We purchased this stroller after a few weeks of research. As many other people have done before, we were ready to move on from the huge car seat/stroller combo and get a more compact set of baby wheels with some style.
After considering the Peg Perego P3 Pliko (USED mind you wow $$$), the 3 wheeling Jeep, the Kolcraft Contours 4 wheeler (this came in very close second but only comes in orange and my husband vetoed that color outright) and the Gogo Babyz Urban I found myself going back to this one over and over. Finally we hit a store that carried it to give it a spin. My husband was sure he wouldn't like it, but after putting our 11 month old daughter in it for a test drive as well as messing with many of the other strollers there, we left the store with a Brownie Kooper and are extremely satisfied. Including the husband.
So here are the pros and cons of what we consider a spectacular find. If you want quick why we love it just shoot to the end!
Pros:
LIGHT weight and folds very compact. Our (awesome) Graco system takes up the entire trunk area of the station wagon. We had it with us when we purchased the Kooper and so we had almost no room back there. So we put the Kooper in the backseat and it fit in between our 7 yo daughter and our 11 month old in her huge car seat.
Comfy with baby in mind. The seat doesn't let your kid slouch and is well padded but solid firmness for back support. I can't stand umbrella strollers on average because of how kids have to sit in them. Not a problem here. The shoulder straps have padding around them and one benefit we found not listed on their site or obvious in photos is that the buckles swivel, so you don't have to struggle to keep the straps straight with a squirmy baby. Just buckle her in then swivel them to the correct position- no twisted straps. It is also amazingly roomy because of how the bars arc around the child. They are smaller at the foot and the handles and wide in the middle, like those arc rod shower curtains.
Buckling the kid in is also a snap. As in snap snap done. Yet I can still tell you the babies can't undo it. Very secure. Our girl normally hates 5 point harnesses but was cozy and happy from the first.
The recline really is superb. One handed recline with no pre-defined height settings. Put it where you want it.
Maneuverability is a breeze. My husband can't keep up with me in store aisles as it turns on a dime and fits everywhere you do. You can easily push and turn the Kooper with one hand.
The bottom bars are high enough off the ground and far enough underneath the stroller that my 6 foot husband could not kick the axles even when he tried during our two hour around the store testing session.
The padded handles are very comfortable and at a good height for both of us (I'm 5'5" and he is 6')
The hood. OMG the hood. Canopy, sun visor, however you label it. One of the only strollers I've come across that actually has one worth having! The peekaboo window is also a respectable size and rolls up and secures with a toggle loop. One big negative on my Graco is that the window has no cover, so sun goes right through and we have to clip blankets to the canopy.
Brakes work great, are easy to do and enough of a challenge to undo I don't worry about an accidental break release yet still simple enough to not annoy you.
Collapsing and setting up are also speedy fast and well done designed. The Kooper does have a latch to hold it closed when folded.
There are reflectors on the hood, the shoulder straps, the side and the labels. If you bought a dark one like me (we wanted one that hid dirt well, it is for long term use, there WILL be stains) these will really help with visibility at night.
Storage: The zip compartment on back is perfect for keeping sunblock, neosporin, band-aids, keys, wallet, etc... anything you want to have stay with the stroller and secure. The bottle holders are very handy as well though I would recommend getting an add on parent tray for open type cups. A nice additional touch I've also never seen on any stroller are the mesh pockets in the CHILD area for them to store a favorite toy, snack, etc... and be able to access it themselves.
It goes up to 50 pounds. For a lightweight stroller, this is superb.
Cons:
The handles are not height adjustable, this has never been a big deal for me but I know some people need it.
They do not recommend use until 6 months, so it IS technically a replacement or second stroller. It is not car seat compatible either.
The Kooper does not come with parent or child snack trays but you can easily buy affordable add ons to fix this. It seems to be a negative for most "Umbrella classified" strollers. Maybe it's the way they fold?
The storage basket is a decent size but they could have deepened it. We added side cargo netting.
The cup holders are more closed bottle holders- I recommend getting an add on parent tray (Like the sunshine kids one).
There is no bumper/safety bar if you look for that. Once again, there are add ons (such as the belly bar) but add ons do add cost to the overall price of the stroller. While I find the quality worth it, some may not.
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So our final opinion is: Awesome stroller!
The color choices give wide options (I hate how many strollers have like one or two choices and if you love the stroller just hope you can deal with the patterns)
The overall look is really nice. Looking from the front the whole thing is just nice curves and well thought out. Aluminum, high strength easy clean attractive fabric, and all the little touches (like the mesh pouches for kids, reflectors, swivel snaps and zip compartment) really add up to great value. It also passed rigorous safety testing. A+ in my book.
I hope this helps, and if it isn't the right one for you, I wish you the best on the great stroller search. Gotta love our babies!
(28 customers reviews)Customers Rating=4.5 / 5.0
More Detail For
Joovy Kooper Umbrella Stroller Red- Huge removable canopy
- Two cup holders and zippered pocket
- One step link parking brake
- One hand multi position reclining seat
- Umbrella fold for quick easy storage
