Help me pick between three strollers

[Splash]

Okay, last week my partner bought me a BumbleRide Flyer which I adored, but I took it back yesterday because the seat was warped. She offered to exchange it with the other one she had, but that one had problems as well! I have since figured out what is wrong (and easily fixable) with the other one, and BR offered to send me a new seat for my old one anyway. But I don't have it anymore!

But there are three strollers I am thinking about. I like and dislike them all for different reasons.

Bumbleride Flyer- Traditional 4 wheel stroller with rubber tires
Pros-
Reversible handle
Super easy FLAT recline
LOVE the color
Big sunshade
Charlie seemed very comfy in it
Great napper bar (he loves his napper bar)
Steers well on smooth surfaces
Can make it a carriage with the oh so nice footmuff (reality check, I will NEVER use this in FL with a toddler)

Cons-
I HATE the way it folds. Hate it.
It's HUGE when folded. Gigantic.
Doesn't push well on rough surfaces when the handle is flipped
I don't love the harness (but I never use it anyway)
The basket drags on the wheels if the handle is reversed.
Steering is very "floaty." I think because the handle reverses, it just doesn't feel that solid


BumbleRide Rocket- Three wheel stroller with air filled wheels
Pros-
Same seat as Flyer, very comfy for Charlie
Easy FLAT recline
Love the bumper bar
LOVE the color
Huge canopy
I've never driven it, so I don't know how it steers!
Folds smaller than the Flyer (this shocks me)
Same boot and bassinet option (though not carriage since i can't see him) as Flyer. Again, I will almost definitely never use this, but it looks nice :)

Cons-
Still folds pretty big
Handle doesn't reverse
Again I don't love the harness, but again I almost never use it
I HATE the way it folds. I HATE it.

Baby Jogger City Series- Three wheel with air tires
Pros-
VERY compact fold, the smallest of the three
Very easy fold that I LOVE
Drives wonderfully
Highest weight limit (75, versus 45)
Nice harness

Cons-
The recline feature sucks. It reclines to 23 degrees (almost flat) which is fine for Charlie, but the way you get it there sucks
Tippy when reclined
No bumper bar (I can buy it separately, but even then it's not a good one)
The canopy isn't great
Boring colors
I would have to use the harness, since there is no bar. Charlie LIKES that bar.
Charlie didn't complain, but it doesn't seem as comfortable
*If I buy a 2007, the canopy is better, and the recline feature still sucks, but it's better. It will also cost me another $130, which I am just not going to do. I've never actually seen the 2006, only the 2007, the only thing that changed though was the canopy and recline, and I am basing my assumptions on reviews.


I really loved the Flyer. It was comfortable, and I could see him, and it looked really nice. The main problem with it is the GIGANTIC fold, and the fact that the WAY it folds (while very easy and one step) SUCKS. There is no way to fold it without it hitting the ground, and it folds OUT, so the fabric is exposed (versus folding in like a Graco or Peg does). So if it's raining, the fabric hits the wet ground.
The Rocket will be just as comfortable for him, since it's the same seat and same canopy, and actually folds a bit smaller. I can't see him when I'm pushing him, which makes me sad but it's not the ultimate deal killer. I imagine it will push better over multiple surfaces, but I worry it would be too much for a mall or indoor activity. And the fold still sucks. Same fold as the other one.
The BJ is my favorite in terms of the compact easy fold. It also pushes SO easily. And will last longer. I think it will handle anything I ever do, but again worry it would be too much for indoors (even though it maneuvers great). But I would have to use the harness, and it costs more, and the canopy isn't as nice, and the recline sucks. And it's boring. And I will almost definitely be buying it online sight unseen. The sight unseen thing doesn't bother me, but it does bother me not to buy it from Marilyn. I would prefer to buy from her if at all possible, but she only has the 2007, and I am not spending another $130+ just to get the "newest" one.

So, what do I do?

[drjanetm]

That's a tough one! I love the look of the BR strollers (my dream is to win the lottery and be able to buy a Queen B with toddler seat, just because I WANT to!), so my leaning would be towards trying the Rocket, since 3-wheelers seem to have a tighter turning circle.

Don't know anything about the BJ. Sounds a bit weird that they sell the bumper separately though!

Good luck choosing! I always love getting a new stroller!!!

[skaterbabscpst]

What about a Dreamer Manhattan?

[Jewels]

I guess it depends what you want to use it for. I love the look of the bumbleride flyer! It would be good for the mall and walking. And I love the cosmo fabric! If it were for jogging, roller blading or off roading I would go with the rocket. I didn't really care for the last one, but that is just my opinion!

What about a Phil and Teds E3? Then if you had another one you could get the extra seat?

Good luck, let us know what you decide!

[skipspin]

You just need two of them ;-) That's the problem!

I like the BJCS, but my DD is a lot older, and I don't know where I'd use a nice Bumbleride. I think it would be too much to take shopping, but more than I wanted (except for a tinyish baby) for neighborhood walks. Now, the show-off factor would be great, and that might convince me to take it to the mall. LOL. But, then I wouldn't want DD to eat at Chickfila and get it dirty, and definately NO chocolate milk.

I agree that BJCS isn't perfect, but if I wasn't expecting #2 I would have gotten it for sure. I ended up with the e-3 instead, which I LOVE! I wish it had the cooler that attaches like the BJCS, though.

