
Strollers are my addiction. Seriously.
My son is not even a year and a half old yet and I have had four different strollers for him. And he barely even used a stroller for his first six months... Because I had two types of carriers and he preferred to be snuggled close.
This stroller is AMAZING!
Let's start with the basics of it.
This is a single to duo convertible stroller. You can use it for one or two children. Or even a third if you attach a buggy board and your child is old enough.
It can accept one or two car seats (with the purchase of adapters) to make it a travel system.
The stroller, as a single, weighs 28lbs. That may seem like a lot (and it is definitely a decent amount!) but most people don't buy this as a single stroller with the plans of never having a second child.
As a double, this weighs 34lbs. That's a little more than the average double stroller.
Each seat has the capacity to hold 45lbs.
The basket underneath can hold 15lbs worth of cargo.
The stroller can fold with one, two or zero seats attached. With no seats, it folds quite small. With both seats, you would need either a large minivan or an empty trunk of an SUV to cart it around.
I love the features that this stroller has.
My son is a social boy. He craves interaction. No, wait. He demands it. D usually didn't last very long in his old strollers without getting upset and feeling lonely. With this stroller, I can have him facing out into the world or reverse the seat and have him facing me so we could chat away as we stroll.
The seat can recline nearly, but not entirely, flat. The manual does say that the seat shouldn't be used for a newborn or baby until they are at least 6 months old. You can use a car seat with an adapter or the bassinet that is purchased separately.
The brake is one of my favourite features on this stroller. I have lost so many shoes to foot brakes on strollers in the years of being a nanny and a mother. They destroy your shoes when you have to toe the brakes on and off. The City Select features a hand brake on the side of the stroller that is quick and easy and very accessible. It makes using transit so much easier as I usually squish the stroller in a corner out of the way and when it's my stop and the bus or train is crowded, I usually can't reach the foot brake very quickly or gracefully. The handbrake is always easy to get to!
The basket on this stroller is HUGE. And I mean HUGE! I have put a diaper bag, lunch kit, my husband's and my winter jacket, my sons sweater AND a men's large shoe box underneath. And I had no problem getting them in while my son sat in the stroller! The basket is seriously massive. We even did our weekly grocery shop with the stroller one week, instead of driving up (though the weight was probably a bit past the recommended limit, but shhh) and aside from a jug of milk that would have fit under there, but was quite heavy, we fit everything in the basket.
The basket zips open in the front to allow access when baby is facing outwards. When reversed, it's open and easy to access any part of the basket from the front. The sides each are elasticy and make room to get things in and out, including a regular sized diaper bag. The rear access area is also stretchy but you can unzip it, as well, so that you can get large items in and out. With the baby rear facing, it's a bit harder to access this side, unless the foot rest is raised a bit.
The back of the seat features a good sized pocket to keep essentials (perfect spot to keep milk, soother and a toy handy!) The seat is made of a strong, sturdy material. The straps are adjustable in length and you can change the height of the point where it connects to the seat back with a simple unhook instead of having to rethread it. The seat keeps it V-shape when you recline it, which is part of the reason it's not recommended for babies under 6 months old. The foot rest not only extends for taller children, but it has different positions for babies and toddlers/children.
The canopy is large and has multiple points that it can stop at. It has a large peekaboo window that is SPF50+ with a magnetic closure - no velcro to make a bunch of noise when you want to peek in at baby when they are sleeping! It can be placed at two positions on the stroller to grow with your child.
The City Select rolls along on four wheels. There are 12" forever air wheels in the rear, which means you never have to worry about a flat. In the front are two 8" wheels that can be locked straight for strolling over bumpy terrain. The wheels remove if you end up needing to make it fold more compact for storage or travel.
The handlebar, like many strollers on the market, has a telescoping handle that adjusts to make a more comfortable stroll for parents of many heights. I love that the handlebar is not foam so you can clean it easily.
You can fold your stroller in one simple step (though it is definitely not a one-hand fold!) or you can remove the seat to make a more compact fold. There is, sadly, no automatic lock when it folds, which I wish there was because it would make this stroller all the more awesome. This is probably my only issue with this stroller. A manual lock isn't too terrible, except when it's pouring rain out and you want to get it loaded into the truck as fast as possible!
The stroller has 16 configurations between being a single, double and travel system. My favourite thing about this stroller as a double is the fact that one child isn't stuffed into the basket, staring at the back of the front seat, like many single-to-double strollers are.
I absolutely love the colour options for this stroller. We bought it in red, but there are many options available, from black to a silver-ish colour. There's new colours that will be released this year, including an all-black frame.
From a parents perspective, this stroller has lots of thought put into the design. It's terrific for your casual stroll around the mall or for cruising local streets and parks. It glides across gravel and dirt paths and maneuvers through the aisles of your local stores with ease.
From a toddlers perspective, this stroller gives me the option to ignore or talk to Mom. The canopy provides a nice, quiet cocoon when life gets overwhelming and I can't have every. single. balloon I see in a mall. I can help push the stroller by the footrest if the seat is reversed or by the support beam on the frame if the seat is forward facing. The basket holds so many items for me to dump out when Mom turns her back on me for a split second while getting everything packed up for our walks.
I have only had this stroller for about 6 weeks but it is a wonderful stroller that I am thrilled to use. I enjoy all the features and thought was put into to make going for a walk in the park... well, a walk in the park!