Is it a Mountain Buggy? A Valco? No, it's an "ABC Everest Twin", courtesy of Phil and Ted.They are the Father/son team who founded "Phil and Ted's Most Excellent Buggy Company", home of the ever popular Kiwi E3. Yes, they are from New Zealand. Who else but the charming Kiwis could pull off a name like that? Anyway, Phil and Ted are no longer with Phil and Ted's. They now head up the "Adventure Buggy Company", or "ABC." They came up with the orignal "Explorer", in which a single buggy has a toddler seat added on behind it. Their latest idea, is to stick the toddler seat on TOP of the canopy. You have to use your imagination, since I only have the SBS, but take a look at this, and imagine your toddler sitting up top:Now if you want to see what it REALLY looks like, go to www.abcbuggy.co.nz  But, if the design is too funky for your tastes, you can still consider the side by side. It is well thought out, with built in saddlebags, a metal footplate, a front bar that swings out for easy access, and big nubby tires. There is a matching boot with zip-in raincover,Two back pockets that close with buckle straps, a basket that converts to a backpack, full recline, canopy window with a velcro flap, back windows with flaps; the amenities go on and on. One drawback is that it folds kinda' big. The frame is one-piece, so it folds flat, but long. Another drawback is that you have to get it from New Zealand. But hey, where else are you going to find a double camoflauge stroller this tough? ;) Ah, the lengths to which we will go...

Here's one we love, the Rock Star Baby! We told "Variety" magazine, and they chose it as one of the "Four Coolest Strollers" !

I have NOT been this excited about a stroller since, well, the Quinny Buzzand Zapp! This stroller is HOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!
I could turn it two fingers with my almost 40-pounder in it! The seat was big enough, but at 42", the canopy was a little too low. The seat is similar to the Buzz, too, in that it is all one piece. So when you recline it, the whole seat goes back, not just the backrest. The recline lever looks like a handbrake, and it operates on the same mechanism.
You can fold it with the seat on, but it has to be foward facing you.
 It is very very stable,DS shook it and tried to tip it over on the SQ Obstacle Course, but he could not.The front wheels definitely do better outdoors than the Buzz. The push is great even with the seat facing me, unlike many reversible seat strollers. It feels tight and well-engineered. It comes with a car seat adapter bar, although with the carrycot, I don't know why you would want to stick a car seat in there. The age recommendation is birth to 40 pounds.At the begining, they will only sell it in the package with thecarrycot, (and raincover.) If you are having a newborn, the carrycot is fabulous. The raincover has kept the Strollerprince bone-dry in a downpour.
The fabric is canvas-y, but very soft. It will only come in the two
colors for now, a light tan, and a light grey. But the footrest has
some black harder plastic material, to protect against the inevitable
little foot scuffs.
There are back pockets on the canopy. The seat and carrycot are very
easy to pop on and off. It is also super easy to fold, you just push
in a button and pull up on the side triggers.
I was really pleasantly surprised by how well this pushed. It is
totally amazing, definitely up there in the top 5 I have ever pushed.
And yes, this was inspired by Jon Bon Jovi and Tico Torres. You can buy it now, for $499. Details: www.gtbaby.com

The Jane' Powertwin

A wonderful tandem with air tires that is wildly popular in Europe. Highly manueverable, and great for tight aisles, big crowds, or narrow spaces. Available in the US in July. It is said to be for younger children, but I pushed it around with two 4-year old boys, for a couple of miles, with no problems. I used it  to pick up my daughter from school, and it pushed like a dream! It was SUCH a relief to be able to go around cars parked on the sidewalk (back ends sticking out of the driveway), instead of having to go out into the street like I usually have to, with a side by side. All the moms at my daughter's school were asking me about it. As you can see, both front and rear seats recline. Nice full canopies, too!I enjoyed pushing it so much that I then walked to the grocery store with it, instead of getting in the car and driving. Again, it was so nice not to run anyone off the sidewalk, and to be able to actually get through the check-out aisle in the store. The handbrake was especially useful. We live in a hilly area, and one of my fears is that a stroller will start going to fast, and I will lose my grip on a downhill slope. When the Jane' started gaining too much momentum, I just put the handbrake on to slow it down. Check out the cool front disc brake!

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You know that little black dress that sits in the back of your closet? The one you grab when you don't know what else to wear? May not be the trendiest, but it is oh so classic, and fits so well. Well, that's Inglesina for ya'. Always right, always elegant, always in style.

