The Maxi-Cosi Kaia is a lightweight umbrella stroller designed for on-the-go parents who like to travel, go to the mall, or run errands around town.
The Kaia model has a small footprint making it great for navigating narrow aisles of the grocery shops and public transit.
The small 5″ hard rubber wheels perform best on the flat surfaces. Although there is a rear suspension system, taking over grass or mulch will be a very bumpy ride.
I wouldn’t recommend it for long walks in the park. The basket is a great size for an umbrella stroller. You will easily fit a large diaper bag in it.
I liked the easy compact fold on Kaia. It will definitely fit in any trunk. Another cool feature is an adjustable leg rest that will provide your little one with more leg room.
What really separates Kaia from other umbrella strollers is the ability to turn into a travel system with the addition of an INCLUDED car seat adapter. It is compatible with Maxi-Cosi Mico or Prezi infant car seats ONLY!
It is also very compact and can stand on its own when folded. The standing fold is an important feature for parents who live in an apartment or go to restaurants often. Such a space saver!
OVERALL
I gave this stroller 3.5 out of 5 stars because of the small canopy, lack of peekaboo window, heavyweight (for an umbrella stroller), and not very deep recline.
It is currently retails for around $199. It comes with a cup holder and a car seat adapter, but there is no bumper bar. I think it’s a reasonable price for what you are getting.
Features
CANOPY
The canopy is small and there is NO peekaboo window. Can you believe that? These days, most companies make huge oversized canopies. I don’t know what Maxi-Cosi was thinking. They should at least do a ‘follow-the-sun’ option (that’s when the canopy is not attached to the back of the seat and can be moved up and down to block the sun).
HANDLEBARS
There are two non-adjustable handle bars located 40″ from the ground. This is an average height that should fit most parents. If you are much shorter or taller, test it first.
SEAT
The seat is 13″ wide with 19″ seat back and a measurement of 22″ from the back of the seat to the top of the canopy. The infinite recline is operated by a strap system.
You can recline the seat with one hand by pulling on the strap, but you will need both hands to bring the seat back up.
The deep recline does NOT go to a flat position, so you can’t use it for a newborn. You will need to get a car seat adapter to convert the stroller into a travel system if you want to use it from birth.
The seat can accommodate a child from 6 months and up to 50 lbs (approximately 4 years). BTW, in the upright position the seat is slightly reclined. So it’s not very upright seat.
LEGREST
It has an adjustable leg rest that is part of the seat. You can lift it up to create more flat surface for younger babies. There is another foot rest that is part of the frame for older children.
What I really like is that the foot drop on Kaia is 13″! It might sound like a lot, but on most stroller it’s only 9″-10″, so extra 3″ is a big deal if you have a tall child with long legs.
HARNESS
The seat has a padded adjustable 5 point harness with a puzzle-like hard to unlock buckle.
BASKET
The basket is large for a lightweight compact stroller, but is medium size comparing to a full size stroller. You will be able to fit a large diaper bag in it, but not much more.
The easiest way to access the basket is from the sides because there is a large crossbar in the back. Once you recline the seat, it’s very difficult to access it from the back.
WHEELS
It rolls on four 5″ hard rubber wheels with two double wheels in the back and two single swivel wheels in the front. Front wheels can be locked straight for rougher terrain.
This stroller is not designed to tackle rough terrain and performs best on flat surfaces.
There is a rear-wheel suspension system that helps to absorb some of the bumps. Of course, it’s not the same suspension system you would have on a jogger, but it still makes the ride a little smoother.
CUP HOLDER
INCLUDED! There is a cup holder on the side of the frame that will fit your regular bottle of water or a medium size coffee cup. You can also switch the sides in case you are a leftie. I like that the cup holder stays on and doesn’t tip.
BRAKES
The brakes are very interesting. The red one locks the rear wheels in place and the blue one unlocks them.
FOLD
The fold is very easy and pretty compact. First, lift a lever in the back with your foot to unlock the frame. Next, pull two levers located on both of the handlebars and push them down until the stroller folds and you hear the automatic lock.
Now bending down! The cool thing is that it stands on its own. The folded dimensions are 37″L x 13″ W x 12″ H. Very compact!
CAR SEAT ADAPTERS
INCLUDED! It comes with an infant car seat adapter that is compatible with Maxi-Cosi Mico or Prezi infant car seats ONLY.
Cons
-Small canopy. The canopy is a disappointment. It’s small, without a ‘follow-the-sun’ option and without a peekaboo window.
-Recline. The recline is deep, but it doesn’t go all the way flat, so you can’t use it for a newborn. I wish it was a little deeper. Also, it’s not a very upright seat. The strap system is not my favorite since you need to use both hands to bring the seat back. There are some strollers that have a new strap system that requires only one hand to recline and bring the seat back.
-Heavyweight. 18 lbs might not be a lot, but it’s a lot for an umbrella stroller that you are supposed to carry over your shoulder. The good thing is that it can turn into a travel system and of course, you don’t want a light stroller holding your car seat. So I think it would be hard to make it any lighter and still have it safely hold a car seat.
Video Review
Baby Gizmo has a great video review. Take a look.
Specs
Stroller weight: 18 lbs
Weight limit: 50 lbs
Folded dimensions: 37″L x 13″ W x 12″ H
Handlebar height: 40″
Seat to canopy height: 22″
Wheels: 5″
Overall length: 27″
Overall width: 20.5″
Warranty
Maxi-Cosi has a two-year warranty on strollers from the date of purchase. It took me a while to find warranty information.
Available colors
For 2014 this stroller is available in two colors: black and red.
Where to buy it
You can get Maxi-Cosi Kaia in black or red for about $199. It comes with a cup holder and a car seat adapter, but there is no bumper bar. Since this is a new stroller, I was not able to find any good sales.
Don’t buy it!!! It falls and baby can get hurt!!!!!
We used it with the car seat and was fine, but once my daugther started riding in stroller only we have been having troubles with it. Have to be very careful because it has fallen because of the diaper bag three times with our daughter there!!!! We just carry 6 diapers, two changes of clothes and the feeding things. I’ve seen other strollers more sturdy on that matter. Is a shame, we just bought maxi cosi pria when we changed her car seat, but thinking on returning it andwe are definitely throwing away the stroller. Very dissapointed and affraid my baby can get hurt.
That happened to me as well!!!
Bad Quality and a safety hazard.
Hi Eliza. Thanks for letting us know!