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62 of 62 found the following review helpful:
 Great find! May 10, 2010
By Adriane L. Meeus
"Shades of Jade"
I know this is long, but I really wanted to highlight this stroller and some of the features we didn't even know about until after we got it. 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. They also support the bottom of the basket so it can support more weight. (The basket is also removable for cleaning!)
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. The cool part is, you can unvelcro the hood and rotate it to cover the front of the baby. The top of the baby's back rest has a strip of Velcro that will then attach to the BOTTOM of the part the drinks hang on, and you have a foot more shade! Mind you, I would not leave anything in the cup holders at this time :D
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. We mostly keep sunscreen bottles in them. 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 has 3 heights for the shoulder straps, once again something to make sure it grows with your child.
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 due to the way they fold- we have to remove the add on one before we collapse the Joovy since it gets so compact.
The cup holders are more closed bottle holders- I recommend getting an add on parent tray (Like the sunshine kids one). We use them to store our sunscreen bottles for us and the kids.
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.
The brakes are not for bare toes, they are sturdy and not meant to be lightly undone.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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, movable canopy 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!
75 of 78 found the following review helpful:
I love this stroller!!! Jul 01, 2009
By BUSYMAMAX5
I spent many months and countless hours researching strollers for my 20 lb., 10 month old daughter who has outgrown her infant carseat that I used with the Graco Snap-N-Go(which I love as well).This is going to be our only stroller and plan to use it until she no longer needs to ride in one. I looked/compared them in stores (the ones they carry here in stores at least, which isn't alot unfortunately) as well as read and watched what must of been thousands of reviews online. This is for my 5th child so I have used many different strollers in the past, none of which I liked very much. I had finally narrowed it down to just two... the Kooper and the Baby Jogger City Mini. They are very similar but a few differences are the City Mini's fold (very easy, 1-step), you can add different accessories to it (belly bar, snack tray), as well as a one piece handle bar, all of which I loved. After a lot of negative reviews though about the seat in the City Mini(very little to no support, doesn't sit up straight/lays back at angle even when in upright position and my child likes to sit up and see what's going on), straps hard to adjust/tighten on little ones, can tip backwards very easily when seat is fully reclined, it doesn't stand on it's own when folded/has to lay flat and it is about 24 inches wide... not good for the back of my minivan, as well as the Kopper was substancially cheaper being that it was on sale, I decided the Kooper was the better choice for us and I am so glad I did! My daughter absolutely loves this stoller as well as the rest of the family. It is so easy to push, turns on a dime, very smooth ride, great little pockets for the little ones "stuff", straps are easy to adjust and is comfortable for my daughter(they have padded covers that velcro so they can be taken off to be cleaned), love the canopy...great sun protection (it can also extend almost all the way down to bottom of seat when it's in upright position if you un-velcro top loops)and has a peek-a-boo window, reflective strips are great for night walks, easy seat recline, great fabric... I got it in lemontree and was a little worried about keeping it clean but it's a very durable and easy to clean, woven heavy-duty fabric. The fold is pretty simple, easy and compact... doesn't self lock when folded but I have found that not to be a problem at all, and it fits perectly in the back of my van as well.The basket is pretty good, not great, but not a big issue for us either and it does also have storage and drink holders on the back. I have also read/heard that Joovy's customer service is great and they completely stand behind their products. I could go on and on gushing about this stroller but to sum it up...If you're looking for a sturdy, well built, a breeze to push(even one-handed), comfortable for your baby/child(especially if they like sitting up straight when not napping), easy to fold, light-weight (especially compared to the travel system and full size strollers), amazing canopy/sun protection, good storage(for a light-weight) for both you and your baby, looks great, easy to clean and is pretty reasonably priced(I got a great deal on amazon with free shipping) in my opinion the Kooper is the stroller for you.
36 of 36 found the following review helpful:
Fantastic find; Great value May 10, 2010
By Adriane L. Meeus
"Shades of Jade"
I know this is long, but I really wanted to highlight this stroller and some of the features we didn't even know about until after we got it. 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. They also support the bottom of the basket so it can support more weight. (The basket is also removable for cleaning!)
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. The cool part is, you can unvelcro the hood and rotate it to cover the front of the baby. The top of the baby's back rest has a strip of Velcro that will then attach to the BOTTOM of the part the drinks hang on, and you have a foot more shade! Mind you, I would not leave anything in the cup holders at this time :D
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. We mostly keep sunscreen bottles in them. 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. We did add this: J.L. Childress Side Sling Stroller Cargo Net, Black
It has 3 heights for the shoulder straps, once again something to make sure it grows with your child.
