There have been 12 reports of a hinge on the stroller that amputated children’s fingertips.  At least that’s what I read.  Sounds horrifying eh?  Apparently the fix is just a simple hinge cap that Maclaren will send out to stroller owners.

This sounds very similar to the hinge cap that Phil and Ted’s issued with their Sport Buggy v1 recall after they had complaints people were gettings their fingers stuck in the hinge.  Of course then we didn’t hear the word amputated.

Does this mean you should worry if you have a Maclaren?  Apparently when the recall is public this Tuesday you should stop using your stroller.  Should you really?  That depends on your comfort level but in either case I would be very careful not to leave it out where your children can play with it as that seems to be the real risk.  Once the recall is public Maclaren should have a hotline and website form to request the cap for the hinge. Of course do this as soon as possible and don’t forget to actually install it on your stroller when it arrives.

My guess is that the words “safety recall” can sound a whole lot more ominous and worrisome than they should be to most parents.  All of this does serve as a great reminder though that strollers are not good playtoys for toddlers or young children. There are too many hinges, clasps and parts where little fingers can get stuck.

Win to tickets to (RED)NIGHTS Concert – A Fine Frenzy in San Francisco, CA

Let’s Go Strolling is partnering with Bugaboo to bring 2 lucky Let’s Go Strolling fans the opportunity to win a set of 2 tickets to this awesome (RED)NIGHTS concert on November 12th in San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall. 


What is (RED)?

(RED) is a simple and powerful idea to harness the power of shoppers to create a sustainable flow of funds directly to Africa to help those affected by AIDS.

(RED) partners with the world’s most iconic brands to create (PRODUCT)RED products, a portion of which goes to the Global Fund to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. Current (RED) partners are Apple, Converse, Dell, Emporio Armani, Gap, Hallmark and Starbucks.

What is (RED)NIGHTS?

(RED)NIGHTS is a concert series designed to help eliminate AIDS in Africa; as a part of the series, A Fine Frenzy will be appearing November 12th in San Francisco, CA.  A Fine Frenzy’s first album was released in 2007 and reached Number One on Billboard’s “Heatseeker” charts.  A Fine Frenzy was also chosen as a VH1 “You Oughta Know” artist.  Joining A Fine Frenzy in concert is Landon Pigg and Among the Oak & Ash.

Bugaboo is now a Proud Partner of (PRODUCT)RED

Bugaboo is a proud partner of (PRODUCT)RED and is contributing 1% of all revenue to the Global Fund to help fund AIDS programs in Africa with an emphasis on the health of women and children.

Bugaboo is the only (RED)™ partner to contribute a percentage of all revenue across its entire product range to help in the fight against AIDS in Africa.  In celebration of the BUGABOO (PRODUCT)RED partnership, Bugaboo has created a special collection which includes a (BUGABOO)RED Cameleon denim stroller, (BUGABOO)RED Cameleon ADO(RED) accessory bundle, (BUGABOO)RED Bee TREASU(RED) and (BUGABOO)RED Bag in white leather.  Wow! Go Bugaboo!

How Can I Win Tickets?

Just comment on your thoughts about the Bugaboo(RED) partnership to get entered.

You can score additional entries with each purchase on the Let’s Go Strolling website between November 1st and November 9th.  Just give your order number and you’ll get one additional entry.  Orders containing Bugaboo products get 2 additional entries – just put “I buy Bugaboo” in your blog comment and you will score 2 entries.

Still want more entries?

You can Tweet about the fabulous Bugaboo (RED)NIGHTS ticket giveaway and leave a comment that you tweeted to get extra contest entries.

Need a tweet to use?

