I am getting so many emails and questions about this stroller, I thought it might be easier to just do a whole review on it instead. I saw this at the ABC Show last year, and was impressed with it in the same way I am impressed with those $5000 japanese toilets that can read the newspaper to you while you sit. Very cool, but just kind of…… unrealistic.

The main premise of this stroller is that it is the pinnacle of tech gadgetry. It has headlights, its battery powered, and it folds and unfolds itself. It has a great USB port for recharging your cell phone. Oh, and it has an LED screen that tells you the time, temperature, how far you have travelled, how many steps you have taken, and a very handy picture of the child in case you forget you have one. Its THE perfect stroller for people who forget they have children and need a flashing LED baby to remind them. Fabulous. The presenter at the ABC Show was extremely proud of the feature that the stroller won’t fold with a baby in the pram, it will FLASH A RED LIGHT AT YOU to make you remember to take the baby out before you fold it.

I just don’t know what to do with that.

Anyway. It does fold itself with the turn and press of a button, and that is powered by a battery that is recharged when the stroller is being used. If for some reason your stroller battery is dead, there is a manual open and close mechanism as well. The fold is quite compact, which is nice for people with smaller cars or who store their prams indoors.

Also, there are little hidden wheels that are only out when the Origami is folded, so you can wheel it along like a suitcase.

Which is good, because the Origami weighs in at 29 lbs, AKA one of the highest weights on the market for a single stroller. Comparatively, a Maclaren Quest weighs 12lbs, the BabyJogger City Mini weighs 17lbs, the Cameleon is 20lbs and the (in my opinion) already a little too heavy UppaBaby Vista is 24lbs.

Because of the shape of the stroller- having a large ‘spine’ instead of a more traditional rectangular frame, the seat has a very slight recline which means it can’t be used until 6 months with the regular stroller seat. If you plan to use it with an itsy bitsy, you will have to buy the bassinet ($150) or the car seat adapter ($60). The car seat adapter is only available in Graco, which is disappointing. Hopefully they will release adapters for Maxi Cosi and Peg Perego as some point. Also, the handlebar doesn’t adjust at all, although it is quite high (I am 5’10 and was in 3 inch heels when I tested it and it was fine for me) so that might not be a problem unless  either you or your baby daddy/ mama/ partner/ whoever are very short or very tall.

Another ‘side effect’ of the spine shaped frame is that the underseat basket is very very small. As you can see, it apparently only fits a sock monkey.

And unless that sock monkey has two bottles, four diapers, a pacifier and my Grande Iced Coffee crammed into its abdominal cavity, its not very big. Don’t think you will be able to get around this by hanging a diaper bag on the handles, because you aren’t allowed.

The Origami in its base package retails for $850 and comes in 6 different colors. As I said, if you want the accessories to use it from birth, it will be $1060.

OK, so that what I like and don’t like, now let me summarize it in a neat little package. I think that super cool and unusual strollers have a definite place. I liken the Origami a little bit to the Xplory: Its interesting, it has features that no one else has, and its going to get some major attention. However, also like the Xplory, its not the most day in and day out practical. I cannot imagine having the Origami as your only stroller til your child is 4. I have enjoyed my Xplory’s the most when I also own a normal, practical pram to go with it, and I can wheel the Xplory out for ‘special’ occasions or when I could be bothered. I am really turned off by the lack of recline, and the non-existent storage or ability to hang a diaper bag. Spending $1000 on a stroller doesn’t bother me, but it better do a whole lot for me and my baby. I don’t think the Origami can say that. I worry that the many many gadgets will break and then be useless (4Moms back up the Origami with a 2 year warranty). Will it be OK after you get caught in a rainstorm when you are parked in the last row of the parking lot? I also wonder how often many of the things will really be used. With a tiny recline, small storage and only being forward facing, the reason people are buying this over, say, a Maclaren or a BJCM is because of the high tech stuff. But honestly, how many times have you been walking through the mall and thought “I wonder how many steps it was from Nordstroms to this food court?”. Or, needed to know right then that the Dr office was cooled to 72 degrees? I do like the USB phone charger, but the rest just seems superfluous. And $850 is a lot to spend on superfluous.

If you have an extra 1K laying around and don’t know what to do with it, or you have a dear old Aunt who wants to buy the baby something special, by all means get one and marvel over the baby on the LED screen. But if you are reading this because you are trying to decide on the one stroller you plan on using until your gorgeous bebe gets on the bus to preschool, make sure you are looking past the shiny bits to the real practicality of the Origami.

Its been two months since I got my shiny new Uppababy Vista. And in the spirit of testing, I have used it almost every day and I am back with more thoughts on it.

