From: ephraim@think.com (Ephraim Vishniac)
Newsgroups: misc.kids
Subject: Collected opinions about Maclaren strollers
Date: 31 Dec 1992 18:24:59 GMT
Organization: Thinking Machines Corporation, Cambridge MA, USA
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: turing.think.com

Here's what people told me about their Maclaren strollers. As you can
see, many people love their Maclarens and a few don't. From this, and
from trying them out in local stores, my wife did buy a folding model
with a canopy. So far, she's very happy with it. Our thanks to
everyone who offered advice. 

---------------------------------------
From: lowry@watson.ibm.com (Andy Lowry)

I have never owned one, but thought you might like to know why.  When
my wife and I went shopping for an umbrella stroller, we spent a lot
of time trying a bunch of models to see how they roll, how sturdy they
seem, how easy they are to carry, and how easily they fold and unfold.
We found the Maclarens to be absolutely terrible on the last point.
I'm fairly good with mechanical things, and I ended up pinching myself
twice, quite painfully, while wrestling with one of the Mclarens.  I
couldn't help thinking about Lindsay getting her fingers caught.  And
even when I finally got it figured out, it seemed that it was
impossible to perform the maneuver without crouching down to floor
level. 

When I compared this design to things like the Combi Savvy and the
similar Aprica, I came away amazed that the Maclarens are so popular.
I saw nothing to recommend them, and much that I thought was wrong
with them. 

For what it's worth, we ended up with the Combi Savvy and have had
absolutely no problem with it during the course of a year.  We have
been extremely pleased with the purchase. 

From: sybase!andy@Sun.COM (Andy Cohen)

We have the umbrella-type, and we're very pleased with it. It's
extremely sturdy, and light enough to haul up and down stairs when the
need arises. 

Consumer Reports tested strollers a few years back - I believe that
the MacLarens were the only ones that survived their 50-mile torture
test. 

Get one!

----------------------------
From: NAOMIR1@vms.huji.ac.il

We liked ours alot. I would say it was good for about two kids, Ours
was totally abused, because we used to have the big one stand on the
back while a pushed the little one.  I would also put a ton of
groceries on the back handle. It also folded easily, and was fairly
easy to take on a bus. 

It's only problem was its center of gravity was a little too far back.
Alot of times I could put my purse on the back handles and then take
the baby out and it would fall backwards.  I had to watch that my
packages in back were not heavier than the baby. Even if it did fall
backwards with baby inside (which it did once oops!) the baby didn't
get hurt because the handles hit the ground before the rest of the
carriage. 

Hope this helps.

-------------------------------------------------------------
From: RABINOWITZ@bear.com (Ari Rabinowitz, WorkStations x6518)

We have a MacLaren stroller which is finally dying after 5 years of
heavy use by three children (2 of ours and one of a neighbors).  I'm
not usre which model it is, but it is the convertible type which comes
with a carriage body so it can be a carriage when the baby is young
and then converts to a sitting stroller by removing the carriage body
and putting in a seat. 

As I said, it is finally dying, but that is not so bad since our
daughter is now 2.6 and is starting to want to walk everywhere.
Unfortunately, she is so slow that we need extra time for everything
:-). 

-----------------------------------------
From: Johanne Kaminski <casper@tsoft.net>

We love ours!  We got ours when our child was 10 months old (before
then, he was always carried).  We got an umbrella type one, the kind
that folds up easily and doesn't weigh as much as the deluxe
strollers; but we also didn't buy the lightest one they had.  Our son
is now 4 and we still use it, mostly for taking long walks in the
neighborhood.  We have never had a problem with it, and we have even
used it on rough terrain! 

