Average Cost: $99
Age Range: 6mos to 40lbs
Official Link: http://www.uppababy.com
Rating:

The UPPAbaby G-LiTE has permanently spoiled me for all other strollers. I have used $15 strollers, and I have used $800 strollers. Most of them I’ve found myself at least moderately happy with, and a few I’ve outright hated. Until I used the G-LiTE I have never once met a stroller that I could claim to love. This was totally unexpected, as most lightweight umbrella strollers require a wide range of compromises that are only offset by small size and portability. The G-LiTE gets it right and sets an entirely new standard for what a lightweight umbrella stroller should be.

WHAT DEFINES THIS STROLLER?

The UPPAbaby G-LiTE stroller is the poster child for “Super light” with a featherweight 8.3lbs (9.3 with the seat pad. Despite this low weight it has features such as a large easy to access under-basket, carrying strap, super-tall handles, all-wheel suspension, a washable seat pad, rotating sun canopy, kickstand and more. All for the under-hundred-dollars price tag.

AESTHETIC

The overall feeling of this stroller is very sporty with vibrant colors, lightweight aluminum frame, and all-wheel suspension. This sporty feeling is accentuated by the choice of fabrics used which are very functional and comfortable and which bring to mind swimsuits, sneakers and bicycle hand grips. The stroller comes in four colors: green (Caleigh), blue (Brooke), black (Jake), and red (Denny). The colors are bright and highly visible which offers safety, and the black “Jake” offers a sophisticated alternative.

The “UPPAbaby” logo appears in three places: a tiny unobtrusive semi-transparent tag at the top of the stroller pad and the top of the mesh seat (only one is visible at a time), and on the sides of the canopy. The G-LiTE logo appears once on each side of the stroller frame as an unobtrusive outline. As someone that is tired of feeling like a walking billboard for half a dozen different companies, I love the understated branding of this stroller.

The overall aesthetic of this stroller holds up wonderfully when compared to other strollers, and you won’t feel out of place pushing this into a park in a cushy neighborhood where the Bugaboo is standard fare.

ASSEMBLY

The stroller has little to no odor when you take it out of the box, and does not need to be aired out before first use. It smells more like a new pair of sneakers than a plastic toy. This is a nice change from many strollers which have a heavy chemical odor for the first 24-72 hours after being un-boxed.

This stroller comes in four pieces: the body of the stroller, the two front wheel sets, and the canopy. You simply lock the wheels onto the front legs of the stroller (smooth side up), and snap the canopy onto the frame where UPPAbaby has conveniently affixed two round pale yellow stickers to eliminate confusion. Assembly takes about 5 minutes and while the stroller comes with a manual it’s really not very necessary.

The most complex part of using this stroller is the opening/folding mechanism which takes a little bit of getting used to and can take a few days to “loosen up” and work more smoothly. This was more of an issue on earlier revisions of the stroller and UPPAbaby has since worked out some of the kinks making the whole process a lot more “click and go”.

MANUAL

The manual is illustrated with black and white photographs and uses arrows to clearly communicate the instructions. Text accompanying the photographs is well written and descriptive which leaves very little up to guesswork. UPPAbaby makes the manuals for every product of theirs available on their support page in PDF format.

The manual is a short 9 pages that covers the following topics:

Parts List
Front Wheels
Opening the Stroller
Setting the Brake
Attaching the Canopy
Folding the Stroller
Removing the Seat Pad
Limited Warranty

An additional page is included in the bag that contains the manual. It shows how to operate the buckle on the stroller.

HANDLEBARS & HEIGHT

The handlebars are a super-tall 42″ that, when combined with the elevated under basket offers a lot of clearance and allows you to walk naturally without kicking the back of the stroller or the wheels. My brother who is 6′6″ is comfortable pushing this stroller, as am I at 5′10, my husband at 5′6 and my mother in law at 5′2.

The hand grips provide 9″ of grip-able surface and have a comfortable foam covering similar to the grip on some bicycles. The foam is dense and of high quality and does not feel like it will break down over time the way some foam handle grips do, although it does compress slightly with frequent use. The ends of the handlebars are capped with a rounded black plastic piece.