I am genuinely torn over how I feel about the size. I have admitted before that I like big ‘pram-ish’ strollers, and for kids under 2 I do prefer to have them nice and high and enclosed. So I DO like it for that. On the other hand, this thing is BIG. If I am going to a Dr’s office, dressing room or restaurant, I am not taking it. I actually feel like a bit of a tool taking it in crowded shipping places too, like the clothes racks at Target. The wide rear wheel base means I occasionally have moments when the back wheels catch on something and I  go crashing into the handlebar- and I might or might not curse loudly and then people are looking. Grace and elegance: I’m doing it wrong.

Which brings me to my next and biggest issue with the Vista: What the h#ll am I doing wrong that I cannot fold this flipping stroller? Thats not a rhetorical question, readers. I ACTUALLY want you to tell me. Because I am 5’10, not slight or weak by any means and my folding the Vista and getting it into my car looks a lot like this:

I don’t know whether I am the guy on the bottom or the one winning. Depends on the day.

Because it is far too heavy to fold ‘in the air’ if that makes sense, some part of it is on the ground, and right now that ground is wet, cold and dirty. It also means that parts of my stroller are getting gross and/ or damaged and that makes me very angry.

See? Did that within 10 seconds, the very first time I closed it. Disappointing.

Like I said last time, the Vista is too wide at the rear wheel base to fit in my minivan ‘flat’ on the floor. 

Ugh. So, I have to sit it on its rear wheels and handlebar like this:

Which makes it kind of harder to get in and out. Oh, and I drive a 2011 Toyota Sienna, so its not like I am trying to fit in it a small car. Again, this can’t be a huge problem because people fit them happily in cars all the time, but its something that bugs me. Really, its the only thing I don’t like about it- its very wide rear wheel base and its bulk/ weight. Its only one thing, but because I am a suburbanite and get it in and out of the car a lot, its something that I notice often.

I do think it steers well. I have received a few emails saying the opposite, and I can see why it would seem that way. Its not going to push like a Cameleon, because it weighs 5lbs more (25lbs versus 20lbs) and is wider and longer. But, for a heavier, bigger, taller and ‘prammier’ (Trademarked ‘prammier’ already, don’t even try….) stroller, I think its pushes really nicely.

The basket is huge and easily accessible from both the front and back of the Vista. Its handy to be able to fit diaper bags and everything else in it at once.

The seat is very spacious, it has a nice high seat back which is important if you have taller kids or plan to use it til age 4. For anecdotal evidence, here are my two youngest daughters in it:

This is my ‘baby’, she is 18 months. She only weighs about 23lbs but is very long at 34 inches. She has a long way to reach the end of the foot rest, and about 5 inches to the top of the seat. I have no concerns about her being in this stroller for another 2+ years.

Lola is almost 4. She weighs 40lbs and is 41 inches tall. Even at that age and height, she still fits. Her head does not touch the canopy when its extended, although her feet are easily past the footrest when she stretches her legs out. She doesn’t ride in any stroller anymore, but she could fit in this one if we made her. And if you are still planning on using the Vista til a higher weight limit or 4 (whichever comes first) this is a good example.

I also still love how easily the seat reclines (one handed- far better than the Cameleon in this respect) and reverses.

So, in summary. I am glad I spent $385 on this stroller. I would not be as happy if I had spent $700. I feel like anything up to $500 is a decent price for the Vista, which is lucky because its what you can get one for now on eBay or almost anywhere else. I think its an excellent choice for its price range, and for people who want a bigger stroller. However, if budget allowed I still wouldn’t choose one over the Cameleon. In terms of agility and overall quality, I think the Vista comes in second place.

That said, I have no plans to sell or pass on the Vista. I like it. I think I will like it a lot more if we have another child before our youngest hits three so I can use the rumble seat, which I really like the look of. Right now its my second full size stroller other than the Orbit Baby, and I like having a bigger more classically styled pram as well as the uber modern Orbit. I am happy I got to try one out.

P.S- I was not a fan of the UppaBaby foot muff, so I am using (and you can see in the pictures) the Petunia Pickle Bottom Stroll. 

So, I have been pretty opinionated about these strollers. I know people LURVE them and I have just never got the hype. But, 782543987 rabid fans can’t be wrong (Husbands note: “Thats not true, look at all the people who like the Green Bay Packers” **BAM!**) so when they came up on on a discount site a month or so ago for about 40% off, I snapped one up.

For the sake of research! These things I do for you, readers!

I took it out to Target today on its maiden voyage. I had reasons for this:

1. I had a bit of a fall last week and my arms are in bad shape (hence the pain meds). If there was a day when a one finger dreamy push and easy handling was needed, it was today. I would definitely be getting a good feel for its turning!

