Each Phil and Ted’s Graffti Stroller has it’s own slightly different Graffiti design.  No two are the same.  The Sport Graffiti strollers come packaged together with a matching doubles kit toddler seat so that you don’t have to worry about the two pieces not looking good together.  The Graffiti Sport is available in 3 colors, Red, Bright Blue (not Navy), and the Lime Green.

As many of your know - the Phil and Ted’s Sport Buggy is one of our favorite double strollers.  Especially for those of your in Urban areas or who shop in many narrow aisles - it really has the best combination of narrow twin ride with amazingly easy push.

To get the Graffiti party started - Let’s Go Strolling is offering up 4 free upgrades from a Phil and Ted’s Sport Stroller to a Phil and Ted’s Graffiti Stroller to the first four people who comment on this post.  (Just make sure you mention “I want the free upgrade” - or we might think you are just spamming our blog!)

Enjoy your new Phil and Ted’s Graffiti Buggy and make sure to send a photo of your cuties inside their spiffy new ride!

ShareThis

Boogies Wipes are an innovative product - created by moms of course- sick of hurting their kids while trying to wipe their noses.

We all know the colds with the runny noses - where your kid’s nose ends up looking like Rudolph because it has been wiped so many times. Then we know the not so neat aftermath- when they are well enough to be up and around, but wiping their nose with their sleeve, so that they have boogers dried up all along their cheeks.  And you try to wipe it and they scream at you?! Tell me this hasn’t happened to you?

Boogie Wipes to the rescue!  It has a saline solution so it dissolves the dried-on snot that you have to scrub with other wipes.  It also has aloe to moisturize sensitive noses.  There’s no alcohol to avoid a harsh drying effect or yucky stuff we Mom’s try to avoid. Best of all, it comes in a fun grape flavor that kids will love to smell when you wipe. (i.e. they will love it so much they actually LET you wipe their nose.)

This winter season, don’t you deserve something that will make your life easier?!  And for under $5 - how can you resist?

Congratulations to Ada for winning a pack!

ShareThis

This is the idea. .  .You know those caked on bits of today’s lunch, of that bit of grandma’s lipstick she kissed the baby with - the minute you see them you instinctively lick your finger and rub your child’s face.  (Sometimes I rub so hard my 6 year old pull away with a “Mo-om! Stop it!” - but I digress) Anyways, this is a no-rinse cleaner that takes the place of your spit and replaces it with something much nicer.

When I first saw it I was a bit grossed-out - it really does LOOK like Mom’s Spit.  When you feel it though it is light and airy and not at all gooey like the real thing.  My 6 year old was fascinated with the name when I brought it home and wanted to try it - he LOVED it!  When my husband came home and asked what it was - my son said “It’s MomSpit!”  My husband remarked, “that sounds gross” and my son defended it. “No Dad! It’s really cool! Try it!”

MomSpit comes in 3 scents, Lemon and White Tea, Fig and Green Tea, and for those that hate scents - unscented.  I thought the Lemon sounded great and the Fig and Green Tea  - a bit yuck. I was completely wrong.  As Melissa summed up, “It smells like clean sheets.”  She’s almost right - it smells amazing but my sheets never smell this good!

2 other things to mention.  First off, no alcohol so it’s doesn’t have a harsh drying effect. Secondly, they have a cool tag line,
“Inspired By the Original” which we loved.

Whatever scent you use - you have to try it!  It will become a diaper bag staple of every modern mom in 2009 - just you wait and see!

Congratulations to Nicole B for winning one!

ShareThis

For all those waiting - after this begins our giveaway favorites! YAY!

Okay I have to be honest. . . 2 weeks out I can’t exactly remember what fruit was which.  Was this stroller and iPear or and iApple? Who knows!  I will tell you that the line is the type of stroller many of our US customers are looking for.  A one stroller does it all solution whether you have 1 or 2 kids, twins or siblings.  The iCandy line is built for incredible flexibility.

The iCandy strollers are currently sold in Europe but as some Americans have begun importing this stroller, they have sensed their is a market for their strollers in the US market.  The engineering of the iCandy strollers seems quite solid and very ingenius in the different configurations one stroller can have.

