The Baby Stroller Corner

Chicago Mom:

Rating

The First Years Indigo is a great lightweight stroller with 3 different modes (front-facing, parent-facing and bassinet mode) which is reasonably priced!

The stroller weighed in at 22 pounds.

The color is gorgeous – it’s a bright happy red. It makes quite a statement and fellow parents seem to admire it. It steers like a dream indoors and outdoors. You can literally push it with a finger. The front wheels rotate 360 degrees so it turns on a dime. It accommodates children up to 50 pounds and 40 inches.

It accepts the following car seats: First Years I450, First Years I470, Graco Snugride, Snugride 32, Snugride 35, Chicco Keyfit and Keyfit30. It comes with a bumper bar, a parent console and a car seat adapter in a cute black bag.

Dimensions:34.5 x 23.5 x 41 inches

Here’s a summary of the pros and cons:

Pros:

Easy to assemble (clear instructions)

Three positions – front facing, parent facing and bassinet mode

Reasonably priced

Steers like a dream – you can push it with a finger

Very cool-looking

Accepts various car seats

Seat can be removed to be used as a snap-n-go type stroller frame

Easy to fold and unfold

Easy to rotate the seat between positions

Basket is huge and easily accesible

Feels sturdy and stable

Easy to adjust harness (easy to close and open as well)

One-handed steering

Comes with parent console which can hold drinks, keys, cell phone, bottles

Seat can be pretty upright or very reclined

Adjustable legrest

Extendable canopy

Mutiple recline positions

Wheels feel substantial and well made for non-air tire wheels

Adjustable leg rest

Cons:

Seat could be deeper (it would not be a good stroller for really hefty/big kiddos)

Manual says basket should only hold 5 pounds (although I have put lots of groceries in mine)

Seat is made out of plastic material, not fabric (fine by me – easier to clean)

Harness could be more substantial

Somewhat wide fold with seat (I did not fold it without the seat)

Canopy is somewhat limited

Stroller will not last past age 3 unless you have a small/short child

The fold is not as compact as an umbrella fold, but is more compact than the fold of an air tire stroller. I did notice that the back wheels seem to wobble a little in rougher surfaces, but the movement does not affect the steering or smoothness of the ride at all so it did not bother me. The wheels are large enough to ride over bumps in the sidewalk and the stroller does not get stuck at every bump and crevice. In my opinion, the ride is pretty darn smooth for a non-AT stroller. The stroller seems very stable.

The seat has 3 recline positions (bassinet/flat, reclined and upright). I would probably add a blanket or a snuzzler for a newborn when using the bassinet to make it more comfortable

I took the stroller to a nearby drugstore and loaded the basket. Tons of room. Very happy with it. It steered beautifully among the aisles and my son seemed happy to be higher off the ground (compared to our other strollers).

All in all – I would say you can get great bang for your buck by getting this stroller for an infant and using it until the LO is about 2.5 or 3 years old (depending on height)! It will not be as smooth a ride as an air tire stroller but is a great alternative to an umbrella stroller or traditional stroller. It is also a good alternative for parents who want the parent-facing feature without having to spend lots of money on a Bugaboo or similar stroller.

I would definitely recommend it to friends and family! Love it so far!

ETA: The wheels are a bit squeaky after use outside, so you will need silicone spray. First Years will have to work on this issue.

D. Mardis:

Rating

I just got this stroller in and wanted to post a review for those who are contemplating buying it but can’t find any reviews. That was me not too long ago, but I decided to take a chance anyway. So glad I did! First off, the ease of putting this stroller together made it worth it. I didn’t even have to take out the directions. Snap in the wheels and the seat and your good to go. Second, the frame is very lightweight and the wheels are larger so turning and maneuvering through tight spaces is a breeze. The wheels are even big enough to take it to the beach, which we plan to try out in a few weeks. The whole stroller is also very narrow, though the seat is really roomy. The narrow frame makes getting around tight spots and into narrow door ways quite easy. The seat held my 10 month old, 23 lb baby boy and there was lots of room to spare. The seat also adjusts so he can sit all the way up or recline for a nap. The basket is large enough for a diaper bag and a few other things. I like that the access is from the front and wide open because it makes getting things in and out a lot easier. The parent “tray” is actually a canvas material that has a zipper pouch for storage (big enough for my wallet and iPhone and a diaper) and 2 cup holders and 2 other compartments for keys and such. A lot of thought obviously went into what other strollers lack when this one was made. To fold it, the seat snaps right off and the frame folds flat and takes up very little space. This would easily fit into a car trunk and fits into my SUV without any problems. My son LOVED the fact that he could face me while we stroll along and I can sing to him or make silly faces and he doesn’t get upset about having to sit in a stroller. This was our issue and the reason I wanted a parent-facing stroller. The bar across the seat is great as he holds on to it and uses it for teething. Everything on the stroller that is canvas comes off for washing with snaps, so looks like that would be easy to do. The material on the bar zips off as well for washing. We have the red one and I love this color. A little darker than the picture and better in my opinion. Overall, I would HIGHLY recommend this stroller! I would have paid lots more for the same one and there are ones on the market that have similar looks and features for triple the amount!

