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Stokke Xplory

17 replies

ezridax · 26/05/2006 12:18

Hi, new member due to give birth in Sept. Would like to hear from any xplory owners re their 'useability' . I have a list a mile long e.g. don't like 3 wheelers, pnuematic tires (what's that all about do u jack the pram up in the middle of town and change the tyre if u get a puncture)? Granted if ur an off road kinda girl, i see the use Wink NEED adjustable handle bar hav got back ache from other peoples prams. Would like to have my child facing me for as long as poss as lets face it they're not interested in u for 2 long. If it can fit down the aisles at H&M it can go anywhere. Anyway would LOVE to know how u all feel about the Xplory. Seems to get a good rating on this site although there are few reviews on the net as a whole. Thanx :o

OP posts:
buffythenappyslayer · 26/05/2006 12:20

there is another mnetter who has one and she has a really bad back.will try and find her name!!

i was thinking of getting one btu when dh saw the price he nearly fainted!!

buffythenappyslayer · 26/05/2006 12:25

megglaveche has one!

read the thread titled 'hello i am a nob and pram cost £5574.98' its in the chat threads!(sorry am useless at doing links!!)

MrsBadgerTheCelloPedaller · 26/05/2006 15:07

The thread buffy mentions is \link{http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=1375&threadid=173915&stamp=060519201919\here} - general consensus seems to be 'everyone ends up with a Maclaren (or similar) anyway, so why not get one from the very beginning?'

Xplory - hmm.
I like the adjustable handle height (lots of pushchairs have that though), the height of the seat and the forward/backward facing choice, also the much-touted 'ease of use on Underground' ie through ticket gates and down steps.

What I don't like is the absolutely outrageous price, and the fact you have to buy a separate carrycot for even more cash if you want to use it from birth; neither is there a basket nor anywhere to hang a changing bag. Don't think the folding is much cop either, especially if you need to (eg) get on a bus, and have to fold whilst holding child and shopping etc.

Consider the \link{http://www.mumsnet.com/rev/travelsys/725.html\Bebeconfort Loola} - there's optional carry cot that faces you for newborns to lie flat, and the pushchair seat can face either way too. It also has a v compact fold.

I guess you've looked at the MN reviews of \link{http://www.mumsnet.com/rev/travelsys/\travel systems} and \link{http://www.mumsnet.com/rev/push/\pushchairs from birth}.

ezridax · 26/05/2006 16:49

Thanx 4 the replies, much appreciated. I realise the Xplory is an extravagance but 'i've come full circle with the whole pram thing. From cheap and cheerful to what the..*
Guess 'cause it's a present i can hav a little leeway. Deep down i know every1 buys an umbrella buggy, but this is my 1st child and God knows if i'll hav anymore.
Although seems like people who do have it like it so thanx Wink

OP posts:
LadyTophamHatt · 26/05/2006 16:55

Personally I wouldn't be seen dead pushing one, it looks like carseat on a stick IMO.

Awful things.

and at the price they are I'd want 10 times more buggy. IMO you can get a much nicer buggy for half the price.

hulababy · 26/05/2006 17:15

I love the look of the Xplory. It is so different and has some great features. Love the idea of baby being able to see, rather than being stuck permanently at leg level. I also like the fact that it is not as common as pushchairs like the Bugaboo which you see every 10 steps nowadays.

buffythenappyslayer · 26/05/2006 18:29

ive just bought a pink pliko!!and i think its the best pushchair ive ever had!!(probably because its pink!!!)

ezridax · 26/05/2006 18:48

What can i say - each 2 their own. If we all liked the same things life would be boring. Although i must say since i've started pram shopping i can't believe how many bugaboos there are.
The first time i saw the xplory i didn't know what to think but i must admit that it has grown on me, and the feel of it seems lovely. It's like marmite, u either love it or hate it.
I can live with that Wink.

OP posts:
buffythenappyslayer · 26/05/2006 18:50

i like them,but dh said no when i said i wanted one,thats why i ended up with a pliko!!

hulababy · 26/05/2006 18:51

You see, my DH would be much more likely to say yes to the Stokke than a pink pushchair.

ezridax · 26/05/2006 18:51

Oh, i must admit the idea of a pink pram floats my boat - but i'm convinced i'm havin a boy Grin

OP posts:
megglevache · 26/05/2006 19:41

Hi Ezridax.
Yes I have one and initailly I almost died of embarrassment when I first started to push it around, it was like being an exhibit at the zoo the reactions we got the first few months varied from people laughing out loud to a couple of people walking into lamp posts! And I used to hate the assumption that I must have been a well off twatty poseur to have one, because I am neither of those things Wink

In hindsight I really do not know how I would of managed without it.

My ds is now 2 years old and loves being in it as he's at a level where he can see everything and join in - at this age too it's brill to use as a highchair in cafes etc and it's very narrow compared to other pushchairs.

The reason I love mine so much is because a severe back condition and very heavy baby meant that if I didn't have this pram I would have spent alot of time housebound (I also had to change my car too) My physiotherapist told me about the higher position and adjustable handle and when I saw one in the flesh although I wasn't keen on the look of it I was very interested in it's function.

It was really easy to get ds in and out of the pram without straining my back which was my only reason for buying it. I had no idea how fabulously easy it would be to push despite it being pretty heavy (in fact I borrowed a lightweight buggy for a holiday and ditched it after a day as I was so used to being able to steer with a couple of fingers whilst pushing a trolley with the other hand-the buggy in comparison was crap)
When ds was a baby there was no carrycot and IMO it is a waste of time and money. There is a padded insert included for newborns and I put a lambskin in to make it a bit more comfy - it reclines to almost horizontal and then it has several other seating positions for when they get older.

