GB Maris Stroller Review

One of the main new models that was presented by GB at the ABC Kids Expo 2015 aside from GB Pokit, was a model called GB Maris.

The new GB Maris is a luxury stroller with a reversible seat that you can turn into a travel system or a pram.

It has a futuristic frame design with metal plates and clean lines. 

All of the flowing lines meet together at the round center point in the middle of the stroller.

You can see the two-tone gray colors in the center element and the wheels of the model that help carry the same futuristic style.

While there are six different seat colors to choose from, the frame stays grey. One of the interesting things about the frame is that the front part which includes the sides and the foot plate is made as one piece.

This is a very unique feature that you are not going to see on any other stroller. This was done to avoid having any seams on the frame so the lines stay as clean as possible.

Another thing that designers did to keep the lines clean, was put in a non-adjustable handlebar. I am all for clean lines, but I still prefer an adjustable handlebar. LOL. 

I mean, how many luxury strollers do you know of that don’t have an adjustable handlebar? I can’t even think of one right now… Aside from that Maris has a lot of great features like a reversible seat, large canopy, one-hand lever recline, swing-away bumper bar, large basket,  all-wheel suspension, and adjustable leg rest.

The roomy seat can accommodate a child from birth and up to 55 lbs. The canopy goes all the way down to the bumper bar which is always a hit with the parents.

Another thing I really liked was a one-step flip-flop-friendly foot brake with a color indicator. So easy! The fold is also very easy and compact. You can fold it with the seat attached facing any direction.

There is an automatic lock that locks right away, so no need to jump on the stroller trying to get it activated. There is also a standing fold.

Another cool thing about the frame aside from the design, is that it’s very narrow at only 21″ in width. That’s a pretty narrow frame for a reversible seat stroller.

For comparison, Uppababy Vista 2015 is 26″ wide. The seat is still roomy. This futuristic carriage weighs 24 lbs which is also very average weight for a reversible seat stroller.

The Maris can be turned into a travel system. It will work with GB’s new car seat called Idan, but I am not sure what other car seats can be used with it. This model will be available in Summer 2016 and should retail for around $750 (They didn’t give me an exact price).

Now while I do like this model, I don’t think I would pay that much for it. The finishes didn’t feel very luxurious to me. There was no leather, no expensive fabrics, and no special detailing you see on luxury models. It felt very plasticky and basic to me. I would price it at no more than $400.

Features

CANOPY

The large canopy goes all the way down to the bumper bar and has a zipped-in panel that has a large peekaboo window. Now this zipped-in panel is made out of clear plastic and has mesh inside. Usually

HANDLEBAR

Surprisingly, the handle bar is NOT adjustable. This is very unusual for a luxury stroller. It’s located 40″ from the ground which is a good height, but I still expected to see an adjustable handle bar.

When I asked the sales person why wasn’t the handle bar adjustable, I was told that it was to keep the clean lines of the frame. I personally don’t think that adding it would compromise their design.

The good news is that because the cross bar positioned higher on the frame, there is much more leg room for tall parents.

SEAT

The reversible seat is very comfy with nice soft padding and beautiful fabric. The premium fabric they’ve used felt very nice to the touch. The seat is 11″ with 19″ seat back and a measurement of 22″ from the back of the seat to the top of the canopy.

This seat is about 1″ narrower than most reversible seats, but I don’t think it’s a big deal. The seat back and seat height are very standard for the reversible seat model. As you know non-reversible seats usually have a higher canopy of around 24″.

It has a deep one-hand lever recline that goes to almost flat position suitable for a newborn. The seat can accommodate a child from birth and up to 55 lbs.

Another interesting thing about the recline is that the seat slides forward when you recline it which helps to balance out the weight making the stroller more stable.

LEGREST

The legrest is adjustable which is great for little babies.

BUMPER BAR

INCLUDED! It comes with a swing-away bumper bar.

HARNESS

It has adjustable padded 3-point harness with a center release buckle.

BASKET

The basket is large and very easy to access from all sides. The sides of he basket can be folded down when not needed.

WHEELS

It rolls on four never-flat EVA wheels with 8″ wheels in the back and 7″ wheel in the front. The front wheels are swivel, but can be locked straight for rougher terrain.

The wheels are an average size for this type of a stroller. They will go through the mummy terrain without any problems. You can go to the park, store, or run errands with it.

The all-wheel suspension help to make the ride smoother.

BRAKE

It has easy one-step brake that locks both rear wheels in place. When the wheels are locked you can see a red indicator, when the wheels are unlock the indicator is green.

Very convenient and no shoe scratches!

FOLD

The Maris prototypes at ABC Kids Expo 2015 were very fragile and salespeople were very protective of their display models. The one I was testing stopped reclining so I decided not to fold it myself. LOL. Who wants to break a 100K prototype? 

Here is how it looks folded. The great thing is that you can fold with the seat attached and the seat can be facing any direction. There is standing fold and an automatic lock. You can also fold the frame separate from the seat.

BASSINET OPTION

You can turn Maris into a nice pram by replacing the seat with a bassinet (sold separately).

TRAVEL SYSTEM OPTION

You can replace the seat with an infant car seat turning Maris into a travel system.

Cons

-Non-adjustable handle bar. The handle bar is located at a good height of 40″ from the ground, but I still would like to see an adjustable handle bar since this is a full size stroller.

Video Review

Here is a quick video overview from ABC Kids Expo 2015.

Specs

Stroller weight: 24 lbs
Weight limit: 55 lbs
Handlebar height: 40″
Seat to canopy height: 22″
Rear wheels: 8″
Front wheels: 7″
Stroller width: 21″

Warranty

The GB has a 2-year warranty from the original date of purchase and you have to be the original owner.

Available colors

GB Maris will be available in six colors. All models come with a gray frame. The colors look very bright and fresh.

Where to buy it

This model will be available Summer 2016 and should retail for around $750 (They didn’t give me an exact price).