Pros:

Lightweight

Easy Maneuvering

Parent or Outward Facing

Folds Flat

Big Storage Basket

Comfortable Seat for Baby

Large Canopy Shade for Baby

Very Useful Compartment “Tray” for Parents

Big Wheels

Great Color

Cons:

Removing Seat to Fold (You can fold with seat but it makes for a much bulkier fold)

That’s all I can think of for now. As I use it more, I will update with more information. You won’t regret this purchase!

Paulina Kumkowski:

Rating

If there is an interest I will make a video review of this product. It’s an okay stroller- but I thought it had suspension because of a previous reviewer. It does not. I took it to my dad to impress him and he told me (he is a car mechanic) that it does not have any type of suspension. The canopy is sooo tiny that it’s useless and has no “peek-a-boo” window. My son’s feet already reach the bottom of the footrest and he is 29″ tall wayyy below the supposed 40″ height limit. The wheels measured up are actually about the same size as my Kolcraft snap and go. There is no snack tray. There is no bar to push so both the brakes go on. The handle is not height adjustable- but at 5’4 I can tolerate the height. It does turn on a dime, but does not glide easily over grass/gravel like the Kolcraft contours does. The stroller itself (without the seat) will fit into the trunk of my vw beetle- so that’s a plus. But like another poster said a canopy extension is necessary for this stroller. If it weren’t for my beetle I would get a Mia Moda Atmosferra it’s [...] more but has bigger wheels (so I am guessing it is as smooth as the kolcraft contours stroller) a huge canopy that covers the whole baby (and has a peek-a-boo window) and cup holders/snack tray. Also my wheels are squeaky as hell- so bad that an elderly couple walking behind was commenting about the loud squeaking and what could be making that noise.

If you have any specific questions you can feel free to email me @ [...] and I will answer. I am posting my email address because choosing a stroller was an agonizing process for me and I had sooo many questions that went unanswered until I actually got the thing.

EDIT

5/22/10

I have had the stroller for about a week now and feel different about it. I still am disappointed that the stroller doesn’t have a large canopy or a window. But now after taking it for a few walks and oiling the wheels- and after getting a canopy extension – it has grown on me. The back of the seat is 4 inches taller then the Kolcraft Contours and the Mia Moda atmosferra. I have never tried the Kolcraft Contours on the grass so I can’t say the Contours is better. From what I have read – none of them are that great on the grass unless they have air tires. But I can say that the stroller frame itself is wayy more stable then my combi, although the seat does bounce around a bit when going over rough terrain.

katie:

Rating

I really have no complaints about this stroller. There are plenty of things I love about it. I purchased it in the gray color, and I absolutely love it. The red was too bright for my liking. Inside of the canopy is a really nice blue color, which you can see in the pictures I uploaded. I love that the bar in the front is detachable, and I also love that the parent compartment comes off. I prefer the way it looks without it. Finding a stroller with a reversible seat at such a good price is really incredible. It was so easy to put together. The car seat attachment is easy to use, and my graco snugride fits in it perfectly. It’s an incredibly versitile customizable stroller, and I am so glad that I picked this one out. I was originally looking at the maxi cosi foray. I took that one for a spin in the store, and I liked it, but it isn’t the least bit better than this one. and this one is half the price. plus the other strollers usually only accept the same brand of car seat. This was an awesome buy, and I would recommend it to anyone.