As new parents, one of the first things we discover is how much gear is takes to travel with a baby. Even at their smallest, an infant needs everything from a car seat to at least one stroller. The first stroller purchase is often a travel system, which can be bulky to use. Once the newborn heads towards the 6-month stage, many parents look to cut down on the bulk of their travel systems. This is where too many make the mistake of buying a cheap, flimsy umbrella stroller. Compact strollers need not be as disposable as the basic umbrellas. An investment like the Maclaren Volo Stroller is a solid choice for keeping your baby safe and your life mobile.

Comparison Table

What Is the Maclaren Volo Stroller?

The Maclaren Volo Stroller is a luxury compact stroller. It has the portability of an umbrella stroller with a longer lifetime of use. While designed to be portable, it is not stripped of many of the features most parents appreciate in a full-sized stroller. The fact that it has a five-point harness, for example, sets this stroller apart from more generic umbrella strollers.

Product Specs

Users are amazed at how little this stroller weighs. At just 10.7 pounds, it is easy to get it in and out of the car. It is also portable for travel including public transportation or flying. The Maclaren Volo Stroller comes fully assembled complete with a custom-fit rain cover. The core of the stroller is made of lightweight yet sturdy airplane-grade aluminum. Unlike regular umbrella strollers, this stroller is designed with shock-absorbing support.   Having the ability to take the seat all the way off to wash makes this stroller last much longer than most umbrella strollers. We also loved the peace of mind tied to the security of the five-point harness, which makes it great for kids from 6-months on.   Another key feature of this stroller is the flexible sun canopy. It fully extends to cover the rider and protects with UPH 50+.  

Pricing

Image by photochur from Pixabay

The Maclaren Volo Stroller can be purchased on Amazon for under $$$. The stroller comes with the fitted rain cover but other accessories need to be purchased separately. The other strollers in this review range in price from as low as around $ all the way up to over $$$. As with most purchases, a low price tag can often mean a sacrifice in quality.

How It Compares

We picked a few similar products available on the market to see how they compare.

Maclaren Volo Stroller

Ease of Use

This stroller is designed to be used on a daily basis and it stands up to long-term use. Features like a fully removable seat make clean-up easy. We also found that the lightweight design makes this easy to move from car to car. This is a bonus for families who have more than one car but do not want to buy multiple strollers.

Assembly Time

The Maclaren Volo Stroller ships fully assembled. There are no directions to read or tools to find. As quickly as you can get the box opened, it is ready to go. Even the add-ons like the rain cover are super easy to use. We can not say enough about how great it is to not have to fumble through putting this together.

Durability

The only feature we were not completely sold on was the use of plastic wheels on the Maclaren Volo Stroller. While parents are not running to fill tires like they may need to do on many jogging strollers, the use of plastic wheels may take time off of the lifetime of this product. The wheels are replaceable, so all is not lost in their use of plastic.

Safety Standards

The Maclaren Volo Stroller has something the average umbrella stroller does not: it has a five-point harness for safety. This makes it safe for use with babies 6 months old and up. Using breathable mesh also keeps the baby from overheating, which adds to the safety of this product.

Because the Maclaren Volo Stroller comes fully assembled, the manufacturers have removed the chance of user error during assembly. This makes it even safer in our book. There are no worries about what to do with “extra” parts that do not seem to fit after assembly.

PROS

• Lightweight at 10.7 pounds
• Five-point harness safe for babies 6 months and older
• Seat comes off for ease of cleaning

CONS

• Plastic wheels may need to be replaced
• Seat does not recline
• Cost can be out of the budget for some parents

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The low price of this stroller is the biggest stand-out feature. It is made to be a basic step above the generic umbrella stroller. It is under 10 pounds, which makes it portable. It also has the standard sun canopy and a five-point harness. Only two of the four wheels have suspension features which can make for a bumpy ride.

Ease of Use

While the price of this unit is far below the Maclaren Volo Stroller, the user gives up far too many design features. The storage under the seat, for example, is not made to carry much at all. This means most diaper bags or purses have to be hung on the back of the stroller which makes them unstable.

Assembly Time

Assembly was less than smooth. This product is not as easy to take apart for cleaning as the Maclaren Volo Stroller, either.

Durability

The sturdy build seems durable. The only issue we saw was a lack of flexibility to grow with the child as the seat is narrow.

Safety Standards

The addition of the five-point harness to this stroller is a key safety upgrade. We had an issue with steering at times as only two of the wheels have suspension. The small size of the storage space under the seat left us needing to connect the diaper bag to the handle which also made the stroller less safe.

