Austin Moms Blog | Worth it Wednesday: Orbit Stroller System

I can remember sitting in front of my computer researching strollers, dreaming about all the time I would spend just browsing in the mall with baby riding happily in our new stroller. That was before I had Irish Twins! Dreaming aside I did do my fair share of solid stroller research. I may or may not have even made a spread sheet comparing all of the features of various strollers I was considering. After having two babies I now realize I really had no clue what I was doing. I certainly don’t spend much time browsing around at the mall with kids in tow!!! I ended up with the Orbit stroller which later upgraded to the Double Helix (the Orbit version of a double stroller) and I will say it has been worth the extra money.

I have to admit, I do have a love-hate relationship with this stroller so let me tell you a few of the negatives before I tell you why I love it so much.

My first issues is the price tag. It was a lot to spend on a stroller. Not to mention that after we dropped the cash for the stroller there was a newer version of the stroller released one year later leaving me with an “outdated” fancy stroller.

Second, its bulky and heavy. The infant car seat is very heavy and large. I would suggest measuring if you are thinking about putting it in a smaller car. You may also want to start a bit of weight training before you start carrying it around on your arm. The stroller base can fold nicely into a trunk, but if you have the stroller seat (which is not a car seat) you are going to need some room in your trunk. Put the whole program together with the Double Helix parts and you will certainly need an SUV trunk. We affectionately call our Double Helix our “school bus” because of its size when it’s all put together. Oh and you can forget about air traveling with this baby! They do sell a travel bag which may be do-able for just the infant seat and the stroller base, but once you move past the infant stage, the stroller seat or double attachments are just too much. In the end we purchase a second-hand double jogging stroller for travel and rent/barrow car seats at our destination.

Third, the covering on the handle of our Double Helix ripped and their customer service department made it very difficult to obtain a replacement. I prefer the Nordstrom approach – pay a little more for no questions asked customer service replacement/returns.

So why do I still say the Orbit stroller was worth it? First and foremost is that the 360 turning radius on both the car seat and the stroller is a dream. Having a car seat that will turn to face the door really makes a difference when your getting babies or toddlers out of the car. I was especially grateful for the feature right after giving birth when I was still healing and when I was pregnant with my second. More then once we have used the 360 feature on the stroller to wheel one of the kiddos right up to a table at a restaurant or to move them to face each other.
Second, and this is going to just sound crazy, is the tablet holder that comes on the handle bar of the Double Helix. I am not a fan of screen time as a babysitter, but there are times that having the iPad on in this holder for the girls to watch has saved me. Here is a picture of us at the Post Office standing in a 30 minute line during Christmas while my oldest watches a show…. Enough said! (Actually, I’ll also say that we even helped the lady in front of us because her toddler was about to lose it until we rolled in with Jake and the Neverland Pirates on.)

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And lastly I love the actual build of the seats. All three seats, the infant car seat, the toddler car seat and the stroller seat, have breathable materials and even have flaps that can fold up on the back allowing air to circulate through. Having had summer babies in Texas, this has been so very wonderful. The nice trade off for the size is the safety and durability of these seats.

Additionally, the orbit program has been easy to clean, come with full sun shades on the infant seat and the stroller seat, the stroller itself is easy to push and turn even with the Double Helix, the foot break is easy to use and it comes with a covered snack tray that is also easy to clean.

For a full list of features and options check out orbitbaby.com/products. I get a little bit of a chuckle looking back at how they portrayed the features – I think this is where I got the idealistic image of leisurely shopping days with my babies from… but unrealistic pictures aside, I love my Orbit stroller for all its conveniences and will say that it is Worth It.

:: What is your stroller of choice? ::

 

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