3rd Time is the charm!!!
Pros:
Easy to transport, comfortable for kids, easy to push & steer, multiple seating configurations
Cons:
Price, length of frame
The Bottom Line:
Spend the money (even if it's on a used one) and buy a quality stroller rather than wasting your money on a lower priced version.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
This is the third iteration of this stroller I've owned and it is by FAR the best!! I have 5 kids of my own and have done in-home daycare off and on for the past 8 years as well. I have owned & used the original pram style chassis version with kids 1-3, the swivel wheel chassis version with kids 1-2 & daycare kids, and now this one with kids 3-5.
Assembly/Disassembly
The stroller is easy to assemble for use. The 12" EVA tires are quick-on/off and easy to remove with the push of a button. Each seat snaps onto the frame for assembly. To remove, you push & slide a rectangular button under each side of the seat's armrests and pull up on the seat assembly. It's a 1-step fluid motion that is easy to do and more difficult to describe. Once the seats are removed, a lever is flipped on the handle of the steering wheel, and a foot lever is depressed on the frame near the back wheels, and the frame easily collapses onto itself. Each seat assembly can be positioned on the frame either facing the front or rear of the stroller, or a mixture of front/rear. The hoods slide into position easily, and are removed with the push of a button as well.
Seats - Positioning, Use, Etc.
Each seat comes with a hood, boot, and foot netting. The hoods have fantastic coverage, and have the ability to cover the entire seat (save the footrest), basically blocking the occupant from the elements if need be. The boot is easily attached by snapping onto the sides of the hood, it has enough clearance at the top to fit around an older child's torso without squishing them, and also works well as a "blanket catcher" for babies who still can benefit from the warmth of a blanket, but tend to kick and squirm and thus "lose" the blanket. The foot netting is to be used with smaller babies across the leg opening as a back-up safety measure in conjunction with the 5pt harness to prevent them from slipping down and out of the seat while in use. The fabrics are spot clean only, and from prior experience, when Peg Perego says spot clean only, they mean it...I would not wash these in a machine even on the most delicate cycle. Each seat also comes with a removable bumper/grab bar, it is not a swing-away bar like on the P3, so once you remove the bar it's removed for the remainder of the trip. It is fairly easy to remove and replace, just not convienent to constantly do so during a longer use. Each seat has 4 recline positions from sitting straight up, to laying almost flat. (Note: to have all 3 seats lay flat you MUST remove the bumper bars from the seats or you will not have enough room for this to work.) Each footrest also has two positions; down, for older kids who have longer legs and can sit up or horizontal for younger kids who still use their legs to balance, or for infants to create a longer sleeping area.
Stroller Chassis
The stroller chassis is fairly light weight for the size it is. With the seats removed, I am able to lift it in and out of our vehicle without trouble. Make sure you measure your vehicle's trunk/cargo area before purchasing this stroller as it is VERY long and may not fit. I have a 12 passenger van and the frame barely fits across the backend. The chassis is solidly constructed from high quality materials. It no longer feels "wobbly" or like it "leans around a corner" as on the previous swivel wheel version. The steering is tight & precise, and the steering wheel is multi-positional to give the driver the ability to slightly customize the height for their preferred comfort. There is also a switch to lock the wheels into a fixed position for use in gravel, dirt, etc. The basket is a good size for all the junk that comes along with having three smaller kids to transport. (Note: My stroller came with a basket for a Duette instead of the one for the Triplette, when I called Peg Perego Customer Service they informed me that because I did not have a receipt and because my stroller had been manufactured over a year previously that I had the option to purchase a Triplette basket for $30+ shipping as it was not covered under warranty. I chose to just use the Duette basket by attaching it properly at the rearmost attachment points, and then use chicken straps to attach the front of the basket around the frame. With the ends of the straps cut, you would never know that this basket was cobbled onto the stroller as the steering cables are attached to the frame with the same type of straps. I have not had any issues with using the basket as-is either.) This chassis is also compatible with the Primo Viaggio infant carseat, and can be used as a "snap-n-go" type system with a combination of the stroller seats and infant carseats. If you have another brand of infant carseat, it can nestle securely into the stroller seat but will not physically attach to it.
Final Thoughts
This stroller is easy to use, maintains the Peg Perego quality of fabrics and hardware and is comfortable for the occupants. I would not have any qualms about buying this stroller at full price if I had to, but you can always find one gently used if you have the time to search one out.