Zooper Bolero Review and Hook-On Chair Giveaway!

Confession time: I think strollers are cool, and even if I don't NEED a new one, it's fun to HAVE a new one.  Are you with me? 

I told you last June about my amazing Phil&Ted Sport double jogging stroller, which has been WONDERFUL when I want to go out and get a little exercise in, but I don't really want Bugsy (aka Mr. Short-legs) slowing me down!  That stroller has afforded me tons and tons of workout time that I wouldn't have otherwise had, and I am SUPER grateful for that!

Today, though, I want to tell you about another amazing stroller...the Zooper Bolero! 

You see, the double jogger is great for, you know, jogging.  (It's good for other things too, just a bit long front to back.)  I've been mostly using a cheapo umbrella stroller, though, and honestly it hasn't been nearly as great at maneuvering as I would have liked!

I can't tell you how excited I was when Zooper asked me to review their Bolero stroller in Ocean Blue!  I had been looking all over the Zooper website, and it looked like the Bolero would be a super compact folding full-sized stroller!  I was SO excited when the box arrived!  So was Bugsy!  ("Mommy, this box is almost as big as I am!")

It was so easy to put together that even Stinky was able to help a bit!  It probably took me about 20 minutes to put together, but had I been working by myself I probably could have done it in 10-15 minutes.  The instructions were very clear and very helpful! 

The first time I opened the Bolero once it was put together, I didn't get it fully engaged.  Be careful about that.  After the first time, though, it hasn't been a problem.  I also struggled to pull the handles fully apart the first time, and popped myself in the chin trying!  Again, this was only a problem the first time, and it has gotten easier to open each time.  I think it's just tight because it's new!

The Zooper Bolero is very roomy!  Stinky weighs about 28-29 pounds, and he has a TON of room in the Bolero!  Bugsy tried it out too, and at 47 pounds he's got room to move!  It's just as easy to push with EITHER of them inside.  The first time I used the Bolero, I was racing my sister through the neighborhood.  I commented to her several times about how hard it was to turn and how awful the clicking noise was around corners.  When we got back to my house, I suddenly remembered having read something about locking front wheels.  I unlocked them, and it is AMAZING the difference it made!  This thing corners like a champ!  I love how smooth the ride is with the Bolero!  It is seriously the easiest, smoothest stroller I have ever pushed.

I LOVE the "sleeping bag" attachment that keeps my little guy toasty warm on cool days!  (He wasn't as thrilled about it as I was at first, but he DID love that he didn't have to wear a coat.  It was 45ish degrees in this picture, so it wasn't a big deal for him to wear a coat anyway!)

The Bolero lays totally flat in it's most reclined position, and it comes with a bassinet for your newborn!  I haven't had the opportunity to use this feature yet, and honestly haven't tried putting it together.  It has its own set of instructions, though, and it looks like it would be easy!  I love that the bassinet can go forward or rear facing, so mommy (or daddy) can see baby the whole time!  It is snugly warm and would be perfect for a newborn!  (Stinky, a week shy of 2, doesn't care to lay down when he rides.)

I really love how compactly the Zooper Bolero folds!  We traded in our Ford Expedition (HUGE vehicle, tiny amount of cargo space) for a Ford Focus Wagon (tiny vehicle, huge amount of cargo space) a couple of weeks ago.  Even with the Bolero in the back, there is more than enough room to load up a week's worth of groceries!  (Currently, it's riding in the back with a folding chair, an extra carseat, a case of girl scout cookies, and a diaper bag...and there's TONS of room to spare!)

My ONLY real complaint about the Bolero (the rest have all be more user-error issues that have been quickly resolved) is that the basket underneath is small.  Yesterday I took it along to the doctor's office.  I was toting 2 sick boys and didn't want 2 sick boys running wild through the office, so I stuck Stinky in the Bolero.  I put my small purse and a cinch sack style diaper bag in the basket, and it was packed pretty full.  I had to unsnap the side of the basket to put them in!  I wish the basket were a little larger...BUT the Bolero does make up for the small basket with the "All Purpose Canopy Pocket."

