Graco Alano Flip It Travel System
Graco Alano Flip It Travel System
Reversible height adjustable handle on stroller
Parent storage tray with two deep cup holders keeps keys and drinks handy
Includes Graco SnugRide with 5 point front adjust harness
Extended weight limit on stroller holds child up to 50 pounds, to last past the toddler years
Lockable front swivel wheels with suspension for a smoother ride
I have already purchased it, based on my researching strollers for almost a year via online reviews and in-store experimenting. There are a lot of great strollers out there that cost big bucks, but I wasn’t willing to pay $500+ for a stroller.
I love this one because it’s lightweight and has a slightly-narrower wheel base than most of the other stroller systems I tried out (this stroller weighs 19 lbs, compared to the 28-33 lb ones I was trying out), and is VERY easily maneuvered with one hand. The color scheme is gender-neutral. BRU has it for about $30 more in a grey and yellow scheme. I like the Strata, which is what I purchased. It’s very pretty, and the aqua is just slightly brighter than pictured — not garish at all, and aqua enough to not automatically scream “baby-boy pastel blue!”
My favorite part about this stroller is that the handle swivels so that you can push the baby facing you, or facing outward. Most the travel systems let the baby face you when they’re in the snap-on infant carrier, but unless you go really pricey, it’s hard to find one that lets the kid face you once they’re out of the infant carrier. I found one other that did, but you have to move the seat itself, which takes time, effort, and can’t be done with the child in the stroller. At one year old (when the baby outgrows the infant carrier), Mom is still the most interesting thing out there for most kids, and I want to be able to interact with my baby as I’m pushing him, vs. having him isolated from me and staring out at the world. The handle swivel mechanism is very easy to use, but locks in place with a nice, secure feel.
The one and only tradeoff with this stroller (for me) is the lack of a storage tray for drinks, keys, etc. Because the handle swivels over the stroller body to change the seat from facing inward to outward, they didn’t put a tray on the handle. If it were me, I would have designed a reversible tray so that it worked from both directions, but they didn’t. What they did do was provide one cup-holder that sits on the handle off to the side, and can swivel with the handle. For me, that’s an acceptable trade-off, but it might be a deal-breaker for others.
This came with the stroller, carseat/carrier, and the stay-in-car carseat base. As with most products containing plastic products, this smelled when I first took it out of the box. I set it outside for a couple days to off-gas, and I’m going to wash the fabric parts before using…but the smell dissipated very quickly.