droolicious : MacLaren

Star Baby: Minnie Driver and Her Preppy in Training

SunnyChanel — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 17:30:00 GMT

Minnie Driver was spotted on the streets of New York City strolling her preppy in training, her six month old son Henry. How is Minnie getting Henry ready for a world of Buffys and Trevors? Indoctrinating him in the ways of one of the most ubiquitous preppy brands – Lacoste. This Mclaren Lacoste Ryder Stroller is completely covered in the iconic alligators that made Izod famous. You can get your own baby ready for the ivy league right here for $399.99.

Photo: Perez Hilton

An Oscar Winning Stroller Choice

SunnyChanel — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 03:26:00 GMT

What kind of stroller does Academy Award winning actor Phillip Seymour Hoffman use for his newest production? And no, I don’t mean a film or Broadway play, I mean for his 4-month-old daughter Willa. His stroller of choice? The Maclaren Quest Sport Stroller in Gray and Pink. This lightweight and sporty stroller is a popular choice for parents on the go. It easily folds, is easy to lug around and is “ergonomically optimized”. You can pick one up from Buybuybaby.com for $249.99.

The Babble Review: Mighty Buggy Hooks

Chris Ford — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 23:00:00 GMT

Bugaboo (the stroller company) used to make something they called "bag hooks" so you could hang shopping bags to your stroller. But then I suppose some idiot must have loaded down the stroller with too much stuff and flipped the stroller, because a while ago they stopped making them. Mighty Buggy Hooks from Think King work just as well (if not a little better) than those original hooks - and you don't have to keep them attached to strollers.

I've had a set of the Buggy Hooks for a while now, and they've been working great on my Bugaboo. They stay on the stroller well and they are really lightweight. They should work on any type of stroller (not just a Bugaboo) and will fit all sizes of shopping bag and purse handles.

So if you're looking for a good way to attach your diaper bag, purse or shopping bag to your stroller, you should definitely check them out.

Mighty Buggy Hook, $14.99 for a two-pack from Think-King.com

Droolicious Shopping Guide: Maclaren Strollers

Nicole Feliciano — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 03:30:00 GMT

In the UK, they call them buggies. Over here we say strollers. One thing both countries can agree upon is the quality of the Maclaren brand. Lightweight and meticulously constructed these strollers are consistently top-rated by parents.

For 2009, Maclaren has jazzed up the color offerings and updated the features on all their rides. And we love the “Sovereign Lifetime Warranty.” Touted as the world’s first lifetime warranty, we wish our grown-up wheels came with this kind of coverage.

A highlight of the updated models is the Quest Sport ($219.88). When road-tested, we found the Quest ideal for a busy day with baby in tow. At 12.2 pounds, it was a snap getting the Quest up and down steps. The new ergonomic foam grip handles (now included on all Maclaren models) felt delightful in our hands. As always the steering was precise and we adore the narrow wheel base making it easier to get inside a Starbucks for a caffeine fix.

Best For: Parents who put serious mileage on their wheels.
Pros: The carrying strap and modern color combinations.
Cons: Only suitable for babies three months and up.

Maclaren Techno XT: At 15 pounds, this nimble stroller competes with strollers twice its size ($315)

Best For: Value investors; it will likely last for two or three kids.
Pros: Loaded with features (like a full recline position) plus the 2009 model boasts an improved hood design.
Cons: Compared to other premium rides (Bugaboo, Stokke, etc,), the Techon's seat sits low to ground.

Twin Triumph: Double the fun, this stroller works from infancy through preschool and holds a combined 110 pounds. ($265)

Best For: Twins and/or urban parents with two kids—the design is made to fit through standard doorframes.
Pros: Multiple independent positions allow one baby to snooze while the other sits up and enjoys the ride.
Cons: At 23 lbs., this can be a backbreaker on stairs.

Maclaren Triumph: The classic single-hand fold stroller. ($190)

Best For: Commuters who need to frequently fold up the stroller.
Pros: Foam handles make walks a pleasure, and we’re loving the new two-color harness.
Cons: Missing the extended foot rest of the Quest model.

Maclaren Volo: The leanest (under 9 lbs.) model with pared down features. ($129.99)

Best For: This featherweight stroller has a breathable mesh seat—perfect for warm weather trips (think Disney in August).
Pros: Eight “popsicle” color choices and clean lines.
Cons: Not ideal for napping (single recline setting).

Star Baby: How Does Salma Hayek’s Daughter Roll?

SunnyChanel — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 17:30:00 GMT

Here’s another celebrity baby enjoying the hot Hollywood pastime…shopping. How does Salma Hayek transport her 15-month-old daughter Valentina when hitting the local Neiman Marcus on Boxing Day? In a Maclaren Techno XTCharcoal Gray Stroller. This line of strollers is popular with celebrities and civilians alike. It’s lightweight, ergonomic and comfortable for both baby and parent. You can get this sporty version of the Maclaren stroller here for $279.99

Photo: via Just Jared

On Sale: Britax, Maclaren at Target

Cathy Hale — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 20:30:00 GMT

If you're shopping on the new Black Friday, make sure you check out Target for lots of deals on baby gear. For example, the Britax Roundabout Convertable Car Seat in the fabulously flowery pink "Jessica" version is $180 online and the Maclaren Triumph Stroller in "Raspberry" is $176. Target is also offering free shipping. Shop now!