They have one stroller that is nearly identical the the Valco RAD.  According to iCandy, they have made upgrades to the Valco RAD stroller for a smoother fold and other aspects of usability.  I personally didn’t find the fold much easier but I have always been very fond of the Valco RAD stroller (now on SALE!) so I’m not opposed to seeing it have a second life. It has a great basket, narrow footprint and pushes beautifully.  It’s only downside is that it is on the heavier side with a fold that takes a little practice.

This stroller can take an attachment to fit 2 seats (which you need to buy in addition to the main seat) instead of one.  The only drawback to this idea is that similar to the Jane Powertwin, this fit smaller kids and siblings closer in age than initial main seat since the 2 seats are smaller and close together.

Their other stroller, due out in 2009 is a really a one-size-fits-your-family model. This stroller can either take one seat foward or rear facing, or it can take two seats, forward-facing, rear-facing or facing each other.  It can also take a bassinet in one or both spots so you can have twins in two separate bassinets or an older child in a seat (forward or rear-facing) and a bassinet in the other spot for the newest baby in the family.

It is a clever design that fits a remarkable number of configurations.  Although you do have to dis-assemble it a bit, the fold on the frame was very easy and definitely an improvement on the other iCandy’s stroller fold.

Okay, I have to admit, they showed in in the mauve color that I really didn’t like (and that is what the pictures all show) but they promised me there will be an array of much better colors when it is finally released, whew!

4Moms Listens to Moms (and Dads!)

When the Quinny Buzz was released in the States, everyone was talking about the hydraulic unfolding mechanism.  While it is cool, I consistently reminded customers that unfolding most strollers is not hard, what the market needs is a stroller that folds itself!  And everybody laughed.

Well apparently the brilliant folks at 4Moms have actually responded to this plea with a fully automatic stroller, the Origami, that opens and closes itself with the push of a button.  We were amazed!  While we only saw a prototype - so I can’t give feedback on steering and maneuverability -  the specs seems attractive.

This stroller is supposed to be 20 lbs, light enough for those of you lifting it in and out of the car as well as those who need to grab it for buses, trains or urban transportation.  It will not have full recline (only about 3+ months recline) but it will have a bassinet for those who want it for the newborn stage as well.

The basket on the unit is not determined yet either.   They were showing it with awful pannier like bags on the rear side of the stroller that hooked on and could be used as a diaper bag.  Honestly I don’t know who would want to carry that bag around as a diaper bag!  They were open to the idea of creating a basket instead, however which we think would be a big improvement.

The fabric was also still in the works as well as how the footrest would be easier to clean - different fabric? Coated fabric?.  The canopy seemed adequate but not huge but again they were still thinking about changing it to give more coverage.

It’s hard to say what the final product will actually look like but we will keep you updated. The potential for a great little in and out of the car, bus, subway stroller for busy parents is huge!

Last Up -  Maclaren

Okay, okay, I should have taken Maclaren photos. I didn’t.  I’m sure others did and you can find them online but we were remiss.

Maclaren’s big stroller release was a reversible stroller to enter that segment of the stroller market.  The stroller seat reversed easily and the stroller overall was easy to fold.  The basket was generous as well unlike most Mac baskets.  It even had a Strollometer built into the Console so you could see how far you and your baby have walked.  Great for Moms who want to increase their mileage and get back in shape.  The new Mac seemed to steer nicely but it wasn’t the light responsive touch of the Bugaboo, Quinny or Orbit either.

Why didn’t we like it?   I have to be completely honest and say for this weight and price point (think Bugaboo Cameleon!), we think it is just not worth it.  Although they said it was 30 lbs, we weighed it in at 33lbs! That’s a lot of reversible stroller folks!  Additionally - the styling on it had a lot of greenish plastic ala Graco.  It just didn’t seem to have the styling you would expect in a $900 stroller.   While there are colors galore on this new stroller, none of them are half as fun or stylish as a lot of the new Mac Quests and designer stroller lines.

What did we like about Mac? Many of their new colors/designs rock!  Their new Quest Mod patterns are stunning with little apples instead of dots like previous years.  The contrast colors on the line are fabulous and sophisticated.  The new Lulu Guiness is adorable, as is the new Kate Spade (finally! We didn’t like last years at all!).  Even the the Quest Sports come in fabulous new colors.  There are also some new designer lines including a furry-footmuffed, Juicy Couture - perfect for the LA, NJ and FL crowd!  If you are looking for a stylish lightweight umbrella, I don’t think you can find more beautiful ones than the Mac 2009 line.