The handlebars are curved “to the front and inwards”, that is toward the front of the stroller with a slight ergonomic tilt toward each other. I tend to grip higher up on the curve, and my husband and mother in law tend to grip lower down on the handles. No matter where you grip the handles they are very comfortable.

SEAT + PAD

The G-LiTE has a full-time breathable mesh seat and waterproof pad. The mesh seat is a single color and is semi-transparent with a tight square weave. It feels slightly plasticized. It is attached to the frame “hammock style” by 8 screws that are reinforced with over-sized curved plastic bits that sit between the mesh and the frame to hold the mesh securely and to prevent ripping by distributing pressure against a larger area of the mesh.

As is common with umbrella strollers, the leg area of the seat is formed by a pocket which wraps around the front of the frame to distribute the weight across a large area and still allow the front edge of the seat to be comfortable against your child’s legs. Most umbrella strollers I’ve used have a single point of reinforcement on the pocket about 2-3″ back. The G-LiTE has this reinforcement at 2″ and then another reinforcement at 4 1/2″. This brings the reinforced area right up to the cross bar, and on the other side of the cross bar is the first screw that holds the mesh seat onto the frame. This makes the mesh seat sit very securely on the frame with low risks of slippage or ripping.

The mesh seat is highly resistant to staining. I discovered this while visiting the office as my son managed to grab a left over Styrofoam cup of coffee (cold!) off of a desk and dump it on the light green version of this stroller. The coffee poured through the mesh as if through a sieve and left no discoloration behind. It didn’t even require washing. I’m looking forward to using this stroller in the summer, the mesh seat is perfect for use after swimming or just for keeping cool. AND I don’t have to worry about cherry popcicles or chocolate ice cream staining the seat.

The seat pad is a color-block foam-like mesh with a circular weave and a waterproof backing. This material is similar to that used in sports items such as sneakers and seems to do a great job of allowing air to circulate while wicking away moisture. On warmer days when my child was sweating up a storm the seat pad didn’t even feel damp to the touch. It is thick enough to be very comfortable without adding too much bulk or weight. The seat pad is largely black with about 6″ of color at the top and 4″ of color at the edge of the seat. This decision to make the seat pad color block rather than a solid color is another wonderful example of how much thought went into this stroller. The the areas of the pad most likely to end up stained or discolored are in a color that is virtually impossible to stain.

The seat pad is machine washable and seems impervious to shrinkage and discoloration. It comes out of the drier in the same shape that it went in rather than coming out rumpled and disheveled. Nice! One thing you’ll probably want to do is make sure that the velcro loops at the top are closed before washing so that they don’t accumulate drier lint.

The seat pad attaches by sliding a pocket over the front of the mesh seat, attaching it to the velcro on the underside, threading the straps through the seat pad, and attaching two velcro loops around the handles at the top. UPPAbaby describes it as a 30 second removable seat pad. It probably takes closer to 20 seconds to remove and only 45 to re-attach.

HARNESS

The G-LiTE has a 5 point harness with a single button release and two strap paths that allow you to adjust the height of the straps to accommodate your growing child.

Many “hammock style” strollers have straps that only attach to the mesh/canvas seat, something that has always struck me as a bit unnerving. The bottom of the GLite straps attach directly to the aluminum frame on each side and are secured with plastic reinforcement tabs and metal screws. The edges of the holes where the straps feed through are reinforced with thick black rubber gaskets. (Pictured at right)

The G-LiTE offers two strap paths to accommodate babies of different sizes. They offer a difference of about 2″ apart. The G-LiTE ships with the straps threaded through the lower path. Changing the height of the straps takes about a minute as they’re slightly difficult to get through the rubber gaskets. (This is a good thing as it offers even more safety.)

The shoulder straps are amazingly easy to adjust while at the same time they don’t easily come loose when your toddler squirms around and pulls against them. The waist strap adjustment takes a little bit more work, but is far more adjustable than most other waist straps I’ve used. The crotch strap is fixed-length of 8″.

