Britax B-Ready Review- She Said

I have to say that I was wholly unprepared to like the Britax B-Ready. Maybe it was the enthusiastic, but information-limited review by the gear guy at stroller traffic, or, perhaps my bias against Phil& Teds (based on company policies). Who knows why I wasn't altogether excited about this stroller by a company that is known for car seats. So, when Britex e-mailed me to say they wanted us to test-drive the B-Ready, I was happy, cuz, hey, it's a chance to play with a new toy, but I wasn't exactly Ed McMahon-just-gave-me-a-million-bucks happy.

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Ready For The Britax B-Ready (He Said)

Several posts back (HERE if you’re curious) I devoted a whole sentence to the Britax B-Ready that totally failed to do it proper justice. Now that I have had a chance to really use it for the past week and change, let me try to give it the more complete rundown that it deserves for defying my expectations at every turn.

Britax bills their stroller as being a “full size modular stroller,” which is certainly true, but fails to get across what makes the B-Ready unique and wonderful. Unlike other strollers that we have tried that have second child modules, such as Bumbleride’s Queen Bee or (pending) Mutsy’s Duo Seat, which turn single strollers into doubles (ish), the B-Ready is a double stroller on which the second seat is optional. Structurally, this is a very important difference, as a double stroller needs to have different dimensions, proportions, and suspension than a single. Practically, this means that a single stroller with a jump seat will, no matter how good it is, not perform quite as well with the second seat on as off. For the B-Ready, I found just the opposite to be true: it was a more comfortably balanced stroll with both seats than with one.

Before we move into the rest, check out our unboxing video, conveniently located HERE. Well done. You have now had the same introduction to the stroller as us (minus some video editing and cleaning up our living room, so you have it better than we did, congrats).

The B-Ready certainly does a bang-up job as a single stroller. The modular second seat is sold as an optional accessory and the stroller doesn’t feel in any way unfinished without it. As a single stroller, the B-Ready is large: measuring 26” wide as compared to the Stokke Xplory’s 22” or the Mutsy 4Rider Lite’s 24.5”, and nearly 3’ long at the wheels as compared to 29” for the Xplory and 4Rider Lite. I don’t find this to be a problem, personally, except at our local supermarket where there is only one checkout aisle that the stroller fits through - but I think that is more the supermarket’s issue than the stroller’s. Otherwise: the total weight of child that the B-Ready is supposed to accommodate is 90 pounds between the two seats, with a suspension is designed for that load - with only 30 or so pounds of toddler in the single configuration, the suspension might seem stiffer than strictly necessary, but it hasn’t seemed to bother either one of my children in the least.

Another item of note, particularly for the single configuration, is the construction of the stroller’s frame. This will be a good segway into using the B-Ready as a double, as it actually seems to contribute to the comfort of strolling 2 children at once; namely, that the stroller's frame is entirely front loaded. This only (maybe) sounds confusing, but it's pretty clear when you look at the stroller itself: to accommodate the second seat, there is no rear axle. The solid part of the frame, then, is really just a single construct from the handles to the front wheels where it is welded. The rear wheels, their shocks, and their legs which are bolted to the frame, are designed to carry the weight of the frame and the seat(s) that rest on it. The weight of the frame, then, is almost entirely in the front. Not that most of you really care. What you do care about is that the stroller seems disproportionately heavy when attempting to lift the front wheels to go up a single step or the curb - as a single stroller. When the front loaded weight of the frame is balanced by the additional weight of a child in the lower seat, the balance actually makes the stroller seem more responsive and the unbalanced weight of the frame alone a non-issue (maybe it would still be an issue if my kids were smaller, but at 30 pounds ± for each of them, it seems to work really well).

And now here we are - the B-Ready as a double stroller. This, to me, is where the stroller really shines. Now, maybe this is because we got the second seat along with the stroller, so we have never really taken advantage of its delightful modularity (I mean, we have used it with one seat and with two, but we didn’t got it thinking that one day we might need to add the second seat), or maybe because the stroller folds with both seats attached, and stands on it's own while folded that way, and goes into the trunk of my car with the second seat in place (in my trunk, the main seat needs to come off either way), but I really see very little need to leave the second seat behind. If I have no child in the lower seat, it's like a package slide down into the basket.

For someone who really thought that I was nearly finished with double strollers, I have had both kids in this one A LOT over the past week or so. This is probably due to several factors - that it is getting colder outside and Osiris rides his bike less, or the simple availability of the second seat (as I said before, I see very little reason to take it off) - but is also partially due to both children really loving the stroller. I was not prepared for this, I will admit. I am not a huge fan of this type of design of double stroller. It has undeniable benefits in having a narrower footprint that a side-by-side double and a shorter footprint that an in-line double (yes, this claims to be in-line, I think stacked is probably a better description), but I never saw any benefit to the child in the lower seat: why would they want to sit down there. Shows what I know, I have had to help both children as they climbed themselves into the lower seat, go figure.

