Maclaren Techno xt Review

Thursday, October 24, 2013

I love reading product reviews and won't buy anything without first reading what others think. I am the first of my girlfriends to have a baby so I have to rely heavily on blogs and youtube testimonials on what gets the thumb up approval. 

Before purchasing the Maclaren Techno xt, I went through 3 other strollers.... In 6 months. By that point I knew what I wanted in a stroller much better than I did when registering. 

Here was my must have list:
- Lightweight
- Compact fold
- Comfortable padded seat
- Full recline
- Awesome accessories (weather cover, cup holder, footmuff) 
- Large basket
- Adjustable handles 
- Sleek design
- Smaller footprint 
- Black color option 

I knew the Maclaren brand is huge in Europe and is a little more luxury as far as umbrella strollers go. I was a little iffy to go with them since they had a major product recall a few years ago. After doing a lot of research and going back and forth between a few other luxury brands (Bugaboo Bee and the 4moms Origami being the front runners) I decided to take the plunge because the Techno just had too many features I couldn't resist and most importantly because they fixed the issue that was recalled years earlier. 

I received the Maclaren Volo as a shower gift and loved the weight and design but it was missing a lot of features I needed. After looking on their super user friendly website, I narrowed down that the Techno xt would be best for us. It's a full function umbrella stroller which can be used from birth (comes with infant insert) to 55lbs. Though I would probably never use from birth, it is nice for when they are still small but graduate from their infant carrier. 

The stroller is rather lightweight at 15.8Lbs which is important since we do plan on traveling with Roman soon.  


It has a huge canopy as you can see, a clear pull out sun visor then another zip open panel. There is also a small clear window on the back so you can peek in. The back panel has two nice pockets. You can use one of them to store your included rain cover. The handles are also adjustable which is great if you are taller or have a long stride such as myself. They are also wrapped in rubber making them much easier to clean than foam wrapped handles.


All Maclaren strollers have a 5 point harness which are impossible for toddlers to break out of. (You need to press on both sides of the silver Maclaren button. The straps are black and are very easy to wipe clean which I love, BUT they are nearly impossible to adjust. It takes forever and you have to do it when baby isn't in the seat. 


The Techno also has a great, one handed recline. It will lay completely flat (hence why it is approved from birth.) you can also lock the footrest straight out so smaller babies legs won't dangle. 


There is always going to be give and take with an umbrella stroller. The basket is decent sized for an umbrella stroller but tiny in comparison to normal strollers. I think I've used it maybe once at a farmers market. Obviously, if the stroller is fully reclined it is inaccessible. 


The brakes are very easy to use. Just a simple push down or lift up and can be used with flip flops. 


We have used this stroller a lot, on all different kinds of surfaces. The wheels are 6.5" and I've had no issues pushing in grass, gravel, or any other surface we've come along during our outings.


The best part about this stroller is its maneuverability. You can fit between any isle and you never feel in the way in crowds. It also folds to fit in the trunk of my Kia Sorrento with no issue at all. Tons of space to spare.


There are some really cool accessories that are available for all of the Maclaren products. All of their strollers come with a rain cover which I thought was a little useless until we got stuck at the outlets in the rain. It was a life saver. It also secures tightly so a toddler can't pull it off.


The cup holder was not included but I purchased because I rarely go anywhere without coffee. There are also color kits available and the main item on my wish list... The footmuff!! This is going to be cruitial in the winter and I CAN NOT WAIT until it is back in stock online. 

Overall the Maclaren Techno xt is great! It's easy to maneuver in tight spots, and works great on all sorts of surfaces. One downfall is Roman doesn't normally sleep in this stroller. We can be out all day and he can be exhausted and he will fight sleep. I think that even as great as the tires are, the shock absorbency just can not compare to that of larger strollers. And though the price is a little steep for an umbrella stroller ($350.00), it is worth every penny. It is a completely full function stroller and is one you could use in practically every situation for every stage of your child's life. That is pretty good. We are always on the go and I try to carry the least amount of stuff with us as possible. This stroller definitely fits our lifestyle great.

The Maclaren Techno is available online HERE.

I hope this helps some mommas out who are looking for a great umbrella stroller for their busy lifestyle. 

Next up for review... The 4moms origami...

 

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