Review: Valco Ion 4 Two stroller

Ok, the jury is in an we love our new Valco Ion 4 Two stroller.  I'll get this out of the way right here and say that it's not perfect.  But, my complaints are minor and thrown in to give a balanced view.  So here goes:

Pros

1. Lightweight. 
It says that it weighs 26 lbs. but it sure doesn't feel that heavy.  It feels like pushing nothing which is the mark of any good stroller, IMO.

2. Compact.
This stroller is tiny.  You know, for a double stroller.  Yes, overall it's bigger than a bare-bones double umbrella but not by much.  This does mean that the seats are "slim fitting" but unless you gave birth to that 19 lb. baby, (or feed your kids a strict diet of french fries, root beer floats and Twinkies), this won't be an issue.

3. Easy to fold.  And use folded.
This folds down very easily (instructions are clear so I'm not going to paste them in here) and when folded, you can pull/drag it behind you like a roller suitcase.  I didn't know about this when I purchased it so that was a fun bonus.

4. Huge sun shade.
The sun shade is very generous but even with that, there is a zippered part that gives extra coverage.  Great for afternoon strolls when the 4 o'clock sun is beaming into my kids' eyes.  The shade also has some peripheral blockage which deters curious baby hands from destroying store displays.  Double bonus.

5. Rain cover.
The stroller, unbeknownst to me, came with its own rain cover.  It snaps onto the sunshade and around the base of the seats so the babies are in a little cocoon of dryness.  No such luck for us mommies but 2 out 3 ain't bad.

6. Maneuverability.
Because this stroller is lightweight and compact, it can turn on a dime.  Think of that commercial for the Dyson ball vacuum - kinda like that.  And, it can be pushed easily with one hand.  So long as your pug isn't tied to the stroller and pulling it in the opposite direction.  Then you'll need both.  Also, the handle has 6 positions so it works for me at 5'4" and Billy at 6'3".

7. Reclining Seats.
Most high-end models have individually reclining seats so that's no big surprise here.  But, I will report that to actually adjust them, with the baby in the seat, is very easy.  One hand if you're adjusting it back, two if you have to pull it up.  Still, it's a cinch.  And the positions are "infinite" since its just a strap that you pull in and out.

Cons

1. Storage basket.
The basket isn't bad, but I've seen better.  Because the stroller isn't that long (from back wheel to front wheel, it's 35.4", compared to the City Mini Double which is 38.5"), the storage basket doesn't have a huge surafce area.  They tried to make up for it in depth, but, depending on how far back you have the kids reclined, it's not super easy to access.  Again, it's not bad, just not the best out there.  On the flip side, there are little storage pockets on the back of the seats for smaller items like a wallet, cell phone, snacks, pacifiers, etc.

2. Closed sun shade.

When the shade is closed, the fabric seems to hang down and touch the babies heads.  It almost makes it seem like they are too tall for the stroller.  But you see that when the shade is open, they have plenty of head space.  The babies don't seem to be bothered by it, yet, so not a huge deal, but a small disappointment nonetheless.

You can see the shade is partially closed and hanging down in a bit near Collette's head.  When it's closed completely, the fabric hangs down a bit more.

3. Handle comfort.

The handle is easy to push with one hand and is adjustable but it's uncomfortable.  It's hard to describe, but compared to my jogger, which has a padded handle, this one is not very comfy.  Not a huge deal, because the other aspects of it are quite nice.  Just seems like they could have made the bar itself more comfortable and it would be perfect!

4. One big sun shade instead of two separate ones.

This might be a deal breaker for some parents who are deciding between the City Mini and the Valco Ion.  For me, it wasn't an issue at all but I have to point it out.  May be more of an issue for kids who often sleep in the stroller or if you have a toddler and a little baby who sleeps all the time on walks/errands.

5. Price.

Yes, its a Valco.  Yes, I still think it's worth it.  But with a $585 price tag, it's out of a lot of people's price range.  The City Mini Double (which to me is the other best lightweight twin stroller) is $400.  I think I would have purchased that one but when I was making my decision there was some voluntary recall on the City Mini.  It turned out to be nothing so don't fret if you have/plan to buy the City Mini.  I like the look and feel of my Valco and am happy with it.  But my wallet is less than pleased.

