The best advice I can give new parents is NOT to buy a “travel system.” For many first-time parents, it’s their biggest regret. That’s because children use strollers from birth until about age 4, but are only in their infant seat until about 6 months. A stroller than can accommodate an infant seat is often twice as heavy as one that can’t—leaving you uselessly pushing around double the weight 75 percent of the time. Talk to parents of toddlers, and you will find that many have ditched traditional baby strollers for inexpensive umbrella strollers—named for their ability to fold up like an umbrella (rather than folding forward into a block). These are lighter and better suited for travel. Ultimately, you are much better off purchasing a $50 lightweight infant seat carrier and an umbrella stroller than a travel system.
We first purchased the Maclaren Techo XT Stroller almost five years ago, and it has held up incredibly well through three kids and lots of local and long-distance travel. Maclaren takes a very different strategy with its strollers (note that in Britain a stroller is sometimes called a buggy or pushchair). Rather than chase trendy features and designs, Maclaren continues to produce the tried and true umbrella strollers for which they are so well known. It’s hard to dispute that umbrella strollers are extremely versatile. They’re easy to maneuver, portable and a snap to store. The Maclaren Techno is the company’s flagship model. Lightweight, stylish and well built, it folds compactly and is very easy to maneuver through stores and take in and out of the car and on airplanes. For the average suburban parent who keeps the stroller in the trunk but still wants room for groceries, the XT is really your best bet. A lot of other strollers that look cool will lose their charm when you can’t fit them into your trunk. I can't tell you how many of our friends have switched to an umbrella stroller full time once their kids approaches one, espically if they had a larger stroller like the Mountain Buggy.
Key features:
We just received a new 2009 Maclaren Techno to test from the folks at Strollers.com, and it was interesting to see how the stroller has evolved. Although it looks like our 2003 model, I noticed several key improvements that made a big difference in everyday use, including:
I’m happy to see that Maclaren continues to make this stroller better and better. Over the years, it’s been our go-to pick on a day-to-day basis. And, it’s the only stroller we travel with (we purchased a Maclaren travel bag to keep it from getting damaged when we check it on airplanes, and that has worked well).
Models & Variations
Bigger wheels and the ability to recline fully for newborns are features that give the Maclaren Techno an advantage over lower priced Maclaren baby strollers such as the Maclaren Quest stroller. The Maclaren XT and XTR models both have the big 6-inch wheels (exclusive to these models), and there is a noticeable difference in how they handle in snow, on the beach, etc. The Maclaren Techno XLR is just a couple pounds heavier than the XT and can accommodate larger children—up to 65 pounds (it is 1.5 inches wider than the Techno XT). It also has an adapter to hold an infant seat.
There are three drawbacks to the Techno XT and Maclaren strollers in general. They have no snack bar, no cup holder for mom and dad (although you can buy an aftermarket one), and the small bins underneath are very hard to access when the seat is reclined. But all strollers have tradeoffs, so it’s very important to prioritize the features you and your family desire. Personally, I prefer a stroller that is light and easy to maneuver. Other folks prefer to turn their strollers into mobile homes or shopping carts. If this is you, then a Maclaren Techno is NOT a good choice. I read a lot of reviews from unhappy stroller owners who might have known they were making a bad purchase. A little research can save a lot of aggravation.
Search Live eBay Listings Below:eBay has a wide range of used Maclaren Techno XT Strollers & discount new models.
See the Latest eBay Maclaren Techno XT Listings.
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