Summer Infant 3D Lite Review: Is it Worth the Buy?

The Summer Infant 3D Lite Convenience Stroller is made entirely of lightweight aluminum. The stroller weighs about 13 pounds. The lightness of the stroller makes it easier to carry the stroller or put it in or take it out of your car. Like most umbrella strollers, the Summer Infant 3D Lite Convenience Stroller folds up tight and can be placed in any sized car, closet, or storage area. The stroller comes with an adjustable canopy that has a UV visor extender attached in order to block the sun from beating directly onto your child. The visor extender not only gives your child added, extended protection from the sun, but it also blocks out the harmful UV rays that should be blocked from hitting your child’s skin. The seat of the stroller is extra wide to give your child the maximum amount of room possible and the seat also comes with a five-point harness that locks your child into the stroller. The back of the seat is adjustable to allow a fully awake child to sit upright and see what is going on around them, or the seat can recline to allow your child to nap while you are still on the move. The back of the seat contains a pocket for holding cell phones and keys and the basket underneath the seat can hold diaper bags, toys, food, and drinks.

The five-point harness system that is part of the seat of the stroller helps keep your child fully strapped in and fully secure. The harness prevents your child from slipping out of the stroller as they move around while the stroller is in motion. It keeps your child safe in the event that they are napping by preventing them from rolling over or rolling out of the stroller while it is stationary or moving. A quick shift in weight can cause a stationary stroller to tip or a moving stroller to roll over. Some buyers had the experience that the clip on the five-point harness has broken causing the entire harness system to become ineffective. When the harness system became ineffective a child fell from the stroller because they were no longer securely strapped in. It is in every parent’s best interest to keep as much of an eye on their child as possible while the child is strapped into the stroller.

One of the most important comfort/safety systems in place in the stroller is the shock absorbing front wheels. The wheels are designed to absorb shock, which causes the front wheels to not shimmy and shake as you stroll over sticks or rocks or uneven pavement. The wheels are meant to remain steady so that your child doesn’t feel the bumps of the road. It should be noted that some buyers have found that wheels do not absorb as much shock as they should especially if you are walking at a fast pace. It appears that the wheels operate better at a slower speed, which makes sense considering the stroller is not that heavy and if your child is young enough that they are not heavy enough to affect the weight of the stroller then the wheels can become less effective the faster you move or the more uneven the pavement.

The Summer Infant 3D Lite Convenience Stroller is recommended for children starting at the age of six months. It is better to have a bassinet or car seat attachable stroller for infants under the age of six months as they will need the constant reclining that both of those types of carriages offer. At six months, when children are able to move better and hold themselves up better, the Lite Convenience Stroller is better equipped to handle the needs of your child who now wants to sit up. The seat is extra big so that your child will have enough space to have toys with them or whatever else they want to play with or eat or drink while in the stroller. Although there is no age limit for the stroller, there is a weight limit of fifty pounds. Beyond 50 pounds, your child runs the risk of getting hurt because they will be too big for the harness and too heavy for the stroller, which will throw off the balance of the stroller and that will raise the risk of getting hurt by being in an apparatus that is too small for your child.

The Summer Infant 3D Lite Convenience Stroller has an adjustable canopy that has a visor extender attached. The canopy is like an accordian in that it can fold into itself and be folded all the way back to completely expose your child to the environment around them. When the canopy is fully pushed back the stroller resembles and acts like an ordinary umbrella stroller that is popular with toddlers. The canopy can be pulled out to half coverage depending on the direction of the sun or full coverage in the event that it is raining or the sun is directly overhead. When opened halfway, some parents use the semi-folded canopy to hold objects such as water bottles and other lightweight items like food while they are moving the stroller for easier access to these items. When the canopy is pulled all the way out, the canopy is taught and fully smooth. Underneath the canopy is a visor extender that continues to not only block out the sun but harmful UV rays as well. The visor extender gives your child some extra extended protection from the sun, wind, and any other type of inclement weather. Some buyers; however, have had issues with the canopy in that the arms of the canopy have easily broken. Once the arm of the canopy snaps, it can no longer function. Without the canopy, you can still use the stroller as it will function as normal, but the sun and weather will not be blocked out so your child will be unprotected to the elements. The canopy is one of the most important selling points of the stroller, so take extra caution with the canopy so that it doesn’t break and become ineffective.

Not only does the seat of the Summer Infant 3D Lite Convenience Stroller come with a five-point harness that helps keep your child safe and secure in the stroller, but the seat also adds to your child’s comfort by being fully adjustable. On either side of the seat, attached to the aluminum frame are two red levers. When the levers are released, the seat can be moved forward or backward to either allow your child to sit straight up or have your child recline during naps. The levers are easy to release and easy to maneuver as long as your child is not in the seat. If your child is in the seat of the stroller while you are adjusting the back, take extra care to not force your child forward too fast or have them recline too fast as that can not only be uncomfortable, but it may cause the stroller to tip or your child to get hurt if you are not cautious.

The back of the seat also has a storage area for keys and cell phones that allow parents to store their more important items and yet keep them in arms length at all times. The storage area is also good for storing bottles of water or other food items.

The storage basket underneath the seat of the Lite Convenience Stroller is of an ample size that offers transportation of toys, food, drinks, and diaper bags. The storage area can hold up to 10 pounds and should never be overloaded. The basket should also be empty whenever you want to fold up the stroller because any item left in the basket will stop the stroller from properly folding and will, therefore, increase the risk of the stroller breaking when it is stored or put into or out of a car. The storage basket’s location underneath the seat of the stroller is essential for keeping the stroller balanced and heavy items away from the body of your child. Try not to put too heavy of an item in the basket as the heavy weight can cause the basket to sag low enough to scrape the ground and possibly tear and break.

The Summer Infant 3D Lite Convenience Stroller is easy to fold up and can be folded by pressing one button. With your foot there is a release on the back of the stroller that once pressed will cause the stroller to simply collapse in on itself and fold up completely. There is a strap on the stroller that gives you the opportunity to carry the carriage on your shoulder in the event that you do not have a car or are walking somewhere without your child in the stroller. The stroller can only fold up if the storage areas on the stroller are completely empty and there is no child, toys, or any other items in the seat. When you want to open the stroller again you simply pull it open until it clicks in the fully open state and then you can restore your items and place your child back into the seat.

The Summer Infant 3D Lite Convenience Stroller is priced average for a stroller. There are more high priced strollers on the market, and there are less expensive and less quality strollers on the market. The Lite Convenience Stroller falls right in the middle. The price is right for what you get, which is a lightweight design that is easy to carry and transport as well as storage for both adult’s items and child’s items as well as a safety harness in the seat. Even though there is the added amenity of shock absorbing front wheels and rear wheels that lock, the stroller is pretty basic, yet satisfies your needs, so the price that it is listed for is quite reasonable.

For the price and the general amenities that it offers, the Summer Infant 3D Lite Convenience Stroller is a good buy. It is advised to not have any expectations of this stroller other than its true function of being able to safely transport your child and your belongings. The canopy is a great amenity as are the shock absorbent wheels; however, both amenities have been found to break and be ineffective. The body is very lightweight for picking it up and putting it down, and the harness does seem to operate well. There are better and worse strollers out there, but if your wallet and taste are asking for middle of the road then the Summer Infant 3D Lite Convenience Stroller is for you.