Kurt's a DT reader in Boulder and one of the first Stokke Xplory owners in the US. I asked him what it's like, and he generously offers up this exclusive account of driving around town with The New Rig:
I first heard of the Stokke Xplory from daddytypes. [Well, there you have it, folks. Straight from a savvy stroller shopper. Only the most unabashed skeptics need read any further. Now, what color Stokke would you like? -ed.]
Test drive
Jodie, Chelsea and I went into the local distributor, and took their demo model out for a test drive. Not only was I amazed by the handling of the Xplory, as we swerved in and out of coffee shops, but it was almost shocking how within 10 minutes of walking down the sidewalk, we had over a dozen people make remarks about how cool the stroller was (and how beautiful Chelsea was, of course!)
Ordering
We worked with Elize, at Hello Mommy, and got out stroller on order. They were throwing in the diaper bag with the first round of orders. We also ordered the foot warmer, since it can get pretty chilly in Colorado.
Last week, our Xplory showed up. [That puts it in the first batch of around 100 or so to hit the US.] We grabbed it and immediately headed to Cherry Creek, which is a great area to walk around. Here are some of our initial observations:
Folding & Storage
To fold it up and put it in the car, takes a little getting used to, but now we're getting good at it. Once it is folded up, it's a great size. I can fit it in the back seat of our BMW M3 convertible, which is saying something! [I think he means is, it says something that the stroller fits, not that he's got a BMW. A BMW in Boulder only says, "I'm a local." ]
Handling
The handling still amazes me. It's easy to cruise around your favorite little shops, and not be banging stuff off of the hangers.
Use in Cafes
The nicest feature is using it as a high chair as well. We went into a couple of crowded restaurants, which didn't allow strollers. I told them to give us an exception. After getting in there, and turning the seat to face forward, it takes up no more room than a typical restaurant high chair. [Conclusion: the promo photos on the Stokke website aren't exaggerations.]
Accessories
The diaper bag is also a MUST HAVE. When it's setup as a high chair, it's in a perfect position to grab stuff as you're feeding your sweetheart. [Also, because there's no other storage at all...] Take special note of the matching green iPod mini on the top of the shade!
Attention-getting
The amount of people that second glance at this stroller is on the verge of annoying. If you get one, be sure to get lots of business cards from the place you get it from, so you can hand them out. tell them all you found it on Daddy Types. [I'm pretty sure that's what he meant to say...]Related, 07/04: Stokke Xplory at Buy Buy Baby NYC [DT]
Why am I reading this blog anymore? Oh yeah, so I can read more fun tales of conspicuous consumption.
This blog was once fun, but now I mostly come here just to tag one of the other blog links.
sooooo ritzy nyc.
Sad
I'm from Dallas but got my stroller in NYC at buy buy baby. I actually wanted the xplory because of the looks, but when the guy at the store showed us how hard it was to fold it (he said he did not recomend it at all), we decided on the bugaboo. Between those two, it seems to me that the bugaboo is way easier to handle. But of course I take my car everywhere so I have to fold and unfold the stroller all the time.
We have the Xplory and the Cameleon, and I think that they are equally as complicated (AT FIRST) to get folded up and stowed but one you are used to it, the Stokke is fine, it is actually a little slimmer then the bugaboo!! But the Stokke is my favorite with the color (green) and the handling, its awesome and well worth the 800 bucks!!
Can someone help me decide between the Bugaboo and the Stokke Xplory? My wife and I live in NYC and we are trying to decide which of the two strollers to purchase. I like the Stokke's handling and the fact that you can elevate the child, but it doesn't come with a car seat adapter and it doens't have air tires, which would seem to work better on non-pavement surfaces. Any advice will be appreciated.
Thanks,
Jay