One of my favorite products to review is strollers. Do you want to know why? Lean in a little closer… I’ve had some of the WORST strollers in existence! I cannot convey to you how frustrating it is to have a terrible stroller. Especially when you’re on a budget and you already took it out of the box and used it. You can’t return it and you definitely cannot buy another, different model. But I’m going to try and help you all out with that. My mistakes will be a help to all of you out there looking for a great stroller. So buckle up in your 5 point harness and read about the Chicco Liteway Stroller.
Click Here for the Best Price on the Chicco Liteway Stroller
5 Point Harness
Of course, I usually start out stating the safety features of any product. Many parents are looking for that 5 point harness when it comes to car seats and strollers. Those wiggly little buggers can get out of almost anything, so a 5 point harness is an absolute must, especially as they move into their toddler years.
Lightweight?
You would assume that the Chicco Liteway Stroller would be ultra-light, but it actually isn’t that light. It’s not as heavy as a bulky jogging stroller, but it comes in at about 17.2 pounds. This is just two pounds lighter than the Chicco standard mini bravo plus.
This stroller is definitely manageable to carry around from place to place, and it won’t be hard for a new parent to hoist it in and out of their trunk. However, if you’re expecting the weight of an umbrella stroller, some weigh less than 7 pounds, then you might be slightly disappointed.
This stroller is not an umbrella stroller, however, so that isn’t the weight standard to be holding it to. This stroller is more like a step between an enormous stroller with every feature in the books and the umbrella.
Aluminum Frame
One of the ways that Chicco can keep the Liteway Stroller lightweight is by using an aluminum frame. Aluminum is one of the lightest metals and is what airplanes are made of. So you know you are getting a sturdy, yet lightweight product.
Compactable
Most strollers are compactable to some degree, but how much they compact down is very important. I used to have a jogging stroller that I bought because I heard it was good, just to find out that it couldn’t even fit in my trunk. That severely narrowed down the places I could use it at.
That should not be a problem at all with the Chicco Liteway Stroller. This stroller compacts down pretty neatly. Like I said earlier, this is NOT an umbrella stroller, so it doesn’t compact down that much, but it is a very respectable size when broken down, especially for how large and sturdy it is when you have it expanded out.
You can see how small it gets in the video below:
Handle
One thing that I really love about the Chicco Liteway Stroller is that it has a handle on the side, which makes it very easy and convenient to carry around. You can also roll it, which is what I actually prefer to do when it’s locked into the compact position. However, picking it up to put in a trunk of a car is just so much easier with the handle.
Click Here for the Best Price on the Chicco Liteway Stroller
Ease of Use
Have you ever used an unfamiliar stroller? It can be nearly impossible to figure out without someone walking you through it or looking up the manual online. There are so many strollers out there and they are almost all different. There are levers to pull, handles to twist, and directions to push that aren’t a walk in the park.
Although the stroller can compact down fairly easily when you know what you’re doing, it definitely isn’t a no-brainer, if you don’t. Here is how you break it down:
- Disengage the bracket on the bottom by pulling up on the small plastic lever on the middle bottom.
- Push down on the lever on the right side of the stroller.
- Fold forward and down.
So only three steps, shouldn’t be too hard, right? But none of the levers are red or pop out in any way. You wouldn’t necessarily know where to look when you’re trying to figure it out. The last thing you want to do is break a stroller, so you might be tempted to never break it down.
This stroller isn’t terrible to break down, but it definitely is much more involved than say a stroller that breaks down in a one-pull movement.
Recline
The Chicco Liteway Stroller does have a one-hand adjustable recline on the stroller. So if you were disappointed about how difficult it is to compact and expand the stroller, this feature should make you happy.
In my book, a one-hand recline is absolutely necessary for a new parent. There are so many situations where you have a baby in one hand and you are expected to get your child into their stroller without waking them up. Well, how are you supposed to do this by yourself if the recline is adjusted all the way up? Enter the one-hand recline option and you are set. You can recline the seat back and seamlessly lay your sleeping child down. Those moments of a happy toddler can be few and far between, so it’s nice to know that Chicco holds them as precious as us parents do.
How Far?
Not all strollers recline and not all strollers that recline go all the way back. This stroller lays almost completely flat, which is really awesome for a couple of reasons. First, it’s just really comfortable for your child to be able to lay completely flat somewhere. Their head won’t constantly be rolling to the side and they won’t wake up with a sore neck.
Another reason I love that it goes so far down is that it is a perfect spot for changing a diaper on the go. Although changing stations are awesome, if I can avoid a public restroom completely, then I’m a happy camper. I really like to just stay out of those places, and with a completely flat surface like this one, you can change a diaper on the go, no problem.
Footrest
One thing that this stroller has that I haven’t seen on many strollers is an adjustable footrest. So depending on your child’s height, they might want it up or down. Whatever works most comfortably for your child.
Visor
The Chicco Liteway stroller also has a pretty great visor. Visors might not be all that thrilling to you, but you can really start to appreciate them when you have a fussy child who you want to calm to sleep with a nice walk.
Peek A Boo
The visor has a peek-a-boo window that allows you to watch your baby from time to time while they are in the stroller. You can keep an eye on if they are falling asleep, if they are throwing snacks out of the stroller, or if they’re choking. Of course, you can even use it for peek-a-boo, and my babies loved playing this on our walks. Having eyes on your baby at all times is something most parents want, so this is a feature that you’ll love if you have it and miss it if you don’t.