ShareThis

Phil and Ted’s Strollers

First of all, as you may have heard, Phil and Ted’s is releasing a Graffiti line of strollers.  There will be 3 Sport Graffiti strollers (Red, Blue, and Lime), 1 Dash Graffiti Stroller (Black) and 2 Vibe Graffiti Strollers (Black and Red).  What is a graffiti stroller you might ask?  Well it is literally a stroller that looks like the interior of the strollers has been painted by graffiti.

The cool thing about the Graffiti strollers are that each one is completely unique and so no two are the same.  Phil and Ted’s is building up their brand in the US and working on getting an edgy urban look in their newest line. At the show, the tagline for the Graffi line was “Yo MotherSuckers!”  which seems a little provocative to say the least.  We’ll see if they continue with that motto going forward.

The Graffit line will only be available packaged together with the doubles kit.  The Graffiti line should be available in the next couple of weeks!

What about the dash you ask?  Good question.  Turns out Phil and Ted’s were using multiple factories to manufacture the Dash.  One of which ended up having some quality control issues which resulted in some early breakage.  Regal Lager pulled all the US Dashes from the market.  If you have one that is broken - contact Regal Lager and they will get you a replacement.  The newly manufactured Dashes, with excellent quality control this time I am sure, will be hitting the US within the next 4-6 weeks!

Other new Phil and Ted’s Accessories:

Okay we can’t publish our photos of most of these due to a request by Phil and Ted’s but we’ll tell you about them. . .
Phil and Ted is working on a hard sided bassinet attachment for the Vibe named the Peanut.  This should be available first quarter 2009. There is also a soon to be released Lazy Ted Attachment for the Vibe stroller.  Yay!  Additionally there will be a Vibe Buggy Bag that attached to the rear axle and your basket for additional storage.  Lastly, Phil and Ted’s is also predicting a 2009 release date for their high chair and own carseat which will work with the Vibe.  We can never say never, but we are always cautious to pick up a new carseat line that hasn’t proven itself over years of safety testing.  Why can’t the Vibe just take the Graco or Maxi Cosi infant carseats like everything else?

Phil and Ted’s is also releasing a wriggle wrapper.  This is a harness product to hold children onto any chair to serve as a high chair (or restraint I suppose!). It also comes with an extension to hold children on their back to any bed.  I’m sure to prevent rolling out of an adult bed but we were hysterical at the notion of chaining your kids to a bed and having to crawl underneath the bed to make sure the entension was attached on both sides to hold a child on its back in bed securely.  I don’t think this will be our product of choice!

Phil and Ted’s Smart Buggy v2 is on the way!

We don’t have a date yet but this light (12 lbs) Smart Buggy is going to be a hard urban stroller to beat.  It folded easily, weighted almost nothing, had a great recline, and hard larger wheels for a very responsive push.  Of course we only saw a prototype but we were salivating to get our hands on the real thing.  I’m sure it won’t be an inexpensive lightweight but if it lives up to the stats, the performance and usability should be fabulous!

One of Regal Lager’s other brands, GR8-X is also releasing a self-inflatible nursing pillow.  We loved it! It rolled up small or travel, inflated in a second and had a fuzzy minky side up against baby.

If you are a nursing mom on-the-go like me, you’ll snap up one of these travel pillows right away!  This is also great to keep in the car or in your diaper bag if you don’t want to kill your back by leaning over while nursing.

EasyWalker Returns:

Okay we’ve had our fair share of issues dealing with EasyWalker in the past.  They have great products but their US staff was skeletal and constantly changing - making it hard to reach them with questions or issues.  This year, however they are releasing a revolutionary new product to the marketplace.

Their double DuoWalker Sky will take TWO maxi Cosi carseats at the same time. Until now there has been now side-by-side that takes two carseast -something twin parents are always asking for.  EasyWalker managed to stagger the carseats so one is above the other to give it enough room to hold the carseats and still pass though a standard 30″ doorway.

Will it only take the Maxi Cosi Mico?  Yes and I’m sure it will stay that way.  The Graco and Peg carseats are much wider than the Mico so if they were on the stroller it would be incredibly wide and not pass through doorways.  This attachment is not expected until the Spring of 2009.

Easywalker also debuted a 4 wheeled stroller, a parent console, an easier to remove bassinet, and a gorgeous Silver color.  We liked the Silver Color but were confused why the 4 wheeler was so great?  It was heavy and wasn’t reversible so we wouldn’t recommend it unless you just loved the look.

