Graco LiteRider: Finally, a Stroller That Meets ALL My Needs
Written: Jul 19 '00 (Updated Jul 19 '00)
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Pros: One handed folding, lightweight, easy to steer, large basket, 3 drink holders, good seat belt design, footrest, GREAT price!
Cons: Back has to be reset each time you set up the stroller, no back pocket, no stand
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| WorkingMomof2's Full Review: Graco Glider LiteRider |
This is my fourth stroller, and the first one I have really “shopped” for. I consider myself, by now, to be somewhat of a stroller connoisseur and was very particular about my requirements for a new stroller. After much checking of features, prices and other user’s opinions, I ended up purchasing the Graco Glider LiteRider Stroller, Model 6927. This is, in my opinion, the best stroller we have had to date and fits our specific needs.
Selecting The Right Stroller for You
I think that the most important thing when selecting a new stroller is to truly understand what your needs are. Do you need a large sturdy stroller, which your baby can sleep in? Do you want a small stroller, easy to fold up & store in the car? How much are you willing to spend? What kind of features do you want? Etc.
For our specific needs, I was looking for a relatively small and lightweight stroller that would fold up easily and fairly compactly. I wanted good control, and a large basket underneath. The stroller’s ability to convert to an infant seat, or fully recline (both of which this stroller has, but I will never use!) were not important to me, as my youngest child is almost 2-1/2. Drink holders were a bonus, but not required; reliability was a must as was a good design, capable of comfortably holding a toddler.
Features of this Stroller
The Graco Glider LiteRider (Model #6297) offered me all of the features I wanted, at a price I could afford. (Note: There are 8 different models of the LiteRider on the Graco Website – be sure to check out the differences, as Epinions has classified them all under one category!)
• One Hand Folding Mechanism – this has a nice feature where you can actually fold up the stroller just by twisting the mechanism on the handle. I saw several strollers that claimed to have “one handed folding”; however, this was one of the only ones I saw where it actually was easy to do. To prevent accidental folding there is a little lock you set on the frame, this holds it up when you want it up and holds it closed when you have it collapsed.
• Removable Parent’s Organizer Tray (with two cupholders). This is a cute feature, a little tray that sits on top that is perfect for setting down little stuff in, and has two cupholders as well. After three strollers without cup holders, and using either the basket or a clip-on cup holder, I cannot tell you how nice this is to have. We use this all the time. It does easily pop off if you don’t want it (or need to clean it).
• Removable Child’s Tray with Cupholder This goes across the child’s lap, holding him in securely. It has a nice deep cavity in the tray that has so far held French fries, carrots, pacifiers, assorted toys, or other must-bring-items. There is also a drink holder, which is nice to keep a small drink handy next to baby, so s/he is not always asking for it or trying to balance it. I also like the fact that I can take this off and it doesn’t affect my child’s safety in the seat.
• Extra Large Storage Basket One of my biggest complaints about strollers is that they don’t make the baskets large enough to hold all of my “stuff”. This basket is (just barely) large enough, and has so far met my needs. I like to take a shoulder bag, with a few diapers, a change of clothes, a few snacks and a sweater/jacket for myself and baby (and anyone else who is with us). Of course I don’t want to carry this all over; the “shoulder bag” is really just a nice looking tote that I can grab if we are leaving the stroller for a period of time. It does fit in the basket; however, I have to pull it out to fold up the stroller.
• Nicely designed pad & seat belt – the LiteRider has a removable pad & seat back, which we have already had occasion to wash (an ice cream incident at Disneyland did ours in on only the second outing!). It looks as good as new after a gentle machine washing. Ours is a greenish/blue plaid, very unisex and attractive. I also like the seat belt design, which holds my daughter in securely. This is a two-buckle snap, but it has a padded section that goes between her legs so there are no sharp edges to rub on her legs or sides.
• Front Swivel Wheels, Rear Brakes, Front End Suspension - I know these are probably standard features on almost any stroller; however, having had three previous strollers, I can tell you that they don’t always work well. The swivel wheels (which you can lock into a non-swivel if you want) work beautifully, as does the rear brake. This stroller handles well, going where I want it to go with minimal effort. The only other stroller I’ve had where these worked as smoothly was my large Graco (which had a long life of 4 years hard use before being retired). Since we often walk on paths and grass, effective wheels were a must for me and these have held up well.
• Child’s Footrest - This may not seem like an important feature to you; however, my last two “small” strollers did not have this. The end result is that my daughter would trail her feet down by the front wheels. I think she liked (likes) the feel of the wheel whirring by her feet; however, I panic at the idea of her little toes getting stubbed or caught on these wheels. The footrest was a must have and I was happy to find this. My daughter, by the way, happily keeps her feet on the bar and we haven’t had any problems with toes & wheel exposure since buying this stroller.