2. I have lots of things to buy and wanted to try out the basket. I never use baskets on strollers, but this one is so big I figure I can use it to put my older daughter in, if nothing else. I am kidding, PLEASE don’t put your children in baskets.

My thoughts straight out of the box:

Things I like:

- This stroller is a nice size. I live in Suburbia, so this is doable for me. I don’t know how my NYC Mamas with narrow hallways and walkups are doing it, or if they should. It has a pretty wide wheel base and is long and high for a single stroller. However, this also means:

- It has some nice ‘pram bounce’ and feels very sturdy. One of my favorite strollers to date is the Peg Perego Skate (pre-2010) and I get a very similar feel with the Vista. I like it. Its not for everyone or every situation, but I like having a stroller that says “I AM YOUR STROLLER!!! I AM HERE TO STROLL YOUR BABY!! GUN FIRE DOES NOT PHASE ME!!!” For the record, the Vista can not take gun fire (I’m pretty sure… should I scare the **** out of the people at Uppababy by asking them?). Also, I am on high doses of pain meds right now, so forgive me when I start talking in my stroller voice. All jokes and italics aside, this is my favorite thing so far about the Vista: its size and the very slight air of ‘english pram’ it has.

- The black is nice. I like all black strollers, and its sleek. Not as minimalist as I normally like, but then see above. The Vista is not minimalist and thats a good thing. I also got black because I think I would like to add the second rumble seat and I wanted it to be one color.

- Its easy to use. It unfolds easily. The fold is scary the first time- you have to kind of ‘slam’ the handlebar into the stroller to engage the fold mechanism, and it feels wrong to be rough with a stroller like that. But once you get it, its easy and kind of fun. I LOVE the little lever on the seat back to work the seat recline, and I like how easy it is to rotate the seat- even with the 21lb of baby in it (I am positive this is not allowed and/or recommended, but I do it anyway because I live on the edge like that….)

- I like that the seat is very roomy, my youngest child is 16 month, 21lbs and average height and you could fit another one of her in there. I am pretty sure my 3 year old would also fit.

- It has big and tough wheels. I would (and I plan to) take the Vista through snow, mud etc, pending how much it costs to replace them….

Totally unplanned side note about taking strollers in snow: Snow is fine for most wheels, it is after all just water. I worry more about the salt that is all over roads and in slush though. In some strollers it can rust parts and small mechanisms, I have even seen salt/ whatever chemical they use bleach or discolor fabrics where the wheels are close to the fabrics of, say, the basket. Some wheels that have little space between the wheels and the bearings are useless in the snow because even the tiniest amount gets jammed in the top of the wheel and the wheels stick in place. Some stroller companies have snow or terrain wheels just for this purpose: I know Bugaboo and Quinny both have them, but at the bare minimum you can always buy replacements if yours get damaged or rusty. /end side note….

Things I do not like: 

- I do not like the foot rest thingingy and the fact that it folds up and down. Well really, I just hate that it can’t be fully locked in place. The stroller has been parked in my foyer for a week and 1000 times a day my naughty 16 month old thinks its HILARIOUS to push the footrest up all the way. It makes a clicky noise, it moves, I get it. But still, I wish it locked in place so she couldn’t. Also, why does it do this? What is the point? I have never owned a stroller that does this before and never once have I thought “I really wish the entire footrest could fold in on itself right now”.

- I have always said that a large part of why I love strollers and prams is because they are pretty and you can decorate them. For this reason, and the fact that here in the midatlantic we had the word “snow” mentioned on our forecast in mid October, it drives me insane that Uppababy don’t make foot muffs to match each stroller. I don’t WANT a grey, red or green foot muff, I want a black one. I even bought a grey one to see, and I hated it because it didn’t match nicely.

- Its heavy, and it has a big fold. I drive a 2011 Toyota Sienna and the Vista does not fit in it flat (does that make sense? Like I have to rest it on its sides or ends to get it in- no laying it down on its wheels) which is a bit irritating. I have a friend who is 5’0 and tiny and she cannot lift it to get in my car. Also, how much fun is it to be friends with a stroller blogger? “Hey, nice to see you! Can you come stand outside and try to lift this into my car for me? Awesome, thanks very much. Come back soon”. Now clearly not all of the eleventy squillion people who love the Vista are amazon women, so maybe this is not a problem for all, but since I do get a few people with medical issues ask about strollers- if you have a situation that might prevent you from being able to lift something heavy- definitely try to check one of these in person before you buy. Take it out to the parking lot and see how it goes.

- The rear wheel base is quite wide.

I will be back later with measurements when my arms extend enough to take them (pity me) and then again in a few months when I have lived with it awhile. If anyone has any specific questions, please let me know!

Also, I am sorry to all my readers who are fans of Green Bay. Please, don’t leave me.