PROS

• Weighs less than 10 pounds
• Five-point harness
• Budget-friendly

CONS

• Seat is narrow
• Sun canopy is not as flexible as the other strollers
• Lack of storage space

Hot Mom 3 in 1 travel stroller

This travel system is made to last a lifetime and then some. Because of the hefty price tag, we look at this system as an investment to last through several children. The design is modern and ergonomic. It is also fully equipped with a variety of attachments that take the system from newborn to toddler and beyond.

The shock absorbing system and supports of the stroller make it safe to use just about anywhere. This is not an umbrella stroller by design.

Ease of Use

This travel system drives like a luxury vehicle. The ride is smooth. It also easily switches from a base for an infant carrier to a stand-alone stroller.

Assembly Time

There is a learning curve to get everything working. It is not something that we thought was easy but it was worth the time to figure out.

Durability

The travel system is made to follow the child from birth to age three. It is well-made with a price tag to match.

Safety Standards

The modern design is geared towards both comfort and safety. The ride is also comfortable, and the stroller is easy to use.

PROS

• Flexible design for infants to age three
• Full travel system
• Smooth ride

CONS

• Priced out of many budgets
• Not as lightweight as the umbrella strollers
• Travel systems can be bulky

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The Joovy Zoom 360 is a classic, three-wheeled jogging stroller. It is designed to be used on a variety of surfaces and comes with inflatable tires instead of plastic wheels. The large 12-inch swivel front wheel makes steering easy. While it is compact for a jogger, it is not compact when compared to the other strollers on this list.

This stroller does offer the highest riding seat as compared to the others on the list. This is a bonus feature for older children as it increases their visibility. There is also a five-point harness for safety.

Ease of Use

At almost 26 pounds, this stroller will not be as easy to get in and out of the car as an umbrella stroller is. The larger wheels make it easier to turn while in use but harder to stow in the trunk of a car. The single-hand opening feature is something often missing from some joggers, so that is an added bonus.

Assembly Time

Some assembly is required and basics like the under-seat storage need to be added later.

Durability

This unit is durable enough for off-road use. It is less easy to clean, however, so it may become stained. We liked having real tires instead of plastic wheels.

Safety Standards

The use of tires instead of plastic wheels makes this safe for use on a variety of surfaces. The flexibility to attach an infant car seat to the top of the jogger also adds to the safety of the stroller since you can use the car seat for children who are too small to safely use the seat.

PROS

• Made for use on a variety of surfaces
• Can attach an infant car seat to the stroller for use with smaller children
• Front swivel wheel makes steering easy.

CONS

• More than double the weight of the umbrella strollers on the list
• Larger wheels make this stroller less compact
• Flat tires can become a problem as they are less predictable than a plastic wheel with visible wear

Conclusion

Image by Bente Jønsson from Pixabay

When we compared these four strollers, several factors played a role in our final pick. We compared the strollers by cost, ease of use, design, and size when not in use. Each stroller seemed to stand out for different reasons.

Based on cost alone, the Kolcraft Cloud Umbrella Stroller was the most budget-friendly buy and suited the needs of the average toddler. This stroller is nothing fancy but gets the job done. It is made to be portable and easy to use. It is also the lightest stroller on the list. The no-frills design seems to fit with the price. What we missed with this product were key features like a large under-seat storage area and adjustable seats. It also is not meant to be used with newborns or small infants as there is no way to attach a car seat or secure a small baby.

When looking at the ease of use of each of the strollers, the Maclaren Volo Stroller stood out simply because it came already put together. There was no guesswork involved or hours spent trying to figure out how everything fits together. The stroller also came with ample storage so it was a step up from the Kolcraft stroller. Having the ability to take the seat all the way off to wash it instead of just wiping it down added to the ease of use.

Without looking at the cost of the strollers, the modern design of the Hot Mom 3 in 1 Travel System was eye-catching. It is sleek and smooth, but that comes with a hefty price tag. Because it is a travel system, it is the most flexible of all the strollers. It can be used from birth and up. The design of the Joovy Zoom 360 was also impressive to us. The jogger was not as compact as the other strollers. While it is compact perhaps for a jogger, it couldn’t compare to the two umbrella strollers on that front.

The Maclaren Volo Stroller stood out as the overall winner in this comparison. While it was not the cheapest on the list, it was priced well for the range. It is also made to be compact and user-friendly. the compact size makes this the go-to choice for families looking for a stroller that can be easily moved between vehicles. We gave them bonus points for not making us figure out how to put it together, too.

The only thing we did not love about the Maclaren Volo Stroller was the plastic wheels. That is a pretty easy fix, though, as they can be replaced as needed.

Featured Image via Amazon