I like it better than my friend's MacLaren

When I was pregnant with my first child, I registered and received a Graco travel system. I originally liked the travel system idea because 1) the ease of plugging a sleeping baby's carseat directly into the stroller; 2) you can use a travel system for even a newborn baby; and 3) the price.

After the required 6 weeks of no exercise, I found myself going on very long walks every day with a friend while we both worked on shedding our excess baby fat. My friend had an Evenflo brand travel system stroller. In only 3 months' time, both of us had lost the baby fat but had completely worn out our strollers. I had a horrible squeak in the wheel that couldn't be solved by any lubricant plus a seat that no longer reclined. We both purchased new strollers, and mine was the InSTEP Safari TT.

I was drawn to the InStep for several reasons. Because of my long walks, I wanted real rubber wheels and a frame that would hold up to the elements. But since my poor Graco had had it, I needed a stroller that could navigate indoors as well at stores and the mall. I also liked that the Safari TT was the one of the only rubber-wheeled strollers on the market that had the option of locking or unlocking the front wheel. This meant that I could unlock the front wheel so it pivoted with the turns, making regular turns for navigating through the mall, but lock the wheel in a forward position for faster walks that might make the stroller wobble because of the speed I was walking. I also purchased the rain cover for the stroller (at additional cost; also manufactured by InSTEP) which came in handy immediately. My friend got a MacLaren stroller and I actually preferred mine, which was considerably cheaper. Mine rounded corners easier when we were walking at normal speeds because of the front wheel pivot feature. She had to pick up her stroller's front wheel to turn.

I was not aware of the fact that rubber tires with tubes can pop unlike the plastic wheels that come with standard strollers. My friend's MacLaren and my InSTEP both had tire blowouts in the first week. I believe this would have happened with any tube-tired stroller in my area; here in Eastern Washington we have lots of tumbleweeds and other native plants that produce burr-like stickers. I never really noticed them before. Once we put in super-strength tubes and stripping - installed at our local bicycle shop - everything was great. The cost of this was no small thing however, coming in at about $50, so be sure of factoring in this cost into your purchase if you have weeds producing burrs in your area.

After about 3 months, the front tire has started to wobble when in the pivoting position. I think this is due to the tube in the tire being crooked inside, and I just need to find the time to take it into the shop to get it re-aligned or a new tube.

I also like the feature that the handlebar is adjustable on this stroller for height. Although I usually have the bar at a medium height (I'm 5'9"), I adjust it higher to make it more comfortable for in-line skating.

I was looking forward to the cupholder/change carrier on this stroller. It turns out that as soon as I folded the stroller, the cupholder would pop off. I never used it because of this as I am constantly folding the stroller up to go back in the car.

Speaking of the folding feature, it does collapse easily. However, it is fairly heavy and large and the weight of it sometimes makes it awkward to hoist it into the back of the car. However large it is, I've managed to still have plenty of room for cargo - I bungee cord it up to one side of the cargo area of my Jeep Liberty and I still have room for my large dog to be in the back, or a full grocery trip. The weight of it does make it awkward to get it into the trunk sometimes when I am tired out from a big shopping day.

There is not a lot of room in the bottom of the stroller to carry purses, diaper bags or shopping bags. However, I have found that the Safari TT has more room than most jogging strollers in this respect and I am able to get my diaper backpack and a full-size coat in the bottom with a little shoving and adjusting.

The best thing about this stroller is how much better it has held up for me as compared with my old Graco. My son is now 2 and I still use it regularly for my 3-mile walks. Besides the wobble that I just need to get fixed, it does great. The tires basically look brand new. Although I am pregnant with my second and am currently in the market for a double stroller, I still intend to utilize the Safari TT when I only have one child on my hands.