My husband and I were sick of scraping the sides of our regular stroller trying to squeeze through crowded stores, into elevators or, even worse, sitting with the enormous carseat attachment wedged between us in cramped restaurants in the city, so we decided it was time for an umbrella stroller. We went with the Cybex Onyx and it has been a wonderful addition! We were reluctant to get yet another stroller (we have an Orbit and a BOB) because we don’t have much storage space, but the Cybex more than earns its little sliver of the garage.
The stroller is wonderfully compact and so much easier to maneuver in small restaurants and stores in the city. Despite its size, it is surprisingly sturdy and provides a smooth, comfortable ride on uneven city pavement. The open/close mechanism is a cinch and can be done while holding a babe on your hip. The sun hood is huge and provides pretty complete coverage for our five month old, although as she grows bigger her feet and legs will need to be covered in a light blanket.
Pros:
Compact and comfortable – given the limited amount of storage space we have in our garage we were reluctant to add another stroller to our collection. The Cybex breaks down to an incredibly compact long rectangle which takes up very little room, especially when you stand it vertically. Despite its small size, it feels as sturdy as our other much bigger strollers out and about in the city. In fact, I think our daughter may be more comfortable in it because of the thick and comfy padded seat cushion and the variable recline settings. She sleeps easily in it but is also happy to face forward and see the world go by when she’s awake.
Stable on uneven city pavement – my husband and I were skeptical that the small wheels would be able to handle the uneven paving on the sidewalks in our neighborhood. We were pleasantly surprised at how much stability the eight wheels give the stroller – our little one often drifts off to sleep while we’re out and about and has never been awakened by a big bump.
Great sun protection – the hood provides great sun protection! Our little one is only five months now so pulling the hood down fully protects all of her; a great feature because it’s too early to use sunscreen and nice not to have to worry about her arms and legs getting too much sun. There is a little clear plastic opening in the hood that allows you to peek in and see if the baby’s sleeping, but it’s easy to cover with a burp cloth or something similar to block out the sun it lets in.
Longevity – the stroller’s weight limit is 55 pounds, so I’m sure our baby will outgrow strollering before she outgrows the Onyx.
Cons:
Five point harness – I think this will only be a temporary issue and one that our daughter will outgrow soon, but the harness doesn’t always keep her upright and in place when she drifts off to sleep. She sometimes ends up slumped to the side against the back bars which leaves her with red marks on her face after a long nap. It’s not a huge problem and only happens some of the time but it’s not an issue in a stroller with a more snug seat, like the Orbit. Despite this, she does seem to be more comfortable with more room to spread out her arms so it’s a trade off I’m willing to make for now.
Hood fastener – the mechanism for fastening the hood in place is two pieces of velcro which attach to another piece of fabric behind the handles. These are not strong enough to keep the big hood stable on windy days. I love the size of the hood for the sun protection it gives but I wish they had come up with a better way to keep it stable when the wind picks up.