“Win tickets to the SF #rednights concert from @Letsgostrolling & Bugaboo http://tinyurl.com/yhzmsak”

]]> http://www.letsgostrolling.com/strolling-along/2009/11/06/giveaway-2-pairs-of-tickets-to-sf-rednights-concert/feed/ 1 http://www.letsgostrolling.com/strolling-along/2009/11/06/giveaway-2-pairs-of-tickets-to-sf-rednights-concert/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/StrollingAlong/~3/vADYQMtCJrQ/ http://www.letsgostrolling.com/strolling-along/2009/11/02/congrats-giveaway-winners/#comments Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:29:14 +0000 Jo&Melissa http://www.letsgostrolling.com/strolling-along/?p=675 Comment winner #43, Sarah Campbell of ? won herself a new Hotslings AP baby carrier which is the awesome new adjustable pouch baby sling from Hotslings!  Enjoy that!

Comment winner #9, Corey will be receiving the brand new Universal Console with MP3 music player speakers as soon as it is released from Baby Jogger so she can rock on while she walks on!

Aren’t you jealous of these two?  I am!  I almost never win anything.  Well except a Stokke contest last year. . . that was awesome.  Melissa won a Garmin Navigation system this year from Boppy since she walked the most steps at the recent ABC show.  Of course I was beside her the whole time but mine reset itself. . . no bitterness here though!

Want to be a winner?  Stay tuned this week for two awesome new giveaway posts!

Graco has purchased the Japanese company Aprica and is relaunching in the US with stroller designs and colors cherry picked for the US market.  While Graco has a lower-end but utilitarian reputation in the US, Aprica is being launched as a more sophisticated line for urban on-the-go parents who want a functional, but light, lightweight stroller.

While Quinny momentarily won over the lightweight market a couple of years ago with their sleek Zapp stroller, we’ve found these days that Baby Jogger City Minis, UPPABaby G-Luxe and G-lites and Maclarens seem to have the corner on most parents light-weight searches.  Stand-outs like the Valco Ion, brand new Cybex line, and Peg Perego Si have a tough time gaining momentum in this ultra-competitive market.

So how will Aprica fare as it readies for it’s 2010 release?  We’re guessing pretty well!  Why?

Aprica invited us to an exclusive San Francisco launch to debut their ready-for-US line and we were impressed. I have to admit, I knew Aprica from pre-2002 days and I didn’t think it would fare well in the US so I was skeptical.  Let me say, these were not the same Aprica’s.  Both lightweights they showed had solid, sturdy frames with fun eye-catching colors.  They were well thought-out introductions to gaining US parents trust and love.

Here’s what we liked:

1)   The seat is 4 inches higher than the Maclarens and UPPA’s of this world.  This give tons more basket room and easier to load and unload babies

2)   The weights are 14lbs and 12 lbs respectively for the two models – definitely within the weight limits parents like to consider for their lightweights

3)   Both models can be folded without bending down – wonderful for those in rainy or snowy climates who don’t want to get gross just to fold their stroller or any with back issues

4)   They both stand folded, nice for standing in public transit or just loading up your car

5)   Really nice removable padding (yes washable, we asked!)

6)   Awesome harness buckles – big and very easy to clip on and off or adjust sizing on

7)  Cool factor: they have a heat reflective element on the seat back so that the heat from the sidewalk gets reflected away from the seat, keeping your little one from baking in their stroller on hotter days.

8)   Canopy and recline are decent, 130-140 degrees.  I’m hoping they revamp the recline system though which is a big clunky

Also worth noting: Aprica has the deep pockets of Graco (and it’s parent company Newell-Rubbermaid) standing behind it and investing in brand development, recognition and customer service/warranty.  This is huge! It’s hard to love a stroller if you haven’t even heard about it or don’t trust the brand.   Aprica wants you to know who they are.

On a side note (pun intended), Aprica also debuted a side hip carrier.  It is simple and streamlined.  We loved everything about it except for the price.  At $60, I might just keep using my pouch sling from the newborn stage rather than investing in a separate hip carrier.  It was cute though!

So when are they out? Well depends where you are.  Aprica is launching in NY and CA in January 2010 with their 14 lb-er and hip carrier.  Their wider distribution and 12 lbs stroller will debut in July 2010.  We’ll definitely have them in January though!

P.S. These aren’t coming to the US but in case you wanted to spend $100 for infant shoes to help your baby walk faster – head to Japan!