Locking Feature
Like I said earlier in this post, I’ve had my fair share of bad strollers. One of the things I didn’t like about it was that the visor was so flimsy, it would bend back so easily. And the stroller didn’t have a lot of storage on it anyway, so sometimes the visor was the only place I could set a bag or wipes.
I love that the Chicco Liteway Stroller has a locking mechanism on its visor so that it will stay down even if you need to temporarily set something on top of it.
Size
The visor is also quite a bit bigger than the ones that I typically see, especially on lightweight strollers. It has a regular size shade and then can expand out to nearly cover the entire seat. It’s a pretty great feature, especially when you have kids who are constantly staring into the sun. Or, it’s also just great for skin protection and rain protection.
Click Here for the Best Price on the Chicco Liteway Stroller
Storage Compartment
The storage compartment on the Chicco Liteway Stroller is a pretty hefty beast. It can fit a standard diaper bag, with no problem. You can even fit a personal item like a purse, a frisbee, or an extra jacket. I mentioned several times not to necessarily compare this stroller to an umbrella stroller, and this is where it matters most. An umbrella stroller has zero storage on it and this stroller has ample room for whatever you want to bring along with you. Two thumbs way up!
One thing to keep in mind, however, is that when the stroller is reclined all the way down, you have much less room for storage. In fact, it is nearly impossible to even access the things in your storage compartment while the seat is reclined back. Whether this would be a problem for you, or a non-issue is completely up to you!
Trays
Unfortunately, what the Chicco LIteway Stroller lacks is trays, and this, I think, is the reason why people compare this stroller to an umbrella stroller. It looks similar because there is no tray in front of your baby and no parent tray near the handles. This makes it nice to compact down, but it is pretty inconvenient when you are on the go.
Half the fun of going on a walk with a baby is the snacks. Your baby is much more likely to be happy and along for the ride when they have some cheerios and a sippy cup on their own personal tray. And the thing is, you don’t even have a tray to put them on either. So when I talked about a locking visor being important, you just might use it quite a bit for this stroller. There is one single cup holder on the side of the stroller that you can decide to use for your child’s bottle or your morning coffee.
Travel System
Many people wonder if this stroller is an entire travel system, meaning is it compatible with a car seat. And the answer is no, the Chicco Liteway Stroller cannot be combined with a car seat. This is actually a bit confusing because the Chicco Liteway Plus is, but it’s very easy to confuse the two.
If you were interested in that model instead, the car seat that is compatible with it is the Keyfit 30.
Even if you did want to have the travel system, the Chicco Liteway Stroller Plus is not necessarily the easiest stroller to do that with. It would definitely be something that you would want to keep in one form or the other and not switch between the two. You wouldn’t want to switch between using the car seat in the stroller and just using the stroller by itself. There are a lot of moving parts and it is much more than just pulling your car seat in and out of the stroller. But if you are planning on using the stroller with the car seat for as long as your child fits into the car seat, then it could be a great option for you and will be a stroller that can fit your needs for several years.
Click Here for the Best Price on the Chicco Liteway Stroller
Wheels
The wheels on the Chicco Liteway Stroller are made from hard plastic. These wheels are very durable and they roll very smoothly. And another upside is that they will never deflate like a jogger stroller wheel.
Brakes
Of course, you can’t mention the wheels without mentioning the brakes. The Chicco Liteway Stroller comes with back toe tap brakes. These are only for the rear wheels and are easy to lock on and off just using your foot.
These are an absolute necessary safety feature for any stroller and they will keep your child safe on any uneven ground, as long as you use it. There are some strollers that have a hand brake feature, which is nice and convenient. There’s no fumbling around for the brake, but this is also a really great choice and it allows your handles to be less bulky.
Rotating
The wheels on the Chicco Liteway Stroller connect in a way that it can rotate 360 degrees. Some strollers have fixed wheels, usually joggers, and this can make it difficult to turn them while walking. So it’s important to know that these wheels are very easy to maneuver and are perfect for strolling along at a normal walking pace.
Care
Strollers really take a beating and there’s no wondering why. Have you ever looked in the backseat of a minivan that is the vehicle for a small child? There are snacks and crumbs everywhere. And this isn’t saying anything negative about the parent. We’ve all been there. Your child makes messes faster than you can clean them up, and you also don’t necessarily have the time or energy to only be cleaning up for your entire life. But you also don’t want your stroller to be absolutely disgusting. If the past years have taught us anything it’s that germs can be quite dangerous.
So how do you keep your stroller clean when you can’t necessarily undo the fabric from the frame?
According to Chicco, you can remove some of the fabrics on the stroller, and of those, you should hand wash only in cold water. You might wonder the reason for that specific guideline, and I’m here to warn you not to put it in your washer on high heat. I did that once for a high chair inset and quickly learned that the fabric does shrink. It only shrinks slightly, but it’s enough to make a snug fit much too tight.
So wash with cold water and hang to dry. For all the cloth that cannot be removed, spot wash it with a damp cloth. All plastic and metal frames can be washed with a damp cloth.
Click Here for the Best Price on the Chicco Liteway Stroller
Conclusion
Ultimately, the Chicco Liteway Stroller is a pretty great option for your child. It is lightweight, easy to tote in and out of a trunk, and it compacts down to a manageable size. This stroller should work in most trunks and would be easy to slide into a closet if you don’t have a garage to store it in. It has a great visor and awesome adjustable options like the recliner and the footrest. The only downside to this stroller is that it doesn’t have a parent tray or a child tray. There are many strollers out there with many features, but this stroller at this price point is an excellent choice. It has all the necessary features and it doesn’t have so many frills that you can’t get it into your trunk.