j3fer's Full Review: Kolcraft Universal 46252 Stroller Frame
First of all, I must say: This is my 3rd baby, and I don't know how I lived without it through my first two. I am not exaggerating when I say this has spared me tons of backache and nuisance hauling those $@#! heavy carseats into & out of shops!
I bought the older model from eBay (local pickup, so no shipping cost), and I am very glad I did.
The newer model has a thick black plastic bar at the front instead of a thin white metal rod (epinions shows the thin rod but that's not what you get if you buy it now). From what I understand, with the newer model, you can't "click" your seat onto the carrier, but just rest it on top of the plastic bar.
However, the "click" feature is one of my favourite things even though (for safety reasons), I do use this carrier with the strap provided. My Century car seat fit in perfectly on the first try, attaching and detaching in seconds, making the transition from car to carrier just a breeze. I am so confident that the seat is secure in this carrier.
The wheels on this carrier ARE clearly designed more for mall and store use than long walks in the countryside... and that's really an understatement. They are small and flimsy and wibble-wobble every which way at the slightest dip or bump in the sidewalk. Once indoors, however, their performance is excellent, and the provided brakes are more than sufficient to give me peace of mind unloading groceries in a parking lot. (I know my baby won't roll away!)
One of my major concerns buying this was trunk space. I have a SMALL car (hyundai accent), and I have found that this carrier not only fits no problem in the trunk -- goes in and out so smoothly! - but there is even room to spare for the groceries I've just bought!
I guess my only concern with this would be the basket capacity. The basket LOOKS wonderful! It looks like you could do a week's worth of shopping with the carrier... until you notice the warning of its 10lb capacity. Ten pounds sounds like a lot, until you toss in a few cartons of milk, some packages of meat and some tinned goods and realize you're easily over 15lbs. (we're a family of five now!). So if you're going to do lots of shopping, you really need to click the carseat right onto a store cart/buggy, not use the Kolcraft.
I use this carrier almost every time I step out of the car with the baby seat... I wish we could use it to bring the baby inside, but we live up 3 flight of stairs. :-(
At one point, my parents asked me why I was bothering to bring the carrier along for just a short outing. But when they saw how quickly it set up and how easy it makes bringing the baby along - it pushes with one hand plus gives me a place to put the diaper bag! - they were convinced.
We work on a low budget around here, and very few baby items are a must-have... but this Kolcraft carrier has been a lifesaver and I would not have a baby again without one.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 25
Age Range of Child: 0 to 12 Months
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