If you have smaller children, and you probably do because you are reading this, you know that Halloween has become BUSY. There are so many preparations involved, that it is becoming like the scary Christmas. Scarecrow and ghost and witch making, card buying and sending, party planning, decorations, haunted houses, cookie and cupcake baking, and costumes. The dreaded costumes. If you have a teen-age girl, you know what I mean. This year we had to go to five, yes, five different Halloween stores to find her perfect outfit. It was a lucky thing I had my new Ruby Cybex in Twilight to navigate the animated aisles.

 It was also handy on our pre-Halloween visits. Yeah, see, I'm not kidding that it has become the spooky Christmas. 

 The stellar thing about the 2012 Ruby is, as you can see, this amazing canopy.

You would be  hard-pressed to find a stroller this small and light, with this kind of coverage.

 It can ratchet forward

Slide up and down for more headroom,

And unzip for even more coverage!

Cybex calls it the "Super canopy."

It is a great stroller for big kids, since the canopy height gives you an astonishing 30" of headroom!

It has squishy foam handles, which, at 42" tall, also makes it terrific for tall parents.

The side mesh keeps your child from sweating to death in the summer,and is easy to clean.

But the seat is still decently padded for comfort.

There is a carry strap in the back, so you can sling it over your shoulder.

Has a great little cup holder, that you can purchase separately.

It has an easy fold,

and an automatic lock to keep it closed.

Then it folds down into a nice little umbrella, so you have lots more room in your car for all that candy you have to go buy. 

Weight: 12 pounds

 Width: 19.75"

 Length: 23.5"

 Height: 42"

 Seat Width: 13"

 Seat Depth: 9"

 Seat Back: 21"

 Seat to Canopy: 30"

 Drop to Footrest: 9"

Seat to Floor: 13"

Folded: 41" x 12" x  14.5" (rear to front)

They might have figured, "Why re-invent the wheel? Or maybe "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em?" 

Because in all fairness, it would be very hard to beat the popularity of the City Mini. ( See my prior review of the Baby Jogger City Mini. ) SO popular, that for a long time, the supply exceeded the demand. We should all have these problems! 

But if I had to guess, I would say Britax believes they were "building a better mousetrap" with their new B-Agile. Although at first glance they look identical, they are not. The B-Agile is smaller all around. Narrower, shorter, smaller wheels, and a pound less. 

The seat is actually larger, though, if you compare the dimensions.

Both the Agile and Mini have suspension on the wheels. The foam tires, however, should not be considered a substitute for air tires.

The Agile has the most amazing harness adjustment. You unzip the back, and slide up the harness adjustor. That's it! Brilliant!

The fabric is a little softer, and more cotton-y. Preliminary reports from our Citizens of Strollerland indicate it is not as easy to clean as the slicker, shinier fabric of the Mini. We decided this problem could be solved by the addition of a stroller liner. 

  Also, our Citizens have complained of the colors. Not as snazzy as the Mini's selections. Right now, the Agile only comes in red, or black.

The big requests are for the stunning emerald green, like on the Nimble (see prior reviews), or the funky Cowmooflage. But I think the reflective trim makes for a nice contrast on the black fabric.

 By the way, all of the uniforms you saw on the lap of SP 2.0 were stuffed into the Agile's basket!

 So it holds a lot, and is easy to access.

There is also an arched rear axle. That helps people with long strides from kicking the back.  Also, you can see the brake pedal on the lower right. Very easy to engage, or disengage.

 The backs of the Mini and Agile are similar. Both allow you to roll up the fabric and expose the mesh back; wonder for hot days.

 Reclines are similar, and done with a pull and drawstrings.

  The canopy is a little smaller, with only one peek-a-boo window, instead of the Mini's two. 

  The Mini also has a mesh pocket on the back, while the Agile has a large, fabric zippered pocket.

 The handlebar has a soft, squishy foam, vs. the hard rubber of the Mini's.

The fold is quite similar, in that you yank up the center strap in the seat. But you also push in the safety button on the side.  

 The Agile has an automatic lock to keep it closed when folded.

And, it even stands folded!

  Like the Mini, you can get an optional rain cover,  mosquito net, cup holder, travel bag, and a snack tray that clicks right into the Agile. 