-----------------------------------------
From: Irene Bell <ib@dcs.edinburgh.ac.uk>

I have owned three maclaren strollers/buggies, so here goes: One was a
dreamer de-luxe ('89), one skipper ('91), and one sprite ('90)

I liked :
the price - 20% cheaper than comparable models
buying british
maintenance was cheap, swift and there was a buggy lent whilst it was away

on the dreamer de-luxe and the skipper;
the colours
the handle height  - I am quite tall
the solid plastic tray  - prevents nappy bag getting covered in mud
the two piece rain cover  - it isn't bulky
the seat height - kid up higher than on silvercross buggy
lots of legroom for long legged babies

on the sprite;
the handle height was much higher than any other umbrella stroller
the frame at the back was roomy enough to accomodate a string bag
which didn't upset the center of gravity, unlike some strollers where you
have to hang bags on the handles

I found all buggies easy to clean, one-hand fold, stack in bus luggage
racks and carry.  They were all lightweight enough to drag upstairs
without waking up the baby and they handled well on hills (some
friends had trouble controlling sivercross buggies as they are so
heavy)

I didn't like:

on the dreamer de-luxe:
it couldn't freestand when folded
it's backwheels splayed and broke

but these problems were remedied by the time I bought the skipper which was
the same as the dreamer but with these features upgraded.

on the skipper:
the seat unit was not as sturdy as the dreamer's
 
It might look like the dreamer de-luxe didn't last long, but really I
drove it into the ground because I have no car and I brought the
weekly shopping home on the platic tray over rough ground, it's no
surprise it needed replaced after two years.  The skipper is still
fine but it hasn't had such hard use.  I just love the sprite IMO
there isn't a better umbrella stroller to be had, it was so cheap only
#33 ! 

All in all, I have been very happy with my maclaren strollers, and I
hope you find this information useful

-----------------------------------------------------
From: David G. Schwartz <schwartz@alpha.ces.cwru.edu>

We just ordered one yesterday and it should arrive tomorrow.
 - Double Melody X142 with blocks pattern $339 from Yeedles in Brooklyn.
 - Fully reclining seats
 - 29in. wide
 - approx 23 lbs
Give me a week or two and I'll tell you how we (dis)like it.

---------------------
From: scoombs@BBN.COM

We like our Maclaren stroller very much.  It has stood up to 3.5 yrs
of lots of use, with no broken parts.  It's fairly easy to set up and
collapse, and manuever over curbs and around obstacles.  I can only
think of two slight problems, first, that it's heavy, so if you're
downtown or someplace where you have to close it up for stairs, etc.,
it's heavy to carry; second, that the closing mechanism sometimes pops
loose when you're carrying it on stairs (especially when you have
extra stuff closed into a webbie on the back of the stroller, as we
often do).  However, the heaviness is made up for, in our opinion, by
how sturdy it is.  When our daughter was younger, it was also very
nice to have it recline, and to have the "boot" to protect her legs
from the wind on cold days. 

---------------------------------
From: lisas@phoenix.Princeton.EDU

I think I would have liked it better if the frame hadn't bent and
become unusable! 

The only good thing was that it was a gift, so I wasn't out the 300
bucks it cost.  I couldn't believe that I had to replace an expensive
stroller like that when I had another child. 

On the other hand, I've been told that the company is reputable, and
that if my husband hadn't thrown it away in a fit of pique I could
probably have gotten them to fix it. 

-------------------------------------
From: Dena Rollo <rollo@xylogics.com>

We ended up getting an Emmaljunga (because we wanted the bassinet,
which Isabel slept in for the first 3 months) and because Michael had
his heart set on it for some reason :). 

Otherwise, I would probably have opted for a MacLaren; my sister used
one with both her kids and really loved it, and most of the models are
a lot less unwieldy (more wieldy?) than the Emmaljunga. 

I have used my sister's old MacLaren when visiting my mother, and like
it very much. For a light stroller (this is a modified-umbrella) type,
it handles really well and feels sturdy. 

Mostly, I've heard only good things about the MacLarens.

ps - I do love the Emmaljunga, BTW, but it is not a stroller you want
to load in and out of the car very often! But for local trips, it's
the best! 

----------------------------------------------
From: Anne Paulson <anne@dolores.Stanford.EDU>

Wonderful stroller.  Indestructible.  We got ours used at a garage
sale; I don't know what model it is, but it's an umbrella type. 

---------------------------------------------
From: leeba@mcil.comm.mot.com (Leeba Salzman)

I own two Maclaren (5 position) buggies.  I bought the first 5 years
ago.  While visiting NY with my 4 week old daughter, a friend lent my
her Maclaren and I was struck by the smooth ride and compactness of
it.  I bought it with the hood and boot.  The boot I barely used (It
slides up over the seat to cover a reclining baby's legs) The hood is
not practical for me, as it cannot be adjusted to block the sun from
the kid's eyes.  Here, they have these flat, fringed covers which have
several positions.  My daughter spent a lot of time riding and
sleeping in her stroller (though she was in a flat carriage for her
first few months.) It is the style with the bar and ALL my kids loved
to put their feet up on it.  I also like to hand things on the
handles. 

