Not worth it!

High-priced strollers by Stokke, Orbit rated poor

Orbit’s G2

Domestic demand for imported luxury strollers has increased rapidly in recent years but a quality assessment found they fail to live up to their reputation.

Norwegian stroller maker Stokke and American brand Orbit sell their products at the relatively high price of around 1.5 million won ($1,380), 4.6 times higher than that of Italian firm Inglesina. But they were assessed as “poor” in a joint quality evaluation conducted by six civic groups registered with the International Consumer Research and Testing (ICRT), located in Korea, Britain, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark.

American company Graco’s Citi Lite R (298,000 won) and Japanese brand Combi’s Miracle Turn Premier were rated “very poor.”

Stokke’s Xplory

Inglesina’s Trip (368,000 won) and Britain’s Maclaren Techno XLR 2012 (765,000 won) were adjudged best in terms of quality out of 11 strollers evaluated.

The 11 models were Maclaren’s Techno XLR 2012, Inglesina’s Trip 2012, Maxi Cosi’s Elea, Quinny’s Moodd, Ryan’s Spin, Mima’s Xari, Stokke’s Xplory, Orbit’s G2, Absorba’s Signature Organic, Graco’s Citi Lite R, and Combi’s Miracle Turn Premium.

This is the first quality assessment of strollers available here amid surging demand for imported luxury buggies on the domestic market, according to the Fair Trade Commission (FTC), which sponsored the project.

With an estimated 300,000 strollers selling here annually, the number of people buying expensive imported luxury models has increased at a rapid rate. Experts said the rise is largely attributable to the country’s declining birthrate of 1.2 per woman, the lowest in the OECD.

“Parents with just one child are spending more money on them than before,” said Kim Suk-hyung, a sales assistant at a baby store. “One of the items they choose to spend big on is strollers.”

The ICRT carried out the assessment from January to October, testing the 11 models in nine categories ― general use, seat unit, storage, comfort, carrying the pushchair, maneuverability, folding, reclining, and use on public transportation.

“The assessment shows that high price doesn’t always guarantee high quality,” the FTC said in a statement. “Many parents still prefer high-priced imported luxury strollers. But the results suggest that they should pay more attention to the weight and size of their baby, living environment, and purpose of use in selecting a stroller.”

Every model satisfied the minimum requirements to guarantee a buggy’s strength, safety, durability and stability, the FTC said.

Stokke established an office in Seoul earlier this month, heralding its full-fledge entry into the Korean market. It aims to post 10 billion won in sales next year.

For more information, visit www.consumerskorea.org or www.smartconsumer.go.kr. <The Korea Times/Park Si-soo>