I'm not talking about the Beetle, of course, but about a stroller!
I hate to see an umbrella stroller that has a dinky canopy plunked on top, doing absolutely nothing to shade the baby. It's also frustrating to see parents have to drape a beach towel over an otherwise beautifully designed, expensive stroller, just to get some shade.
I love our Peg Perego Pliko P3 because you can pull the canopy down all the way. I'll say that again: the sun shade actually provides shade!
But Baby H is almost a year old now, and I'm getting a little bit tired of stuffing the awesome (but not exactly petite) Pliko P3 stroller in and out of the Beetle. Once we get our new convertible carseat, which I'm not even sure will fit in the Beetle (more on that to come), I think my stroller-stuffing will only become more of a problem.
So, I want a compact umbrella stroller. With a good sun shade. No problem, right?
After hours of Googling, I am dismayed I can't seem to find a stroller with these features:
* Lightweight umbrella style
* Tilting or moveable sun shade/canopy/hood
* Under about 35" (about the size that might fit in the Beetle's trunk)
* Reclining seat
I thought I was saved when I found the Peg Perego Si. Finally, an umbrella stroller with a sunshade that pulls down to actually provide some shade! Here's a great review from Stroller Queen that shows off the shade. Yes!
But, alas, here's where I can see why people go out and buy minivans: this thing is still too big to fit in the Beetle's trunk. It's basically the same length (40") as our primary Peg Perego stroller. Foiled again!
Maclaren Quest Mod in black (love those apples!)
I'm thinking of getting a Maclaren Volo (although that has no reclining seat option) or Maclaren Quest Mod (because it's pretty), and then buying an ugly attachable sunshade like the ones from Protect-a-Bub. I also like that Uppababy G-Lite, because it's stylish and so temptingly lightweight. OK, and because "Uppababy" is really fun to say.
But despite their style and other features, these strollers still don't have a sun shade that offers any protection when walking toward the sun.
Then again, there is this option for Maclaren:
Brad says a parasol is too girly. Brad, let's just call it an umbrella and call it a day. (Although it does pose the question...why not just make a sun shade that works, instead of inventing an umbrella to attach to the stroller?)
Buying new carseats, buying a new stroller...I feel like it's a year ago all over again! Only this time, at least I can give Baby H a hung and see him smile...no matter what he's riding in.
