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Usage
Around town and gentle trails

Price $289.99

Summary

The Chicco Cortina travel system provides very good performance around town and on some smoother trails. The car seat enables secure and easy transfer of child between vehicle and stroller.

The Good

• Adjustable handle height
• Easy to fold
• Very stable

The Bad

• Difficult to assemble

Full Review

Setup

The Chicco Cortina is difficult to assemble, requiring half an hour. Although no special tools are required, finding the instructions are difficult and sometimes hard to follow. Be sure to snap on the basket and side covers before using.

Securing children, and Safety

Perhaps the most important step when using any stroller and car seat is placing and securing the child. With the Cortina, this is very easy. The tray opens easily from either side and has color-coded latches. Adjustments to the 5-way harness are easy, but it takes some extra effort to release the buckle.

Note, July 2008: About 18,000 infant car seat bases have been recalled, please see the Chicco recall notice. The problem has been fixed, so we continue to recommend this product at buywise.com.

Transport

The Cortina can be loaded into a vehicle fairly easy. The car seat enables transfer of the baby between vehicle and stroller. However, securing the carrier seat in the car, and in the stroller took some time.

Folding

Unfolding the Chicco Cortina is a one-handed process. Folding is very easy as well, with an audible click that confirms the stroller is locked.

Child-friendly features

• Adjustable footrest, accommodates child growth
• Plenty of seating room
• Multi-position reclining seat with thick cushions
• Comfortable ride
• Canopy adjusts for low sun, and has a see-through window to see the child
• Washable child’s tray with two cup holders

Performance and features

• Padded handlebar adjusts from 37” to 43” high to accommodate most people
• All-wheel suspension for a smoother ride and less bounce
• Locking front wheels for trail use
• Adult cup holder
• Storage basket

This stroller has an option to lock the front wheel. When the front wheels are unlocked, steering is very easy. When the wheels are locked, the stroller can be pushed over rougher surfaces such as grass, pebbles or firm sand, but it is harder to steer. The stroller is very stable and goes over curbs and sidewalk lips easily. Once nice feature is the parking brake for both rear wheels is engaged by pressing a petal at either of the rear wheels.

The car seat and base allow the baby to be transported and secured in a back seat of a vehicle, and transferred between the vehicle and stroller. This can minimize disturbing or waking the baby.

Infant car seat features:

• Removable insert for smaller babies
• Thickly cushioned seat pad for comfort
• 5-point harness for safety
• Spring-assisted leveling base
• Level indicator bubbles
• Center-Pull adjustment for easy installation

Design

The Chicco Cortina gets good ratings for appearance and function. It has been designed for child comfort and safety, as well for as ease of use by the adult.

Specifications and Capacities

Stroller Carrier Seat
Seat: max. 50 lbs. Seat: 4 to 30 lbs
Storage Basket: 16×15x10” Baby height: less than 30”
Regulations: US ASTM: F833 Regulations: FMVSS 213
Weight: 24 lbs
Folded Dimensions: 20×22x40”
Seating Room: 24” in height, 11” wide
Category: full-size

Review Date: June 1st, 2008

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