After looking at options for our newborn, I settled on the XLR for primarily for MACLAREN'S reputation on producing strong long lasting strollers. I picked up a used inexpensive model on Craigslist and despite years of use and abuse, the item was a great little purchase.

I decided on the XLR for a number of reasons. It's designed to be usable from birth to 65 lbs. it's seat reclines to almost horizontal which is great for newborns, but the XLR has an attachment bar that can handle a number of car seats that clamp to bases. So if you are apprehensive about laying your tiny newborn into a stroller at such a tender age, you can simply use the car seat.

This satisfied a major issue I have about buying unneeded travel systems that are only in use for 2 - 3 months. You're left with a stroller and seat combo that you may have never wanted in the first place. Bad option.

The XLR is solid. It's built from aluminum and while it has plastic as any stroller would, it does not seem weak in any areas. the wheels, while large - easily roll and turn very easily.

Due to its much more substantial size, its hard to really classify this as an umbrella stroller. It folds up like an umbrella, but the seat implementation makes things a lot more complex. The unit is tall, and for my shorter stature, it does tend to make the hand grips a bit high. At the top of the unit, the handles are adjustable, but even at their lowest position, I felt that I could not see over the stroller enough to feel comfortable pushing it across all surfaces.

A great perk is the cover. it unzips midway to allow you to extend the rain cover lower on your child, thus allowing further protection. There is also the cute little head attachment for infants as well as an extra pad adding a lot more support for the younger kids. This is also fully washable and that is a good thing since it seems that the cloth of the stroller is what holds it together in a few places.

I do have a problem with how epinions rates this stroller for age. It is available for far longer than 12 months. My 3.5 year old just LOVES sitting in this stroller. She describes the seat as super-comfy, even though she seems to only have a small little seat for her tush. She's 34 pounds and has tons of room to sit sideways, and just loves the lay down position. I would never let her use this stroller until 65 lbs, but for a parent with a child that has disabilities or with problems walking, this stroller will last for a very long time.

For you savvy shoppers who want 99% of the features of the XLR but do not plan on ever attaching a carseat, simply look on ebay for a new XR. It is the previous year's version before they added the carseat adapter. It's a bit skinnier, but you'll likely save about $100 and still get all of the convenience and trust of the Maclaren brand.