But which one is the right fit for you? Here's some tips: If you have an infant, choose the Zippy with the bassinette. It's a really cush ride, with a fully reclining seat, and a canopy that pulls all the way down to the napper bar. For 2006, they've added a child snack tray, and footsteps for big bro or sis to catch a ride. If your child is older, then choose the Trip, Swift, or Urbe.  The Swift is the lightest weight, so it is best for quick in and out car trips. The Trip reclines more, so it is better for nappers. Since the wheels are bigger, it does better outdoors, too. But the trade-off  is that it's a couple of pounds heavier. The newest and coolest in the line-up is the Urbe: The brushed aluminum frame gives it a very "techy" look. I must confess an irrational weakness for mudguards, too! It is larger still than the Trip, with more of a recline, and a very long footrest. If you prefer a single bar handle, with a large basket, then consider the Espresso:This is my Easter stroller. I love the combination of lavender and sage. The one-handed maneuverability is really good. This is the only model that has a height adjustable handle, so you can vary it for short or tall people. It has a decent recline, and for 2006, has a full canopy that extends to the napper bar.This is the only model that has the book fold, the rest are umbrella folds. 

Here's a chart for comparison:

I'm comparing the Chicco CT O1 to the P3, because they are quite similar. And because the Chicco, while wildly popular in Europe, is nowhere near as well-know here. It has all the features of the P3 that we've come to know and love, including the snack tray, cupholder, full canopy, rear footboard for an older child to ride on, and an umbrella fold. You fold it basically the same way, by pulling up the handle triggers, and yanking the back loop. Both stand on their own when folded.Overall, it is a slightly larger and heavier stroller, (weighs 2 pounds more than the P3), with bigger wheels, and a flatter recline, which makes it better for newborns. And Chicco's "KeyFit" infant seat snaps right in. But it also has a lower footrest than the P3, which gives longer-legged children more room. It also has some other extremely unique features. The Chicco (that's "Key-koe", by the way) has rotating handles, which makes it very easy to steer one-handed. Not quite as good as a Mac, but almost! And the handles fold on top of themselves for easier storage. It has an adjustable suspension, down by the wheels, which makes it the bounciest umbrella stroller ever. It glides over sidewalk cracks, with a lot less "rattles" than the P3. It comes with a raincover that is very easy to attach, but best of all, it has a "portaombrelli", or umbrella holder, lol! Love this gadget! Best of all, it retails for at least $50 less than the P3. The Chicco C1 is tough to find, but well worth the effort.

What are the hottest strollers around? Try the Quinny Buzz and Zapp. Both win hands down in the "cool factor" game. They are fresh and different, and each comes with it's own claim to fame. The Zapp is billed as "The world's smallest folding stroller." It may likely be.  Folded down, it measures about 2 ft. by one ft. Even comes with it's own cute little travel bag, and raincover. Don't expect to stick it in your Mac basket and whip it out when you need a second stroller, though. At 16.5 pounds, it is just too heavy. It's exactly the same weight as a new Techno XT, and 4 pounds more than a Quest. The fold is a little fiddly. Not step one and step 2, they are easy. Just push in two buttons. Step 3, though, has a little lever underneath the seat that you have to slide down and engage. I suppose it gets easier in time. But make sure you practice a bit, before you are trying to quickly throw it in your trunk with a car honking at you for your parking space, and a toddler or two hollering. I must say, the ease of pushing makes it for it, though. It's a dream come true. I have pushed two, yes, TWO children in it, for a combined weight of more than 80 pounds. Actually it wasn't even me pushing it most of the time. It was a 6-year-old neighbor girl, who pushed them both all the way home from school. AND she was RUNNING! I could still turn it one-handed with both of them in it. I'm sure it's not what the manufacturer recommends. Nevertheless, it was amazing!

It did do quite well on the Strollerqueen Obstacle Course. The wheels are small, but chunky. So they can handle most urban bumps and cracks. Just be prepared to hear "clack clack clack!" Because the wheels are a hard plastic, not rubber.

