The hunt for the perfect travel stroller arose when we were planning our first trip with our daughter, Zoe. Destination: Hong Kong. Zoe would be 13 and a half months.  Being the obsessive-compulsive person that I am, I did heavy research on the internet for the perfect lightweight, budget-friendly stroller. I was looking for the following factors: light enough for me to lug around, simple and easy to use (considering I would have to fold and unfold it several times at the airport alone) and lastly, easy on the pocket. We already had one stroller but it was just too bulky to travel with, and so the search was on for our essential toddler travel gear.
The most recommended lightweight stroller on the Internet at the time of my search (2008) was the Maclaren umbrella stroller. But as early as then, I came across several complaints of freak accidents that later translated into product recalls. Then through persistent digging and reading, I came across this gem: the Jeep All-Weather Reclining Umbrella stroller.

It Comes In Great Colors
The first thing that appealed to me about this stroller was that it looked absolutely charming! The baby pink and gray version immediately appealed to me—a perfect color combination! There was also an ice blue counterpart. I also considered the tangerine (formal name of this model is Fierce) version just because I didn’t want to have what might have been a gender-limiting stroller, but eventually settled with the pink one. Harder to find colors are Desert Storm Camo, Shock (fuchsia), and Impulse (mocha).

Super Lightweight
The next factor that won me over on this stroller was its weight. It was only 9.5 lbs, as compared to other recommended so-called lightweight umbrella strollers that weighed 12-19 lbs! The only other stroller that was lighter was the Maclaren Volo, which weighs 9 lbs.

Very Affordable
Third, and what basically sold me on this, was its price. At only US$37.99 (roughly Php 1,800), it was a third of what other lightweight strollers cost! We got ours from Amazon back in October 2008. Current Amazon prices are as low as US$34.50, depending on stroller color. This was even cheaper than non-branded strollers at SM. What a find! And I figured, if it turned out to be not as great as the reviews said, I could always buy something locally.
When the stroller arrived, I just loved it! To date, it has traveled with us to three countries over a span of 2 years and it has really made our trips easier. We actually packed up our old stroller and now use this one exclusively. Zoe absolutely adores her stroller and she can sleep comfortably in it when she gets tired out from trips.

Click here to read more reasons why Aila loves the Jeep Umbrella Stroller.