So the question is what do YOU think? Does this new line sound attractive to you?

Valco Baby is unique among many of the juvenile manufacturers because they show items that might never come to market.  They use the trade shows to collect critical retailer feedback and then make changes accordingly.  The disclaimer is something you see here might never come into being.  The plus is that once it does come into being it will usually be even better than when we saw it.

First up improvements:

Valco Latitude Single and Twin EX Versions:

Valco made some much needed improvements to their first generation of the Latitudes.  Currently only available in the Licorice (black) but coming in January 2010 in all colors, Valco raised and expanded the canopy, and improved the basket construction on their Latitude series.  Here is a short video I found on this topic.

Expected Date: January 2010

Our Rating: We love the new changes.  This makes a great concept into a great reality. 4 1/2 stars.

The Viva Bassinet:

This is a super cute half bassinet that can be inserted into the Twin Ion or Twin Trimode (separate versions for each) to turn one seat into a bassinet.  One or two can be used on both of the twin strollers and one can be used on the single strollers.  Makes it less expensive and bulky for parents to use a bassinet with their stroller.  The downside is you cannot lift and carry this child in this bassinet attachment.  To the right you can see what parents see looking down into it.

Expected Date: Early 2010

Our Rating: Great concept for the twin especially but parents might miss the stand-along capacity. 4 stars

Valco’s cadre of lightweight options:

Valco showed a number of forgettable lightweight options that they wanted feedback on.

Expected Date: TBD

Our Rating: 1 star.  They seemed heavy and not memorable.   We’d stick with the UPPABaby Glite, Gluxe versions

The Valco Pleather Stroller

For those who are fashion forward, Valco showed a white pleather Trimode with a black frame.  I think the pictures say it all!  Definitely interesting but would that get hot?

Expected Date: No date yet

Our Rating: Love the black frame. Don’t like the white pleather! 2 stars

The Valco Quad:

This is Valco’s attempt to meet the growing demand for the Trimode functionality with a more urban (less rugged) look.  They took off the larger front air tire and added two smaller air chamber front swivel wheels.  They also added a footrest that can be raised or lowered and locked in place.  It had the deluxe padding and features of a trimode for the more urban set.  Plus it will take a toddler seat!  That means for people who worry about potential tippy-ness of a 3 wheeler and a toddler seat – now there is this 4 wheel option that rocks.  And it was relatively light too! Valco showed it in the Raisin color which was sleek yet not all black – great color.  Basically one of our all-around favorites from the show and definitely our favorite Valco new offering!

Expected Date: Early 2010

Our Rating: Universally positive! 5 stars.

Valco Rebel – Remodeled & returning for an encore:

For those of you who have been around for a long time, Valco used to have a 3 wheeler with a reversible seat.  It was a beast (about 40 lbs) but pushed beautifully and took a toddler seat for reversibility with 1 or 2. I used one with my now 5 and 7 1/2 year olds.  I loved it but never ever wanted to lift it.  They phased it out. They have brought back a 4 wheeled reversible Rebel version with toddler seat capability.  It was still in demo form when we saw it and there was something about having to load the baby into the stroller first before you can put the toddler in. . .hmmm.  Overall I’d have to say we are with-holding judgement but given the Baby Jogger City Select and the UPPABaby Vista with Rumbleseat, the redesigned Rebel would have to improve upon those to be a worthy 1-2 child option.  We did love the fabric circles material that Valco showed it in though.

Expected Date: TBA

Our Rating: Reserving judgement but not in love.

New Trimode EX Colors:

Valco revampled the Trimode for late 2009 with the EX extended canopy.  The frame and fabrics remain the same but for 2010 the color will have the accent color as the EX part of the canopy.  So zip it up and the canopy is one color, unzip it, and you have the dual color canopy.  It looked pretty cool.  We already love the Valco Trimode so the EX canopy with a burst of color is just a nice plus!  We show the new colors in the photo here.

Expected Ship Date: January 2010

Rating: 5 star. The trimode stroller is awesome and just stays that way!

