27 of 27 people found the following review helpful
Really Happy AFter a LONG Search!,
November 13, 2012
This review is from: Graco Dynamo Lite Stroller, Mirabella (Baby Product)
I have spent probably 12 hours online looking at strollers, reading reviews, and watching videos, and also several hours in stores trying them out. It was so hard to make a choice! I was willingto spend a lotmore, but I finally decided on the Graco Dynamo Lite (Mirabella). I couldn't find a single stroller at ANY price point that had everything I wanted, but this one checked off the greatest number, and most important boxes. It even beat out some of the expensive brands 3-4x the price on some of my most desired features.
Other strollers I strongly considered are the Britax B-Agile, Peg Perego Pliko P3, Baby Trend Stride Sport, Combi Cabria, and Jeep Cherokee Sport.
The things I was looking for first were a lightweight stroller, easy to fold and open, and a small size when compacted. And I wanted it to have an extra large cargo basket, child cup holder/tray, parent tray (preferably closable so I can leave my phone in there without it being visible) and cupholder. Also important were a good sun canopy, comfortable seat, easy to open seat belt, reclining seat, and a smooth ride.
The Graco hit almost every mark. First of all, it folds up very easily, with one hand. And once folded, it stands up on its own (though out of the box it took opening and closing it a few times before it would stand up). That's important when you're leaving it at the end of the gangway to get loaded on an airplane or getting ready to load it into a car. It won't by lying on the dirty ground. It also folds pretty small, almost in half. I was hoping that, when folded, it would fit in the narrow space behind the 3rd row of seats in my SUV, but it doesn't. The Britax B-Agile and the Peg Perego both did. However, with one of the back seats laid down, the Graco can lie flat and still have plenty of room on top of it for bags etc, and behind it. In other words, it folds short, but not as flat as it appears in the pictures when folded. (If you have a small trunk, I think it would fit just fine, but if your trunk opening is narrow, you might struggle getting it in and out). Opening the Dynamo is also quite easy. You simply release the clip on the side and give the whole thing a quick pull and it pops back open. It's nearly one-handed, depending on whether your clip stays released or reattaches before you give the stroller a yank. (The Combi closed and opened easily, but was so large when folded it would take up my entire trunk space. It was also VERY heavy.)
The Graco also beats out both the expensive Britax and expensive Peg Perego for child/parent extras. Why these pricey brands have nothing for child/parent, I will never understand. The Dynamo has a great parent tray with 2 cup holders and a spot for keys, phone, etc. I only wish the tray was closed so I could hide my phone/wallet. The Jeep does have both a parent and child tray, but I haven't been able to find one in a store to compare to the Graco. The child tray has a spot for a drink, snacks, and a flat spot for toys. It swings open at either side to let a child in and out. And it removes completely (very easily) in case you need it to be even shorter when folded. Removing the tray takes easily 6" off its folded length, in case you have a short car trunk.
The seat on the Dynamo feels pretty comfortable. It's padded--though not as thickly as the Britax and Peg Perego--but WAY more than the Baby Trend, which felt like thin fabric right on plastic with nothing in between. The Dynamo's fabric feels soft, yet slick enough to repel spills. The seatbelt is easy to snap and unsnap, but I wish the straps had padding. My toddler likes to lean forward and pull against the straps a lot, so padding would have been nice. The seat also reclines and goes up easily and quietly. It does NOT lie flat, though. It lies very reclined, enough for most babies to sleep, but their claim that it lies flat is not quiet true.
The Graco's storage basket it one of the main reasons I chose it. It's as big as they come, full sized, like the ones on the bottom of the travel system strollers. It's big enough for a diaper bag, purse, jackets, and a few shopping bags. Since I have two older kids and I'm always lugging their stuff around, the basket this was important. The tiny basket on the B-Agile and the slightly larger, though very difficult to access, basket on the Peg Perego were both laughable. I had to literally get on my knees to reach the Britax's, far under the seat. And the Peg Perego's is blocked at the back by bars, so you have to access it from the side (only narrow items will fit) or from the front, again on your knees to reach under the baby's feet. Forget getting anything out while the baby is sleeping! So the Graco won on this score for sure. (The Jeep's looks plenty big, but, again, I haven't seen it live. The Combi and Baby Trend both had large baskets.)
The canopy on the Dynamo is OK...
Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? 
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Nice storage, odd fold,
May 30, 2012 We got this stroller for vacations and shopping since it has a large cargo area underneath. We have been happy with it so far and it even held up great for Disney World. The tray area for the child is nice with a drink holder and another holder for treats on the tray. The parent tray has 2 cup holders and a nice little tray for phone, keys or whatever, but both trays can be accidentally pulled off (by us, not the child) and the top tray can be tricky to reattach.
It folds in half and folds down pretty easily, but unfolding is a bit of a pain since you need both hands, one to unhook the latch while the other actually opens it back up. Since it folds in half, it is rather bulky when folded, but not as long as other folded strollers so it doesn't take up the whole length of your trunk. The baby tray sticks out when folded and does hit the ground and gets pretty scratched up, but its not a major issue.
We've used this stroller A LOT in the last few months and put many miles on it, the wheels have begun to squeak, but a little wd40 fixed it right up. It is a smooth ride and our toddler has fallen asleep in it reclined and he is not a typical stroller sleeper. We like that it has a netting on the back instead of solid fabric so the air can circulate through, but it can also allow sun through. Overall we'd recommend this stroller, but they might want to re-evaluate the folding process. We tested it in the store first, so we were prepared for the bulky, somewhat awkward fold.
0
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you?