 

There are actually 2 pockets on the back of the canopy, which, if you plan ahead, would be perfect for your wallet, keys, and a few diapers and wipes!  You could essentially leave your purse and home and your diaper bag with a few spare items in the car, and just take your stroller along!  If you live in an area where you do a lot of walking rather than driving, this would really be perfect!

All in all, I LOVE the Zooper Bolero a million times more than I expected to!  It is definitely my go-to stroller!  I would highly recommend it to any of you!  You can visit Zooper to find out where there's a retailer near you!  (The suggested retail price is about $400, but I have it on good authority that you can get one on sale on amazon.com for about $300 right now!)

Zooper makes amazing products, people.  One of those amazing products, one that I'd like to give to one of you, is the Zooper Hook-On Chair, which retails at $49!  This cute little high chair folds flat for easy carrying, has a 4-point harness, and works for toddlers up to 30 pounds!  This high chair is great for at home or when you're out and about!  Enter below on the super easy Rafflecopter form for your chance to win!

 

Wanna know something REALLY cool?  Right now, through the end of February, Zooper is donating $1 worth of Zooper products to Doernbechers Children's Hospital in need for every new Facebook like!  That's potentially a lot of dollars!  Simply by entering this contest, you could be helping Zooper reach out to people in need!  I think THAT is awesome!

Dear Phil & Ted

Thank you for being amazing.

Thank you for creating awesome, safe products that help mommies and babies be safe and happy.

Thank you for being innovative, both in your products and in your community support.

Thank you for creating a brilliant "recycling" program!