Valco Matrix

This is an less expensive version of the Valco Trimode to meet the “new economy” budgets at $399.  It feels “cheaper” as well.  I think it is a better option than a Jeep 3 wheeler but if you really want the legendary Valco quality and push, it’s worth it to spring for the Trimode EX.

Expected Date: January 2010

Our Rating: 2 stars – pay less than $100 more and you’ll be much much happier!

Enjoy our blog? Stay tuned for a huge stroller giveaway coming soon!

So what is your favorite up-and-coming 2010 Valco release?

First off our favorite and giveaway!

We have carried the Peanut Shell pouch sling carrier from almost it’s beginnings.  We loved the streamlined look, the complete ease-of-use, and the patterns.  I mean what is easier than putting a sling over your head and putting your baby right in – no adjustments needed.  With a similar sling-pouch but it’s own gorgeous design is the Serena and Lily Market slings which we have lusted after and adored as well.  Of course sizing is always an issue so often couples needed two slings for one baby depending on if Mom or Dad was holding Jr.

This is why we were blown away by the new Hotslings AP line of adjustable pouch slings.  Hotslings has always had amazing patterns but a seemingly infinite number of sizes (okay 9, but still!) – the AP line does away with this.  With 2 nicely hidden straps, you can now adjust the awesome Hotsling AP carrier from size 2 through size 5, fitting the overwhelming majority of sling wearers, even within the same family!

Besides fitting multiple wearers with the same sling, the Hotslings AP has other nice features.  The two adjustment straps are nicely hidden by what they call the “strap garage” so they are covered and don’t detract from the streamlined look – yet are easy to adjust in a moment.  There is padding on both interior and exterior rails for parent & baby comfort in all 3 positions (cradle, front carry and hip carry). Lastly there is a wide shoulder design because your sling should fit comfortably on your shoulder and not be bunched up around your neck straining you.

We loved the Hotslings AP so much we asked them if they would giveaway one to our readers as one of our favorite ABC products giveaway and they said “yes!”.  Not only that, you get to pick your pattern, thank you to the Hotslings folks for that awesome opportunity.  They even pointed us to a video to show you guys if my write-up didn’t convey the awesomeness enough.  See video below and details on how to win at the end of this post!

Beco Baby

Beco Baby had an early prototype of a new carrier for 2010 that will be sold side-by-side with their Butterfly Carrier called the Gemini.  The Gemini is more similar to an Ergo Baby Carrier in that the baby is right next to your body instead of in a pouch next to your body like the current Butterfly Carrier.  The Gemini includes a snap-able leg space that can be narrowed to allow you to carry your baby forward-facing as well as parent-facing.

We’re really thrilled about this newest offering and hope it lives up to it’s potential.  We see a lot of parents who want the back support and infant hip support of the Ergo and Beco Baby Carriers but want the forward-facing ability of a Baby Bjorn.  Let’s hope this new Gemini Carrier is just that perfect offering!

(Editor’s note: the new Cybex Carrier that is soon-to-be-released also promises to have the proper positioning of the Ergo with the forward facing capability.  It seemed a bit more intricate than the new Gemini model but I can say we honestly haven’t played with it enough to offer a full review – it’s one to watch though!)

Ergo Baby

Besides a slew of new carrier patterns (our favorite was the Galaxy Grey), Ergo released a whole new infant insert that is a huge improvement on their current Infant Insert option.  Instead of having to wrap your baby up sling-style and place in your Ergo Carrier, this infant insert provides cushioning and support to place your baby directly against your body (head up) in your Ergo.

The addition of this Heart2Heart Infant Insert into the Ergo line, really makes the Ergo into a fabulous newborn option.  We will still put in a vote for a pouch sling like the Hotslings AP or Serena and Lily since they just make it so easy to pop your baby in for the overtired parent who doesn’t want to figure out a more complicated carrier.  Of course in a perfect world you’d have both since there are definitely times when either solution would be just the perfect one!

