Maclaren stroller owners....questions???

[weeluvdisney]

I am considering buying a Maclaren stroller basically for the trip to disney but hopefully will have other uses too but I have 3 questions
1) Do all Maclarens (volo, triumph, quest) accomodate a child up to 55 lbs??
2) Do you recommend the ones that have a sun shade, do they work and are they necessary?
3) Can you lock them up somehow so they don't get stolen or taken on accident?

 

[In Luv with Disney]

I have a Maclaren Quest Mod and ABSOLUTELY love it!!!

To answer your questions:

1) Do all Maclarens (volo, triumph, quest) accomodate a child up to 55 lbs??
The answer is YES!!! You will get your moneys worth with this stroller. Most other strollers only hold up to 40/45 pounds.

2) Do you recommend the ones that have a sun shade, do they work and are they necessary?
All Macs now have sunshades. The older Volo models didn't come with sunshades, but they sell Volo Accessory Packs that come with a cushion for the seat and a sunshade (in addition to other stuff!). The NEW Volo models come with sunshades!!!

3) Can you lock them up somehow so they don't get stolen or taken on accident?
I haven't taken it to WDW yet, but from what others have said on here, there have been no real problems with others "stealing" strollers...at least as far as I have seen!

Also keep in mind, the Volo is probably the cheapest of the 3 you were inquiring about. The Volo also DOES NOT recline. If that is a feature you need, consider the Quest or Triumph. The Volo also has a mesh seat, which is great for the heat and humidity of WDW in the summertime! But if your toddler needs more comfort, a Quest might be your best bet. Out of the three, the Quest has the most comfort, from what I saw.

Good luck with your decision! YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED!!!

 

[R4racing]

Since the first poster answered your questions, I will just add this...
When we first got our Volo the sunshade did not stay on very well, turns out we weren't putting it on quite the right way. It just slides on and if it isn't on right that side or sides will pop off, it stays on much better since we figured this out.

As far as needing a sunshade, that is your call. Since my DD survived 2 previous trips in a cheap umbrealla stroller without a shade, I was going to pay extra for one, but we ended up getting the newer model that included it. I don't think it is necessary, but for some if might be.

I'm not sure how you would lock it up, as the wheels don't have spokes you could put a lock through. We didn't lock ours up, but did usually hook it over the handles of our other stroller to make it less likely to be taken by mistake.

Also, I know you didn't ask it, but I do like the height of the Volo and the steering so much better than the cheap umbrella strollers.

 

[allyn]

i bought a quest from this comany http://www.specialtybaby.com/strolfrommac.html last year and so did someone else i know. they also sell on ebay. they have last year's models at discounted prices. i am not affiliated with them.

we also have a graco quattro tour. my daughter (2 3/4) apparently doesn't like the sun shade on either stroller and rarely allows us to use it. we use it when she is sleeping.

 

[JLS]

We originally bought a MacLaren Triumph for our son and started using it when he was about 6 months. This stroller is sturdy, lightweight and folds up in a compact way. But we ended up buying a different stroller because I did not like the fact that it didn't have a tray in front and the bottom "storage" area is difficult to access (you have to crouch down and shove the stuff in, rather than it being a "basket" area that you can just toss stuff into. We ended up buying the Peg Perego Aria and LOVE it. Still lightweight, but it has a tray so we can set out snacks for the baby and his bottle or sippy cup fits into a bottle holder in the front, and the storage area is better

Keep in mind, too, that the MacLaren does NOT recline back all the way. it will recline, but not far enough for my son to be able to comfortably nap. The Aria we bought reclines WAY back so he can comfortably nap.

So, we keep the MacLaren as a backup only, and the Aria will go with us to WDW.

 

[DISNEYFOS]

Hi there. We have a MacLaren Quest that has been on two trips to Disney so far with my now 2.5 year old.

It was great..easy to manuever thru crowds and very light weight for traveling. She had no problems napping in it with it reclined and we never locked it up..always there when we came back out.

Just a word of advice not specific to MacLarens..if it has a removable Sun Shade. use a belt or rope or something to secure it when gate checking.... We've lost a few..

HTH

 

[karenTX]

On the Triumph...is the sun shade stationary or can it be tilted down towards the front? I hope that makes sense!!! That is the thing I love about my Greco...I can move the shade to the front to block the sun from DD's eyes.

Thanks!!

 

[SqueakyMouse]

We saw tons and tons of expensive strollers at WDW this past week. Our only problem with a stroller was last spring at the outlets. Our stroller was stollen while dh and younger ds were very, very briefly in the restroom. No one else was around (and security hadn't taken it), so it wasn't a mistake.

 

[kjbrown]

We just came back in March. I bought a Maclaren Triumph brand new just for this trip. My 2.5 year old daughter who REFUSES to get in a stroller at home, loved her new stroller and wanted to get in it all the time! The recline worked perfectly for naps. In fact, she normally naps really well, but had a hard time at WDW, the stroller was the only way to get her to sleep!

The sun shade does come forward. Sometimes a bad thing if your kid pulls it over herself again and again like my daughter did!

The basket was great, too. Honestly if it was any bigger, I just would have put more stuff in there which just would have been more of a pain getting on and off buses, planes, etc.

I WOULD recommend the bag you can buy if you gate check it on the plane. Some people here recommended that and it was a good idea. Less damage that way.

We didn't have any problems with anyone stealing our stroller and we used a red hankerchief to make it easier to spot in the stroller parking areas.

Good luck and have fun.

 

[karenTX]

Thanks for the info!! I'm trying to decide between the Triumph and the Quest.
How much deeper is the Quest seat? I have a pretty tiny 1yo, slim but long.
Thanks!

 

[hipmaman]

Thanks for the info!! I'm trying to decide between the Triumph and the Quest.
How much deeper is the Quest seat? I have a pretty tiny 1yo, slim but long.
Thanks!

The Quest have what is called the extended legrest which can be pull-out so the stroller seat is longer and a baby/child can sit with legs NOT dangling over the seat edge. The Triumph does not have this extended legrest. If you have a young baby, then I say get the Quest which also can be reclined more than the Triumph.

And someone had asked about if the sun shade/canopy could be tilted to the front... Not the 2006 models and I only have confirmation that the Techno XT canopy can be brought down toward. The ones from 2005 and before could not be brought down more than what you see in pictures.

 

[weeluvdisney]

Thanks for the info. Now I just have to go buy one.

 

[In Luv with Disney]

I have a 2005 Quest Mod and the sun canopy CAN be tilted to the front. Not as good as some models, but it still can.

 

[NotUrsula]

1) Do all Maclarens (volo, triumph, quest) accomodate a child up to 55 lbs??

Well, all *NEW* Macs do, but this is a recent change. I'm not sure what year it changed, but I know that up until at least 2001 the weight limit was 40 lbs. If you buy a used Mac, pay attention to the model year.

 

[Deesknee]

I had these same questions. As I had 3 teens & the "new" one is most definately last. I hesitated to spend the money.
I do not regret it. We bought the techno. It reclines & mine was still an infant when we purchased it. We found albeebaby.com to be the best price.
Our baby is 2 1/2 now & we find we hardly ever use any of the other 3 strollers we have.


I found all the info on these boards extremely helpful!!!!
Best of luck.

 

[karenTX]

I have a 2005 Quest Mod and the sun canopy CAN be tilted to the front. Not as good as some models, but it still can.

THANK YOU SOO MUCH!!! I am going out to get one this weekend!!