I would like to start off by saying that there is no such thing as a perfect, "one size fits all" stroller out there. You as an buyer need to decide which features are most important to you. From an engineering standpoint, there is no other stroller out there quite like the Xplory. Stokke engineers have certainly made a wonderful product that can serve the majority of a child's/parent's need without sacrificing on too many features. I've had the stroller for a little over 4 months now and here are the features, in order of importance, that I've learned to love.
PROS:
-I wanted a stroller that was easy to interact with my child without breaking my back or having to squat down to the typical stroller height. The Xplory, I believe, is the only stroller with the height adjustable seat, allowing your child to be closer to you, which promotes parent/child interaction in addition to providing him/her a much better view of the world. My daughter absolutely loves looking around during our 2 hour walks on a nature trail. The high sitting position has allowed her to see over railings and other obstructions along the route. I have set the seat at the highest position since day one and haven't felt the need to change it. She's currently 18.5 lbs at 9 month and the stroller still feels solid and stable at the highest seat setting. I've never felt unsafe even going over uneven terrain.
-The high sitting position has also come in handy multiple times while eating at restaurants. I have not needed a highchair since I've purchased this stroller. I typically just push the Xplory right up to the table with her in the rear facing position and I've got an instant highchair.
-The 3 easy selectable rear facing and 2 front facing seating positions is a great feature. My baby girl loves sitting in the full upright position while out on our walks, and when she gets sleepy along the way, I simply adjust it to the full recline position and she naps comfortably.
-There are plenty of other adjustable features on this stroller. The foot rest is adjustable to grow with your child so my daughter's feet won't be painfully dangling when she gets older. The handle height is adjustable to suit the parents' height. I'm 5'7" and find the handle most comfortable at the highest position. The handle bar itself is adjustable too. You can set it parallel to the ground or rotate it either upward or downward, depending on your liking. Rotating it upward will offer another 3-4 inches of height for taller parents.
-Maneuverability of the Xplory is awesome! It glides effortlessly on any surfaces and it turns on a dime. It's not a compact stroller by any means, but it sure handles like one. Never had any issues navigating tight clothing store aisles. It allows easy one handed operation while walking the dog or carrying bags.
-The unique two wheel function when the large rear wheels are collapsed is great for getting over obstacles or going up stairs (never with a child in the stroller of course). Just this past weekend we came across a downed tree blocking the entire width of the trail with only a tiny side path covered in branches and rocks to get around. I simply put the seat in the front facing position, collapse the rear wheels and pulled the stroller over large branches and rocks like a golf cart. It would've been impossible for most stroller to traverse that kind of uneven terrain. Chalk one up for the Xplory!
Now let's talk about some of the not so great features.
CONS:
-Stowing the Xplory is not the easiest task in the world. It's far from the one handed collapsible feature that other strollers offer. It is a multi-step process. You first remove the safety bar to gain access to your child, then you have to remove the foot rest before removing the seat itself from the frame. Even the optional cup holder seems to get in the way if you don't take that off first. So I basically throw all the various parts into the seat and set it aside. I then retract the handle to the lowest setting because it won't fit in the back of my 06 Mazda 3 hatchback otherwise, pull the lever that unlocks the collapsible rear wheel and give it a good kick to actually fold it. I often have to kick it more than once to apply the right amount of force. Don't understand why they can't make that part easier. Once it's folded, I then simply lay the seat on top of the chassis and throw the entire thing in the back of my hatchback. The trick that I've learned for stacking the seat and chassis is to reinstall the safely bar across the seat first so that I can use it as a handle to grab it with one hand while still holding the handle of the chassis. Otherwise, you would have to lay the chassis/frame down on the ground first which rests on the easily scratched handle.
-The Xplory tips the scale at 23lbs which is not heavy for the design but it certainly doesn't make getting it in and out of your car an easy task. It's not a stroller you would want to make a quick trip to the super market.