Baby K’tan

We love the folks at Baby K’tan.  They are just so nice and enthusiastic.  At the ABC show, they showed their versatile new burp cloth turns into Nursing cover.  It works with all common carriers so no matter what you are carrying – you can grab one of these and you’ll always have the coverage you need, whether over your shoulder or over your boob!  How can one less thing to back into your diaper bag not be a great idea?

Now onto our fabulous giveaway (Thank you Hotslings!)

To win the our FABULOUS BABY CARRIER GIVEAWAY in your favorite color/pattern just follow the directions below and in 2 weeks, this beauty could be yours!

To enter you must:

1) Sign up for the Let’s Go Strolling newsletter at www.letsgostrolling.com then leave a comment below letting us know you did and what color you would like!

For extra entries you can:

2) Let us know what your favorite Baby Carriers are or favorite new updates are.

3) Sign up to receive our blog daily via email or RSS reader and leave a comment letting us know you did.

4) Tweet about this giveaway and make sure to @reply @strollingalong.  Then leave us a comment letting us know you did.

5) Become a fan of letsgostrolling on Facebook (Click here to find our fan page) and leave us a comment letting us know you did.

That’s it! Enjoy!  We’ll choose the winner on Halloween (Oct 31st) so stay tuned!

What shocked me even more is that these chemicals were being used in products claiming to be “natural” and for “sensitive skin.”  Yes, these chemicals are from nature, but does that mean they are safe to put on a baby’s body?

When I finally settled on baby wash, shampoo and lotion for Matilda I went with a company that has a good reputation for making safe cosmetics.  The packaging even says “96.08% Natural”. After using it for a few months, Matilda developed eczema.  Her doctor said it could have been a number of different things:  allergies, detergent, genetics (I have lived with eczema for most of my life.), etc.  First thing I did was change her baby soap to no fragrance castile soap and the eczema cleared up in a week.  Eventually I realized it was probably the fragrance that was causing her to break out.

This whole experience motivated me to develop Squeaky Clean Tot, a website where parents can rate and review non-toxic, safe and BPA free baby and toddler products.

I know there are a lot of false claims out there so every product I list (especially anything that applies to baby skin) is thoroughly researched.  I use Cosmetics Database for all skincare products.  I will only post the product if it has a score of “2″ or below, meaning a low hazard.  If the product is not in their database, I go through each ingredient on the label and check the hazard score.  I will only post it if I feel the product is safe to use on Matilda.  I use the same method for all household cleaners and laundry supplies.  If I am suspicious about an ingredient I won’t add it to our database, even if they are a reputable company.

I invite you to visit my site and help other parents make important decisions about what their children are exposed to.  I know I feel more comfortable taking advice from parents than a company trying to sell a product.  You will find over 900 items in our database, in 45 different categories, including shampoos, lotions, cradle cap remedies, eczema relief, BPA free utensils, dishes, pacifiers, breast pumps, household cleaners, and laundry supplies. New products are added daily.  Most of the companies are smaller businesses, but you will also find some familiar ones like Burt’s Bees, Neutrogena, Munchkin, Avent and Playtex.

To celebrate our launch we are having a giveaway that runs through October 20.  Our grand prize is a stainless steel Safe Sippy, Earth Mama Angel Babybody wash and shampoo and a personalized luggage tag.  Visit Squeaky Clean Tot for details on how to enter.

I hope you visit our site often to post a review or if you are researching a new product.  I also invite your comments, suggestions and feedback either on this blog or at Squeaky Clean Tot

Bio: The author and founder of Squeaky Clean Tot, Tina Evans is mom to Matilda, aged 16 months.  She enjoys traveling, reading and watching scary movies with her husband.  She works as a part-time assistant and spends the rest of her free time with her sweet baby girl and making the world safer for other parents!

Editor’s note: So what do you think of her idea?  Does it sound like a good resource for you?

Okay excuse all the puns. I’m trying hard to resist putting them all in today but I’m sick with a cold so my dorkiness threshold might be much lower than usual today.  How high it is usually can of course be a subject of debate. . .