EasyWalker also promised us they were expanding their US operations for more consistent customer service. . .

Teutonia:

I have seen the US Teutonia line in their test market runs and liked them but as I learned about them at the show there was even more to love.

Teutonia is debuting strollers where you can customize your stroller in looks including the color, chasis, seat insert and even coordinating carseat.  They had a wide range of solids and patterns to choose from as well as some matching footmuffs and accessories.  The Teutonia carseat is an even higher end Graco Safeseat in fashionable colors but the strollers will also accept either Graco Snugride or Safeseat.  All of the strollers will be reversible and all have German-made engineering and manufaturing.  Unusual in this day and age to have strollers that aren’t built in China.

We were disappointed that Teutonia is removing their trademark handlebar rainbow insignia for the US market.  Can you guess why?

Expect to find their larger roll-out in a store near you in early 2009.

ShareThis

First Stop Valco:

Okay I have to state my bias which is that we love Valco strollers. Not only are they beautiful to look at but they are made beautifully and push like a dream. Valco manages to incorporate many of the features parents really want, good storage space, nice tall canopies, good padding with innovative features parents need (think Twin Trimode with Toddler Seat), all wrapped up in a quality package.

However, I have to admit. When I think Valco I only think strollers. . . perhaps that needs to change.

Valco is releasing their first highchair in the US market. The Valco Highchair has clean lines, comes with a removable tray, easy to clean fabrics and a great price point (around $150ish). The best part however is it’s super quick and flat fold. Whether you are looking for a perfect second highchair for Grandma’s, or you are just looking for simplicity and easy storage, the Valco highchair should be high on your list. ETA is still up in the air but we will keep you updated!

Last year the show Valco debuted a Twin side-by-side stroller, the Ion that I adored. I kept asking Mr Valco USA when it was coming out. He finally told me the engineers couldn’t get the stroller with great fold under 30” wide and it wasn’t worth it to come out with a wider than 30” lightweight. I agreed but was sad.

Well they did it! Hurray! I love this twin stroller. It is so easy to fold, has a fabulous basket, is under 30” wide and it is really light. We weighed it in at 27 lbs! Wow! Even Mr Valco USA didn’t know how light it was. The seas have full recline, nice canopies and it pushes really well. I can’t wait for his double to hit the market as it is one of my favorite lightweight twins. The bad news will be the price which I think is in the $500’s. Quality costs, especially these days with rising material costs.

Valco is also working on a couple of lighter-weight 3 wheelers.  One of them we really liked.  It is lighter than the current trimode, has a bigger canopy, and a colored metal footrest that looked spiffy.  It also had EVA foam tires (ala Bugaboo 2008) instead of air tires for a maintenance free ride.  It would retail slighly higher ($20 or so) above the current Trimode model.

They are also releasing a “budget” model called the Matrix.  This is a big seller in their native Australia.  We didn’t like it that much but it is slated to debut in the $300s for people who don’t want to pay $480 for their 3-wheeler.  It will have air tires but a lesser shock system, lower quality fabric ,less padding and overall a little less pleasing of an aesthetic - but it will be slightly lighter due to its more limited features.

On the cute accessories note: Valco should be releasing wheel lights soon. These lightup when your wheel spins or great visibility at night and fun during the day!

On to Inglesina. . .

Inglesina has been plagued by distribution issue for the past 6 months.   They promise things are on the upswing but that is something to be aware of if you are interested in Inglesina strollers.

 They have made a few great redesigns to their popular Zippy stroller.  The handlebars are now extendable for taller users (about 3 inches) and they can rotate in for a more ergonomic push.  Angling in handlebars also makes 2 handlebar strollers easier to push with one hand in my experience.

Inglesina has also streamlined the Zippy colors and is sticking with 5 basic ones, Black, Navy, Rust Orange, Chocolate and Khaki/Yellow  .  The price is also going up the $399.  Despite my distribution worries, the Inglesina Zippy is a solid mid-weight stroller which they have only improved this year!

Inglesina is still offering the Trip and the Swift if 3 colors with no changes. They have however removed all doubles from their line including the Twin Swift and the Domino stroller. Fans of these two will be disappointed but most others won’t even notice the missing stroller lines.

The beautiful Classica pram is coming in a Khaki color that is lovely.