So, all in all, this is a great stroller and we really love it.  I think if you are interested in a lightweight, non-jogging stroller, this would be a great buy.  You'll have to buy the (mommy) cup holder separately but that's the case with similar strollers.  Also, they have some nice add-ons, such as a bassinet attachment or a car seat adapter (not so good for me but non-twin mommas might like that) and footmuffs for winter.  And, so you know, I was not paid or asked to write this review.  I hope Valco doesn't mind. :)

I took the plunge...

And purchased a 5th stroller. Yes, you read that correctly. My garage and car currently house 4 strollers: my BabyTrend Double Snap'n'Go, a hand-me-down Graco DuoGlider, a very used Maclaren Twin Rally and my beloved Schwinn Double Jogger.

Obviously, we have outgrown the double snap'n'go and I am just going to sell it. It's in pretty good condition since two of the 7 months we used it, I rarely left the house with the babies (winter + twin newborns + prematurity = lots of staying at home).

The Duoglider I hang on to because I have these special winter covers that only fit a 3 point harness and so they are on that stroller. I kept thinking I would use it come winter but who was I kidding, really? I tried it again the other day and now that I have big babies, the back twin reaches forward to scratch the head of the front twin. So, now I know I will never try that stroller again.

We bought the Maclaren for cheap because we figured, hey, Maclaren makes good strollers, right? Wrong. We thought it was fine when we picked it up but then we used it a couple of times and realized that it's a piece of crap, albeit a lightweight piece of crap. It can be pushed just fine on a very flat surface but still feels like it will break apart at any moment. Forget using it on a sidewalk, even just to go from store to store. It would be fine in a pinch, or for a grandparents' house, but my parents never take the babies without me so we really have no need for a crappy but usable stroller.

The Schwinn Jogger I use everyday, indoors and outdoors. Its really too big and heavy for mall/grocery store use and cannot fit into many stores. I need something smaller but something nice and reliable. Enter the Valco Ion 4 Two stroller. I have never seen this thing in person but I have heard only good things about Valco strollers. It's lighter than my Schwinn and folds up with one hand! I also think it looks really cool. So, I bought it. It must have been serendipitous because when I went to one of the sites that sells it (www.albeebaby.com), they were having a 10% site-wide sale. Hurrah! So, I shelled out way too much money on a 5th stroller but at least I can say I got a deal. It will be brand new and shiny and smooth and all mine. Ahhhhhh... :)

Dammit - I just realized I already have 5 strollers! I have a single umbrella stroller and am in the market for a second single umbrella stroller, one for each twin. God, help me now.

Two for Twosday: Getting Big

Baby's first ride in a shopping cart, times 2!



Baby's new car seat, times 2!

Baby's first backyard pool, times 2!

Collette is pretty pissed in this one but that was the day she got sick so I'll say that's why she got so mad and not because we made her go in the pool.

Now, if only they would walk, feed themselves and change their own diapers...

Makes My Monday: Bye Bye Buckets!!

Check me out over here for a tasty scallop recipe!

We finally bit the bullet and purchased convertible car seats. We estimate that Collette is pushing 19 lbs, getting her very close to the 22 lb cut off for our bucket car seats. And obviously (I think...) I wouldn't switch just one baby so Sebastian gets the upgrade as well. After some google-research and bank account consideration, we decided to go with the Graco My Ride 65s. I think they're new, as I had never heard of them a month or so ago when I first started looking at convertible seats.

First off, they are enormous! But I read reviews and people seemed very happy with seat. Plus, I have a minivan so if its gonna fit in any car, its gonna fit in mine. We didn't have time to install them yesterday so we'll probably do that next weekend when Billy gets back. (He just started a new project, again in NJ, after being home for 2 weeks. *sniff sniff*) Besides being huge, though, they are quite cute and not as heavy as a comparable Britax. They fit babies up to 40lbs rear facing and up to 65 lbs forward facing. So, we will be in these seats for a looooooong time. That, in addition to the great discount we got (retails for $170 but was on sale, plus twin discount, plus a 15% off coupon got them down to $115 each), make them a great investment. IMO.

