city strollers

My husband and I travel to N.Y.C. often and we need a good maneuvering,convenient,cool-looking,sits upright( my baby boy 18 mos. does not like to recline) city stroller. We only have 1 child now. It would be nice to be able to fit in overhead compt of plane as well. He recently went to Europe and saw 2 brands he admired-The Quinny brand and Teutonia brand. Does anyone know anuthing about thse? We are deciding between these and the Bugaboo. Is the Bugaboo all that? We aren't overly concerned about the $$. Any input would be totaly appreciated.
Jodi

The Teutonia site is in German and so you might not appreciate the fact that their philosophy is all about quality regardless of the cost. (I have also seen a number of their strollers in action: they are best compared with the differences between American and German cars (e.g. Ford vs. Volvo) they are a clear class above for sturdiness and comfort, with the main problem being that Teutonia stroller are HEAVY-- think upwards of 30 lbs or more.

Many Europeans tend to do a lot of walking around and not so much of the "in and out of the car" as Americans and don't really worry about the weight of the stroller as a result. Then again, if you're in the city and walk everywhere, Teutonia is a fantastic name to go with (as long as you have an elevator). The one other thing against the Teutonia name in your case: taking it on a plane means you'll be checking that stroller at the gate (or earlier).

Quinny is another very solid higher-end designer of strollers that I believe comes from the Netherlands (quinny.com). I'd recommend the Quinny Zapp for your particular case (they are marketing this stroller online like I've never seen-- but only distribute within the EU). It's the smallest folding stroller in the world (for now) and fits in an overhead compartment of a plane quite easily. I don't actually have any consumer data on it, but I do know that Quinny is a very very reliable name to go with (at the same level as the Bugaboo and Teutonia).

If you have the chance to get over to Europe or have someone willing to send you a stroller from abroad, then the Quinny is probably your best bet if you want a lighter weight stroller. As I already said, Teutonia and Bugaboo are competative in terms of overall quality and luxury although the Bugaboo is much lighter and perhaps a bit more versatile with it's bassinet-- not that relavant in your case.

The Bugaboo is pretty fantastic and parents really are that excited about it and it does handles any terrain with brilliance. At the end of the day, if you have no European connections, I really would recommend the Bugaboo as you can actually buy it in the US and it is very very cool to own. I tend to be a little sarcastic abou the Bugaboo b/c there is so much hype and it is unusually expensive-- but it truly is a high-quality versatile stroller that should pretty much satisfy all of your needs as long as money isn't a factor.

You can read our review of the Bugaboo at: bugaboo review

Anyway, all of those brands are very very solid and the best choice really depends on what you want your stroller for: Stay away from Teutonia or the heavier Quinny models if you're going to be lifting the stroller a lot. Otherwise, I doubt anything you purchase from any of the three brands will be less than outstanding.

Good Luck!
Mara

i happened to have purchased my teutonia used online at ebay after being in europe and just drooling over them. and it is absolutely the best best best stroller in the world. it IS heavy to lift, but so comfortable and easy to steer and sturdy. if we can't get Emma to fall asleep we put her in the stroller and push her around the den and kitchen with the lights down and she's gone within 10 minutes!

i love my teutonia (the elegance model) and would recommend it to any parent.
sandra

My husband just went on a business trip to London where I asked him to get a Quinny Buzz. Its great -- all the features of a Bugaboo without the cost and without passing a clone on the street every two seconds!

I have a quinny Zapp and I love it great in small stores and crowed streets like in New York and easy to manuever.It folds very small you can store it in its carrying bag along with the rain cover that come with it.If you are looking for something to store bags and other heavy items this is not the stoller for you.My son is 11 months and he loves it and look oh so cool in it.
They offer a variety of colors and it will definitely get you alot of looks on the street since there is really nothing out there like it.

I'm from the Netherlands and a proud owner of a Quinny Zapp.
It's a great stroller.

There is also a bike carrier available, so you can take the stroller with you on the bike (I don't no if you do this, but taking the buggy with you on the bike is very common in Holland)

If you want to buy one, look at www.babycare.nl they also ship to the USA.
they also sell the Maxi- Cosi Cabrio infant carseat, this carseat fits on the Quinny Zapp, the adapters are included with the zapp.
They sell various Quinny Strollers, Maxi-Cosi carseats, (I own a Maxi Cosi Rodi in pink, so cute!!!!), the Urban Jungle.

And more

i recently got a quinny zapp from NL about 5 days ago. it is fantastic. it's very easy to unfold/fold the tiny thing. no twisting the handle bar or anything like that. and the fact that it's very light it maybe about 9 kg. it folds into three sections that's why you can bring it anywhere like the overhead cabin. it your really concern about $$, i would suggest get the quinny zapp. it doesnt cost as much as bugaboo but it has the same sleek design to it, your baby will love it as much as your pocket. you may also visit babycare.nl for more information about this product and different more like quinny buzz. bugaboo, and more..... you'll going to like it..... [/i]

If you're looking for a nice compact stroller. I've heard that the Mia Moda Ceilo Single (One Hand) Folding Stroller is a great compact stroller.... especially for travel. Here's a list of the Features and Specs:
FEATURES:
- Ultra-compact one-hand fold
- Strong lightweight aluminum frame
- Detachable storage bag
- Front-wheel suspension
- Easy one-touch brake
- Freestanding when folded
- Easy to carry when folded
- 5-point harness
- Adjustable seat recline

SPECIFICATIONS:
- Weight: 15.5 lbs.
- Folded Size: 22" x 10" x 18"
- Open Size: 18" x 26" x 40"

Here's a link to the website to see how it folds, etc....
http://www.miamodainc.com/strollers/cielo.asp
Good Luck with your decision!

First of all, volvo is swedish, just to clear that. Maybe u might want to compare a Ford and Mercedes or a BMW, cuz that's German. Anyway, I didn't mean to offend you Mara, just wanted to clear that.

Second of all, if you really don't mind the fact that a Quinny Zapp doesn't recline, then I say go for that. One of my friends has it and I test drove it and it was really a dream to ride. It is also really small, which is very good and comes in handy. And it does have a sleek design. I would've got it but the fact that it doesn't recline made me forget about it, because I don't want my baby to go to sleep and let her head loll over. Other than that it is a great stroller.