Micralite - Toro and Fastfold 2

The Toro has an improved closing mechanism to make it easier for people to figure it out initially. Otherwise Micralite is sticking with a good thing and leaving the Toro pretty much alone.  The new Toro color for 2009 will be a nice deep red in addition to the Stone, Charcoal, Orange and Emerald Green currenly on their line.

Yes you read right.  Micralite is bringing back an updated Fastfold version with the better open and close of the newest Micralite Toro.  Otherwise the Fastfold version 2 will have the same seat (no recline), same canopy and same basket.

We’re getting closer and closer to the giveaway so if you have any more questions you need answers to, please let us know and enter yourselves in our giveaway at the same time!

Also quick heads-up that you want to join our mailing list from our home page for great deals in the coming months as we clear out 2008 inventory and get ready for the new 2009 stock!

ShareThis

So we actually saw UPPABaby on the last day but they had one of the most exciting developments.  They have created a toddler seat which they are calling the Rumble seat for their 2009 UPPABaby Vista Line.

The excellent thing about this Rumble seat is that unlike other toddler seat strollers, it can be used with an infant carseat as well as with both kids facing you.  It even works with their accompanying PiggyBack board on the Vista to make it a 3 sibling solution!Unfortunately although they are working on a retrofit solution it will not work with earlier model years at this time.

This is a fabulous and thoughtful development from a company that really understands and is trying to meet the needs of American parents (although this is a solution many Europeans will want to import I am sure!).

That is not all the upgrades for their popular Vista line though.  They have deep-sixed the two tone seats and their stroller are all now one color.  They have removed the Alex (orange) and Makenna (Purple) from their line and replaced it with a gorgeous Silver tone. Their new colors are the popular Green, Black, Red, a new Blue tone and the Silver.

Additionally they have changed their bassinet to be entirely organic and this is standard on all strollers!  I think that is so thoughtful on their part to have the product that envolopes your new baby made from 50% soy fiber and 50% cotton organic products.

The new UPPABaby Vista will also have bit more padding in their seats, a fabulous extendable sunshade built into the canopy and UPPABaby branding on it (so you know who to thank) and will retail at $669.  They are expecting the strollers to ship in October.

The next UPPABaby delight is their new reclining umbrella stroller called the G-Luxe.  It has a fairly deep (3+ month) recline, a great price point ($159), the same easy fold that stands folded, and weighs only 11lbs!

This is a great alternative for those that want true lightweight convenience but don’t want to sacrifice recline.  It will be in somewhat similar colors to the current G-Lite line but the G-Luxe green will be more of an Apple Green and the blue is a Navy, the Red and Black are unchanged. The G-Lite will stay the same but come standard with a cupholder and increase in price slightly.

On to Mountain Buggy:

Besides having a great dealer incentive program (buy lots from us so we can go to New Zealand folks!), the folks from Mountain Buggy are releasing an innovative new urban delight.

Building on the popularity of the Breeze’s smaller, lighter frame, Mountain Buggy is releasing the Swift.  The Mountain Buggy Swift is a smaller, lighter, narrower version of the Urban Single with a similar swivel wheel.  The stroller is about 2-3 lbs lighter than the Urban Single, it has full newborn recline, a great basket, and 10″ wheels.  It will come in three get colors, Black/Lime Green, Black/Red, and Black/Charcoal. It is not, however, carseat compatible.

The nice folks at Mountain Buggy were nice enough to lend us an Swift to try out for a day with my daughter at the show.  It pushed beautifully and manuevered in true Mountain Buggy style.  We were sad to give it back!

The 10″ wheels are perfect for those that want a smooth urban ride but don’t need to larger wheels for off-road performance.  We predict this will be a huge hit for Mountain Buggy - especially in tighter urban areas (can you say NYC) where carseats are not as important.  The Swift is set to hit the US soil in December so watch out for it!

We don’t want to forget the Urban Line where Mountain Buggy is bringing out 2 new limited edition patterned strollers.  A charcoal more subtle pattern and a black with green leaves. Unlike earlier patterns which just had a pattern on the canopy, the whole stroller has a patterned material.  We loved the black with leaves especially!   I might be wrong but I remember they only came in the single version.  And Mountain Buggy just told us if there is enough demand they will release a matching carrycot.

