Our Maclaren stroller

When we first decided to have kids, I knew I needed a super lightweight stroller because I’d be hauling that sucker up and down subway stairs with the baby in situ. I opted for the Maclaren “volo” because it was the cheapest fancy stroller you could get and it weighed only a few pounds. It cost me $112 and I thought that was a lot of money, but it had nice handling and looked sturdy. Although there are fancier strollers available, they cost a fortune and they’re heavy.

Here I am with my first baby in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden; in the background is the stroller in its salad days.

Little did I know that this stroller would end up traveling the world with us. Five continents, six years, and baby number two later… it’s still going strong.

I’ve had to replace the wheels a couple of times because we walk so much we wear them down to the nub.

Here is the worn wheel next to the replacement wheel. A lot of mileage logged.

The stroller has a design flaw in that kids were getting their fingers caught in the hinge when you close it. This is potentially dangerous and so I have considered replacing it. But when I consider replacing this stroller I think about all the amazing places we’ve seen together and I feel a sentimental attachment to its battered, mud-splattered frame.

From the streets of Tokyo, 5am jet lagged on a blistering day:

To the back roads of tiny Medieval towns in France:

Now I wish that strollers came with an odometer to tell you how many miles were logged. The Rocks. Sydney, Australia.

And of course it’s used daily for more prosaic tasks, like trips to kindy. But maybe it’s time to replace it. I’ll get another Maclaren. One of the models that doesn’t eat fingers.

You know what the cheap version really needs though? A cup holder. I definitely missed having one of those.

#babies #hingedefect #Maclarenstroller #stroller #cupholder #Brooklyn #travel #Sydney #childcare #Tokyo #recall #France #safety