So in a short summary, we really loved the brand new Flight stroller.  It has clean beautiful lines and a ton of functionality for a lightweight.  Plus it has all the cute colors and textiles that Bumbleride strollers are known and loved for.

Bumbleride’s twist on the traditional lightweight has a nice easy fold, comes with a universal carseat adaptor, has full recline, a nice canopy and get this – can even take the Bumbleride carrycot and snack pack!  Wow!  And it really is light, we weighed it (although now I can’t find the exact weight but it was around 14 lbs). If you are someone who really wants a lightweight that can “do it all,” you should be checking out the Bumbleride Flight.

The minuses? Although Bumbleride doesn’t have a price yet, it will likely be in the high 200s.  Given the functionality, it seems reasonable when you compare it to the Baby Jogger City Mini Single with carseat adaptor or the Valco Latitude, but it’s still not cheap.  It’s also two non-adjustable handlebars which some people love for hanging bags, but others feel doesn’t lend itself easily to a one-handed push (both have good points).

We have a short video below so you can see it Bumbleride IRL!  The upshot though: this stroller will be a popular choice for those of you looking for a newborn compatible lightweight and parents who want the fabulous Bumbleride look but don’t need all the functionality of the Indie or Flyer!

The flight – landing soon at www.letsgostrolling.com in January (we hope)!

In the meantime, several manufacturers have rushed to fill a void created by people who love their reversible Bugaboo-esque stroller and want that same functionality with two kids.  The first we were aware of was the FirstWheels City Twin.  While it was slated for US release last year, they have not ended up distributing in the US to date.   We did test it however and found the width to be very wide (well over 30″), and the seats and canopies to be very small.  We estimated that many US 2 year olds would not fit in this ride.

That has left the field of reversible seat doubles to the Kolcraft Contours tandem and the UPPABaby Vista with Rumble Seat for the most part.  Now with the Baby Jogger City Select and the Stroll-Air My Duo, come early 2010, the choices will be getting better for parents of two (or more?) who want reversibility.

I have to be honest that I faced the Stroll-Air My Duo with some skepticism.  After seeing some of the other double attempts at reversibility in the past, I was unsure about this newest one.  The reality is though the Stroll-Air My Duo was incredibly impressive.

The Stroll-Air My Duo offered everything you would expect including reversible seats, that recline fully, the ability to take 1 or 2 bassinets and even the ability to take 1 or 2 carseats – WOW!

Features-wise:

Stroll-Air made sure not to skimp on what parents are really looking for: they added a generous basket, height-adjustable handlebar, full canopies with peek-a-boo windows, two separate bumper bars, one strap recline and even mesh ventilated seats for hot days.

Usability-wise:

Both seats turned around relatively easily, the stroller pushed well (with no weight in it at least), it had larger rear air-chamber tires for no maintenance (air-filled tires are an optional accessory), and it unfolded easily.

The fold was a bit multi-step intensive.  It’s not prohibitive but it is no Baby Jogger City Double or City Select in terms of fold (see video for full details.)

Measurement-wise:

To my surprise, the Stroll-Air My Duo had the best “measurements” of all the reversible doubles. The seats were not huge but generous with a canopy height of 24″ and a seat width of 11.5″.  We measured the stroller width right at about 30″ though Stroll-Air says 29″.  The most impressive?  We weighed the stroller in at 32 lbs!! Amazing.  We actually weighed it a few times since we couldn’t believe our eyes.  It seems like a like of padding and features to squeeze into 32 lbs. Kudos to Stroll-Air for that feat!

Stroll-Air says they will test the seats to 45 lbs but rate them for 40 lbs.  This seems reasonable given the height of children that will likely fit in the seats.

Options:

Stroller Air will offer bassinets, carseat adaptors, air tires, a toddler board, and probably a few more goodies as options.  What this will do to the price when all is said and done, we don’t know but if you want everything – be prepared to commit $$$.

The Upshot?