Storksak goes fun for Spring

Okay I’m exhausted so before I go to bed - a quick Storksak update.  I don’t have photos yet but Storksak is coming out this Spring with patterned bags in the Emily and Elizabeth that are gorgeous.  There is a brown ‘Rococo’ pattern as well as Green and a Navy flowers/leaves pattern.  Additionally the Elizabeth will come in a mint Green color that I am in love with.

The Claire Sak will also be coming out in solid colors with patent trim as well as the current favorites.  Lastly there are two new bags slated for this Spring.

Storksak is debuting the Jess which is a canvas shoulder/messenger bag similar in shape to the popular Emily but with buckles instead of zippers on the outside pockets.  It is a very low maintenance and understated bag.  On the other side they have the Suzi Kasbah print which is a totally fun patterned shoulder bag.  The Suzi is more square with an easily wipeable fabric.

PS On Quinny Write-Up From Yesterday

A big thank you to Quinny/Dorel who read our review yesterday and offered a few clarifications/correctsion.

The Zapp’s other improvements are that the weight limit is not 50lbs and not 40lbs.  In addition the storage basket now stays on the stroller when the seat is removed to accommodate the Maxi Cosi Mico infant carseat. 

The accents on the Buzz are an eggplant color, not Black as I had thought.

Lastly the Loola will be sold under the Maxi Cosi and not Quinny Brand.

I also remembered that the Buzz will not come with two seats fabrics, a more padded (think current tempurpedic foam) seat for younger children and a stiffer, more durable and deeper seat designed for the size and wear and tear of toddlers.  The Buzz will increase to $629 for the Buzz 4 and $579 for the Buzz 3.

ShareThis

They have also upgraded their wheels to a spiffy aluminum spoke that really pops!  The Queen B next year will only come in Black and Red.  No bit other news although  word on the street is that they are working on a cool diaper bag line for release in ??  We’ll keep you updated!

What’s New With Quinny?

First of all Quinny is introducing a 4 wheeled Buzz in addition to their 3 wheeled Buzz. Yes you read that correctly - Quinny will have 2 Buzzes on the market in 2009.  Really??  I guess early tests in Europe indicate both are popular so they are letting consumers pick their favorite.  They are keeping the popular Black and adding a Red (Strawberry), a Yellow with black accents on the canopy (Gold) and a celedon/Moss type Green (Apple).  All colors will be available in both wheel types.  I will miss my personal favorite the Juice color!

Accessories wise the Buzz will get a new Buzz Travel Bag for all of you who don’t want the airlines to kill your precious stroller.  They are also bringing the Buzz Box to the US as an accessory for extra storage and a Buzz Cupholder.

The Zapp will stay exactly the same with just color updates.  They are keeping the Orange (Mandarin) and Black, while adding a Red (Strawberry), Lime Green (Citro), Cobalt Blue (Cobalt).

The Maxi Cosi Mico Infant Seat will be coming 8 (count them!) 8 colors.  They were too high for me to take a good photo of so you will just have to wait and see the new colors/patterns.

Quinny will also be bringing the popular Loola stroller, sold by BebeConfort in Europe, to the US.  This is a reversible seat umbrella stroller.  I had this stroller 3 year ago with my second and it is a fabulous stroller that folds relatively compactly and in either direction but it is HEAVY!  We weighed it in at 28 lbs!  That’s a lot of weight for an “umbrella stroller.”  You would be better off getting the Bugaboo Bee or even the Quinny Buzz as a lightweight compared to the 28lbs Loola!  And for 28 lbs you are getting plastic wheels to boot! Unlike the
Bugaboo Bee though the seat is super easy to turn around.  There were 3 colors shown - a gorgeous chocolate/blue, red and black.  No confirmed price or release date just yet from Quinny.

What’s New with BOB?

Absolutely nothing!  That’s right! I went up and asked - what’s new?  Nothing!  Gotta love people that don’t mess with a good thing.  They are working to up availability to meet demand in 2009.  I guess if you are having trouble keeping inventory in stock - making improvements isn’t your first priority.  Even with a mid-year price increase, the BOB Revolution is very nicely priced.  For all of you that wanted a deeper recline though - perhaps next year!

What’s New with Mutsy?

 They finally listed to my biggest complaint about the 4Rider . . . storage! They have released a shopping basket accessory that attaches onto the back of the 4Rider line (lite, single spoke, urban rider) and give a fair amount of extra storage.  It can even be easily lifted off to make folding up your stroller with a full basket easy.  A big thumbs up to the newest Mutsy Product.

