UPPAbaby G-LUXE Stroller: Lightweight And Laid Back
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We’ve found a terrific option for travelers looking for a lightweight stroller. The UPPAbaby G-LUXE stroller ($160) weighs just 11 pounds and has an extra-wide reclining seat, shock absorbers and a cup holder… and it’s eco-friendly to boot!
Sun Exposure:
I tried the G-LUXE on a vacation in Florida, so I was giving it a summer road test in the dead of winter. I chose the “Maddy” color scheme, a bright lime green, and it’s a lot of green. It’s bright and cheery and perfect in the tropics but I’d choose something more subdued for my real life in the Northeast. It has a nice-sized sun shade with a small supplemental visor that pulls out, but I wished it covered Baby’s bare legs more, and there’s no window for peeking in on the little one.
Putting It Together:
It took exactly one minute to assemble, right out of the box. Just snap the wheels and the cup holder on. We love that, considering that we’ve seen several half-hour stroller assembly jobs!
The handles are not height adjustable but are really tall (42.5″ at the top of the handle). They’d accommodate tall parents very well, and at only 5’6″ I was still really comfortable pushing it.
The Ride:
The small, plastic wheels, pretty standard for a lightweight stroller, have shock absorbers and the ride is quiet and smooth. G-LUXE is designed for kids up to 40 pounds but when 33-pound, 3 ½-year-old Finn rode in it the stroller pulled hard to the left, making it more difficult to steer with one hand. He fit great in the 13″-wide seat but was too tall to ride comfortably with the seat reclined. My 8-month-old son Egan rode comfortably in both the upright and reclined positions and he was really secure in the 5-point harness. Pushing him (only 19 lbs) was very easy and I had no problems with maneuverability. The seat is well cushioned and comfy.
The Fold:
The G-LUXE folds easily using triggers on the hand grips and an automatic latch holds it closed. A shoulder strap and its light weight make it easy to carry, and it stands while folded so it’s ideal for travelers. I always keep a lightweight stroller in the car and this one would be perfect for that.
Storage:
The basket underneath is large but isn’t easily reachable from the back. You have to push things in from the sides. I’m never crazy about all that digging and tugging but I understand that it can be tough to incorporate a functional basket in a lightweight frame that folds really small. I’ll cut UPPAbaby some slack on this one and reserve my rant for $500 heavyweight strollers with sad, shallow little baskets.
Accessories:
It comes with a parent cupholder that snaps securely onto the frame on either side and my water bottle wobbled around a bit in it, but it held my mobile phone, too.
UPPAbaby is committed to making environmentally friendly, child-safe products and uses eco-friendly practices like cardboard recycling in its manufacturing processes. They offer employees the opportunity to work at home and donate blemished but functional strollers to charity.
Pros: The lightest full-size reclining umbrella stroller in the USA. Tall handles accommodate taller parents. And it comes with a cupholder!
Cons: Toddlers’ heads stick out when the seat is reclined and maneuverability suffered when pushing a larger child.
Final Verdict: G-LUXE is a terrific option for travelers or shoppers looking for a lightweight and portable stroller.
– Kristen