All right, on to things that matter. As I have already said, I think the ride is smoother and more balanced with both kids in the stroller, the second seat attaches (or detaches) really easily, and the stroller folds and goes into the car with it attached. Also, as I mentioned, the stroller holds a combined 90 pounds of child - 55 in the upper seat and 35 in the lower seat. Looking back on some notes, 35 pounds in a jump seat seems pretty common, but as I am getting close to having a child at that weight, it seems like more of a consideration. Since my little one likes being in the lower seat, the weight limit is not my concern, but the size of the seat. The jump seat, because feet can extend into the basket, actually offers a little more room than the main seat (as long as you don't mind your child playing footsie with your groceries, which, as I can tell you from experience, will happen). Osiris' legs are a little too long to fit comfortably in the upper seat, though the rest of the dimensions seem comfortable for him. Of course, Osiris is still under the 35 pound weight limit, so we may really be done with double strollers by the time he puts on those last few pounds.

Now, what really sets this stroller apart from others with the same design? The room between the two seats (or headroom for the lower seat) is 14” with the seats sitting up, as compared to 16” for the Phil & Ted's. With the seats reclined, this changes to 16” for the B-Ready as compared to 8” for the Phil & Ted’s. For comparison, my head, from the back to the tip of my nose, is 10”. I know I have a much larger head than my kids, but still, 8” strikes me as a touch claustrophobic (maybe that’s just my hangup).

The basket has an interesting design. Like the lack of a rear axle to accommodate the second seat, the basket has no back. The utility pouch is supposed to act as the back of the basket when the second seat is off, but i have found it more useful attached to the handlebar (where it doesn't belong but it is easier to reach), and the lack of a back doesn't seem to be a problem for the basket - insofar as I haven't dropped anything out of it yet. The basket is also easily accessible through zippers located on each side and the front (!!! Thank you!!!).

The handlebars adjust via buttons on the inside of the hinges, easily adjusted with your thumbs as you stroll. Oddly enough, because every time I look at it, I am sure I am going to kick the back of the stroller, it has happened only very rarely, no matter at which level I have the handlebars adjusted to (well, to either of the settings that are comfortable for me to stroll with).

The brake is a step on, step off, which is very easy to use and has a convenient indicator to show if it is engaged or not. Its downfall is that it is within arms reach of toddlers in the lower seat. As are the back wheels - which may seem obvious, but I had wondered about why the rear wheel guards were in any way necessary. Silly me.

The main seat is adjustable, being able to face in either direction and has 3 recline positions. The upper recline (sitting up) I have twice wished was actually sitting all the way up. The seat height for the upper seat is just about right to be right at table height, though the slight recline even when the seat is sitting up makes it less effective as a high chair. Then again, the stroller may be too long for it to be a high chair without blocking the whole aisle, so it's somewhat of a moot point anyway.

Not that I want to seem like I am complaining about the seat. We were doing some holiday shopping earlier today. Osiris fell asleep in the car and woke up only enough to curl up in the seat (fully reclined with the cross bar - push button to remove, you wonderful people you - off) and pull up his blanket. When he woke up we sat the seat up and turned it around (a 45 second operation) and he was a happy camper.

The sun shade on the main seat is a generous size and has a window in the back, which is kept closed with a magnet. On future versions of the stroller, I would like to see an additional magnet in the top of the canopy to hold the flap open, as well - the wind keeps blowing it shut on me. The canopy on the lower seat is not an generous. Not that it really needs to be - the lower seat being protected almost entirely by the upper one. However: the lower canopy seems tighter to the seat somehow - directly against Osiris’ head when he is down there, which is not the case when he is in the upper seat. In addition, it doesn’t pull down quite enough to shelter little ones from wind coming around the side. I don’t think it needs a whole lot of additional room, but a little would make it feel more usable.

Overall, I would call this stroller a very pleasant surprise. The kids love it. I love it. It is clear that Britax put a great deal of thought and effort into their design, and I commend them for it. I am looking forward to seeing how the stroller responds in the snow (when we finally get some here in NYC - if you’re elsewhere and have experience, please let us know) as the winter continues.

Going GaGa over a shoulder Strap - You can win it!

Honestly, its not very often I get too excited over a bag, let alone just the strap of a bag.  As a shoe girl myself, the fact that I could go GaGa over a shoulder strap was, needless to say, very surprising to me.  

The kind people over at Go Gaga sent us over their Urban Shoulder Strap. You should be proud to know, I immediately opened the box, and put it on something they didn't intend it for :-).  Here's the story:

I was trying to get out the door to pick up my Preschooler from school when two things happend: 

1. The doorbell rang with my package from Go GaGa
2. Jeremy called to tell me I'd better bring the Mei Tai baby wrap to pick up the boy because he was tired 

But the wrap was at my mother-in-law's.

What's a harriedGo Gaga Strap parent to do?  I grabbed the Urban Sherpa Strap, put it on his balance bike, threw it over my shoulder, and took off for the train to pick up the kiddo from school. 10 blocks and 2 trains later, not only was I at school on-time for pickup BUT I had two hands free, AND my chronically in pain neck didn't even twinge with discomfort. 