Otherwise for all you who asked, no additional accessories beyond adaptor and raincovers (ie. no fun seat, wheeled board, dinner tray) for the Slider yet.  The 4 Rider is just starting to take off in the US so Mutsy has been concentrating their efforts there for the meanwhile.  They are releasing the Slider in a beautiful new chocolate color though.  Also, as many of you know  ( we need to update our site) Mutsy, is now selling the 4Rider in pieces.  You can order the chassic, seat and bassinet all separately.  Great for parents of older babies who still want the 4Rider or anyone who has one and wants the Urban Rider Frame for heavier outdoor use.

Up Next . . .Skip Hop, Ju-Ju-Be, Valco, Inglesina, Teutonia, Storksak,  and More!

ShareThis

Well the first day at ABC was a blur already.  Have we seen everything yet?  Not even close!  We’ve seen some great products though and it’s been fun to catch up with some old friends.

So we thought since there were several questions that people wanted to find out about Baby Jogger we would lead off with that.

Big Baby Jogger News:

Baby Jogger is finally coming up with a carseat adaptor for their double strollers – Hallelujah! We couldn’t be happier about this.  They have come up with a patented design that allows a carseat on one side and then to avoid tippiness when a toddler gets out, you can easily slide the carseat to the middle.  And it works on the City Mini double too! Yes you read that right, on the City Mini Double!  On the doubles front they are also releasing an accessory that has two snack trays to attach to the double bumper bar.

On the Elite and City Classic, no they are not changing the canopy on the Classic – that is still one main differentiation between the products but they are lightening the weight on both strollers.  We weighed the prototype of the City Elite (which is heavier than the actual one will be) and it was lighter than than the current 2008 City Elite so we are psyched.  They have changed the front wheel fork and added better suspension and a lighter fork and wheels to lighten up the stroller a couple of pounds!  The colors have changed as well with a Chocolate/Tan, Red/Black, and Black in the Classic and a Stone, Red/Tan, Black/Black, Black/Cream (stunning) and Blue/Black in the Elite.

They have also thrown out the ATS and come out with a running stroller that is worthy of the Baby Jogger name. It has their patented  one-step fast-fold, is easy to recline (though not newborn recline), the same canopy as the classic, and an angled fixed handlebar that allows joggers of different heights to push it comfortably.  Whether it competes on push with the BOB revolution remains to be seen!  The Summit 360 will even come in a triple version (ala Mountain Buggy Urban Triple) with swivel/fixed wheels but the recline will still not be deep enough for newborns.

The City Mini remains the same popular stroller.  Why change a great thing?  They have just added the popular Stone color that is similar to their current Tan Elite color.  They have also added a storage bag for those that wish the City Mini had more storage.

On a less positive note: The Baby Jogger City Series Jump Seat and canopy will be out very soon but the weight limit is a disapointing 30 lbs.  This means many older siblings will need to be in the main seat while their little brother or sister is in the jump seat but there is almost no legroom or breathing space for an older sibling in the main seat.  Bottom line in our book - if you want the jump seat - go with a Valco (or a Phil and Ted’s or an UPPABaby (more to follow!))

We’ve added a lot of photos to this entry believing a photo really is worth 1,000 words!

ShareThis

This is also the show where all the big brands, Valco, Mountain Buggy, Baby Jogger, Bugaboo, Orbit, Skip Hop, Fleurville, Storksak and more reveal their newest products and upcoming changes for the 2009 line-up.  A few of these products are shipped right after the show but many more are released right after the New Year.

We especially wanted to know if you have any questions you are dying to have answered by the companies themselves.   Whether it is the infamous “When will Bugaboo have a double stroller?” to the more detailed, “Can they make the canopy higher on the Valco Twin Latitude stroller?”  We promise we will try to ask and answer all your questions.  As much as they tell us  - we will let you know.

This year we’ve decided to give away some of our favorite show products to some lucky readers who give us questions to investigate at Vegas.  Whether you want to know of any color changes to the UPPABaby line-up, or you are just curious when Ju-Ju-Be will release more great patterns - just let us know and you will be automatically entered in our giveaway!

You have until Thursday to post your questions/comments and we promise to do our best to get you answers!

Stay tuned for details/first looks/ and all the newest trends from the show. . .

P.S. Here is Melissa and I at a previous ABC show. . .wish us luck getting through it all!

ShareThis