Wednesday Review

Okay, I'm a day late... but I'm sure no one will judge me. I'm planning on posting review on Wednesdays - baby products, Mama products, books, toys, etc. My first one is my stroller; I hope it helps some Moms-to-be out there researching strollers (I know it can be overwhelming)!

Maxi Cosi Foray Stroller – Review

This product is – definitely – my most used baby item. I knew I needed an awesome stroller because of how much walking I do. I do not have a driver’s license therefore everywhere I do during the week, I walk (or bus). I didn’t even know I’d be using our stroller this much. I have used the stroller at least once (usually twice) every day for 18 months.

When we first started researched strollers, we only knew what kind we didn’t want. We didn’t want a “travel system”. I was undecided which infant car seat we were buying, but we’d figure that out later. The first stroller I found online that I loved was the Kolcraft ContoursOptions.  I loved the three-wheeled design, how the seat flipped to face towards the parents and then flipped forward, and how numerous infant seats could snap into it. And then I discovered it wasn’t available in Canada. So, back to the drawing board I went – but this time I knew what style I wanted. I Googled and searched and came out with a few other similar strollers, including the Maxi Cosi Foray. I knew nothing about this company but it got good reviews and looked really nice. And it was available at Babies R Us, and in our store. The only about it I didn’t like? The $399.99 price tag. But, off we went to look at it in person anyway.

It must have been our lucky day (or some kind of strange coincidence) because when we got there and found the stroller to “test drive”, it was on sale, for half price. This made it a done deal for my husband, though I just wasn't so sure. I really liked the stroller, and Paul kept saying “we’ll never find another stroller like this for this price”. He was right. But I didn’t think we were actually buying a stroller today. I thought we were just looking, test driving. So, I looked at others (nothing compared) and checked out every little thing possible about the stroller. I just loved it. My husband said we “couldn’t leave without it” so – we bought it. I was *maybe* 16 weeks pregnant.

So, yes, it was a long time before the stroller actually got put to use. Of course, my husband took it out of the box and put it together almost right away, so it was hanging out in the nursery for months before our baby was even born.

See?

Somewhere over the next little while we decided we needed the Maxi Cosi Mico infant car seat – one of the only downfalls to the Foray is that it only works with the Mico seat. Luckily, I found one in great shape that didn’t expire for a couple more years on Kijiji. There was no way I was paying another $200 for the car seat that worked with the stroller. 

Anyway, we used the stroller for the first time the day after Noah was born. It was the middle of July and a Friday evening, so we walked to the gas station to get Slurpees with our brand new, tiny baby in the Mico seat, snapped into the Foray base. It was the best feeling ever.

Noah outgrew the Mico car seat around 3-4 months – we upgraded to a convertible car seat and switched him to the main seat, which came with the stroller. He looked so small in it at the time. The stroller information says for use from infants 6 months up until 50 lbs. Well, Noah was a big 4 month old (around 18 lbs) so I know he was safe in there. I kept him facing towards me in the big seat until he was about 9 months old. I love having him face me – I could see if he’d fallen asleep and I could talk to him and whatnot. But by 9 months, he was ready to see the world and he was a lot happier to be facing outwards.

Here's Noah, around 6 months old, in the stroller with the big seat.

Around that same time (9-10 months) I started taking Noah out for a walk when it was around his nap time. Previously I had always nursed him to sleep but he made it impossible to transfer him – he’d wake up and be pissed off that I’d tried to move him. So, I decided to see if he’d sleep in the stroller. And he did. The best thing about the Foray is how the seat comes off easily. For months, Noah napped only in the stroller and when I got back to house, from my walk, I just lifted off the seat and brought him inside. I was then free to get stuff done (no longer stuck in nap jail) and he slept as long as he needed. Amazing. 

I have so many favourite things about the Foray. The brake is a one-step push with my foot and it’s awesome. The handle that goes shorter (for me) and longer (for my husband) is great too. And, of course, the fact that the seat can flip around and be lifted off easily is a huge plus. The seat also has many reclines, both facing the parent and outwards. Facing outwards, I can have Noah laying basically flat if I wanted him to be. The wheels on the Foray are great - large bike tire wheels at the back and two small wheels at the front that can lock (great for winter and snow) or be unlocked, giving it amazing turning ability. 

One of the only other negative things I can think of is the fact that the seat itself can’t be washed. I wish I could just take the seat padding off and throw it in the washing machine. It says “spot clean only” which is often difficult, depending on the mess. 

The basket underneath the seat could also be a bit bigger (it's small compared to travel system strollers) but it definitely does the job. 

I’m not a huge fan of the way the stroller folds up, but thankfully my husband is a pro at it and is the one who almost always folds it up / puts it in the SUV / unfolds it. Until Noah was about six months old, I didn’t even know how to do it because my husband was the one who did it all the time. Ha.

We have since bought a small, cheap umbrella stroller for quick trips or if my mother-in-law is taking Noah and I somewhere, etc (the Foray doesn’t fit as well in her car). My husband hates the umbrella stroller. He says it’s too short for him and he doesn’t feel like Noah is as safe in it.  I hate that Noah would never fall asleep in it. So we still bring the Foray 99% of the time, even now that Noah is 18 months old.

I’m lucky that my toddler still likes being in the stroller. He doesn’t fight to get out of it and he’s usually happy in the stroller for trips to the mall or the Farmer’s Market. Maybe it's because his Foray is so comfy!

I'm planning on buying a Buggy Board when we have a new baby in a year or so, which snaps onto the Foray at the base and would allow Noah (who will be about 2.5 years old) to stand on it while I push the new baby in the stroller. 

Just knowing I will get about 4 years out of my stroller (two years per baby) or more, makes it worth the $400 price tag. The fact that I got it on sale for $200 is even better, obviously.  

To conclude, if you're looking for a stroller that's "different", definitely keep in mind and check out the Maxi Cosi Foray. It's an amazing, stylish stroller, worth every penny in my books.