Hopefully, these comparisons will help you to decide which one will work better for you. But they are both nice, so I'm sure you'll be happy with whatever you choose!

Britax B-Agile

 Weight:                      16 pounds

 Width:                        22.5"

 Length:                      34"

 Height:                       39"

 Seat Width:                15"

 Seat Depth:                10"

 Seat Back:                  21"

 Seat to Canopy:         27"

 Drop to Footrest:       9.5"

 Seat to Floor:             16"

 Folded:                       22.5" x 11.5" x  29.5"

Board rider space:       8" on the diagonal

Baby Jogger Pod

Seat Back:                               15"

Seat to canopy:                       24"

Seat Width:                             21" (single  bench seat)

Seat Depth:                             11"

Drop to footrest:                      6"

Seat to ground:                        14"

Length: (Stroller Mode)          34"                           

Width:                                      28.25"

Height:                                     37-42"

Folded:                                     31"L x 28.5"W x 20"H

Mamas and Papas Luna Mix

Weight: 17. 5 pds.

Width: 23"

Length: 32"

Height: 26"-44"

Seat Width: 14"

Seat Depth: 9"-18"

Seat Height: 18"

Seat to Canopy: 24"

Drop to Footrest: 11"

Seat to Floor: 19"

Will she or won't she? That's what the crowd wanted to know. We checked our watches, and held our breath, as the minutes ticked by.

But I digress...because after all, this is supposed to be about what stroller we took. The logical  choice--the "One Of", all denim, groovy Joovy Kooper!

It's simply smashing! I'm so sorry they weren't able to make more. Softest denim ever.

 And look how great the denim Skip Hop looks on the back!

 Not that you really even need it. Because the Kooper is chock full of pockets.

There are two on the inside, for sippy cups, bottles, toys, etc.

A huge zippered pocket on the back.  Joovy wasn't able to make more of these denim ones, because they couldn't get enough of the right fabric. 

  But, you can still get the Kooper in 5 other colors. Still get the same great humongous canopy, easy to access basket, umbrella fold, ergo foam handles, and deep recline.

And then, she appeared!

And the crowd goes wild!

It all started Thursday night. Selena Gomez was on the Jay Leno show.

 She joked around, answering questions about BF Justin Bieber, her new movie, upcoming album and tour, and ending TV series.

 Suddenly, after the show, she was rushed to the hospital. A collective gasp was heard throughout the tween and teen world. What was wrong? Would she be OK? Well enough to tour? The first concert was cancelled, and re-scheduled. And then she went back to the hospital again. So that is why her appearance today was a big "If", and everyone was cheering mightily for her, to show support.

When she took the stage, her "magic" began. It was 4:00 sharp. Extremely punctual; very impressive. 

And just as promptly, at 4:10, it was over. I'm not so sure she was all better, as the rest of the Media was reporting. But, God bless her, she did her best. The children were enthralled, and the Joovy Kooper was brilliant. 

Take it to a mall near you! 

Joovy Kooper

Folded: 46" x 13" x 12" 

 I live in "3 B" country. Oh sure, you'll see the odd Quinny Buzz and Zapp, Mountain Buggy, Uppa Baby Vista, and Maclarens, of course. But by and large, around these parts, the big "B's", as I like to call 'em, are the dominators.

So we were eagerly awaiting the long anticipated 2011 Revolution SE, which had been shrouded in secrecy..

  It's the first time BOB has updated the Revolution in several years. Not that they needed to; at least based on it's popularity around here.  But I was really looking forward to this plum. So stunning! 

The changes BOB made to the Revolution SE pretty much address all of the complaints I heard about BOB, over the years.

  The first thing you notice is that the overall look is sleeker and more streamlined; a nice update.

    Here at the beach, you notice a lot of BOBS with faded footrests. The sun is pretty strong around here. But the new plastic tip will hopefully make that a thing of the past.

  The seat is much more padded now, and sits more upright. Some people thought the older style seat was too laid back, too hammock-y. 

  Some also thought that the narrow wheelbase of the old Revolution made it prone to tipping. The SE addresses that issue, adding two more inches of width. 

The basket seems a bit bigger, and more accessible, on the SE.

