Peg-Perego Pliko Mini Stroller, Aloe

Recently took this on a 2 week trip to Vancouver, BC from Baltimore, MD. During the trip the Pliko found itself gate checked on the plane, tucked in the corners of buses, trains, restaurants, and easily in the trunk of our rental car. We chose the Pliko primarily because of its super quick and easy foldablity...AND IT STANDS!!! It was always fun to close it and open it and hear other people comment on that compactness of it. We even surprised a few people at the restaurants when they tried to clear out some space for the Pliko only to find that we could stand it right up next to our table. It took us a while to find a travel stroller and we're so happy that we went with the Pliko. We had the Maclaren Quest for a few days but returned it as soon as we took the Pliko for a spin. Really, the quick and compact fold comes in really handy when you're traveling.Of course there negatives which I'll detail:- Due to the nature of the construction there are a bit more rattles (compared to the Maclaren Quest) especially since you have to do a little bit of assembly with the wheels. I did find that the front wheels did make A LOT of noise as others have mentioned, but I found a fix and will detail it at the end. This significantly reduced the overall noises. There were still a few rattles but those were bearable and practically forgettable.- When standing the Pliko a little tip of the fabric comes in contact with the ground. Not a problem when in the house, but when out in the street, or public transportation, or if the ground is wet it can be gross. THE FIX: Once folded just pull the tip of the fabric outwards so that it doesn't touch the ground. You'll see what I mean once you close it.- Reclining can be tricky. When your child is not in the stroller it reclines easily, but once the weight of your child is in there it becomes difficult to recline. WHAT I DID: I just slightly push the backrest forward and work the right reclining handle then work the left reclining handle. I soon found that I could use my head (I'm short) to nudge the seat forward and use the right and left reclining levers at the same time. It sounds like a lot, but it's quite easy in actual practice.So those are the negatives that I came across, but the positives (ease of use with one hand, great maneuverability, built-in suspension, and quick fold and unfold) outweighed the minor quirks with the Pliko.FIX FOR THE FRONT WHEEL RATTLE: When you assemble the Pliko you will notice two big washers already attached to the base of the stroller where you attach the wheels. This is where the majority of the rattling is coming from. There is also rattling coming from the small washers that are on the wheels. Use a thick grease like marine grease, or lithium grease. I used brake caliper lube. It's $0.99 and can be found on the counter of any automotive store (i.e. Kragen, Advance Auto, Napa Auto Parts, etc). I only needed one packet. It needs to be thick for two reasons: so that it doesn't shed and so that it fills in the space to limit the movement (rattling) of the washers. Take off the big washers attached to wheel base. Put a thick coating of lube on both sides of the washers. Reattach washer to wheel base and you notice that the washer just sticks instead of floating and moving. That's OK if it sticks. It'll still be able to move around because of the lube. Then use a toothpick or something very small and thin (like the size of a toothpick) and smear the lube on the smaller washers on the wheels. I turned the wheels while applying so that the lube would fill in the spaces. Reattach everything. Next push the stroller around, left/right, front/back. Wipe off the excess that you see from the big washers. I left a little excess on the small washers. That's it. You've significantly quieted down your Pliko!Note: I was concerned that the exposed lube on the smaller washers would attract dirt making it more noisy. I pushed the stroller through limestone paths, packed mulch paths, packed dirt paths, and gravel paths. It did pick up some dirt and whatnot BUT there's no increase in noise!!! I suppose that if enough dirt collects I can always wipe it off and re-lube, but really there's no change and don't see myself ever having to clean and re-lube. Hope that helps.

We shopped around quite a bit for a lightweight stroller for our little one for travel/short trips. She's 7 months old, 16 pounds, so on the lower end of the size spectrum for an umbrella stroller.Use: She likes sitting in the stroller just fine. Up until now we've been using the b-safe car seat in her b-ready stroller and she hasn't been forward facing so riding in this is a whole new world of things to see :)Recline: The recline feature is great, she fell asleep on her first outing.Color - The color is nice, unisex for a boy or girl (we got the green)Height - I'm 5' 5" and I raise the handles up as far as they can go, so not sure if i'm just weird and like tall handles, or if a taller person might have a problem. Husband 5' 7" and has the same issue. They are fine for us, but I wouldn't think it would be comfy for someone taller.Walking - I do kick the wheels slightly when I walk - not sure if this is just me or if everyone would have this problem. It's not that bad, I just have to be a conscious about it.Opening - says "one handed" but I need two... maybe after a while of using it I'll figure out the one handed opening trick. Also it opens easily but the bottom part never locks into place automatically - I have to click each side manually. Not a big deal, but one time I put the baby in it and it wasn't locked right, and when I started walking it was all wobbly and off.Closing - very easy. It also stand up on it's own when folded which is great.Weight - very lightweight, we won't have a problem carrying it.Brakes- independent - you have to do each wheel separately.Accessories - it came with a cup holder which honestly I think popped off already and is lost somewhere.Storage - Awful - I do understand that umbrella strollers are smaller than full size and I fully expected it to be less storage area. The space is not that bad, however, the opening to put stuff into the area is really small. I can't even fit a handbag (13" x 9" or so) in the opening. What would fit? I would say a small wristlet type thing, or individual items -- diapers, wipes, etc. Don't plan on using it for anything substantial.All in all , a solid 4-stars for this.

Let me start with this is the umbrella stroller with the biggest canopy I've ever seen, even if the sun is directly on his face I just incline to the second position and it's gone. It is very light and easy to fold (really ONE hand). The green is really cute and not as bright as it looked on the picture. I have very long legs and the handles are high enough that I don't kick the back of the stroller (as I read on one of the reviews and was a little worried about it). Now the reason for my 4 stars: There is no place for parents to put your cellphone or keys, a little pocket on the back of the canopy would have been doable and great, like I've seen in other umbrella strollers. I actually don't think there's a stroller out there that has it all, the Maclaren has the pocket but the canopy is a lot smaller than the Pliko Mini, so you just have to figure out what exactly you are looking for and what are you whiling to give it away. I live where it's really hot and sunny, so my main thing was the canopy, and you can buy a little strap pocket thing that you attach on the handles. Before you fold it make sure you lock the front wheels so the stroller stands by itself otherwise you have to move them a little to the right position. One last thing, when you unfold it the front of the seat has to lock, before I realized that the stroller almost folded with my son on it, all you have to do is kinda press back on the handles and once you get a hang of it it's no trouble. Overall I really like this stroller and don't regret buying it.