Graco Metrolite LE: A great stroller for the price - lots of great features
Written: Dec 04 '04 (Updated Apr 06 '07)
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Pros: Lots of great features: big basket, cup holder, 5 point harness
Cons: Plastic tires may not stand up to New England winters
The Bottom Line: This stroller is well-designed and a good value for the price.
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| modernmarvel's Full Review: Graco MetroLite 6121MTR Standard Stroller |
I am on my third child and have had or used many, many strollers. I currently have a Maclauren Techno Stroller for my baby. However, we will be flying to Disney in a few weeks and I need a stroller that can travel and log lots of Disney miles. I chose this one because it is relatively lightweight, has a generous basket and cup holder and is comfortable for baby. Plus, the price is reasonable so I won't cry too much if it disappears on one of the flights or in one of the theme parks.
ASSEMBLY
It took about 15 minutes to assemble the stroller. We had to snap the front weeks on and add the rear axle and wheels. We also had to add the snack tray and the parent's tray. It doesn't seem like much but the instructions were confusing because there were only pictures and no words.
FEATURES
Like many other brands, the manufacturer claims this stroller has a "easy one-hand compact fold" however, I have have never used a stroller that easily folds with one hand. This stroller is no exception. It does fold relatively easily but I wouldn't call it an "easy one hand" fold either.
This stroller can accommodates certain infant car seats. We don't use it that way and I can't comment on this feature.
This stroller has a five point harness. I really like this feature for keeping baby safe. My third child is still too young to move about much but my older child used to try to submarine under the tray and out of the stoller when she was confined only with a lap belt. The five point harness really keeps the child snug and safe in the stroller.
The stroller reclines very easily with a little pull thingie in the back. It takes two hands to move the seat up and down but the mechanism works well.
The handle can adjust slightly up or down. This feature doesn't do much for me. The telescoping handles on my MacLauren are more adjustable and if this feature is important to you because people of different heights will be using the stroller, you might want to consider another option.
I like the large wheels on this stroller. The double set in the front helps navigate bumpy terrain. The stroller is also easy to steer with one or two hands. My one concerns is that the wheels look like thick plastic and, I know from previous stroller experience, they will not last through New England winters. In the winter, we will have to use this stroller indoors only.
The canopy is very large and has a peek a boo visor over the baby so the person pushing can peek in to see how baby is doing. The canopy does a good job of keeping the sun out of babys eyes.
There is a large basket under the stroller for storage. It is large enough to hold a generous diaper bag. Like many other strollers, it is hard to fully access the basket if the baby is fully reclined. While this model is supposedly designed to make it easier to get to the basket under these circumstances, I don't notice much difference.
There is a removable child's snack tray with cupholder. The snack tray swivels to let an older child in and out of the stroller. Even though the tray is removable, the pieces it rests on will not look finished without the tray. The bottom line is that you will want to keep the child tray on the stroller so it has a finished look.
There is a removable parent organizer with two cupholders. I love this feature and can put my drink, plus another child's drink in the tray.
Both the canopy and the fabric on the seat can be removed for washing. My MacLauren has a plastic-type material on the seat so it is very easy to clean. This stroller would be hard to spot clean if baby has an accident on the fabric. For messy stuff, I would have to pull it off and run it through the machine. We have had a variety of gross stuff on the road: bloody noses, vomit and exploding poop included. Don't underestimate the wonderful ability to spot clean on the fly. However, this stroller had lots of nice features and I think baby feels more comfortable on cotton-like fabric so I can accept this feature.
This stroller is rather heavy for a travel stroller. Still, I don't mind because I don't really have to carry it much folded. The most I have to do is put it in and out of the car. If you do a lot of carrying, consider getting a lighter weight umbrella stroller.
PRICE
I paid $100 plus $8 shipping for this stroller at Baby Center on sale. I think I got a lot for my money.
FINAL RECOMMENDATION
I like this stroller and think it is a good value for the money. It has lots of nice features and I really haven't found a drawback. I like the Graco brand as well. I have had good experiences with their products in the past.
UPDATE - FEBRURARY 2005
I justed want to return to write that we gave this stroller the ultimate road test. We flew with it from Boston to San Diego and back. For two weeks, we took it in and out of the car and drove it around countless theme parks. The stroller held up great. Even more testing though is the snow storm we returned to after vacation. This stroller handles pretty well over snow and ice. Overall, I would still give it five stars.
UPDATE - MAY 2006
The stroller finally reached the end of its life span. After much heavy use, the folding mechanism on the stroller gave out and it now refuses to fold. I leave it in the garage and still use it near home, but it can't go in the car anymore.
NEW BABY? HERE ARE SOME BABY PRODUCTS I HAVE REVIEWED:
STROLLERS: Maclauren Techno Stroller; Cosco Eddie Bauer Lightweight Stroller
GEAR: Skip Hop Diaper Bag; Evenflo Snugli Baby Carrier; Infantino EuroRider Baby Carrier.
SLEEPING: Pali Sabrina Crib; Sozo USA bedding.
SOOTHING: MAM pacifiers; MAM pacifier keeper.
NURSING: Bravado Nursing Bra; Lansinoh lanolin; Lansinoh nursing pads.
FEEDING: Avent Feeding Bottles; Take & Toss Infant Spoons; Nuby Sipper Gripper Cup; Dora the Exporer Insulated Straw Cups; Playtex Sipster Spill-Proof Cup; Take & Toss Bowls.
BATHING: The First Years Bath Tub/Bath Seat Combo; California Baby Super Sensitive Shampoo & Bodywash.
BABY BOTTOMS: Burt’s Bees Diaper Ointment; Desitin Creamy; Balmex; California Baby Diaper Rash Cream; Weleda Diaper Care; Huggies Supreme Diapers; Playskool Cottony Cloth Wipes.
POTTY TRAINING: Graco Training Rewards Soft Seat Potty and Stepstool; Elmo’s Potty Time DVD; Huggies Clean Team Flushable Wipes; Huggies Clean Team Foaming Soap.
BABY SKIN: Mustela Hydra-Stick for lips and cheeks; Burt’s Bees Apricot Baby Oil.
TOYS: Tiny Love Symphony In Motion Mobile; Soft Teething Beads; Sassy Teething Wing Butterfly; Lamaze Clutch Cube;
Lamaze Freddie the Firefly.
BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENTS: Baby’s Here Birth Announcements.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 100
Age Range of Child: 0 to 12 Months
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modernmarvel
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Can anyone recommend a western family dude ranch for a vacation this summer?
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