I wish it wasn't 2.5 pounds heavier. But at least the feather light, responsive steering has stayed the same. Ditto the springy, adjustable suspension.. 

  I personally like the newer, thinner handlebar. Feels better in my hands, easier to grasp.

I always liked those little side pockets inside the seat. Glad to see they are still there.

 The two-buckle back strap recline system now allows for more positions.

One change I don't quite get is that the wrist strap was moved from the bottom axle, to the handlebar. (Maybe so you could see the red buckle, that latches the Revo closed?) It's always a good idea to keep that on your wrist, especially if it's windy. But with the strap up on the handle bar like that, it is easier to flip the stroller backwards, if you fall down.  

    The canopy is still huge, with a bigger  peekaboo window..

As is the seat! It's wonderfully big---measuring up to 16" at the widest point! 

 And, by popular demand, there's now an integrated accessory adapter; which makes it a breeze to snap in a snack tray, or infant carrier!

Just one word of caution from the manufacturer; please don't run with infants under 8 months old. And ESPECIALLY not in car seats! The higher center of gravity makes any stroller prone to tipping.  Not a risk you want to take with your precious progeny.

  BOB Revolution SE 

Weight: 25.5 pounds 

Width: 24" 

Length: 36" (from front wheel turned inward to back wheel)

Height: 40.5"

Seat Width: 14"- 16"  Seat Depth: 8"

Seat Back: 20.5"

Seat to Canopy: 23-25""

Canopy to handle: 8" (board rider headroom)

 Drop to Footrest: 8.5" 

Seat to Floor: 22" 

Folded: 38" x 24" x 16"

I once reported on a May Day demonstration in Mexico. Thousands of people crowded the town square, protesting working conditions. In that country, it is known as International Labor Day. In this country, May Day saw me dancing around a Maypole with a wreath of flowers in my hair. As a little girl, of course. I  still don't know why. Except I'm thinking it was probably one of those pagan flower goddess holidays that was co-opted and watered down for modern times.  

 Now we seem to have random celebration or festivals, basically a good excuse to get out and enjoy the spring weather. And what better buggy to "weather" the crowds, than the new Quinny Zapp Xtra! 

As StrollerQueen readers know,  I have long been a Zapp fan. LOVE the pinkie steering,  cool look, and small fold. 

There were a couple of features that citizens of Strollerland wished the Zapp to have. Namely, a recline, and a reversible seat. Well, Quinny has waved it's magic wand and "poof", wishes granted!

There is a huge demand for lighter weight reversibles out there. Especially since more and more people are learning that sticking car seats in strollers is not such a good idea. 

 So this new Xtra helps fill that big niche. It is probably best to use it in reverse mode for a younger baby, though. Because in that position, the seat doesn't sit very upright.

The seat is very easy to recline and reverse. For both, you just pull down on the back lever. It's the same to reverse the seat, except that you also pull out a little lever on the right. Note, too, the linked brakes, and good sized basket.

You have to pop the seat off to fold the Xtra. But it is easy to do.  And having a separate seat adds a couple of pounds to the package. Which is to be expected. 

The egg shape of the seat means it's still nice and wide.  Definitely one of the bigger seats out there. 

Of course, you can use the seat forward facing, too, for toddlers.

 With a 50-pound weight limit, the Zapp Xtra is still very easy to push with heavier children.

Another nice new feature on the Xtra is the extended canopy. Still has the side peekaboo windows. 

 It seems like most manufacturers are offering bigger canopies for 2011. Which means those extra, giant, floppy overlays may become a thing of the past. They are useful, but it is always easier to not have to deal with additional pieces. 

Speaking of which, the travel bag and rain cover that used to come with the Zapp is now, well, extra.  Other additional accessories are the cupholder,  and footmuff. Car seat adapters are included.

 The reclining, reversible Zapp Xtra, with 4 wheels, is the only version that will be sold in the U.S. It's available now, so rush to get yours! :)

Quinny Zapp Xtra

Weight:  21.5  pounds

Width:  23.5"

Length: 26"

Height: 40"

Seat Width:   15"

Seat Depth:  9"

Seat Back:  21"

Seat to Canopy:   24"

Drop to Footrest: 11"

Seat to Floor:   17"

Folded (chassis only) :  27" x 7" x 13"