Stokke Xplory

We’ve loved the Xplory since the day we began using it with our daughter; however, our appreciation of it deepened during a recent weekend spent attending a friend’s wedding in Boston. I was thrilled for our friend to be getting married, but the initial thought of trekking all over the city with our new little bundle of joy was enough to make me loose sleep for several nights preceding our trip. But folks, the weekend was a breeze thanks, in large part, to the fourth member of our family: our amazing stroller.
As we walked to and from a host of events and restaurants in Bean Town, we grew to further appreciate the incredible (and unusual) height of the stroller seat. Facing forward, our 6-month-old was able to enjoy the same window-shopping and people-watching that mommy enjoyed, all while being far from the dust and dirt of the ground. (Paul Revere’s home was by far her favorite site!) And because naptime was spent on the go, we simply turned the reversible seat around, reclined it fully, pulled the extendible canopy and visor over her, and bid her sweet sleep as she drifted off to dreamland. She felt comfortable enough to snooze soundly because of her close proximity to me (again, thanks to the high-riding seat), and I liked that I could keep an eye on her and reach her with ease at a moment’s notice.
The wheels of the Xplory are large and capable of smooth swivel action, which made maneuvering around town seamless. We hopped on and off the T, did a little shopping, and dined like royalty. Getting to your table in a restaurant is easy as pie, you see. With the wheels locked and the handle pushed in and retracted, the stroller doubles as a highchair. We just scooted her up to our table, and she was right at home. Eating out was so easy—and we were able to avoid those sticky, germy restaurant highchairs too. Score!
Fortunately, the weather was just right all weekend. But in case the weather turned, we came equipped with everything we might need in inclement weather. We stowed the parasol (for too sunny days) and rain covering (for ominous showers) in the 8-gallon stroller bag, which can easily be detached from the base of the stroller. Between that roomy bag and the additional diaper bag we brought along (it’s hard to leave at home when it attaches so easily to the built-in, well-placed stroller straps), we had plenty of space for all the purchases we picked up along the way!
A few more things worth noting:

• I push the stroller the majority of the time—mostly because I feel cool walking down the street with hand-in-handlebar with the Xplory—but the handlebar adjusts two ways to accommodate my much taller husband when he pushes as well.
• Our little one is growing, so it’s not necessary to use it any more, but the infant insert that’s included with the Xplory was really nice when our punkin was tiny. She rode happily and cozily in her cocoon-like environment. (Oh, we’ve also adjusted the footrest to keep her comfortable as she grows.)
• The only thing not to love about the Xplory is its bulk when folded. We have a station wagon, so it fits into our trunk no problem. But if my mom takes her for an afternoon, wrestling the two pieces (it separates into seat and base) into the back of her sedan is somewhat of a hassle.

Overall, it definitely gets a two thumbs up. After a successful weekend adventure, we gained confidence in living our lives like we want: on the go, with our little one in tow.
Price: $1,050
To buy: buybuybaby.com