At their longest the shoulder straps measure 16″ from where they attach to the stroller, to the bottom of the buckle. At their shortest they measure 10″. The waist straps adjust down to about 2″ and up to about 15″, although I probably wouldn’t feel too safe adjusting them past about 14″ or so.

WHEELS & SUSPENSION

The wheels are a tiny 4 1/2″ tall and are made of a thin layer of hard rubber over plastic. Looking at them I expected quite a bumpy ride for my son, and also expected the stroller to be difficult to push, I was quite pleasantly surprised when I first wheeled my son along a cobblestone walkway and the stroller’s four-wheel suspension removed a lot of the jarring from the ride. This stroller rides more smoothly than many strollers that have wheels twice or even three times the size. The small wheels do not make this stroller difficult to push at all, and my son who is now nearing 35lbs, pushes far more easily in this stroller than in many others where you really feel the weight of the child.

The suspension mechanism is really rather simple. A rod that in each of the wheels that has about an inch of “give”. You can see the suspension mechanism of the rear wheels in the picture on the left. The “horseshoe” shaped area toward the center of the photograph is the suspension. The front wheels have a similar mechanism with a round rod. The simplicity of the suspension makes it surprising how well the entire thing works. It provides some “give” to the frame that keeps rides from being quite so bumpy but it doesn’t make the stroller feel unsteady or fragile.

I can run with this stroller to catch a bus, push it over bumpy/uneven terrain such as cobblestones, and generally use this stroller in ways that I wouldn’t dream of using other umbrella strollers or even most full sized strollers. The ride stays mostly smooth for both me and my son, unlike some stroller suspension methods which focus on the handlebars and that make the ride appear more smooth for the parent while it remains bumpy for the child.

BRAKES

The brake mechanism consists of two rear brakes that operate independently for increased safety (if one brake were to fail or be jarred out of place, the other brake would still hold - good design). Each brake is made of a single piece of plastic that forms a foot pedal and a bar that locks into the notched inner wheels in two places: a notch on each of the double wheels that make up a single rear wheel set. (See picture to the right which shows the brake locked on top and unlocked on the bottom.) Because of this design, multiple pieces of the brake system would need to fail in order for a single brake to come loose.

My stroller was somehow damaged during a shipping accident and one of the sides of the brake had broken off, so I got to experience exactly how well these brakes work while I waited for a replacement wheel set from UPPAbaby (2 day wait- great service! See “Customer Service” further down in this review). I engaged the broken brake mechanism on a steep incline and tried to push the stroller downhill. Even with only one half of one brake engaged and my pushing it, it barely slid a few inches. These brakes may look simple but they work.

FOLDING, STORAGE & THE KICKSTAND

When the stroller is folded it has enough inner space for a blanket to remain in the under-basket or for a bunting to fold into the stroller. (We did this successfully with a B212e in its pre-schooler size, a KozyRoo and a BundleMe to verify that this worked with several buntings.) With a bunting bag in place the capacity of the locking mechanism is slightly strained and this may stress it to the point of breaking so it’s not really recommended as a frequent practice.

When the stroller folds, a kickstand protrudes from the back. When the stroller is deployed the kickstand flattens out at about the height of the bottom of the basket, well out of the way of your feet. The kickstand is pictured to the left in the position it is in when the stroller is fully deployed.
The stroller self-locks when you fold it. On the right side cross piece of the frame is a black tab that protrudes forwards and that has a lip. On the bottom of the frame is a plastic tab that protrudes. When the stroller is folded the lip hooks onto the tab and securely locks the stroller in its folded position. The plastic locking mechanism seems fairly well made and rugged, while still being flexible enough to function without requiring that you exert too much pressure while locking the stroller.

CARRY STRAP

The carrying strap of the G-LiTE has an interesting configuration. The carry strap is two straps of fabric: one that goes from handle to handle and that attaches with plastic clips, the other that attaches to the bottom of the stroller frame. This makes it so that the strap hangs down the center of the back of the stroller out of your way. Unlike many straps you don’t need to adjust the strap to a super-tiny position when not in use to avoid it becoming tangled in the wheels. This is due to the length increasing when the stroller folds because of the handle-to-handle strap.

