Pros: Quality; safety; ease of use; comfortable; lightweight; jogger, stroller or bike trailer... 3 for 1!!!!!
Cons: costly, hard to find retailers, on the bulky side for transporting in a trunk.
The Bottom Line: Recommended for an active family. ONE carrier is sure easier and more economical than 3 or 4. For the chassis bike hitch stroller kit = $500.
ltarnack's Full Review: Chariot Carriers Inc. X-COUNTRY COUGAR 2 - Red Jog...
I LOVE my Chariot Cougar 2! I have two girls, ages 1 and 3 who like to go for walks but don't always walk. They are in that in-between age that they like to ride or walk when they want. I have had my fair share of strollers over the last 3 years so I consider myself an expert. I had been thinking of getting one of those bike trailers so I could ride around with the girls but I also thought it would make sense to find one that could be used as a double jogging stroller so I could walk with it once I got to the park or the grocery store or where ever. I started looking and quickly saw that most only had a tiny optional front wheel to connect to the hitch, far out in front of the trailer which wasn't what I had in mind. It just didn't look like it would do the job and looked like it was there just as a means to stabilize the trailer when it was unhitched from the bike.
I was disappointed with many of the trailers I found, actually. The fabric was shoddy, the seats didn't look comfortable and the frames felt flimsy. As soon as I saw the Chariot Cougar, I was SOLD. It just looks safer than any other bike trailer so I wasn't surprised to learn that it is highly rated. This is handmade in Canada and every attention to detail is made. There are soooo many upgrades on this baby from all the stardard trailers, I was so excited that I bought it in record time. The salesman was suprised to see me decide in a matter of 30 seconds, I think. What quickly sold me, besides the quality, were the conversion kits.
Basically, Chariot sells the carrier chassis separately. The Cougar is therefore referred to as a Child Transport System (CTS) and it becomes ANYTHING you want it to be. The kits available include a stroller kit (2 small front wheels that spin and turn effortlessly, good for everyday anywhere strolling) or a jogging kit (a single front 12" wheel with a hand brake to convert your carrier into a sleek and FAST jogger.) It also has a cross-country ski kit complete with skis to attach and a harness to pull it and a hiking kit to pull your carrier over the trails! Enough of that, Chariot has an awesome web site to see all the details. www.chariotcarriers.com
I am about 5'6" and less than 120# and this stroller pushes easier than anything I've ever tried. Maybe even better than a dedicated jogging stroller! It's that good.
What I like is that the interior is one solid compartment. It is not a hammock seat that your kids sit on like a swing and the little ones slide between the seat and the wall of the carrier or all the toys, cups and pacifiers slide under the seat to the back. This one is different. The seat is padded and even has moisture wicking material to keep them drier when it's hot. Another thing, my kids beg me to ride in their Chariot. It's like a little Lazyboy for them. It is spacious so they can relax and feel comfortable and put their feet up. They can sit up, re-adjust, not stuck like I see kids in the typical jogging strollers. They each have a pocket on their side to fit all their goodies that they want to bring along. The pocket is mesh and it fits sippy cups, snacks, pacifiers, etc. They even load the Chariot with blankets and books and I never worry about anything falling out because it's like a little box, the toys and blankets may fall to the feet but they stay in. My 3 year old loves the fact that she can climb in and out by herself, the carrier is lower to the ground. At first I thought that would be a problem for me to bend over that far and for them also. Who likes to ride so low to the ground? But it hasn't been an issue, I actually forgot all about that point till now, writing this.
I bought the stroller kit first and I want to get the jogging kit too, but I thought that the stroller kit would allow me to take my Chariot more places. I have been to the store with it a few times and it fits through doors, steers like a dream and my baby actually fell asleep in it! She NEVER has before slept in a stroller.
What's awesome is how easy and fast it is to convert the carrier. I am a busy mom and if anything is too time consuming or difficult in ANY way... FORGET IT. But, I must say, this Chariot has impressed me with how well thought out it is. The front wheels simply screw into the front in seconds and for the best part, when you don't need them (such as when you are using the carrier with a bike or as a jogger) just unscrew, turn and screw in upside down so they point up in the air and off you go. Nothing to lose, no tools, takes less than a minute and the kids can help. Perfect. Same with the big tires. If you have the jogging tire for the front, it simply slides in or out and clicks/locks into place. The Cougar has built-in velcro straps on the back to hold it for storage when not in use so it doesn't get lost either. Perfect. Same with the bike hitch. Once the hitch is installed on the bike, which is actually quite easy, the bar slides/clicks/locks into the carrier and the "ball" slides into the hitch on the bike and just a pin and a snap to secure it and you're off! EASY
The first time I took my girls out for a bike ride I was expecting that the trailer would be heavy and akward, but it is neither. It only weighs about 23 pounds so it's easy to push or pull. The huge wheels (20") really give it a smooth ride, they are bigger than most of the other trailers I looked at. My 3 year old gets so excited that she screams, "go faster, faster mommy" and she calls the Chariot her "little car". There is enough storage in the back to fit 3-4 plastic grocery bags, we did. And, if you get the cargo rack, you could carry a whole cart full!
I won't lie, this is pricy. But I figured that a standard stroller would only last my 3 year old another year till she was too big for it. I figure she will be able to ride in this till she is 5, maybe 6 if she wants. It holds up to 100 pounds! I might have another baby within the next couple years and Chariot sells an infant sling so even the smallest babes can use it! What jogging stroller can do that? Also, I get THREE for ONE! I get a bike trailer, a FAST jogging stroller and a COOL, SLEEK stroller all in one! I don't have my garage or minivan cluttered up with multiple baby carriers and because all the parts have a place to store on the carrier, I can use it spontaniously in any situation.
The shoulder harnesses are OK. They are padded and large, kind of hard to get your fingers in to snap/unsnap it but they do have a velco tab to "hang" them up and out of the way if you don't want to use them when strolling. I did take the shoulder harness off on one side because we only use it when we are biking. My 3 year old's head hits the harness when it's "hanging up" and it bothers her. It unthreads easily, no big deal. If you don't use the harness, there are still seat beats to strap in sqirmy kids if they try to get out. My 1 year old hasn't been able to wiggle out, so far.
Now, it does fit in my Ford minivan with the back seat folded down into the floor. That's with the stroller kit and the back wheels and the handle bar attached. It folds pretty flat. Although it folds easily, it does take a little coordination to do it but the more you do it, the better you get at it. What I mean is that because the stroller rolls so easily that if you try and unlock the side pins and fold it, it has a tendancy to roll away on you. So, you need to remember the put the parking brake on first ( a foot peddle on the back axle) then pull one side pin and push forward then the other side pin and then it collapses. It unfolds even easier, I can do it holding a child in one arm. If you needed to fit it in a smaller trunk, which I plan to do when I take it to Michigan to visit my parents next week... (I'll write an update about that later) it comes apart fast. Remember the slide and click/lock? The wheel hubs are soft and just push on them and slide the wheels off in a second. Perfect. The handle bar also comes off with a click/slide. All pieces can be stored inside the carrier and folded into it.
Finally, I must say that this Chariot Cougar just looks cool! It definately turns heads wherever we go. Everyone is always asking us what it is and where we got it. I found it at REI, actually. REI only carries some of the many accessories Chariot makes but they have assured me that they can order anything I want from Chariot. And, there is a lifetime warranty on the chassis which makes it easier to swallow the cost of this thing. Besides, I think that if I ever do sell it, it will hold it's value so I can get some of my money out of it.
There really isn't anything that I don't like about it, I love it and I always look forward to getting outside with it!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 390
Age Range of Child: 12 to 36 Months
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