Star Baby: How Do Helena Bonham Carter’s Bags Roll?

SunnyChanel — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Sometimes a stroller just doubles as a diaper bag holder rather than it’s intended purpose as a baby transporter. Here actress Helena Bonham Carter held her 12-month hold daughter Nell (father is director Tim Burton) as their nanny pushed the bag transporter which held what looks like a total of four bags. How doe the bags ride? In this Maclaren Life’s a Bed of Roses stroller that was a collaboration with the whimsical bag and accessories designer Lulu Guinness. It has all the fabulous Maclaren features, but just more flowers. For more info check it out here for $299

Photo: Celebrity Baby Scoop

A Stroller for Every Season. Brilliant!

Cathy Hale — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 22:58:00 GMT

Maclaren recently introduced its new 4 Seasons stroller and quite frankly, I think it’s a brilliant concept. It is a complete buggy set that includes 3 reversible seat liners, footmuff, reversible blanket, rain cover and storage bag to coordinate with all four seasons. Nothing else comes close to offering all these accessories in one package.

The Fall, Spring and Summer liners are gender neutral and give parents a quick solution for boredom. Look, you have no idea how much joy a new seat liner brings unless you’re a mom. Trust me, it’s way more exciting to see a new pattern on the stroller seat than you think. Not to mention, it’s a great way to extend the life of your stroller because you won’t be wearing out one liner. Just like flipping the sofa cushions.

If you’re in the market for a stroller, this is an ideal option. It’s loaded with exceptional features and is suitable from birth to 55 lbs. It might actually be the only stroller you’ll ever need. For $425, that’s an incredible deal. Trust me and the four strollers sitting in my garage…

Very Big Toys: BuggyBoard Maxi Keeps Both Children On The Stroller

Chris Ford — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 19:01:00 GMT

This small wheeled board attaches to the back two wheels of your stroller, allowing older kids to ride behind the younger kids in the stroller up front. It's an idea I originally saw only on Bugaboo Strollers, but now with the BuggyBoard Maxi by Lascal you can use it on all kinds of strollers - probably the one you already have.

The Maxi is the newest version of the product, and it fits to umbrella strollers as well as larger prams. It has larger wheels, reflectors and a a "Lift-n-Store" system that gets it out of the way and off the ground when you're not using it. I use the Bugaboo version, and it's great for long walks with both of my kids. If you've got a new addition to the family and you want to keep both your kids moving on your stroller, it's definitely worth checking out.

BuggyBoard Maxi, $89.95 at RegalLager.com

Star Baby: Sophia Coppola's Baby is Lost in Maclaren

SunnyChanel — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 23:32:00 GMT

Director, mother and actress (how can you deny her star role in Godfather 3!) Sophia Coppola strolled along the streets of New York yesterday with her daughter Romy. Little Romy is Lost ~~in Translation~~ in her Maclaren. This Maclaren Triumph Stroller 2008 ($175) in Navy features a red white and blue safety harness, holds kids up to 55 pounds, has a one handed umbrella fold, foot operated parking brake and is lightweight to boot.

ABC Kids Expo 2008: Maclaren Seat Covers

Chris Ford — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 17:29:00 GMT

One thing Maclaren had at ABC that a lot of Maclaren users will be interested in (in addition to the wheel covers) is a new line of seat covers. All kinds of new prints, from stripes, diamonds and everything in between.

Each seat cover will cost $30 is reversible and quilted. For $30, it seems to me to be a cheap way to make your old stroller seem new again.

Available soon from Maclaren.com

ABC Kids Expo 2008: Maclaren Wheel Cover

Chris Ford — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 15:02:00 GMT

I mentioned some cool stuff I saw at Maclaren so far, and here's a deceptively simple product that I'm sure many Maclaren parents will want to pick up. Maclaren will be selling a wheel cover that will fit all of their Buggy umbrella strollers (in the picture on the right). I'm not an umbrella stroller man myself, but I guess long walks through city streets can get he wheels fairly dirty, and then when you fold up your stroller you can get the stroller canopy (and whatever else) dirty too. According to the Maclaren rep I spoke with, Maclaren users in Japan have already been enjoying this simple accessory and now it should be available in the US sometime in December.

Maclaren Wheel Cover, retailing for around $25 and available December 2008. It's not up on the web site yet, but you can check out the currently available accessories from Maclaren at Maclarenbaby.com.

ABC KIds Expo 2008: Maclaren Grand Tour LX

Chris Ford — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:03:00 GMT

One of the bigger announcements from ABC Expo this year was Maclaren's announcement of a new stroller, the Grand Tour LX. But in a departure for Maclaren, it isn't an umbrella stroller but a full-on rear axle luxury stroller. But unlike some other luxury strollers, this one is loaded with features. Full picture and details after the jump.

