|
|
| Home > News > Valco Baby's Luxury Stroller System |
Valco Baby's Luxury Stroller System
|
The Valco Baby RAD is a luxury stroller system that is not only head-turning beautiful but has some pretty great mom friendly features. First, we love the look of the RAD. It's a stunning stroller that comes in four colors: Midnight blue, Coal black, Red, Aquamarine blue.
It has a great reversible seat that allows you to change the seat direction easily by simultaneously pressing 2 large buttons and lifting the seat up so that your child can face you or out at the world. The seat is large and comfortable complete with a padded 5 point harness and three recline positions. Similar to other luxury stroller systems, instead of just the back of the seat reclining, the entire seat reclines keeping its wide "V" shape. Even though the seat reclines just about parallel with the ground, because it has the "V" shape, it's not technically a "flat recline". The seat recline is a two handed recline by pressing the same grey large buttons on either side of the seat that you use to reverse the seat.
We love that there is a great boot cover that is tailored to fit the RAD that provides your baby with warmth and protection from the elements and comes included with the stroller. The seat also has a baby bumper bar that is easy to remove completely or you can just remove one side to make it easier to put baby in and out.
|
|
Since not all moms and dads are the same height, we love the adjustable handle that telescopes out, to keep the tallest parents with very long strides from kicking the frame of the stroller.
The sun canopy with peek-a-boo window is decent. We would prefer a bit bigger of a hood that ideally folds all the way or close to the baby bar. Valco Baby does offer an attachable U.V. sunshade as an optional accessory to help shade your child more. The very large basket is fantastic and will hold a large diaper bag, shopping bags or other baby essentials. We love that it is easily accessible from front or back even with the seat fully reclined.
Folding the RAD is quick and easy to do. Valco claims it is a one-handed fold but we have to disagree. You have to use one hand to push the button on the left side of the handlebar and the other hand to push the large button (in the center) and push down the handle bar so the stroller folds down. So, it's not truly a one handed fold but is definitely very easy to do. There is a locking strap that keeps the stroller locked closed.
Unfolding the stroller is no problem either. All you have to do is unlock the locking strap, step on the back of the frame and pull up on the handle bar until the stroller locks open.
There are two large 12 inch air filled rear tires that provide a very smooth ride over a variety of terrain and front rubber composite swivel wheels for an easy maneuverability. The rear wheels have a quick release button that allows you to pop them off for a more compact storage. A rear footbrake that locks both wheels at the same time is powerful but takes quite a bit of force to unlock. We appreciate the 23" wheel base that is much narrower than competitors, making it easy to steer though tight spaces, aisles and through doorways.
|
|
Luxury stroller systems are usually large and heavy and the RAD is no exception weighing in at a heavy 29 lbs. This is not a stroller for quick trips in and out of the car. Removing the seat from the chassis makes the stroller more manageable when taking in and out of the trunk. The folded stroller is still large and will fit comfortably in a SUV trunk but it might be a good idea to check the dimensions if you plan on transporting it regularly with a small sedan as it might not fit all cars' trunks.
The maneuverability on this stroller is good. It glides along with two hands but you start to feel the weight of the stroller when you try to maneuver it with one. Tackling grass, mulch and dirt is no problem, and you can do it with one hand, just know that it will take a bit more wrist power. With the large air filled tires and the great suspension, the RAD provides baby with a very comfy, smooth ride.
Because the RAD is heavy, the plus side is that it is incredibly sturdy and well made. Tipping the stroller backwards is not an issue. We hung multiple diaper bags on the handlebar without the stroller budging. We even let a 2 year old (30 lb) tester hang (with supervision and for testing purposes only) from the handlebar with an infant in the seat and still couldn't get the stroller to tip. The RAD is a sturdy, well-constructed, work horse stroller!
Even though a cup holder doesn't come with the RAD, the Valco Universal cup holder fits easily on the stroller handle. There are car seat adapters available for an additional cost that allows the RAD to be used as a travel system with a Graco Snugride or Peg Perego Prima Viaggio infant car seats.
The RAD retails for $599 with the bassinet or $475 without it. We like that they give you a choice whether or not to purchase the bassinet because this is great for moms that missed getting it for their newborn or just aren't interested in using a bassinet. We do want to say that the bassinet is B-E-A-U-T-I -F-U-L. Valco Baby really knows how to pamper a baby with their soft, luxury bassinets.
The Valco Rad has most of the features we look for in a luxury stroller - reversible seat, air tires, car seat adaptor, adjustable height handlebar, big basket. The features we miss are a cup holder, a bigger sun canopy and a lighter frame (although we wouldn't want to sacrifice any sturdiness). If you are looking for a beautiful, well-constructed stroller with many mom friendly features, the RAD may be the stroller system for you!
Open- 23.5" wide x 32" long x 37.5 " high
Weight: 29 pounds
Max. weight capacity: 45 pounds
Shop All Valco Baby
Shop Valco Rad Strollers
|
|
|
