gb Qbit Lightweight Stroller

When I opened the gb Qbit Lightweight Stroller box in a bit of a hurry, I was happy to see it was mostly pre-assembled except for the wheels, cup holder and car seat adaptors. Phew! I paged through the user guide, which was helpful and easy to understand. After a few minutes looking through the guide, assembly was a total breeze. I unfolded the stroller to the upright position, then simply clicked in the four rubber wheels and attached the mom’s cup holder to the upper side. The car seat adaptors (compatible with the GB Asana 35 and GB Asana 35 AP infant car seats) also attached easily, though I didn’t test the stroller with a car seat. At first glance, the assembled stroller looks modern, sleek and stylish. We were ready to hit the road within 10 minutes.

I strapped in my 20-pound, 8-month-old son, and he fit well with room to grow. The Qbit is intended for children up to 50 pounds and 45 inches tall. I had to raise the shoulder strap height to make them taller, which was very easy and involved simply pushing the retainer pieces through the front and then back through the higher slots. The harness covers seem to make the harness very comfortable on my son’s chest. Clicking the harness into the crotch buckle is also easy, and unclicking can be done one-handed, which is convenient.

We took to the street and headed to the neighborhood park. The stroller rolls smoothly and is very responsive in turns; it’s able to turn at a tight radius. The push handle is at comfortable height for my husband and I both to push. (He’s 6’2”, and I’m 5’9”.) I’ve found some strollers’ handle heights are too short for us, or the distance from our feet to the bottom back of the stroller is too short for us to walk with a natural stride, but the Qbit’s proportions are just right.

While walking in the sun, the large sunshade provided excellent coverage for our son. I also liked the storage area under the seat, which though not extremely large or deep, can accommodate our diaper bag or a few shopping bags while at the mall. The brakes are also easily engaged and disengaged by foot on both the front and back wheels by simply clicking down or up.

A couple of items I noted about the stroller during our walk in the park: First, it lacks a snack tray, which would be a nice addition for older toddlers to keep some munchies, a toy or sippy cup in easy reach. I also noted that the stroller does not have any small pockets or places to store a phone, cash or a credit card. This would also be a nice feature for added convenience when you don’t have a pocket or bag for those few necessities.

The recline on the stroller is good but not extensive. It doesn’t quite sit up completely straight or lay completely flat, but my son has managed to successfully nap in it on several occasions nonetheless.

Taking the stroller on a rougher, gravel and grassy surfaces, it still rolled surprisingly well. Of course, an all-terrain stroller would be preferable if we were going to be walking on those surfaces often.

While I was testing out the stroller, we also took it on a flight and very much appreciated its light weight and ability to fold up super compactly. The stroller can be folded using just one hand, which allowed me to hold my son and fold the stroller at the same time.

To keep the stroller folded, a lock must be engaged on the left side and when engaged, the stroller stands stably on its own. While the Qbit could have fit in the overhead bin (amazing, right?), we elected to gate check it so as not to have to carry it down the aisle along with our baby and other carry-ons. The included travel bag offers a nice way to protect the stroller when checking it (and would also work well to keep everything contained while in the overhead bin).

The compactness of the folded stroller is a huge selling point for the Qbit, and I can certainly see why. In addition to its ability to fit in an overhead bin, it managed to fit into the itty-bitty trunk of the compact car we rented when we reached out destination. Had we packed a larger stroller, I’m not sure what we would have done. The stroller takes up minimal space while folded and can easily be stored in our coat closet at home.

The Qbit is a very good product that would be well-suited for a family that travels often and would appreciate its compact size, light weight and sleek look. We plan on taking it on an international trip next month and feel confident it will serve us well.

Price: $180
To buy: babiesrus.com