Spend a bit extra and get a quality stroller instead
Written: May 18 '06 (Updated Sep 12 '06)
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Pros: lots of cargo room, bug net, looks nice, comfy for child/baby
Cons: front wheel came off, seat could use more padding, suspension isn't great
The Bottom Line: Overall good, but the wheel came off and wont go back on, only buy this if it's the only thing you can afford.
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| pinkskittle's Full Review: Evenflo Journey Premier Travel System - Connor Sta... |
I was really surprised to see the bad reviews on this stroller, but it's possible that Evenflo has improved the Journey stroller (ie. fixing the wheels that kept falling off!).
UPDATE!!! One of my front wheels came off! It wont go back on, either. I'm not sure if they'll send me a new one since I have had the stroller for over 90 days now... I'll update again once I talk to the company.
Update #2 The company was not much help, they refused to acknowledge that there was a problem with the wheels coming off. My 90 warranty is up so I have to pay $20 including shipping for a new one. My husband decided he was just going to drill a hole through some parts and bolt it on there!
Update #3
I emailed the company this time and now they're sending me a wheel for free. Unfortunately it's on backorder (I wonder why!), so I wont have it for 4-6 weeks!
on to the original review
This stroller was given to my husband and I as a gift as part of a travel system (meaning you get the infant car seat as well), so we didn't have much say in picking it out.
Our stroller came in a khaki animal/safari print. It would be great for boys or girls (we have a boy and some friends of ours have the same stroller and a girl).
My husband and his mother's boyfriend put it together and seemed to have a hard time with it, that is, until they gave in to reading the instructions. It took less than an hour.
Features
-Handle is wide and covered in a dense foam material for gripping. There is also a smaller bar that comes off the middle if you need to steer with one hand (like if you're having a coffee).
-Cup holders for baby and for you (2 each)!
-Built-in tray with lid on the handle (for keys, money, etc). Another tray at the bottom for the child.
-A canopy that shades the sun as well as a mosquito-net canopy that comes all the way down and snaps into place.
-3 reclining positions, including lying flat.
-Super easy fold-up.
-Lightweight (20lbs)
-Can hold a child up to 40 lbs.
-Huge basket underneath.
-Pockets with zippers everywhere.
-Mesh pockets everywhere.
-Front wheels can be locked for straight steering or unlocked for lots of turns and bumps.
-3-point harness (my stroller also came with the 5-point harness car seat that snaps into the stroller).
My experience
My husband and I were equally excited to start taking our son out for walks (before the stroller we just had a front-pack carrier). I was excited because I could walk to my mommy groups and take along tons of stuff.
We've taken the stroller out on all sorts of terrain. For this stroller the sidewalk is the best. Trails, dirt road, gravel make for a bumpy ride, although my son didn't seem to mind. I think if you want to take your child off-roading it's better to get a jogging stroller that would give you more suspension. I've also tried pushing it on grass, which seems to work well, but it is quite the effort to push.
The seat itself seems average, my son seems to like it just fine! It's lightly padded around the sides as well as in the seat area. I would say that it could use a bit more padding. There's a piece of fabric that comes up to protect and cover the baby's feet/legs if they aren't long enough to hang down to the foot rest.
I haven't had any problems with the wheels falling off like the others who have reviewed this stroller. It's possible that they've improved it since then.
Folding the stroller up for storage is a breeze. You pull a lever near the handle with one hand and pull the child-side of the stroller up. It's really easy! The Journey stroller came with an "aftermarket" yellow plastic and magnet locking device that prevents the stroller from falling open once it's been closed. It worked well for a while, but now when I pull the lock open to close the stroller, it will close on it's own. I'm tempted to just take it off because I never had problems with the stroller opening accidentally before installing the lock.
Cleaning the Journey stroller is pretty easy. The seat pad is held on by elastics and clips. You can wash it in a delicate cold wash, but leave it out to dry. It's possible to use the dryer on a low setting for 10-15 minutes, but I'd rather not risk shrinkage. Also, make sure you remember where all the belts feed through or you might have a hard time putting it all back together. You might want to use a nontoxic stain guard on the seat.
One thing that is really important to note is that the cupholders on the handle have a symbol for no hot drinks. Please follow this recommendation! At first I thought Evenflo was just trying to cover their butts, but I learned the hard way that they aren't. I had a coffee in one of the cupholders and as soon as I went over a crack in a sidewalk, coffee came out of the tiny hole that you drink out of in the lid and splashed on my son's blanket (luckily nothing got on his skin). Even the smallest amount of a hot drink in a cup can come out, trust me!
The cupholders are actually quite useless! I'd recommend they be used with small slurpees (the smallest size, anything bigger wont fit), any cups with lids that have closable drink-holes, travel mugs with a lids that have closeable drink-holes, juice boxes, water bottles/pop bottles.
This is one of the baby items that I've used the most so far. Although strollers aren't a baby necessity (like if you have a sling/carrier), but they sure make it easier if you have a bit to carry with you (like a picnic!).
I had enjoyed this stroller for about 4 months. Since the wheel came off, I would recommend to people to get a quality stroller if they can afford one (Peg Perego, BOB, McClaren, etc).
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 175
Age Range of Child: 0 to 12 Months
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Epinions.com ID:
pinkskittle
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Member: jenn
Reviews written: 44
Trusted by: 3 members
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