Two points which may or may not bother you. First, there is no recline whatsover, so it is not suitable for a young baby. Great toddler/pre-schooler stroller though. Secondly, there is no storage whatsover. So it is not a good shopping stroller. It is, however, a great show-off stroller!http://www.quinny.nl/zapp/ 

Onto the Buzz....This is currently my kid's favorite stroller, and the one they both fight to sit in. They find it very comfy, calling it "the office chair." And it does resemble one. Especially, with it's cool hydraulic automatic unfolding mechanism.

Of course, we are THRILLED that the seat can face us, so we can face them, and have face to face chats. Unfortunately, if you wish to fold it that way, you have to detach the seat first. But it is extremely easy. The seat is light, but the overall package is not. It weighs 26 pounds. It doesn't have the same "turn on a dime" technology that the Zapp has, but still very easy to push and turn one-handed. It's a real head-turner, and I am constantly stopped and questioned about it when using it.

Some potential drawbacks, which may or may not be an issue: Again, no basket. (I have the Babu universal cupholder on it.) And again, the front wheels are small, hard plastic. So don't expect true A/T performance, ala the Mountain Buggy. You can, however, easily lift the front wheels up when you come to a major tree root, and the big air tires do go over those type of obstacles nicely. It's also bigger than you think, at 25" wide, and 33" long. But on the plus side, it fits bigger children quite nicely, and you can also buy a carrycot for newborns.

But the BIGGEST downside is that they are not yet sold in the U.S. Wah! They are sold at Sears in Canada. Or, you can get them from a quite acommodating and now very busy Erwin at his store in the Netherlands:

http://www.babycare.nl/

We frequently organize group orders on Strollerswap, to help cut down on the shipping cost from Europe to the U.S. Unfortunately, we can't do anything about the dollar's precipitous drop against the Euros.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/StrollerSWAP/    

Here are some folded comparisons. Quinny Zapp, Zippy, Peg P3:

Every time I am out strolling the Promenade or Main Street, I am on "Stroller Patrol." I am always craning my neck to see the latest and greatest IRL. And I find that, every time I see something that looks perfectly executed, elegant and understated, and totally classy, it turns out to be an Inglesina.

So without further ado, I am awarding the latest 5-Crown Royal Rating to the Inglesina Liberty. Practical, exquisite, and a serious contender to the Bugaboo. Why? Because it has a bassinette, and a built in rear footboard in which an older child can ride. The seat or bassinette is easy to reverse or remove; it just clicks right off. But UNLIKE the Frog, it can be folded in one piece, either with the bassinette OR the seat. Oh, and the basket is better, too!

The lightweight chassis has a one-handed fold, by pushing in the two red buttons on the top of the handle. When it is halfway down, you kick the red safety latch on the ride side. Very simple. It's performance on the Strollerqueen Obstacle Course was stellar. I could steer it one-handed carrying two heavy children, over grass, gravel, and bumpy sidewalks. And yes, I had a drink in the other hand! One of these days, Inglesina will break down and give us cupholders. Though I dare say it will clutter up the lines!Inglesina is hoping to capture that segment of the American market that likes the looks and function of a pram, but can't deal with fixed wheels. The Liberty was the answer. The large swivelling rubber wheels makes this one of the easiest strollers I have ever pushed.

So if you only want one stroller that can do it all, from birth to pre-school to another child,  this is the carriage for you!!!!!!!

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When was the last time you saw a stroller SO bee-yoo-tee-full it makes you weep? Of course, if you have an Emmaljunga or Silver Cross pram, that could be every day. But if you've avoided prams in the past because they are too big, heavy, and hard to fold, then you might consider this: 

It is the BebeCar X-Fold, and it is elegance defined. And if God is in the details, then He is here. From the Silver trim on the canopy, side, and wheel centers, to the mongrammed Bebecar on the boot. It is what I would call a "Mid-size" stroller, comparable to a P3, Zippy, or Chicco C1. The seat has a full recline, but sits up much higher than the others. The canopy is much fulller, with  a huge net on the inside, so you can open it up on hot days, but your baby is still protected. The canopy also has little pockets on the inside, and a huge one on the outside. Because the seat sits up so high, too, the basket is easier to access than comparable models. It is quick and easy to fold, and the folded size is about the same as the others. But it is a couple pounds heavier.  It is also about $100 more expensive, and hard to find. Once you are able to find one, your biggest problem may be deciding on a color. In 2005, there are 32 choices! WOW~!BebeCar is made in Portugal. It is distributed out of Canada, in North America. It is a superb stroller, and gets a 5-Crown Royal Rating.