Maclaren Techno XT Stroller Review

The Maclaren Techno XT is one of the most popular umbrella strollers on the market and is my favorite!

Why do parents love it so much? Well, because this is a very sturdy stroller with great maneuverability and compact fold. 

The hard rubber 6″ wheels and all-wheel suspension provide a comfy ride even over bumpy streets and playground mulch.

The narrow frame and small footprint allow you to navigate in tight spaces like small elevators, narrow store aisles, or between the closed park cars in the parking lot with ease.

The one-hand lever recline has four positions including almost a flat one suitable for a newborn. If you have a very tall child, you will love the adjustable canopy that moves up and down the frame giving your child plenty of headroom.

And speaking of canopies, this one is HUGE! It expands in the back to expose one more panel and has a pop-out sunvisor for extra coverage.

The seat is very roomy and can accommodate a child from birth and up to 55 lbs. Smaller babies can stretch their little legs thanks to the adjustable leg rest. While there is no travel system option, you can use it with a carrycot for a newborn that inserts into the seat (sold separately).

The basket should fit your medium size diaper bag with no problems. For extra storage, Maclaren added a large pocket in the back of the seat. It’s great for small essentials like keys, wallet, or phone.  

Tall and very tall parents will love adjustable handlebars (which are very rare in umbrella strollers) that go from 42″ up to 44″ from the ground. The fold is very easy and compact. You can even fold it with one hand if you really try.

The attached carrying strap makes it convenient for transporting. It weighs 15 lbs which is an average weight for a sturdy umbrella stroller.

OVERALL

I gave it 5 out of 5 stars because I think it has everything you need in the umbrella stroller. The most important features for me are good maneuverability, deep recline, and easy fold. Checked!

Overall I think this is a very durable quality model that will last you many years. The biggest drawback of this buggy is the high price of $370. But, I always say, you get what you paid for. You can get Techno XT 2016 in six beautiful colors and it comes with the rain cover. 

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Features

CANOPY

It’s a medium size, but has a zipper in the back to expose one more panel and has a pop-out sunvisor to provide even more protection. The extra panel has mesh windows that allow for air to get in on a hot summer day.

I love this canopy! One of the best canopies on the umbrella stroller. For 2016 they’ve updated the peekaboo window and now it’s located on the canopy and has a magnetic closure.

SEAT

It is 13″ wide with an 18″ seat back and a measurement of 26″ from the back of the seat to the top of the canopy. This is already a very high canopy, but if you have a super tall child you can slide the canopy up the frame giving your child up to 30″. This is one of the tallest canopies on the market!

The seat can accommodate a child from birth and up to 55 lbs. The seat has an updated one-hand lever recline now. The recline has 4 positions including almost a flat one suitable for a newborn. If you are wondering, the seat is pretty upright in the most upright position.

The seat fabric is machine washable which is great after long traveling. I also really like the wide side “barriers” on the seat that offer extra side support for a younger child. BTW, many umbrella strollers have very minimum side barriers so it’s a big plus.

To prevent your baby from sliding out of the seat Maclaren included a head barrier and a foot mesh that you can attach at the bottom of the seat.

CARRYCOT OPTION

You can use it also with an optional carrycot that is sold separately.

HARNESS

It has a very nice thick adjustable padded 5-point harness with a hard-to-unlock buckle for a toddler, but very easy for parents. To unlock the buckle you need to push it from the front and the back at the same time. The straps are thick and durable (not usual for an umbrella stroller). Love it!

LEGREST

It has two positions: up and down. A great feature for smaller babies.

HANDLEBARS

It has two organically positioned handles covered with rubber with cool-looking metal tips. The handlebars are located 42″ from the ground which is 1″ taller than most strollers.

Tall parents will be happy to know that you can adjust them to be even taller up to 44″ from the ground. How cool is that? Not many umbrella strollers have adjustable handlebars.

STORAGE

There are two storage pockets in the back of the canopy that you can use for small essentials. Because of the long shape of the pockets you can even put your baby’s bottle in there. I like that they have an elastic material in the middle that allows it to expand to fit larger items.

BASKET

You definitely not going to be able to go grocery shopping with this one.  The basket is considered to be large for an umbrella stroller, but I would say it’s really medium. You can fit a small to medium size diaper bag in it.

The accessibility is OK as long as you don’t recline the seat. Once you fully recline the seat, good luck getting into it. It’s a typical umbrella stroller basket.

WHEELS

It rolls on 6″ hard rubber wheels that are slightly bigger than on the Maclaren Quest model. The front wheels are swivel but can be locked straight. The maneuverability is AMAZING!

It can handle busy streets, uneven pavement, playground mulch, and grass with no problem. Of course, it’s not an all-terrain stroller, so you are not going to get a very smooth ride going over terrain, but it does the job.

I’ve tested a lot of umbrella strollers and Techno XT is one lever above all of other umbrella strollers when it comes to maneuverability and terrain handling. I could easily steer it with only one hand. It also feels very sturdy when you zip through the crowd on a bumpy street.

The added suspension absorbs the bumps making the ride more comfortable for your child. Keep in mind, this is not the same kind of suspension you get on a jogger, but it’s better than nothing.

BRAKE

It has two-step brakes on top of each rear wheel that locks both wheels in place. They are not flip-flop friendly.

FOLD

It has a typical umbrella fold that you could do with one hand, but you probably wouldn’t because to engage the automatic lock you have to bend all the way down to the ground which will be difficult to do with a child in your hands.

It’s doable. Because of the larger wheels and taller handle bars, the fold is larger than on the Quest model.

CARRY HANDLE

Once folded, you can use a carry handle for easy transportation and loading into the car. Since it weighs only 16 lbs, you can easily carry it in one hand.

ACCESSORIES

It comes with an included rain cover, head hugger, and shoulder pads.

Cons

-No travel system capability. The Techno XT model is not designed for an infant car seat like the Techno XLR model. XLR model also has a higher weight capacity of 65 lbs.

-High price.

Video Review

Here is a great video overview.

Specs

Stroller weight: 15 lbs
Weight limit: 55 lbs
Folded dimensions: 42.5″L x 15.7″W x 16.5″H
Handle bar height: 42″ – 44″
Seat to canopy height: 26″ – 30″
Wheels: 6″
Overall length: 26.4″
Overall width: 18.9″

Warranty

Maclaren provides a LIFETIME warranty from the original date of purchase and you have to be the original owner. 

Where to buy it

You can get Maclaren Techno XT in one of the three beautiful colors for around $370. It comes with a rain cover and head hugger insert for an infant. If you want travel system capability and a higher weight limit of 65 lbs, take a look at Maclaren Techno XLR.

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