The Grand Tour LX has all kinds of bells and whistles. From the picture above, you can see my favorite - a kind of stroller dashboard. It has a custom built-in "Strollometer" (which apparently is a registered trademark) that measures how fast and far you are strolling, a thermometer, analog clock and a clip for your cellphone. The stroller also has safety lights on the front, "Nanotech" fabric that breathes and a very smooth suspension. I took one for a stroll around the convention floor and it was pretty nice.

If you're in the market for a new stroller and you're looking at high-end models, then you might want to wait around for the Maclaren Grand Tour LX.

The Grand Tour LX will be available at the end of 2008 and come fully loaded for $900. It's not on the web site yet, but you can still check out Maclaren.com.

ABC Kids Expo 2008: Maclaren Juicy Couture Buggy and Spitfire Buggy

Chris Ford — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 00:09:00 GMT

Maclaren is all about tying in other brands and themes to their iconic strollers. Two of the new themes announced at ABC this year I thought were particularly interesting, the Juicy Couture Stroller and the new Maclaren Spitfire.

The Juicy Couture Buggy has custom textiles and covers and will be available for 3 months exclusively at Neiman Marcus. The buggy will retail for $450 and the foot muff (also pictured) will retail for $120. Ouch, but it does have "Couture" in the name after all.

The Spitfire is an homage to the classic British WWII fighter plane (apparently co-designed by Owen Maclaren). It has a camouflaged seat cover that is reversible to a pink and green plaid design (for the little girls) and has that sweet Spitfire bullet on the canopy. It will retail for $350.

An ultra posh designer stroller and a stroller based on a WWII fighter plane? You got your peanut butter in my chocolate!!

Neither are available on the web sites yet (Maclaren or Neiman Marcus.com) but you can still check out the Maclaren web site here.

Baby Slings in Pint Sizes

Erin Behan — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:46:00 GMT

Our neighborhood play stoller of choice is the Maclaren ($29.99) and while I haven't seen any kids carting their dolls around in a play sling just yet, it can't be far behind. So when the little one asks mommy if she can wear her baby, too, mommy can find an easy answer with SlingEZee Baby Slings. Available in such "now" colors as blue chocolate damask and retro pistachio, the slings are $22 each.

The New Designer Maclaren Quest

elizabeth leach — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Introducing Maclaren’s latest edition to its "Objects of Design" collection: the limited addition Mina Perhonen Maclaren Quest. Mina Perhonen is a Japanese, luxury fashion house known for creating unique, romantic designs that will stand the test of time. (Photo of second color option after the jump...)

The name “Mina Perhonen” is actually Finnish; “mina” is “I” and “perhonen” means “butterfly”. The Mina Perhonen Maclaren will be available in navy and white with signature butterfly print (above photo) and fuchsia and turquoise (below photo). Both are sold exclusively at the Maclaren Soho Showroom through the end of 2008.

Maclaren Makes Owning a Maclaren Even Easier (in NYC)

Erin Behan — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:44:00 GMT

New York's new Maclaren Soho retail store just announced a nifty little feature that will make buying a Maclaren all that more tempting. If you need your stroller fixed, just call the Soho store and a repair van will pick it up, bring it to the store for a fix and return it to you. But what will you push Jr. around in while you're stroller is in the shop? A loaner stroller, which you can arrange for with a simple phone call.

I haven't gotten to the showroom yet. Anybody out there who has stopped by care to comment?

Spit Up: Maclaren, Bugaboo T-Shirts

Erin Behan — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:38:00 GMT

I actually like some of the preppy-bling tees and clothing at Sir Hayes, but I cannot abide these stroller T-shirts (above, Bugaboo; below, Maclaren; both $38 at Sir Hayes), even though I know they are supposed to be funny. Maybe it's because I feel like my Brooklyn neighborhood is a daily stroller parade (and I don't even live in Park Slope!) and committment to one's children is measured by one's stroller. In other words, these hit a little too close to home. Anybody else hating on these?

Big Deal: Big Savings on MacLaren Strollers at Babye-Store

Mir — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 22:02:00 GMT

If you've been drooling over a MacLaren stroller but haven't quite managed to mount the accompanying sticker shock, I have some great news for you -- Babye-Store has a wide array of MacLarens in stock, most at around 40% off. (The Volos start at $69.99.) Shipping is free, too. The only thing better than an expensive stroller is an expensive stroller you got at a great price!

Laid Back in My MacLaren and Everyone's Staring

Karen — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 14:05:00 GMT

I laughed out loud when I saw this saying on one of the end of season sale shirts at Sir Hayes. Chris just introduced you to Sir Hayes, but I'm here to Babble about the MacLaren.

Don't know what a MacLaren is? It's a lightweight stroller from Britain, yo. The Volo, shown here, is my favorite. It comes in 6 different colour combos and the construction on these puppies is known worldwide as the most lightweight aluminum buggy. One thing I love about it is when you fold it up, it has a convenient strap to carry it with.

$129 at Amazon.