Maybe you should go to Petite Elite and look at the Valco strollers. I know Marilyn doesn't like them, but they are pretty nice. I think the swivel jogger has a reversible seat and you can add a bassinette or toddler seat- I think.

I just bought some e-3 bags from Marilyn last week, so does that make you feel better? DD didn't want to leave ths store...and I almsot bought some a skip hop bag too... Bad, bad, bad!

[Splash]

I hated the E3. I thought I would really like it, but I didn't. At all. And Charlie did NOT like it.
The Valco, though the coolest looking thing ever (I love the blue and orange one) is too big and more than i am willing to spend on a stroller. Ever. In this lifetime. For any reason. And hey, if Marilyn doesn't like them... ;)
I like the Dreamer Manhattan a lot, but it is too gigantic when folding.

We have a Zooper Z Street (pre Swing) that has served us well and we are happy with. It's definitely a mall stroller, but I have never had a problem taking it out and about. Almost all of our excursions, however, are in the mall play places. This is because Charlie cannot handle a lot of sun and heat (and we live in FL, because...?). Though on cooler days we do the zoo or Busch Gardens (both of which are remarkably well shaded) and we do the aquarium a LOT.
Our neighborhood, which I really want to start walking more, has limited sidewalks. I actually took the Flyer down the gravel roads and alleys near here and it did GREAT, way better than I would have expected. Charlie was jostled, of course, but he thought it was fun.

The more I look at the BJ, I just think it's not the right one. I like it a lot, but I don't think he will. He loses the bar (which he really likes, and the one I can buy from BJ is horrible), and he really prefers to sit sideways in the stroller, so he can see me and the world. He can't do that in the BJ, especially without a bar.

The sole reason I am leaning towards the Rocket over the Flyer is the more compact fold. Well, not the *only* reason, but one of the big ones. But I;m wondering if the warped seat was contributing to the bad fold.

Now, about the I'coo Pico.... ;)

[skipspin]

Yeah, there's got to be something out there that is a better fit for you, but I didn't really look at strollers too much last week at ARS other than a once over. There's nothing I really want right now, and I'd like to keep it that way for a while, iykwim. My house it too full already.

I don't even remember how much the Valco is. LOL. I looked at it almost a year ago, and have only passed in in the store since I got my e-3.

[ccjones]

Splash,
I was reading your posts and I saw you want to walk around your neighborhood, but you don't have sidewalks. I have the same problem since my house is waterfront (we live on the Chesapeake Bay). There are NO sidewalks in my neighborhood. I have an MB Urban Single and it is perfect for walking around on the bumpy road, and in grass and sand when we walk down to the park right on the water. I also like how it folds up compactly enough to fit behind the third row of my Pilot. And it's a dream to push at the mall or grocery, although I usually use the Mac Quest for "inside" stuff. If I didn't love the Quest so much, I would use the MBUS as my full-time all-purpose stroller.

[Splash]

It's $450. For the single. And another $85 for the toddler seat. I won't buy the damn thing on principle! Though if Marilyn had them, I would play with them!
I like the I'coo Pico on looks, but no where to try it out. And really, why spend $100 MORE on that one, when it looks to be about the same (feature wise) as the Flyer?

ETA- I looked at the MBUS. Jean liked the MBUS. I was neutral on the MBUS. Charlie declared it to be worse than Santa Claus with a machete. Drats.

[Splash]

I went back to Marilyn and bought the Flyer. Again. I'll just deal with bumbleride CR to replace whatever. But I tried every stroller there, and Charlie preferred the Flyer. All the other ones he tried to get out of immediately, and would cry if he couldn't. He sat in the Flyer for 20 minutes while we yakked, and was totally content. I even told him just to pick one for me, and he crawled over and laid down in front of a floor model flyer that didn't even have a cover on it. He KNEW what stroller it was!

[jamesmommy]

I am sure you will be happy with the flyer. It sounded as if you were leaning that way, and then there is the cool factor, plus it looks like Charlie was really for it ;) Maybe you can figure out a way to open it without the skins hitting the ground, maybe take something with you to put under it (towel, sheet, etc.)?

We love our Valco, it is the older model, not the new Trimode.

Enjoy!

Amie

[joolsplus3]

nah, the pico 4 isn't right... i won't even use mine on sidewalks...clackity clackity clackity... wheels too small... great for a mall, since the canopy is kind of pitiful and the basket is huge, it also folds tiny, but that's not what you needed, anyway.
Charlie hates the mb, huh? bummmmmer... i got a 2004 practically unused of SWAP for only $250 and we loooooooove it!

Hope bumbleride cs is good to you :)

[hesgimenez]

Splash~
This site was just suggested to me. Glad I found it.

I love the looks of the BumbleRide strollers. When I was shopping for a three wheeled stroller, I was deciding between the BR Rocket and a Zooper. When I went to look at both, I discovered that they are exactly the same. She gave me a great deal on the Zooper, no longer carrying them, so I went with that. But since I am looking for a new stroller in general, I think that I am going to go with the BR Flyer. I love the look of it. Great colors. Can't decide between the green or red.

Are there attachments to purchase to add a cup/snack holder for my son?

Heather