Evenflo X Sport: Should You Buy It?

Generally Speaking

The Evenflo X Sport Stroller is a lightweight, umbrella type stroller. Like all umbrella strollers it folds nicely up and takes up only a small space when collapsed. This makes the X sport very handy for travel, especially when flights are required. The Evenflo comes with some storage space in a basket underneath the seat, and a really nice feature is a fabric console with two cup holders and a concealable storage area. The cup holders are a real perk, and make strolling in the park so much more convenient. Other comparable strollers usually have the cup holders only as a separately sold add-on.
To top it all, the X Sport has a removable canopy, which can provide shade as well as some protection from rain or winds.

Evenflo specifies that the X Sport is fit for children up to 41lbs (18kg).

What Should You Consider When Buying?

There are several things to think about when buying a stroller, especially an umbrella-type one that needs to be fit for use on the road. Weight and ease of folding are obvious, as they impact your comfort as a parent. However, your baby’s comfort should also be considered, along with safety features.

Weight and Ease of Folding

A stroller’s weight is usually important for when you need to push it up or down hill, and when you need to load it to your car or unload it. On the other hand, lower weight strollers, if they are not made from hi-tec materials, are usually more fragile and prone to break down sooner than others. The Evenflo X Sport weighs 9.6lbs (4.35kg) which makes it one of the lightest strollers in its category, without compromising its reliability.

A lightweight umbrella stroller is meant for travel. The easier the task of folding or unfolding it – the better. In this aspect, the Evenflo X Sport does not excel. Although it is very easy to fold and unfold, it is not that easy to do it single-handedly, which can be challenging if you’re holding your baby in one arm and only have one free to fold the stroller. On the up side, once folded, it doesn’t take up much space.

Safety, Security and Comfort for Your Baby

As far as safety is concerned, the X Sport does not score extremely high. While it is not likely to tip over with your baby inside, it only comes with a 3-points harness (meaning that the harness attaches to three points on the stroller rather than five like in others).

Your comfort as a parent aside, the stroller must be safe and comfortable for your baby. In this respect, it is worth noting that children are usually quite comfortable in the Evenflo X Sport, although some parents who used it reported that for some babies the backing is too soft. This means that such babies may sink when they fall asleep. Note, however, that this is not common, and usually depends on the baby’s age (it is truer for younger children). Older children are reported to love this stroller even though the seat does not recline.

One important feature of the Evenflo X Sport is the canopy. It is adjustable and removable, meaning you can change its position so that the sun is never in your baby’s face.

Accessories, and Your Comfort as a Parent

Accessories (or lack thereof) may change your experience with any stroller. A cup holder for your coffee or juice bottle is not a must, but can make your daily strolls in the park so much nicer. The Evenflo X Sport is equipped with a good sized underneath basket that has ample room for diapers, bags etc. However, keep in mind that this is an umbrella stroller and therefore the basket is on the smallish size. No matter how much space there is (and compared to other strollers in its category, the X Sport is generous) some users will always find it to be too small. As mentioned above, the X Sport comes with cup holders and zipper pouch which are very good as long as you don’t try to put large drink cups in the cup holders.

Some strollers are not comfortable for adults over a certain height, others make your feet kick the back wheels, and this all has to be considered when you decide which stroller to buy. In this aspect, sadly, the Evenflo X Sport does not excel. The handles on this stroller are not adjustable, and as a result it is not very comfortable for persons over 5′3 (160cm) as taller persons usually need to adjust their stride or kick the back wheels while pushing the stroller.

The X Sport rides very smoothly and has great steering which makes it able to turn on a dime. In some cases the cup holder may tip out, and the stroller may flip if bags are hung on the handles when no baby sits inside.

Conclusion – Is it Worth it?

All in all, for its price, the Evenflo X Sport is a good buy. Although it has its down sides – it is still a good option for travel, or as a second backup stroller and you will most likely be happy you bought it.

How does the Evenflo X Sport fair against other lightweight strollers? See the links below.

The Evenflo X Sport vs. The Chicco C6

The Evenflo X Sport vs. The Maclaren Volo

The Evenflo X Sport vs. The Graco IPO

The Evenflo X Sport vs. The Combi Flare