Love, love, love,
A satisfied customer

~~~~~~

Okay, so I feel like that's all I need to say, but since I'm supposed to write a review, I'm not sure that is enough.  I teased you over a month ago with pictures of my new (to me) Phil&Teds Sport stroller, and then never told you about it!  I'm sorry about that!  Life's been crazy lately.  Life's been a LOT crazy.

One thing that's made life crazier, and at the same time much more sane, is that I have been exercising more!  If you know me personally, you may know that when I was a kid, I was very active.  In elementary and middle school, I was athletic.  (I was also on the Spell Bowl team.  That's a story for a different day.)  In high school, I was in marching band.  I carried a trumpet or a marching baritone, depending on the year.  I lifted weights.  I was sleek and strong.  I was a runner.  I played volleyball.  I played basketball.  I had energy to spare!  And then I grew up, got married, and had 3 kids.  Energy took a nosedive and so did my drive to be fit and healthy--until recently!  

When I decided to start exercising again, I knew that walking would be a staple and that I'd love to start running again.  I used to love it.  I stopped because of injuries, which still haunt me 15+ years later, but which I am confident I can overcome with training.  I never started again because I got lazy and didn't have the right equipment.  This became especially apparent when I had my third child.  Did you know it's hard to walk/jog/run while pushing a sit-n-stand double stroller?  They're heavy and awkward and weird.  So when I decided to start exercising, I realized I'd need a jogging stroller.  The trouble is, jogging strollers aren't cheap, and I didn't know anyone that could loan me one or hand one down to me.

The Scoop

Phil&Teds graciously agreed to sign me up for their Buggies For Good (BFG) program!  Buggies For Good is a program in which Phil&Teds accepts donations of used strollers, refurbishes them, and donates them to good causes.  There are some amazing stories on the Buggies for Good page of their blog!

I received my Phil&Teds Sport very quickly!

Of course, I wanted to put it together immediately.  It was refurbished and didn't come with instructions, though, and while much of the assembly was really intuitive, there were some parts I was unsure of.  I couldn't easily find the instructions, but a simple chat with a WONDERFUL live online customer service agent later and I had printed instructions in hand.  Overall assembly probably took me about 10 minutes.  I was SOOO excited to try it out!

The kids were more excited about the boxes.

Thank you, Phil & Ted, for providing my children with over three consecutive hours of interactive, quiet, cooperative play!  (Yes, the box is from an explorer, but the stroller itself is a sport.)

We have used and abused this stroller already, and I've certainly got a lot to say about it!

The Good

The doubler seat.  I love that it can be used on the front (infant-toddler formation) or on the back (toddler-toddler formation).  I love that it doesn't really add any length to the stroller either way!  It's great to have a double jogger that's really about the size of a single jogger!

The veratility!  I love that there are 4 different ways to adjust the front seat, from upright to totally flat!  I love that it can be used from birth as is, and I also love that there is an optional infant cocoon that offers additional security for a tiny baby.

The ride.  I love the smooth ride my boys get in this stroller!  We have a much cheaper brand of sit-n-stand stroller as well, which now sits in my garage.  The Sport from Phil&Teds is a MUCH smoother ride for the kid!  They're excited when they see it.  Stinky actually comes running!  Steering and handling are great as well.  I do need to pump up the tires a tad, but otherwise, the steering is super easy!

The Room.  The seats are plenty roomy for my munchkins!  In the single or infant/toddler position, the front seat can hold up to 88 pounds!  That's a BIG kid!  And in the toddler/toddler position, the front child can be up to 55 pounds and the back child up to 35 pounds!  This means that, with my children, we've got about 10 more front seat pounds AND 10 more back seat pounds before either of my little guys outgrow their positions!



The handlebar.  I love that the handlebar can be adjusted for taller and shorter drivers.  My hubby is about 6 inches taller than I am, but it's perfect for either of us!

The Bad


The brake.  I get frustrated every time I try to put the brake on or off.  It's a bar across the back of the stroller.  I like that it operates both wheels at the same time, but it is difficult to turn on and off.


The unfolding!  Folding isn't so bad. But the unfolding?  HORRIBLE!  It takes a long time.  It doesn't always work the first time.  I'm left with a baby in the car seat and two kids running circles around me as I try to get this stroller ready.  It's a little annoying that I have to remove the doubler seat every time I fold it, but I'm willing to make that sacrifice for the in-line feature!


The shins.  I told you I haven't run for a long time, so maybe I have crazy form, but I feel like I have to run REALLY weird in order to keep from hitting my shins on the doubler seat.  This isn't a problem when I'm walking, just when I'm running.


The pricetag.  In my "real" life, the one where I'm not a review blogger, but rather a stay at home mom in a one income family that has to make a lot of sacrifices in order to live without that second income, luxury is really not an option.  I understand that the quality and standards of Phil&Teds product are very high, but unfortunately that puts the prices out of range for moms like me.


The Evaluation


Overall, I really enjoy the Phil&Teds Sport!  As with any stroller, there are definite pro and cons.  For me, the pros outweigh the cons.  Most of my cons are more of annoyances, anyway, rather than actual problems.  I have done a lot of reading, and from my understanding, most of my "cons" have been corrected or updated in newer models.  (The Sport is still available from amazon.com but is no longer available straight from Phil&Teds...although you COULD potentially buy all the parts and build one yourself!) I love my Sport stroller!  


Phil&Ted, you get two thumbs WAY up from this mama!  

Putting it all out there

And then it was Monday.

Week 1, Day 1.

The day that, rain or shine, I vowed to start the C25K program.

Monday.

The day.

I've got the gear:

The water bottle

The iPod (complete with C25K app)

The shoes (mine have yellow stripes instead of red)

The stroller (Thank you, Phil&Ted, and your amazing BFG program!)

And I've got the want to.  (Where's the willpower?  Do I have it?)

Why the want to?  

This morning, I weighed 188.2.  That's right.  I'm putting it all there.  I have 53 pounds to lose to be in the middle of "healthy" weight range for my height and build.  

So, here I am:

Blech.  I told you I'd post these if I were feeling brave.  I'm not. feeling. brave.  At all.  But what I AM feeling is motivated, dedicated, and a little bit obligated.

SO...

Monday.

Rainy, dreary Monday.

And we ran!

And we finished!

The boys wanted to keep going:

But THIS mama was hot and tired!

Hot and tired, but even more determined!  We're going to do this, folks.  We're going to make it!  

If you'd like to join me on my journey, I'd love to have you!  Please just let me know you're running along with me!  I'll be posting each Monday with my progress.  (I know today is Tuesday...Monday got away from me!)

Thanks for your support as I strive to be healthy for my family...and myself!