By far the best thing about it is once you master how to click it apart etc is how easy it is to get around. Going up and down stairs is a doddle because you simply click the back wheels out of the way and then have just the two to deal with, none of that banging and cluncking and getting brakes jammed half way up steps. I have managed a few beach/walky holidays where I've taken ds in his pushchair and it is brilliant on stones and sand also - easy.Many friends have been really critical until we've been out together and they see it "in action"

Look for one second hand I bought mine from someone who hadn't even taken hers out of the box and paid around £350 for it which some people may baulk at but most of my friends have paid about that much for their prams/three in ones and have ended up being so disappointed that they buy a lightweight buggy after 6 months whereas I still take my Stokke everywhere. It has a huge bag underneith to get all your shopping in and you can also attach a bag to the front.

I know there are many who detest the design and think it looks very odd but I couldn't give a fig about that nowadays (a friend of mine says that she had the same when she had a three wheeler years ago and now everyone has those) so who knows perhaps there is a market in pushchairs that look like golf trolleys.

The only downside I would say is that you have to split the Stokke in two to collapse it (not a problem to me as I drive and have a roomy boot) but would be a problem if you travel by bus/train

If my back had been ok I don't know which one I would be using now- probably the cheapest and lightest one I could find- but as i am I'll continue using my brill car seat on stilts combo Grin

AllBuggiedOut · 26/05/2006 21:13

I also had one, and agree with everything megglevache says. I did get stopped and asked about it, and felt like people thought I was a rich twit, but sod them! It saved my back and I LOVED having DS1 facing me at such a good height.

Unfortunately there were terrible problems with the build quality when I had mine. I got through 6 - yes, SIX - chassis and in the end they gave me a full refund after 18 months of use, so I can't fault Stokke on customer service. On the first 3, the coating on the handle kept peeling off, but Stokke had sorted that by number 4. One of the front wheels fell off number 4 unfortunately. Then on 5 and 6, and I think this was a design flaw, the clip to hold the seat in place on the central pole wasn't capable of supporting my 14KG DS1. Stokke claim it takes an up to 22KG child, but it just couldn't cope. You might want to ask about that before buying one. Have you had this mlv? Or maybe your DS isn't as massive as mine!

If it wasn't for the last problem, I'd still have it and I'm sure still enjoy using it. It's just SO nice having them high up and facing you. The storage is amazing, the rain cover is really neat, and kids seem extremely comfortable in it. The fact that the big wheels give a great ride but aren't pneumatic is genius - I now have an Everest Twin (like a Mountain Buggy) and punctures really do my head in! It's not as bulky as it first looks. I never had problems getting into/around shops, buses etc.

I've said it before, but I think a decent buggy that you enjoy using is life-changing. I had a pliko before the Xplory. As standard buggies go, it's fine, but walking with the Xplory was a joy, and getting it up and down stairs to my flat, the tube etc a breeze.

Happy decision-making, and good luck!

megglevache · 27/05/2006 09:07

Hi ABO

The problem with the lacquer peeling off was a design fault which was corrected with the newer models. My first chassis di the same. I had mine returned and as you say Stokke customer service is second to none and they replaced it with no quibble.

My ds is a big lad too-weighed the same as yours -in fact more now and the chair is fine. Sounds like you were really unlucky.

AllBuggiedOut · 27/05/2006 14:36

Really glad that the chair thing is sorted out - it's such a good design it deserves to be a success.

Ah, am feeling quite nostalgic for it now. Maybe I should think about getting one for DS2...

ezridax · 28/05/2006 16:41

Thanks Megglaveche and Allbuggiedout. Ur input is much apprecieated. It seems that people who hav a problem the xplory r people who don't hav it.

I had a go of my friends' quinny and i loved the manouverability, but i don't like 3 wheelers (can't say why just personal choice) and as i said before don't get the pnuematic tyre thing. Oh and u can't get down the aisle in HM cause the back wheels r 2 wide.

I will look at the second hand market but as i said the pram will be a present Wink.
Well i'm far from posh! So people can make whatever assumptions they want, and like u say whenever anything is new on the market people shy away from it. If i started to care about what people think of me i'd stay in my house, so forget them.
I've just got to say i LOVE the handling on the xplory, i soooo know what you mean about the fingertip stearing.
What's it like going up and down kirbs?

Oh and i do drive so the whole bus thing doesn't matter, but i thought no one broke their prams down on buses anymore and just slotted them into the wheelchair/pram spaces.

Anyway if i can keep the pram for the duration and not end up buying pram after pram i'll be happy.
Cheers Grin

OP posts:
BonyM · 08/06/2006 16:16

Am v. late responding to this I know, but just wanted to give another big thumbs up for the Xplory - I love it! Grin

I started off with a M&P Pramette which was great when dd was tiny but as soon as I needed to use it pushchair mode I hated the fact that she was facing away from me (as did she) so I sold it and got an Xplory.

I use it daily, dd is now 14.5mths. It's so easy to push, and dd is really comfortable in it - often falls asleep. Am on my 3rd raincover though as the zips kept breaking - no.3 seems to be fine though, and there was no problem at all about getting them replaced. I would recommend that you buy one from a local retailer though as if you do get any problems, it might be harder to get such easy replacements from a web retailer.

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