(I've included pictures of Jeremy with the same setup I had with the strap and the bike as I didn't have the camera handy with me the other day.)  

As you can see from the pictures, the strap actually EXPANDS to cover your whole shoulder to distribute the weight of any bag (or child's bike) with a detachable strap over your shoulder and back.  The result is that you feel a lot less of the weight you are carrying.  

I have to tell you, I LOVE this strap.  I even made my 71 year-old grandmom try it on her carry on bag...of which, I'm happy to report, it worked beautifuly on.

SO!  If you want to win one of these awesome straps, use the comments to tell us what you would carry with it.  We'll choose one lucky parent next week.

UPPAbaby G-luxe And The Rain-fly Drama

Some of the owners of the G-Luxe have been complaining, and rightfully so that the rain fly for this stroller, well, sucks.  It attaches which a bunch of Velcro straps that tend to un-strap themselves on windy days (when you need them the most) and allow the flap to fly up and expose baby.  While the stroller itself is a fine price of mechanics, the rain fly gets 0 points.

So...do you want the good news first, or the bad news?

Bad news: for all of you that already own the stroller, and unfortunate rain fly- you're still going to have to go with a universal rain fly.

Good news:  For all the parents that are looking at the G-lux because it is, in fact the largest, lightest, full sized umbrella stroller on the market, buy with impunity.  They changed the design of the rain fly and stroller so the pesky flap will stay down with a knob and loop closure with the knob being built right onto the lower legs of the stroller.



He Said: Hopping For Joy

As you may have noticed (or can now politely pretend to have), the last several posts have been about new products that we saw or got to try at the ABC Expo. The next several (at least), we be drawn from the same, near endless, font. This is because we saw, as a conservative estimate, a whole crapload of products - surprisingly few  of which caused me to question the reason for their existence (this is a good thing). From all that we saw, one of the impressions that I took away with me this year was the impressive new options in double strollers.

Now, I will freely admit that while I have owned and liked a double stroller, I have never been their biggest fan. Up until now, I have found them, in general, to be awkward and unwieldily (as Tara enjoys telling people, I described pushing one in particular as being akin to trying to steer a whale). But I saw a lot of impressive options this year, all of which really deserve more attention than I am going to give them at the moment:

1. The Bugaboo Donkey - which they know is an...unpopular...name, but are "stubborn as donkeys" in their refusal to change it (their words, not mine).

2. The Britex B Ready - which I could have sworn that I was going to kick at every step, yet found it not only maneuverable and easy to push (around the showroom, granted), but I didn't kick it at all.

3. The Cybex Family Hybrid - which is still in the "coming soon" category, but based on the level of polish on the prototype unit that they had, will be a seriously impressive stroller in the very near future.

4. The seriously clever concept that the people at 2Stroll have - which is not technically a stroller, but a frame that switches back and forth between an in-line and a side-by-side configuration, which I hope brings them a great deal of success.

What really stole my heart, however, was the Kinderwagon Hop. While still, technically, coming soon, we are down to only about 2-3 weeks before one of the most innovative strollers I have seen becomes available. This double umbrella stroller is the first double stroller that I think I can recommend without reservation for an urban market.

Yes, yes - double umbrella, or, better probably, an umbrella double; this stroller is completely unlike other double umbrella that are essentially just two umbrella strollers stitched together. The Hop is an in-line double that, through the miracle of stadium seating, has only a slightly larger footprint than most single strollers. This works out really well in two ways: First, it is smaller and more maneuverable than many other in-line doubles. Second, having a larger wheel base, in addition to curved rear struts (I feel like I obsess about this, but there is just no reason not to do this), makes the Hop considerably more stable than just about any other umbrella stroller I have seen (yes, I could probably tip it if I really tried, but casually leaning my weight on the back of the empty stroller didn't do it).

The handles of the stroller are curved down, but are substantive enough that, while the handles are not adjustable, they offer several different ways to hold and push the stroller. Resting my hands on top of the handles, I found that I was kicking the back of the stroller - not with every step, but more than I would like. Luckily, when holding on to the handle, the curve allowed my hands to remain at a comfortable height and gave me that extra inch I needed not to kick the stroller at all. Of course, I am a lazy, lazy _____ (noun) and think my hands should be allowed to lounge on the stroller handles for normal strolling - which is difficult when holding on for that extra inch, but the solution is a fairly easy one and we (I) have already suggested it.

The stroller basket is, remarkably, another impressive example of the thought that has gone into this stroller. While it is still the small, uncomfortably placed basket typical of umbrella strollers (which I have already complained about at length previously), the simple addition of a zipper down the side makes it easily a thousand times easier to access and actually usable. For which I thank them, profusely.

And, of course, being an umbrella stroller, the Hop folds like an umbrella stroller. Actually, it folds like a single umbrella stroller, with the same ease and to the same size. Add to that both self locking and self standing while folded - If you have multiple children and live in an NYC walkup apartment, I can't think of thing that could compare.