-Construction of the stroller feels very solid but the plastic they use does feel a little cheap. As other reviews have complained about, the paint on the plastic is very fragile and can be easily scratched and scraped off. Having said that, my Xplory has weathered the constant use (2-3 days per week) pretty well. I've only seen some minor scratches along the bottom of the chassis and the part of the handle that usually rests on the ground when the stroller is laying flat.
-One other minor complaint is that sometimes the foot brake gets accidentally engaged while folding/collapsing the rear wheel. It's annoying but it just requires a soft kick to release the brake.
CONCLUSION:
The Stokke Xplory has certainly met all of my expectations, and I have thoroughly enjoyed using it, whether making a trip to the mall, restaurants, or a long walk on the trail. Although, it's not designated as a jogger, it feels like it's built well enough to be use as one. So if you're in the market for a multi-purpose stroller, albeit an expensive one, you should seriously consider giving the Xplory a try. It might seem absurd to spend over $900 for a stroller, but, to me, it has been worth the investment, considering that some used ones are selling on ebay for $500-600. So keep yours in a good shape and it should retain a good resale value. In the end, the Xplory might not be the perfect stroller, but then again, there is no such thing as the perfect stroller. What is does, it does better than anyone else. Besides, I couldn't put a price on a stroller that can bring my child closer to me while we explore the world together. That's the company's biggest selling point and it delivers.
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Reviews with images
My one baby splurge. I have no regrets.
Do NOT and I repeat, do not put the visor in the wash under any circumstances. You will not be able to revive it and it will be misshapen. There are explicit instructions about this in the manual but don't be like me and think that you can get away with it. You can't. Just look at my pictures. I finally took the visor off even though I loved the way it looked (before the washing incident). The stroller still looks great without it but it was so cool with the visor.I am 5'10", 37 year old female with a history of sport related back problems. When I found out that I was expecting my first child at 36, I was horrified at the mediocre selections of strollers and I just knew that lifting my precious angel out of them would destroy my back. I wanted to be active from the first day home with my sweet girl. The purple Stokke stroller is my one major splurge and aside from the initial panic when I hit the "Confirm" button at the purchase, I have not had a moment of doubt. The only difficult thing about this stroller is the time it takes to get through stores because everyone stops me to talk about it. Granted, I live in a fairly small beach town in North Carolina so no one around here has one. I'm a single mother from the start and I needed something to make my life easier. Again, I could not be more pleased.Some reviewers have noted how large it is, even folded up. I have a GMC Envoy and it does take up most of my cargo area. I gladly give it the space because I need it that much. I do not collapse the stroller. I pull the kick plate off, toss it in the carrier, drop the handle down as far as it will go and roll the whole frame in the back of my car. Then I just throw the seat with kick plate unattached to the side.After giving it a lot of thought, I decided not to buy the bassinet. I'm glad I didn't. I wouldn't have been able to use it very long at all and the seat was fine for my 8 pound, 6 ounce baby girl. My daughter has reflux so the seat's slight recline helped her so much. While I was recovering from child birth, I left the stroller in my kitchen and my daughter would sleep in it while I cooked. I put an inexpensive Summer infant insert in the seat that I still use now that she is 4 months. Any insert will do but with the Summer insert, the straps come out in the right places and it's very soft.At three months, I was able to recline the seat with my daughter strapped in and I thought she was beginning to lose interest in the stroller. She loves to be held but babywearing just doesn't work for us. I turned the seat away from me and she couldn't be happier. She puts her feet on the bar and watches everything around her.The main selling point for this stroller is the interaction between mom/stroller pusher and baby. It's true. She was able to see me when she was facing me and we would laugh and make faces while I shopped, walked and ran errands. Everyone has mentioned that my daughter is so observant and I think this stroller really helps. Our evening strolls help us bond when I get home from work and keep her engaged. I was worried about being able to see her when I turned her around but the window is perfect for spying on her.Just don't wash the sun visor and be careful how much weight you put on the handle. I have a clip that holds shopping bags but it throws off the weight of the stroller. You need weight in the shopping bag up front to keep it balanced. I really believe this is the best stroller out there.
