Valco Baby Runabout Twin Standard Stroller - Crimson

Valco Baby Runabout Twin Standard Stroller - Crimson

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About the Author

lotsofjoy
Epinions.com ID: lotsofjoy
Member: Renee
Location: Oregon
Reviews written: 41
Trusted by: 13 members
About Me: Raising three young girls to be strong, intelligent and capable women.

FREEDOM! Fabulous choice for a double urban jogging stroller! w/triple option! **UPDATED**

Written: Sep 14 '05 (Updated Sep 11 '11)
  • User Rating: Excellent
  • Durability:
  • Ease of Use:
Pros:awesome handling, sporty look, toddler seat attachment available, great accessories. High quality materials.
Cons:heavy, not an easy fold, needs better instructions for some features. no parent tray. Expensive.
The Bottom Line: I love this stroller. Would definitely buy it again. It's been well worth the pricetag because it's so well built. Great features and handles better than any other I've seen!

Buying this stroller was our ticket to freedom. It allowed me to go places with all three kids in a way no other double would be capable of. It is made by an Australian Company, VALCO Baby: http://www.valcobaby.com/index.html.
.
****UPDATE: 9/2011****
I sold this stroller to another twin mom almost 4 years ago. My twins are now 7.5. I miss those stroller and baby gear days, but of all of them I am still most grateful for this thing and I've never seen another like it.... until this month. 
We were at a local festival and there I saw a family with twins pushing their three in the Runabout with the toddler attachment! Of course I had to comment on how beautiful the children were, and that I had used the same stroller when mine were little. It turned out, she had recently purchased it from the family whom I had sold it to! It still looks as great as it did when I had it, and they, too, think it's been a lifesaver!
**********End of update***********

Manufacturers Specs
* 45 lbs each side and 45 lbs for the toddler seat.
* 5 position independently reclining seats
* 5 point padded harness
* "Super quick release" wheels.
* Mesh "Peek-a-boo" windows in sunshades.
* Large storage basket
* Hex-Lock on front wheels for Jogging
* Reflective binding for night time safety
* Removable, stain resistant, covers
* Tire pump included with all styles
* Large storage pockets behind hood
* Carseat adaptors accomodate 1 seat on either side (fits most Peg & Graco car seats)
* Dimensions: Open: 29"W x37"L x39"H; Folded: 29"W x23"L x22"H; Folded w/wheels removed: 29"W x32"L x13"H
* 2005 model comes in Black, Blue & Red
* Available accessories include, Toddler seat, Toddler Seat hood, Footmuff, diaper bag, Car seat adaptor.

I have twin infants and an older toddler. We had been using an evenflo "Take me Too" inline stroller and it was just too difficult for us to get around. I honestly rarely took them out of the house because it was just too much work (and not enough stroller seats!) It's a decent stroller, but the inline just didn't work for us and it handled like a mack truck.

The VALCO stroller made all the difference for us. We got it with the Toddler seat attachment (see details below). So for an additional $79 it became a triple. They also have carseat adapters and a stand-and-ride attachment but I cannot vouch for those since I have not tried them. I just wanted people to know that they are available.

The Runabout Twin makes it easier for me to manage getting out with all three kids. It's not as easy to set up and break down as the inline, which has one handed fold, but it makes getting around so much easier, it's worth the hassle. Beware though... it may take you longer to get anywhere because people will stop you and ask where you got such an awesome stroller (especially with the toddler seat attachment).

WHY I LIKE IT:

It handles like a dream. It's so easy to steer I can do it one handed! the double swivel front wheels make it able to turn on a dime. They are also easily removable so it can fit into a smaller space if needed.

Ours came with a matching diaper bag, infant head support, compact hand pump for the tires, a wrist strap (so the stroller can not get away from you), a nap bar, a vinyl rain cover, and a mesh bug cover. The rain and bug covers are tailor made for the stroller so I recommend testing them out before you really need them so you can figure out where all of the connections are.


The toddler seat snaps in and out easily. The seats recline separately and in many positions (not very easily though). The basket underneath is not huge, but it is a very decent size. Separate sunshades. 5 point harness with shoulder padding. Adjustable handle and lots of little storage pockets.

ABOUT THE TODDLER SEAT

There is no other way to describe how it works other than providing a picture: http://tinyurl.com/ahjdr (note that the stroller in the picture is the 2004 model which does not have individual sunshades. The 2005 and later does.)

The seat is easily installed, removed, flattened, and stored. So we don't have to use it all of the time. It holds up to 45 lbs in addition to the 90 of the main stroller (45 each side). The seat snaps in on the 2 outside rails of the stroller and straps on in the middle of the footrest. It can fold down while still installed, or be taken off completely in 60 seconds or less.

You may wonder if the children sitting in the main part of the stroller can see or not. They can't see directly in front of them, but there is still plenty for them to look at.

All three of my kids love to take rides in the stroller. The toddler feels like she is Queen! I was initally worried that there wouldn't be enough back support for her up there, but it hasn't been a problem at all. However, realize, that no naps will happen in the toddler seat. So if your child like to nap in the stroller, put them in the main seats!

WHAT I DON'T LIKE:

It's heavy-- approx 29 pounds without the toddler seat. (But weight was not the most important thing for us because I lug more than that just carrying the babies! I can certainly manage a 29 lb stroller!)

It's not all that difficult to fold, but it's not exactly easy either. I can't just ask whoever is with me to fold it or unfold it. You have to know how it works. I would like it better if it had an easier latching mechanism to keep it together when it's folded up. There is a buckle type thing on a strap that gets attached to a knob on each side of the stroller in order to keep it from unfolding. It's a pain to do and un-do each time.

There is no parent tray.

I like the fact that it has separate sunshades, but like the sunshades on most strollers, unless the sun is high in the sky, they aren't all that effective. If you truly want sun protection you'll have to buy a separate sunshade attachment.

The instructions don't give enough information about how to adjust the recline on the seats. I've figured it out (I think). But it would be nice if they spelled it out for you because it's a series of buckles and zippers that are confusing although they leave it open for many possible positions.


***UPDATE - November 19, 2005***

So after another few months of use, I still love this stroller. At first we were still using the inline once in a while. but soon after I wrote this we stopped and the inline has sat unused in the garage ever since.

There are some other things I've noticed about it that I felt worth sharing:

1. The foot rest of this stroller is made of something that looks like plastic corduroy... kind of like corrugated plastic. Every crumb and sand particle lands in it and gets caught. Since the foot rest is black, it all shows and the footrest always looks dirty. Sweeping it or vacuuming it is the only way to truly clean it out. If you get something like milk in there, it takes quite a bit of scrubbing to make it look clean again.

2. It's a good thing that it comes with it's own compact tire pump because with all of the weight of the twins and the toddler, the tires take some pretty good abuse. I find myself noticing that the tires need some more air in the middle of a welk about every other week.

Recommended: Yes


Amount Paid (US$): 549
Age Range of Child: Whole Family

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