So, I decided that my dream all-terrain was the Easywalker Qtro stroller. Easywalker is based in the Netherlands. They stopped distributing to the US a year or two back, but Buy Buy Baby/Bed Bath and Beyond still have the silver and black Qtro and carrycots in stock, Diapers.com still has several colors in stock as well, and various places around the web have accessories available. If you want the 2012 model, you can have it shipped from the Netherlands by babyjungle.nl, but that is significantly more expensive. They also have all accessories available to ship (which is not MUCH more than the list price for most of them if you can find them in stock, which is difficult here.) FYI: if you find accessories on clearance for the Easywalker Sky, they are also compatible with the Qtro, including the organizer/cupholder, carrycot (!!! This is how I got my carrycot for $53- it was marked as for the Sky but they are the same carrycot, and universally compatible with both strollers), uv/mosquito netting, etc. To check compatibility with a particular stroller you can check out the Easywalker website which has a chart for each stroller of compatible accessories. I have confirmed that even if an accessory is marked as for the Sky on the box, it will work with the Qtro if it's listed on the Qtro's page with Easywalker. (I have the Maxi-Cosi car seat adaptor because it came with my very gently used stroller; I do not, however, have a Maxi-Cosi Mico or a Cybex Aton, so no demo today. If I happen to be at a store that has them any time soon, I'll probably take some pics and add them. Easywalker does sell a universal adaptor, see their website and the babyjungle site for details.)
The models used for this demo were Maggie, 4, and Bridget, 6. Maggie's seated torso height is approximately 17"; her seated height to top of head is approximately 24", and she weighs approximately 42 lbs. at this time. Bridget's seated torso height is about 20"; her seated height to top of head is about 27"; she weighs about 55 lbs.
This is the Easywalker Qtro.
Color is Aqua; no longer available new from almost anyone. I ended up finding mine used (very, very gently- she said she used it about 10 times and really, it looked better than most store floor models condition-wise) and a lovely friend in Minneapolis shipped it to me. The 2012 colors include an even lovelier blue. Diapers.com still carries the carrycot in Aqua.
Front view:
Slot heights for the harness measure about 9.5", 12.5", and 16.5". Harness has a nice fleece looong cover for each strap, and is easy to buckle and unbuckle. A bit tricksy to adjust height wise, but not anywhere as difficult as my Mountain Buggy Urban Double's harness is. Also, tightening the harness was much easier than in most strollers I've tried, especially the top portion. I find the ones on my Maclarens, for instance, super-stiff. Not so here. Stiff enough to be difficult for a child to loosen, but easier for a parent to use.
Included storage: A nice roomy bottom basket (zippers on side open out if desired for easier access or to fit a larger item in) and pouch on back of stroller.
Add-on storage available: clip-on parent organizer/bottle holder, with two insulated pockets sized for water bottles, lots of pockets including one for an mp3 player with a slot for the cord, very nice.
I bought the organizer accessory (marked as for the Sky but compatible with both) for $12 shipped at cribs.com where it's on clearance. Still available there, last I checked.
Showing the total storage with the accessory added in, also shows the nice suspension on those back tires (suspension is even adjustable for more/less tension):
Next up: pics with kids.
The models used for this demo were Maggie, 4, and Bridget, 6. Maggie's seated torso height is approximately 17"; her seated height to top of head is approximately 24", and she weighs approximately 42 lbs. at this time. Bridget's seated torso height is about 20"; her seated height to top of head is about 27"; she weighs about 55 lbs.
This is the Easywalker Qtro.
Color is Aqua; no longer available new from almost anyone. I ended up finding mine used (very, very gently- she said she used it about 10 times and really, it looked better than most store floor models condition-wise) and a lovely friend in Minneapolis shipped it to me. The 2012 colors include an even lovelier blue. Diapers.com still carries the carrycot in Aqua.
Front view:
Slot heights for the harness measure about 9.5", 12.5", and 16.5". Harness has a nice fleece looong cover for each strap, and is easy to buckle and unbuckle. A bit tricksy to adjust height wise, but not anywhere as difficult as my Mountain Buggy Urban Double's harness is. Also, tightening the harness was much easier than in most strollers I've tried, especially the top portion. I find the ones on my Maclarens, for instance, super-stiff. Not so here. Stiff enough to be difficult for a child to loosen, but easier for a parent to use.
Included storage: A nice roomy bottom basket (zippers on side open out if desired for easier access or to fit a larger item in) and pouch on back of stroller.
Add-on storage available: clip-on parent organizer/bottle holder, with two insulated pockets sized for water bottles, lots of pockets including one for an mp3 player with a slot for the cord, very nice.
I bought the organizer accessory (marked as for the Sky but compatible with both) for $12 shipped at cribs.com where it's on clearance. Still available there, last I checked.
Showing the total storage with the accessory added in, also shows the nice suspension on those back tires (suspension is even adjustable for more/less tension):
Next up: pics with kids.