If you are a parent of twins or two siblings that are closer in age and can’t imagine your life without reversible seats – you will not be disappointed with the Stroll-Air My Duo.  It appears to be a well-constructed and thought-out stroller with all the goodies in a relatively lightweight package.

Stroll-Air is releasing it at a discounted price of $799 which is right in line with other all-terrain doubles.  If you are looking for the rugged-ness of a true all-terrain or reversibility is not a high-up priority, I would check out the other great all-terrains as well which might offer up more strolling longevity as your kids age.

So now if you want to see the Stroll-Air My Duo in action, you can check out our ABC Stroll-Air My Duo demonstration.

Baby Jogger Stroller 2010 Changes:

1) They moved the City Elite footbrake to be a hand-level brake (this is great because it allows #2)

2) All Baby Jogger models will now fit a toddler wheeled board – FINALLY! This includes the City Mini and the Summit XC and the City Select!

3) City Elite models will have air chamber tires – this means no pumping or maintenance

4) Baby Jogger will have a special 20th anniversary performance Series Stroller

5) Baby Jogger will introduce a light fixed wheel running stroller with 16″ wheels called the FIT priced at a low $299

6) The Red/Black City Elite color will become Crimson/Grey (stunning) and the Royal/Black City Elite color will now be a Sky Blue Sport (Very attractive and a lot less bold).

7) The City Micro will get a bright flame Red color.

Lastly but probably most popularly, Baby Jogger will roll out City Minis with larger baskets in 2010.  It will be a rolling change which means if you ask us whether it has the bigger basket we won’t be able to tell since SKUs won’t change but it should be on all models in Jan/Feb 2010. YAY!

A few things we didn’t love:

1) The City Elite single got 2 lbs heavier. Due to the air-chamber tires and the handbrake.  We assume the double got heavier too but we have not weighed it.

We had to separate out all the Summit changes since they rocked!

Why the Summit XC can finally compete with the BOB:

- Baby Jogger gave the Summit XC a handbrake! So there is now an awesome swivel wheel stroller on the market for all of you hill dwellers who have been begging for one.

- Baby Jogger moved the same nice arched canopy from the City Elite models onto the Summit XC models.  We did notice it had 1″ less height than the City Elite models though.

- Baby Jogger lowered the fixed handlebar height to make it more comparable to the BOB Revolution height, thus fitting shorter parents better.

- Baby Jogger’s addition of the handlebar brake allows it to fit taller parents better since they can’t kick the brake by accident.

-Baby Jogger increased the recline on the Summit to be almost full.

- Baby Jogger changed the wheel to be 3 branched spokes which they assured us was the best tire construction and would eliminate the wiggling tire rotation that some Summit users experienced in the past.

- Baby Jogger is NOT raising the price at all of the single or the double or triple!

Congrats on some nice upgrades!

Finally our we adored this product GIVEAWAY.

Not only did Baby Jogger turn their city mini parent console into a universal parent console to fit all strollers (coming 2010) but they also added an AUDIO version that can hook up to an ipod/iphone/MP3 player to a speaker for music to push by anywhere you go! WOW!  You can even face the speaker towards you for your enjoyment or towards your baby/toddler if you want to keep them happy (Raffi) or make them smarter (Baby Einstein).

We adored this so much that we immediately asked Baby Jogger to offer up one to our dedicated blog readers and they agreed!  Although this product is not out until Jan, 2010, through Oct 3rd 2009, you can enter to win the Baby Jogger Universal Parent Console with MP3 Output as soon as it is available for purchase!

Here’s how you can enter our giveaway:

1) All commenters from our first ABC blog are automatically entered to win this item

2) You may comment on this post for a second entry (if you already commented) or a first if you didn’t and let us know your favorite Baby Jogger 2010 update.

For extra entries:

1) Join our Let’s Go Strolling newsletter and comment that you did

2)Subscribe to our blog via RSS feed, email subscription or another reader and comment letting us know you did.

3)Tweet about this contest and @reply @strollingalong on twitter and comment letting us know you did.

4) Become a fan of Let’s Go Strolling on Facebook.