Blog Bash - Mutsy Spider

There are so many things I wish I had known before Connor was born that I know now, and the diffrence between a good stroller and a cheap stroller is really one of them.

When I was preparing for Connor I did a lot of stroller research, I actually ended up getting a really expensive (at least to my standards) travel system as the car seat had exceptionally good safety reviews. I only wish I had known now much I would hate the matching stroller and that there were other options available other than just the generic travel system. For what I had my grandmother pay towards that stroller and car seat combo I could have invested in a really great stroller and bought the car seat separately.

Well to make a long story short I have gone through several strollers none of which have quite made me a happy camper and the investment at this point would have bought me a really great luxury stroller instead of a bunch of "ho hum" contraptions.

I had my eye on the Mutsy Spider almost from the beginning and I dismissed it as its not quite as small as an umbrella stroller and it didn't have a car seat adapter, but I couldnt help coming back to it as I LOVE the look of the stroller, as well as the color options, and I had heard some great stuff about it from friends who live in larger cities who see it much more often than down here.

Its three wheel design, and great color choices makes it highly desirable from a fashion standpoint, but what I didn't realize is just how much of a difference a quality stroller would make in my daily life. Our last stroller though it was a pretty fancy umbrella stroller was difficult to steer, impossible to use on rough surfaces (way too bumpy of a ride for the road in front of our house), and lacked absolutely any style. My new Mutsy Spider in ocean blue however is everything I wanted in a stroller and much much more. That super clean looking three wheel design actually adds the incredible ability to turn the stroller with a flick of a finger, I can literally steer our stroller with my elbow while in the middle of a busy mall without even hesitation as to if I am headed in the right direction, my old stroller would not turn so easily so many times we ended up doing a big circle just to change directions in a store or a mall. The other issues we have had with strollers in the past is the height of the handles, I am very short and Connor's dad is tall, a stroller that will fit me nicely ends up forcing him to almost bend down to push it so there was never a happy medium. All of the Mutsy strollers not just the spider offer adjustable handle bars. Honestly I actually am most comfortable on the highest setting as well though Connor's family constantly stealing him for weekend overnight trips they have enjoyed the adjust ability as well. Some other features that really impressed me :

• Adjustable harness heights, this stroller like many car seats features the ability to move the harness up and down (through slats in the stroller) to fit your child's height and age range. Its especially nice for the little ones like mine!
  
• A flip up foot rest, when your child is still small you do not have to worry about their legs dangling uncomfortably off the end of the stroller, the Mutsy Spider offers a flip up foot rest so even little ones are comfortable!
  
• A recline setting, I found this unusual for a stroller in this size range. Though it will not recline totally flat it does recline enough that a sleeping toddler is more than comfortable! The sunshade also is wide enough that it offers full coverage even in a recline.
  
• A basket!! This is SOO unusual in strollers of similar sizes. Though its not as generous (see complaints below) as a full sized stroller's basket it does the job and its a nice added bonus.
  
• I have to admit, its also really nice to have people run you down just to ask you "What kind of stroller is that and where did you get it?!".
  

I can say there are only really two small complaints I have about the Mutsy and believe me I wouldn't even dare think about giving it up in exchange for two very minor flaws. The first thing I noticed in our first outing was the sunshade would not fold down all the way to cover Connor's eyes completely from the sun. If Connor was not so short this would not be an issue, but he sits much farther down in the stroller than an average baby of his age and the coverage is not as good for him. This could be easily fixed with an additional sunshade, I just have not gotten around to buying one (from an outside company). The other issue is though I consider the fact that the Mutsy Spider has a basket underneath a luxury as most strollers in this size range do not, its a bit tight against the stroller so it will not fit my diaper bag. It does however fit purses, our small changing pack, and other smaller things. Its also a great place to store those emergency toys. I honestly can't complain too much about it as it would be hard to find another stroller in the same size/design with one at all.

All in all the Mutsy Spider certainly held up to all my expectations as well as exceeded them in many cases!! If the Spider is this great I can only imagine how amazing it must be to own one of their larger models. I dream of owning the Mutsy 4 Rider one day.. talk about a stroller that meets all your needs and exceeds them. For any of you that own it.. I'm jealous!

If you are not familuar with Mutsy you really need to check out their new high chair and booster seat line as well. The Musty Easygrow and Mutsy Grow Up not only come in a yummy selection of colors but are one of the most fashion friendly feeding accessories you will find. The Musty Easygrow is also one of the first fully adjustable high chairs I have seen in a compact metal frame. For those of you mod mommies out there, I promise you will be drooling on your monitor when you check out all the great color combos!

Can't resist Mutsy? Barebabies offers the entire line of Mutsy products!! The Mutsy Spider is on sale right now for $149!!! There is only a few more days left on the sale so if you want one.. RUN over there right now!! (Thats $100 off the regular price!!!)