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 due to the way they fold- we have to remove the add on one before we collapse the Joovy since it gets so compact. For kids we use this (Safefit Snack Pod, Grey ) and it is great.
The cup holders are more closed bottle holders- I recommend getting an add on parent tray (Like the Sunshine Kids Stroller Accessory Buggy Buddy). We use them to store our sunscreen bottles for us and the kids.
There is no bumper/safety bar if you look for that. Once again, there are add ons (such as the JL Childress Belly Bar for Strollers, Black) but add ons do add cost to the overall price of the stroller. While I find the quality worth it, some may not.
The brakes are not for bare toes, they are sturdy and not meant to be lightly undone.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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, movable canopy and zip compartment) really add up to great value. It also passed rigorous safety testing. A+ in my book.
Oh! When collapsed, it lays with all four wheels still on the floor, meaning you can still push/pull it and have it roll. I've used my daughter's sippy cup strap (a leash pretty much) to pull it behind me.
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!
19 of 19 found the following review helpful:
LOVE this stroller for my 40 lb. 2.5 year old Feb 01, 2009
By TacomaMama
Purchased this stroller after strongly considering the Quinny Zapp. In looks, they are basically identical. I went to look at both at a baby store, and this one seemed to have a lot of storage in comparison. It comes with a pouch that will hold two drinks as well as a zipped pocket large enough to hold a wallet, keys, cell phone and sunglasses. In addition, it has a good sized basket on the bottom. Big enough for a medium sized purse, etc. In overall size, it is larger than a basic umbrella stroller...definitely larger than my MacLaren Volo, but when folded it in not much larger and will fit in the back of our Toyota SUV just fine. The Quinny does fold down smaller, but given the storage this one has, I decided that checking it with the flight attendants upon boarding an airplane was fine. The Quinny you can fold up and put in the overhead. Lastly, this stroller is rated for up to 55 lbs., and the Zapp is only up to 40 lbs. My child is just under 2.5 years and already 40 lbs, so we needed something sturdier. So far we are nothing but pleased
12 of 12 found the following review helpful:
Good, stylish, sturdy, lightweight stroller Apr 19, 2010
By S. Kastenbaum
"Brooklyn Steve"
I was looking to purchase either the Joovy Kooper or the Baby Jogger City Mini and I found it hard to choose between the two. In the end, I went for the Kooper because I found one available on Craigslist. The Kooper and City Mini seem to be comparable strollers with the main difference being one has four wheels while the other has 3. Certainly, the City Mini has an easier fold. But it doesn't have the ability to stand up after being fold. It also doesn't lock when folded. The City Mini lacks cup holders as a standard feature while the Kooper has them. I wish the Kooper's cup holders were a little larger so they fit more than just a tiny retail bottled water plastic bottle. They should fit a sports bottle for parents who don't like using bottled water. My travel coffee mug doesn't fit in it. The Kooper does handle great. My five month old was ready to graduate out of his car seat/carrier and this was a great stroller for him to be in given its nearly completely flat recline. One plus is after the Kooper is folded, you can pull it behind you on two of its wheels. This is a great feature if you're folding it to get on public transportation. The Kooper locks when folded while the City Mini doesn't. The City Mini's three wheel design makes it a sturdier platform. Although, the wider rear wheel axel means you have to be careful going through doors. The Kooper's axel width is narrowier and stability is good. Both baskets are not very generous in size. The profile of the Kooper makes you think it would have been possibile to include a deeper basket to fit more stuff in. The City Mini has additional storage capacity in a mesh bag afixed to the back of the seat. They both weigh about the same. They both have very large canopies, although, the City Mini's has a bit more coverage. Both strollers have cool looking, lightweight frames. The small zippered pouch on the back of the Kooper is a nice feature. You don't have to worry about someone reaching in to steal your keys or phone when you're not looking. Neither stroller has an adjustable footrest, something I would have liked for my young son. For the older kids, it probably doesn't matter. Neither stroller has adjustable handlebars. However, even though I am six foot one, I found both handlebars to be very comfortable. The Kooper has better padding on the handles. It pushes very easily with one hand, a welcomed surprise considering it's got left and right handle bars as opposed to one continuous bar. Overall, I think the Kooper is a great, lightweight stroller that I find to be much more appealing than the more popular McLaren models. Also, I've hung a heavy diaper bag off the of the Kooper and it didn't fall backwards when I took my son out. That happens on a lot of the McLarren models due to the physics of the frame design. So far, I'm happy with my choice.
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