I need a super-cheap umbrella stroller, something in the $10-20 range. Basicaly, it's cuz I'm a spaz and despite having 3 "good" strollers, I frequently find myself someplace withOUT a fricken stroller, because since i just have a car, I take them out of the trunk and put them in as needed...like double for the mall, sm. single for the library, single with big wheels for park, wagon for zoo, etc...and when we go grocvery shopping, for exmaple, i have to take all the strollers out, to have room for groceries in the trunk, etc. Well..of course, it always seems to happen that we go somewhere and i open the trunk..and not a DANG stroller is in there. *sigh*
so I want a cheap umbrella taht takes up very little room, that I can just LEAVE inthe fricken trunk, for emergency situations like that.
for what i' wanting, are they all basically the same? cheap crap? or is there a certain brand dthat is reputable/good or known to be awful?
Are all the strollerphiles who frequent this therad just going "what? they make $20 strollers?:confused:"

[lovinwaves]

I had a "nice" pink Carter's one..."nice" meaning it was pricey for what it was. POS, basically. Wouldn't steer for nothing.

I would maybe just go to Walmart, Target, BRU, and push what they have WITH a child in it. Be sure and push it on the slick business flooring and see how it does. That's where I always seemed to have problems. :p

I am tall, so even if the cheapies did push well, my back was in agony, or my toe was bruised and bleeding by the end of the day from kicking the back of it.

[MoreLatte]

There is usually a rounder at BRU with $20 umbrella strollers on it. I used to have one and for the price, it did its job. I think nowadays, they even have an adjustable canopy on them. Mine had a bag hanging from the back, too, which was nice. And the handles aren't super low like some that I've seen at Walmart...some of those look like a child's toy stroller.

[ketchupqueen]

There is usually a rounder at BRU with $20 umbrella strollers on it. I used to have one and for the price, it did its job. I think nowadays, they even have an adjustable canopy on them. Mine had a bag hanging from the back, too, which was nice. And the handles aren't super low like some that I've seen at Walmart...some of those look like a child's toy stroller.

Yep. I have 2 $20 BRU umbrellas. We have "giveaway" umbrellas from BRU, too (the ones that sell for $7, that they give away free when you spend $100 sometimes or whatever.) The "giveaways" do their job but after a while tend to break down. Also, no bag, no canopy.

The $20 hold up really well, actually, for cheap umbrellas. They're a little sturdier than their Target counterparts; they do have an adjustable canopy (rather than the straight one at Target) that can swivel all the way around front if needed and has a window to "peek" through (though that can sometimes be a negative) and a bag on the back that holds 3 sweaters and 2 diapers and a pack of wipes, easy, maybe even a little room to spare. Also, it has a smaller pocket inside the bag that's perfect for putting a cell phone and/or keys in because it's right at the top and that way you're not digging for the phone when it rings or the keys when you need to unlock the door.

We've been known to keep 2 umbrellas and a pack of stroller connectors in the trunk, as well as a sling, so if I have an urgent need to take all 3 kids and none of them will walk and we don't have the "real" double, I have a way to transport them all without screaming.

[bobandjess99]

Thanks guys!! I have seen the bins of $20 at TRU/BRU and will probably just grab one. I had an ancient one that i gave away a while back..i think it migth have been kolcraft? But the wheels were AWFUL, it woudl barely push.
It's only got to survive a year or so of probably very sporadic use....as long as it doesn't literally fall apart we'll be fine!

[super_grape]

if you have a baby depot close to you, these are fairly decent too:
http://www.burlingtoncoatfactory.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Section_Id=11480&pcount=&pn=0&Product_Id=478506&sku1=k_s1_77018559&is_baby_depot=1

we had one way back and it wasn't aweful...kid loved the bar thingy and it
was tall enuf to be comfortable to push.

[mom2acrew]

Another idea is to buy a Volo off ebay for $50 and sell it for $30 when your child is older?

[Jennifer mom to my 7]

Another idea is to buy a Volo off ebay for $50 and sell it for $30 when your child is older?

:yeahthat: Or a new one from albee. http://www.albeebaby.com/ma20vostinca1.html Here's carbon for 90. WHat single do you use for the library? Maybe just replace that with a mac?

[jess71903]

I have one from JC Penny that was cheap and works just fine for our uses. It lives in my car.

[bobandjess99]

LOL..you guys are gonna laugh..our primary "single" is..the push-car thingee. http://www.step2.com/product.cfm?product_id=1155

DS LOVES it. LOVES it. but, it takes up a lot of space. And we have a sit and stand, also not the smallest, for our "double" stroller. Those are the 2 strollers we use regularly, multiple times per week. We do have a "regular" single stroller...graco something..ancient, travel system one. And a babytrend jogging stroller that never gets used. And an ancient double that is partly broken that also never gets used...god, I HAVE to get rid of stuff we don't use.

i actually played with teh $20 TRU one the other day..even with 42 lb dd in it, it pushed decently. I didn't get it due to a technical error on my part (laving the house sans purse to get to the SUPERWHY activity day, lol!) but it's still on my list.
Ya know..I ran across a $50ish mac volo at target last year, during the target clearance..*sigh*
but i really don't need it, not to cart a 20 lb kid into the library once a month because we forgot his beloved car.