It will be sad to say goodbye to the double snap'n'go, with all its lightweight convenience and limo-like length. Not sure if it will be replaced by our very well-used double Maclaren umbrella stroller or the jogging stroller, which isn't as difficult to get in and out of the car as I thought it would be. I'm considering getting yet another double stroller and selling the Maclaren but not really sure if its in the budget. I like the Combi double (around $200) and also the City Mini (a whopping $400) but will have to at least give our double umbrella a chance before we shell out anymore money on baby gear. Twins sure are expensive...

Brighten up your Monday with more stories at Twinfatuation!

Friday Foto Finish Fiesta: Cardboard, Please!

Here is a new toy I bought for the twins (they seemed to like it when we were in the store):

And here is the box it came in:



Everyone knows this will happen, so why do we not have stores that simply sell cardboard boxes for children? We could save a lot of money and I'm pretty sure it counts as recycling so we'd also be helping the environment.

Check out more Friday Funness at Carrie's place!

Makes My Monday: Twinvasion!!

Oh, how naive I was. I thought I could keep at least part of my home looking baby-free. My formal living room is rather dangerous for rolling babies what with hard-edged sofas and tables and wood floors. So, it seemed natural to keep the twins out of this area of the house, to protect them and our relatively expensive furniture. Here's what my dining room/living room used to look like:

However, lugging twins up and down two flights of stairs to feed them solids 3 times a day was starting to wear on me. Especially now that they are getting heavy, my back is taking a serious beating. And I think eventually it will get hot here in good old Massachusetts so spending all day on the third floor won't be so enjoyable. The logical solution: move the baby operation to the first floor, at least for the summer. But probably until they are walking. So, we rearranged the furniture, got a floor mat to protect their noggins and brought some toys and gear from upstairs to keep them entertained. Here's what things look like now:

They have now officially taken over. For such small people, they certainly take up a lot of space. And although my dreams of maintaining a baby-free area in my home have been dashed, it is so much easier to get things done when you don't have to shuttle two infants up and down stairs all day - and that is Making my Monday!

Also, check me out over here today to read about our day as "locavores."

Makes My Monday: Birthday Weekend

What a great birthday weekend to make my Monday. Relaxing and enjoying the good weather is just what the doctor ordered and certainly prepares me for Billy's departure.

So, why was this weekend good? Well, for my loyal readers, you know that it was my birthday weekend. I turned a whopping 28 on Friday. My dad got us 3lb steamed lobsters and they were delicious!!! Then, we headed out to the movies and saw "The Hangover". This was kind of a guy movie but hilarious! Of course, you know you're a mom when the whole time, you worry about the poor baby and omigod why aren't they running to CVS to buy some formula and feed that poor baby and omigod, that baby isn't in a car seat and omigod, it's Vegas and sunny and I'm pretty sure that baby needs a sun hat and some sunscreen, ahhhhhh!!! Sheesh - they were right. Having a baby does change everything. Now I even worry about fictional infants...

On Saturday, we loaded up the babies and went to my niece's birthday bash. It was pretty low-key. We had some hot dogs and other grilled meats while we watched the big kids try to catch fish with their little nets in the pond. The weather was perfect and, except for the spider that tried to lay eggs in my skin on the way home, it was a wonderful day! PS - Thanks, Billy, for saving me from aforementioned spider.

And on Sunday, we picked up our fourth double stroller. It was a steal at $50 and will replace the snap'n'go as our stroller of choice for running errands. Its a Mclaren and retails for $200 so I was pretty psyched to find one in good condition for cheap. The fabric could use a washing but its works perfectly and that's all I really cared about.

On that note, is this a twin thing or do singleton moms also have a stroller for every conceivable occasion?

Lastly, an update on the adventures of making my own baby food, because I know you have been waiting: I'm a dumbass. There's a reason why Gerber makes millions of dollars a year and I...don't. I needed some more bananas and was looking for the ripe ones because they mash up better. I spotted some with the brown splotches and they were huge - score! I got home and read this label on one of them. It said: Colombian Plantain. Riiiiiiight. That's why they were so much bigger than all the other bananas. Awesome.

Lucky for me, babies can eat plantains at this age. It cooked up fine and is kind of like a banana crossed with a white potato - sweet but also starchy. I mixed it up with some papaya this morning and the babies gobbled it up. Crisis averted yet plans to go global with my baby food business have been tabled.

So, fill us in! What got you going today?? Link up with Cheryl at Twinfatuation so we can read all about it.