Knockoff Strollers What to Watch out For

Double Take: Copies and Knockoff Strollers 2012

Many stroller brands have exciting new models for 2012. Take for example the new Quinny Moodd – the design is unlike any other stroller on the market. Baby Jogger is a standout, introducing the new City Mini GT and Versa. And all the new colors! Peg Perego strollers are famous for their beautiful and luxurious fabrics.

But I’ve noticed something this year. Many brands are producing knock-offs products that have the same best-selling features and designs of other brands. But these borrowed designs have been fine tuned just enough to maintain their brand’s look and feel. Take for example Graco strollers: debuting are three new knock-off strollers for 2012.

One of them is called the Graco FastAction Fold and can you guess what it does? Simply pull the handle in the crease of the seat and in one second the stroller is folded in half. Huh. Just like Baby Jogger strollers! Buy the FastAction Fold in an array of colors or with a matching car seat if you want a travel system. Like many better strollers, this one can carry your child up to 50 pounds.

Next by Graco are two new sit and stand model called RoomFor2 and Ready2Grow. While Joovy and Baby Trend are the leaders in this type of stroller, other brands have their own version like Mia Moda’s Compagno.

RoomFor2 is your very basic sit and stand stroller that retails for around $140 on Amazon. It has a smallish canopy, but can hold an infant car seat. Snack tray for your child and parent tray for you, large shopping basket, it’s got all the standard features.

The Ready2Grow’s pitch is that it has 12 different seating arrangements and is the more deluxe version. What I like is that the standing platform has the option of holding a jump seat for a child younger than 2.5 years to ride. The child sits securely to the jump seat with a 5-point safety harness.

Another feature I like about the Ready2Grow is that it accommodates two infant car seats! Perfect solution for families with twins. The other features in the Ready2Grow are nicer, too. Big sun canopies with pop-out visors, large shopping basket, and a nice big parent console with parent cup holders. Buy the Ready2Grow at ToysRUs or on Amazon for about $200.

Some strollers are complete look-a-likes. The new J.J. Cole Broadway looks exactly like The First Years Wave. The seat turns into a bassinet, the frame and wheels are identical and the twist-and-turn reversing seat is also the same. But you can change around the sun canopy with different colors and you can buy matching foot muffs and diaper bags. However the Broadway costs $160 more than the Wave and you can buy either one on Amazon or any number of online retailers.

I’m not even going to go into the showdown that the Britax B-Agile and the Baby Jogger City Mini are facing with one another, oh my gosh…

So, what do you think of these new copycat strollers? Would you buy one?

Amy Tanathorn researches the best baby strollers at Stroller Envy, where you can read in-depth reviews for all the most brands and models including video demonstrations, product specs, photos and detailed descriptions.