I also invested in a (non Maclaren) rain cover which fits over the
whole front and my mother made a pad (out of foam packing from
computer equipment) to protect the stroller from leaks/spitups. 

I bought the second Maclaren once my second daughter was a few months
old.  This time I skipped the hood and other equipment as I rarely
took the kids out in cool or rainy weather.  I got an inexpensive
parasol for the sun.  This stroller came without the bar, but it
didn't matter much. 

Maclaren has 3 plastic brackets with screws which can be used to
connect the two Maclarens.  (Note you can connect 2 5-position
Maclarens and 2 3-position Maclarens, but I don't think you can mix.)
The combination ends up a drop wider than the Maclaren double stroller
and can be a headache in doorways, but a lifesaver when you need to
push two. 

Once my kids were older, I rarely used the reclining position, but I
still prefer that model.  It has the plus that you can have a
reclining baby towards the back and a toddler sitting in front. 

Both strollers get a lot of hard use on rutted surfaces and have held
up well.  My older model has had problems with the brake on one wheel
sticking.  I broke a piece from the back a while ago and haven't
gotten around to finding an address to write about a replacement. 

I also bought a cheap Graco umbroller on sale to leave in the car.  I
feel the difference in the ride.  The wheels are smaller and you feel
vibrations when you push along a cobblestone surface - yuck! 

My brother bought a Peg Perego and it is heavier and bulkier than the
Maclaren.  (I could fold the Maclaren and throw it in the car with one
hand.) The Peg had the bar instead of handles which is harder to hang
things on.  My sister had an Aprica which did not hold up well at all,
though they did send replacement parts. 

In summary, I highly recommend Maclaren.  I know many families with 6
kids and more whose Maclaren has survived them all.  Test drive one
yourself at your nearest Maclaren dealer :-)

----------------------------------------
From: maw2@Lehigh.EDU (Michele A. White)

We bought the Maclaren Buckingham and have been very pleased with it.
We have only used it for 15 months (and I wouldn't say very heavily). 

It folds like an umbrella stroller, so it is more compact and it is
lightweight.  As for durability, it has held up well. 

The salesperson that sold us the stroller said the Maclaren is known
for its durability (it will go through several children) -- others
that owned one told us the same -- supposedly the wheels are designed
by a pilot.  (This could have been a line). 

We have been happy with our decision thus far.  Good luck.

---------------------------------------------------
From: Audrey Ishizaki <ishizaki@hplabsz.hpl.hp.com>

we own a MacLaren stroller; our son is currently 15 months old.  We
own one of the "cheaper" (well, reletive to the rest of their line! it
cost about $120 on sale) models, but I don't recall the model number. 

It's very maneuverable, easy to open and close, sturdy (enough for my
son to climb in and out) and easy to clean.  It's much easier to deal
with than an aprica stroller we borrowed for a while.  My only
criticisms is that it didn't quite recline enough for an infant to use
(though we pushed him around in it anyway), and I sort of wish it had
a front "bar" (though I've seen some "soft bars" to add on in the
catalogs).  It didn't come with a (what's the word? all I can think of
is awning) to shade the baby, but one is available.  Also, when
they're infants, it's nice to be able to swap the direction of the
push-bar (which the Aprica did, our MacLaren doesn't), but once your
child is more interested in the world, they like to be pushed so they
can see forward. 

Some friends own a similar MacLaren stroller (we got ours at their
recom- mendation) and theirs is still going strong for their 4 year
old, even after multiple air trips, etc.  Oh, yes, our maclaren fits
fine in over head bins on the airplanes. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------
-- 
Ephraim Vishniac    ephraim@think.com   ThinkingCorp@applelink.apple.com
 Thinking Machines Corporation / 245 First Street / Cambridge, MA 02142
        One of the flaws in the anarchic bopper society was
        the ease with which such crazed rumors could spread.
Newsgroups: misc.kids