If the strap feels a bit tight, make sure that the bottom of it is not caught during the folding process, as that shortens it by about 2-3″.

The carry strap will work for most people, although people with very large upper bodies may have some difficulty with it.

The carry strap has a rubber pad that you can slide to adjust at the point of most pressure. It definitely helps keep the whole thing comfortable.

CANOPY

The canopy is (x) inches from front to back when opened. It rotates and clicks into three positions so you can adjust it to block sunlight from different angles. At its lowest angle it complete shields my son’s face from almost any angle. The flap along the back ensures that no matter what position the canopy is in, the back of your child’s head, neck and shoulders are still protected from the sun.

The canopy is made of a stretchy material that feels a bit swimsuit-like. It provides good UV protection and a pleasant shade for my son. It doesn’t provide much protection against rain, but it gives you a convenient place to attach the G-LiTE rain cover ($19.99, available for purchase on www.uppababy.com)

BASKET

The basket is made of the same black mesh that the majority of stroller baskets are made of. Considering the ultra-lightweight category of this stroller and its compact size, this basket is surprisingly roomy. Under the seat there is about 6″  of clearance. The back of the basket rises up about a foot and allows you to drop the diaper bag or your purse into the basket and not worry about it falling out the back. There is 6″ of clearance between the back of the basket and the back of the seat which makes it very easy to access the storage basket.

The only slight nitpicks about the basket is that the locking mechanism blocks it slightly on one side (confirm!) and that the metal cross pieces under the bacsket touch the bottom of the basket which makes it easy to accidentally break a bottle of baby food. Just be careful.

HANDLING

This little stroller is one of the most pleasant strollers to push.

- Full sized umbrella stroller

- Quick and easy setup (pop on front wheels and canopy and you’re ready to go. (Just make sure you pop the wheels on the right way. Hint: the smooth bit faces up.

cute- the sticker on the outside of the box lists my stroller as being “born in” September 2007. That’s a cute way of putting it.

- Locking it open can be difficult, as can collapsing it. Although after you use it frequently enough it becomes a lot more easy to do/.

MANUAL

The manual is in English, Spanish, and French. It covers general information & safety, Parts list (stroller frame, canopy and front wheels), attaching the front wheels, opening the stroller, setting the brake, attaching the canopy, folding the stroller, removing the seat pad, and the stroller’s limited warranty. My stroller (born in September 2007) came with a pull-out showing how to attach and release the restraint. IMHO not a very necessary addendum, although I suppose it can be slightly confusing as this stroller has a different method of restraint than any other stroller I’ve used.

SPECIFICATIONS

This stroller is good for babies 6mos to 40lbs. The measurements below can be used in comparison to any stroller you currently own or that you are looking at purchasing.

Weight: Weight is important if you are planning on carrying the stroller as you will if you’re traveling or going up and down steps. The G-Lite weighs in at 9.3lbs with the seat pad, 8.3lbs without, and can be stripped down even further by removing the sun canopy and the under basket. Its closest competitor weighs in at 8.6lbs fully stripped (no canopy, no basket).

Dimensions deployed: Deployed dimensions are important for knowing how this stroller will maneuver in tight spaces such as hallways, aisles in stores, crowded sidewalks, etc. The dimensions of the G-LiTE when fully deployed are:

19″ wide at the widest point which is wheel to wheel,

30-33″ deep from handlebars to the front of the wheels (the 3″ difference depends on which way the front wheels are rotated).

and 42″ tall at the highest point (top of handlebars)

Dimensions folded: Folded dimensions are important for knowing how this stroller will fit into your car, your closet, or anywhere else you might want to store or transport the stroller.

Folded and laid flat the stroller is 6 1/2″, 40″ long, by 12″. Free-standing the stroller is 15″x40″x12″ This is due to the loose latch which allows you to keep some items in the stroller or basket when it is folded. Naturally if you push the stroller into a tighter space it will fit as it is compressed.

