Orbit Baby Stroller Travel System G2, Mocha (Discontinued by Manufacturer)

I was completely enchanted by the Orbit system, and I absolutely NEEDED it for my first child. There was no convincing me otherwise. However, now that the cool factor has faded and real life has set in, there are some downfalls I would like to share.1) It's very heavy to carry the infant seat. I have a 95th percentile 6 month old, and it has been hard to try to haul that thing around for a good three months now. There's a meager handle with no padding on the carrying arms, and it simply hurts. I'm 6 feet tall and no wimp, but I have a difficult time pulling out the seat from the middle of the back row of the car, so I can only imagine how hard it would be for a shorter person to try to tote this seat around. It's loads of fun jerking a sleeping baby awake in an attempt to remove him from the back seat!2) On that note of large babies, it's a feat in itself to get my child in that darn seat! It's quite rounded, and if they have figured out how to arch their back in such a way, it becomes a circus trying to get them in. The straps are also cumbersome and hard to get around squirmy little arms-- you get one arm through, and by the time you have the other one through, the first one is out! A big issue I have with the straps is you can loosen one up significantly more than the other one, but it's hard to tighten one more than the other (there is only one small strap at the bottom of the seat to tighten both). It seems I always have a wonky strap.3) The base, along with the infant seat, sticks too far out of the back car seat. We have a Volvo sedan and a C-class Mercedes, and in both of the cars, we have to move our seats up a significant amount to accommodate the Orbit (and this is in the middle). Especially in the Volvo, in order for the car seat to lock properly, the passenger seat is always crammed up against the dashboard.4) The upholstery is not easy to clean. I have cleaned it with plain water, upholstery cleaner, and even a Bissell spot cleaner and the stains remain. When the fabric becomes dirty it becomes crusty, slick, and hard. I have just purchased the special Orbit fabric cleaner, so hopefully that works, but the price is exorbitant. UPDATE: The orbit fabric cleaner does work well on the seat fabric, but not 100%. Eventually, there will be grease stains on the sunshade and the "paparazzi shield" from the mechanics of the stroller and traveling (especially on an airplane), and I have yet to figure out how to get those out.5) My baby sweats terribly in the car seat, to the point I thought his diapers were leaking. I don't think the seat breathes well at all. I have just purchased the G3 stroller seat and there are vents in the back, so maybe they've made improvements on the infant seat for the G3.6) The stroller wheels are cheap. They are made from some high density foam (not rubber), and if you use the stroller on anything but slick concrete, they dent and pebbles stick in them. My stroller is 6 months old and has not been used extensively, but the wheels look years old (I will try to post a picture).Please don't get me wrong, there are many things I love about this stroller. The stroller frame is light but sturdy, and so easy to fold and transport, and the ring system is superior. I just wanted to share some of the issues I have with the system, in order for parents to go into such an expensive purchase with their eyes fully open. I know I didn't!

The Orbit G2 has been a lifesaver. As first time parents, we were looking for something practical and easy to use. All I have to say is WOW!From the swiveling car seat/stroller seat to the awesome sunshade, this is by far the best out there. No need to use dirty high chairs, you can just roll up the stroller and turn the seat around. Taking it in and out of the car was always breeze without waking up our baby.When it came time to get her out of the infant system, we opted for the G2 toddler stroller seat and different brand of car seat (with a higher weight rating). No complaints here either!And finally, Orbit has outstanding customer service! The brake cable broke and they immediately replaced it for me. I highly recommend this stroller!

Very nice stroller,always i receive alot of good complements,the downside is after 10 months my daughter doesn't fit anymore on the stroller, it's way to heavier if you going to pick it up on your arm,but as a car sit its easier to twist and pull out the baby !

This stroller is highly functional, unique, and easy to use. When I'm out in public, I constantly get questions about it because there aren't many being used in my area. I'm definitely happy with my purchase.

Had the G1 stroller but saw the G2 travel pack. Great product for a great price and just what we needed for our little one.

After reading majority of the reviews on Amazon (good and bad) it all comes down to preference. The negative reviews here are mainly on price and not on the actual product. The question is "is this item worth the price tag of $900"? Granted at first glance it looks like a hefty price, but when you compare the price of this and other leading strollers, there is more value here. The Orbit Baby is widely compared to the Bugaboo Cameleon. Now the Bugaboo Cameleon comes in 8 different colors and ranges from $880-$979. This doesn't include the additional cost of a cup holder or organizer bag. Nor does it come with an infant car seat. That's a very simple comparison. Since we got the main competitor out of the way, we can compare it to other infant car seat travel systems. But again this all boils down to preference. If you can't afford the Orbit Baby, it's very simple, you can just not buy it. You can stick to the normal Gracco strollers. You don't buy a BMW if you can't afford it and then say it's just way too pricey for something with four wheels and gets you from point A to point B. It's all preference and your ability to spend the money. The Orbit Baby is very safe.When I first read about the Orbit Baby I was blown away by the price. My wife said it's just not worth $900. So instead of buy a brand new G2, I found a G1 on craigslist. Paid $400 for it and man were we impressed. My wife is 5'1 and 110lbs. She has no problem with putting the car seat into the car and taking it out. Please note that we both have back problems. After 4 weeks of using the G1, we decided to drop the $900 for the G2. We are currently selling our G1 and this stroller does hold it's value.So lets get down to the nitty gritty.Price- 9: compared to comparable strollers it's priced fairly. (comparable meaning high end strollers)Portability- 9: It breaks down quickly and it's great for travel.Maneuverability- 10: This is so easy to push around. One handed turns with easy. Suspension is great and very smooth. It's a lot easier to push this stroller. The wheels are the right size and it's easy to get up on curbs.Durability- 10: The material used for the G1 and G2 are very nice. Having a pre-owned G1 (which the owner used for 2 kids) it was still in great condition. I've banged the stroller, dragged it and everything is still nice and works great!Ease of maintenance- 8.5: I have yet to clean the G2, but the G1 was pretty easy to wash the upholstery but the shade and seat belts you had to steam clean. Everything else you can just wipe down.Safety- 10: When I put my baby in the infant car seat I know she'll be safe. It might seem a little bulky but there is a reason why volvo is the safest car to be in.Cool factor- 10: People who say that they don't buy things because it looks cool is just plain out lying to you. There is a reason why people buy knock off LV or Chanel purses. They want to look good but not pay the price. When I roll through with my Orbit Baby and it's parked next to all the other strollers that are exactly the same, I know mine looks cool. That is confirmed by other parents that come and say they love my stroller and it's so unique. Hope this helps people who are on the fence. Trust me, if my wife let me buy the G2 after 4 weeks of using the G1, you will not have any regrets.