• Lightweight Frame – this stroller weighs 19.75 pounds (I had to call Graco); this is at least 10 pounds lighter than my old Graco stroller and about the same as my last lightweight stroller. I can easily lift this up & down stairs without exertion, even while balancing my daughter on my hip. Until you’ve tried this – and failed – you don’t realize what an important criteria this is!
• Seat Reclines to 4 Positions – like I said, I don’t really need this feature with my daughter now that she is two. However, I can see great value for this with a younger child; my old Graco stroller did this and I did lay it back when my kids were younger.
• Adjustable Canopy The canopy attaches completely, but is adjustable to various positions. It also Velcro’s down on the sides so it doesn’t flop up in the wind, which is nice.
• 4 Years/40 Pounds My kids are fairly small, so I rarely have problems with products based on weight restrictions. However, this stroller is designed for kids up to 40 pounds, and I can tell you my five year old (who just barely squeaks in at 40 pounds, dripping wet) sat in this for fun on & off one day and it held him easily, even when he was jumping up & down out of it, and I was still able to steer it easily.
What I’m Disappointed In
I truly do love this stroller. There are just a few things that I find disappointing, especially for the price. To be fair, this wasn’t a $200 stroller, and I got a screaming deal on it to boot. Nonetheless, here is what you should know, in case these are important factors for you:
• No back pocket There is no back pocket on this stroller, which I loved for extra storage on my “big” Graco. I can live with this – really, it’s just disappointing. There certainly is plenty of room where the canopy hangs down to have incorporated this, and it would have been a huge convenience.
• Have to reset Back Height each time This is probably my biggest complaint with this stroller, and I guess if this is as bad as it gets, that’s pretty good <GRIN>. Nonetheless, I find it annoying that everytime I fold out the stroller I have to reach through the back and adjust the back to the proper height. It appears to default to a lay-down position, then you have to lock it to the right position. Since we often use ours at parks, Disneyland, restaurants, and other places where we are folding it up & down fairly often, this is a nuisance. I’m rather surprised, actually, that the default position isn’t just a mid-way sitting position.
• No stand This is a feature I didn’t even know I wanted until I got this stroller. None of my strollers have had this; however, I recently saw a gal’s stroller at Disneyland that had this and was envious (stroller envy?). What this is missing is a way to stand the stroller upright, when it is in a locked position, so it doesn’t fall down. I did see this option in the instructions; however it was not on my model. I am going to call Graco, however, and see if I can purchase a stand. If so, I’ll update this review and let you know!
Price
I purchased this stroller through Selfcare.com, where it lists for $92.50. I went in through Ebates.com, though, so I got an additional 15% off and used an online coupon for free shipping; so my total price for this stroller was under $80. For all the features and the quality of this stroller, I am thrilled to have this, especially at that price!
Assembly
I put this stroller together myself. I will admit that I am fairly mechanical, so this wasn’t too intimidating. Nonetheless, when I opened the box and found all of these little pieces I did have a moment’s hesitation…. However, by following the instructions (which I would have had to FORCE my husband to do… you know how that goes…) I had this assembled and rolling in under 20 minutes, with no tools required. The instructions are pretty clear and walk you through the assembly step by step.
Conclusion
For about the same price as I paid for my last lightweight stroller (which only survived a year and ½) and only slightly more than my “throw-away” umbrella stroller, this is what I would have to call a screaming good deal. I have almost every feature I wanted (except the stand, which I didn’t know I wanted until too late!) and very few complaints. I can deal with the nuisance of adjusting the back each time, and if you aren’t collapsing and setting up your stroller several times per outing this will probably never bother you. The other features honestly make up for these minor setbacks, in my mind.
I would recommend buying this through ebates.com, though, and taking advantage of the rebate (it’s 15% at Self-care, and you may even see promotions for bigger rebates!). The most important thing is to research different strollers, and decide which features are the most important to you, including price. After you know what you want, and have identified some options (strollers) that meet your needs, comparison shop on several online and retail outlets to find the best deal. I’ve had four strollers now, and if I had followed this advice years ago I might have only had one. And that one, I believe, would have been the Graco LiteRider.
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To look at the details of this stroller, click on the manufacturer’s link above. To compare prices, click on the “Go Shopping” link to the left of this review.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 80 through Ebates.com /Selfcare
Age Range of Child: 12 to 36 months
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Epinions.com ID:
WorkingMomof2
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Member: Amy
Location: Southern California
Reviews written: 313
Trusted by: 540 members
About Me:
Every time I close the door on reality it comes in through the windows.
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