Dimensions of seat: The dimensions of the seat determine how large your child can be and still fit, and also determines if they can fit while wearing a bunting bag or jacket. The G-LiTE seat rings in at a decent 12″ wide, 10″ deep, with a 19″ seat back that will accommodate the height of most children under the 40lb weight limit.

Dimensions of under-basket: The dimensions of the under basket determine what you can put in it, but it also determines how likely things are to fall out. Underbaskets with short rear walls are easier to access but more prone to having things tumble out when you push the stroller up over a curb or hit a bump.

The walls of the G-LiTE basket are 4″ at its shortest measurement which is under the seat, and it gradually slopes up to 12″ where it meets the rear wall of the basket which measures 12″ itself. The bottom of the basket is 13″ long and12″ wide. Putting things into the basket is easy as there is 7″ of clearance on the back and right side (the stroller lock is on the left which decreases clearance a bit and makes it more difficult to put things in on that side.) I can easily drop a blanket or diaper bag into the back of the stroller without having to push anything out of the way.

Clearance: Clearance is important because it is what determines if you will kick the back of the stroller, bottom-out on curbs and other such things. We test this by backing the stroller up against a wall and using a measuring tape to determine how many inches of clearance there are to a variety of points on the back of the stroller.

The G-LiTE has a 7″ clearance from the back of wheels to the wall, 6″ clearance at the brake lever when unlocked. 12″ at the kickstand, and 9″ at the back of frame. The area which you are most likely to kick is the back of the wheels, but this is unlikely as the rear wheels are widely spaced with 9 1/2″ clearance from inside of one rear wheel to the inside of the other.

From the ground to the bottom of the kickstand there are 4 1/2″ of clearance and there are 6 1/2″ clearance from the ground to the bottom of the frame. This makes it unlikely that the stroller will bottom out on curbs.

TRADE-OFFS

By now you’re probably wondering what, if any trade-offs this stroller has. No super lightweight stroller is going to be without trade-offs, after all. It’s impossible!

There is only two real trade-offs I can think of:

1- This stroller does not allow you to push it up and down steps or off of curbs easily, as the brake mechanism interferes and will either lock or break. Unfortunately this is common in many strollers and is far from being unique to the G-LiTE. The 5-point harness means you can just roll off of the curb without trying to keep the stroller level, but that doesn’t work for steps. This is the only thing I’d really like to see UPPAbaby modify in future versions of this stroller. They can take their inspiration from the braking mechanisms of the Chicco caddy/capri strollers of old, or the Evenflo XSport.

2- This stroller does not recline. This was a design decision rather than something that was overlooked. UPPAbaby’s goal with the G-LiTE was to design the lightest stroller with a simple easy-to-use design and keep the price point affordable. While I miss the recline a bit, I do realize that even the addition of a “unzip to recline” mechanism raises cost and adds complexity/weight without substantially increasing functionality as it only adds an inch or so of recline at best. My son has no problems napping in this stroller, so I love it as-is.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

I’ve had more than a few bad experiences with stroller manufacturers where my emails went unanswered. UPPAbaby is NOT a company in this category. When I contacted them about two issues that I experienced I was treated courteously and received an immediate informative and friendly response (they try to reply within 24 hours). Normally they ship out replacement parts which arrive in 1-3 days to the tristate area, and take only slightly longer to the rest of the country. When a customer has more than one problem, they may send out a replacement unit. For my particular two problems, they opted to ship a replacement unit which I received two days after I contacted them about my problems.

UPPA stays on top of customer feedback and actively fixes any problems or concerns that customers have- going so far as to redesign and improve upon their products within an amazingly short time frame.

UPPAbaby has a concern, responsiveness and agility that is refreshing and I’m left feeling very satisfied with my experience and am excited to see what products they come out with in the future.

BOTTOM LINE

I actually use this stroller as my default choice of strollers when I’m going out, which is a far cry from other umbrella strollers I’ve owned in the past. UPPAbaby has managed to achieve the impossible. They have solved many of the issues that plague other strollers, and have managed to do so without introducing any new problems to the mix.

Rugged, durable, functional, comfortable, attractive, stylish, easy to clean, safe and ultra-light. What’s not to like?