Some of the major issues parents report as being a top frustration when searching for a new umbrella stroller is that they don’t have a 5-point seat harness or that the lightweight stroller is too short for a taller person to push comfortably. Women across the world are quite a bit shorter than the 6-foot supermodels that are impressed on our consciousness by the media, and so the height of this stroller is pretty much ideal for moms. Dad’s, however, tend to be quite a bit taller with many men in many nations exceeding the 6-foot mark on a consistent basis. If you are of taller stature (over 5’ 8") then you may want to give serious consideration to pushing you little one around in a demo model at your local store before buying online to make sure it’s no awkward.

The Chicco Capri Lightweight Stroller come with a small basket underneath which can accommodate small items, but because of the rear support structure of the umbrella stroller itself, you can’t put any type of larger shopping bad in it.

Umbrella strollers are not normally known for being reclineable (that’s left for more ‘comfy’ travel system style strollers) but many companies are trying to incorporate the feature into their modern designs. Some are more successful than others. The Chicco Capri Lightweight Stroller does all for some reclining in the seat position for the child, but don’t get the idea that you can allow your youngster to recline all the way back for a nap - it doesn’t work that way.

This particular model by Chicco comes with an adjustable sunshade that can be snapped to the back of the umbrella stroller. When in use it can be placed in a myriad of positions to get the maximum effect.

Designed for children from 6 months of age, this particular umbrella stroller would come in handy if you were to be touring the nation or if you were to take some time traveling outside of the country. Many users have reported that it’s easy to fly with and the security staff do not take any extra time examining it when it’s brought through security checkpoints.

As a point, the Chicco Capri Lightweight Umbrella Stroller collapses easily. Unfortunately, it doesn’t incorporate any type of clip or snap to hold it closed when it is being stowed. The only way to insure it doesn’t start expanding it to place it in the included storage bag. This can be inconvenient for the parent who is going to put it to hard, daily use and just wants to toss it in and out of the trunk many times on the average day of dropping off/picking up kids from school, grocery shopping runs, and trips to and from other shopping places.

Overall, the design of this Chicco umbrella stroller is considered by most owners to be very sturdy for those wanting a lightweight option. Please note that ‘strong’ does not mean ‘indestructible’. One parent complained that she had to buy a new one when she ran over her first Chicco Capri with her full-sized Sport Utility Vehicle! Please not that it is NOT designed to withstand such abuse, regardless of what the marketing materials may lead you to believe.

Some of the major points of praise that have been commonly noted are:

• 5-point harness system - this is a feature that is not common on umbrella strollers for the most part and is a major priority for some parents. The harness system is not uncomfortable as has been noted on lightweight strollers from other manufacturers.
• Easy to Push - the Chicco Capri has been noted on more than one occasion to be easy to push through a lot of varies types of terrain. This includes grass (both dry and wet), hard packed trails, and both light and deep gravel.
• Long Lasting - some families have used this stroller for over 5 years through a series of three children and have found that it has held up to test of time. This cannot be said of most other umbrella strollers which are usually only good enough to survive the tour of duty for one child.

One the negative side, a few issues have shown up consistently enough to be brought to your attention. They include:

• Rear Wheel Position - the taller you are, the more chance you’ll find that you run into an issue where you may end up kicking the rear wheels of this umbrella stroller as you push it around. This issue increases for those who’s walking style includes taking longer strides. It also becomes more prominent for taller parents. The easiest way to handle this issue is to simply test it out by pushing it around your local baby store to see it comes up as an issue for you.
• Handle Height - the only other common point of concern is that the handles are a bit short for those parents who are taller. Dads often find themselves pushing the stroller while hunched over. Unfortunately, this a common issue with many an umbrella stroller from any number of manufacturers. The only way to eliminate this particular problem is o purchase a more expensive stroller that incorporates extendable handles.

All in all the Chicco Capri Lightweight Umbrella Stroller looks good, is light weight and will fit easily into most family vehicles. The quality and craftsmanship are exceptional and are often compared to the level of design found on more expensive Maclaren strollers. If you are looking for a good umbrella stroller that will last for years, you can feel confident in your purchase of this one.

This applies not only to first-time parents who will have to plan for a baby shower, but to those who have a child or two already. After all, not everything can be carried over and in most cases some serious shopping is in order.

One of the major purchases that is always under consideration is what type of stroller to buy. Things considered range from colors and trim, to safety and functional features and most parents find themselves overlooking a cheap umbrella stroller and instead focus on the comfy “travel system” style strollers which often come complete with an infant car seat.

While these feature-rich stroller designs are all the rage, many parents report that their appeal quickly wanes once baby reaches the age of nine to twelve months. This is due mostly to the fact that these strollers tend to be large and take up a lot of space, even when collapsed for storage, and not because the little one has outgrown it. Large strollers often make it difficult to fit anything else in a car’s trunk if it is present and large strollers, if stowed in the back seat, normally dominate all the space available.

This is why many parents begin looking for a lightweight stroller that is both functional and convenient at the same time and soon find themselves seeking out a classic Umbrella Stroller that is better suited to meeting their family’s overall travel needs.

While the basic design of the Umbrella Stroller has been around for almost 40 years, baby equipment manufacturers like Maclaren, Chicco, Combi, and Cosco have introduced lightweight strollers that are feature rich but still offer the convenience and storage options of the original.

You can now find umbrella strollers equipped with reclining seats, thermo-insulated handles, handbrakes, and more. For those who have more than one young child manufacturers have introduced a double umbrella stroller design and even a triple stroller that, while larger, still adheres to the spirit of the original.

Once folded down, the umbrella stroller takes up very little trunk space. It also settles nicely on the floor of most rear passenger seats or even under the rear bench of a crew-cab style pickup truck. Most are super-simple to setup and can be taken from the trunk and be ready to go in under 15 seconds.

Over the years, the looks of the umbrella stroller has evolved as well. Well chosen colors and patterns are better matched to the aluminum frame components making the entire package safer, stronger, and more trendy than the models of yester-year.

All of these facts combined mean that most parents are quick to make their umbrella stroller their primary means of couriering baby soon after getting one and as it often stays in use well after a child is two years old, it can get quite a bite more mileage that it’s fancier “travel system” cousin.

While many moms and dads choose to wait until baby has grown a bet before switching to an umbrella stroller, it often makes sense to plan a little further out in the future and get one early on.

This is doubly true if you are going to be having a baby shower as many moms forget to add an umbrella stroller to the baby registry from the get-go. Most veteran parents will agree that having an umbrella stroller on hand is more important than a humidifier or a bottle warmer, yet they fail to tell the newly expecting mother this important little fact.

While this lack of foresight causes many new parents to miss out on the chance to add this essential piece of baby gear into the mix early on, it also deprives family and friends of the opportunity to give mom, dad, and baby a gift that will get real use over the coming years.

So if you are going to be a new parent, a new grandparent, aunt or uncle, make sure that you take a second look at the handy and fashionable umbrella stroller…even if someone forgot to add it to the registry.