Ah, the umbrella stroller, one of the most important pieces of parenting gear you will own. Yes, even more than a wipes warmer. (Kidding. Don’t get a wipes warmer.) In round one of parenting, our umbrella stroller took a real beating as we threw our baby in there for practically every outing. So imagine my glee in our discovery that, just in time for my second child, the trusted Baby Jogger brand is out with a new umbrella stroller that pairs with a car seat to make a very affordable, attractive, lightweight Baby Jogger Travel system that isn’t quite so taxing on my already tired arms.
The system includes the new Vue Lite reversible umbrella stroller, the City Go car seat plus a car seat adapter all for just under $300. Pretty nice deal.
I’ll tell you, if you are a believer in keeping things as simple and affordable as they can be, then this could be the perfect set-up for you.
Related: The best affordable jogging strollers
As I have found with all Baby Jogger products, it’s all easy to use without unnecessary bells and whistles. Both the car seat and the stroller are very lightweight which is a joy to my aching back and tired baby-rocking arms. And while I will say the car seat is pretty much just a car seat — albeit a good one — it’s the the Vue Lite stroller in three modern colors that offers some special features you’ll want to consider.
Most notably, the stroller and the canopy are easily reversible. In about two seconds. With just one hand. No exaggerations. Because what new parent ever has an extra hand or extra time for anything? For further convenience, I like that the seat has got a 5 point seat harness on both sides so you can skip any complicated, sweat inducing re-threading with each new position.
As someone who’s always paranoid about the sun in my baby’s face, I really love that it’s got a great oversized sun canopy for UV 50+ protection. I will however admit I had a difficult time getting it attached but once I borrowed some stronger hands (thanks honey) to snap it into place, we were good to go.
Finally, I just really like the multi-position recline and the adjustable footrest, which isn’t a huge thing but speaks to the overall thoughtfulness of the design when it comes to your baby’s comfort.
This really is a quick to-the-park, / running errands kind of stroller system in my opinion. It’s not a rock steady piece of gear for running or off-roading by any means. And does it look super fancy? Well, it’s no Bugaboo. But unless your priority is turning heads on the playground from European design-spotting fans, we’re really happy to find an affordable, attractive travel system under $300 that gets parents a solid baby gear essential at a solid price.
You can shop the affordable Baby Jogger Vue Lite travel system by Baby Jogger exclusively at our affiliate Target or purchase the City Go car seat and Vue Lite stroller at select retailers and indie boutiques near you. Accessories include a soft pram for newborns, a weather shield, a parent caddy, and a carrying bag if you want to step up the functionality. Thanks to Baby Jogger for providing us a sample to review.
