Featured Review: Valco Joey Seat

Valco has just released a new and improved toddler seat for it’s strollers called the Joey seat. Versions are available for all strollers that take a seat- one for the 3 singles and one for the double. The Joey provides some long awaited improvements on the older model. First and foremost is the seatback height. Instead of the short back that offered nowhere for your child’s head to rest if they fell asleep, the new seatback has been increased to offer a much taller height. It’s still not the same as a full stroller seat, but it’s very well sized for an additional seat for your part time rider. The amount of leg room beneath the seat has been increased as well, as the seat sits much higher on longer legs. This is very nice for the main seat rider who really gets much more room to move around.

I tested the Joey seat on the Quad. The Quad is a fairly compact stroller that has a much smaller footprint than other 3 wheelers. I was a bit concerned that this might make the stroller feel a bit tippy with the tall seat on this more upright stroller, but it was absolutely not a problem. I tried the seat with my 20 pound 8 month old and my 25 pound 23 month old. We went for a very long ride over some pretty bumpy terrain, popped over curbs and even over sidewalks that inclined to the side and the stroller felt perfectly stable. No matter where I went the Quad felt secure with absolutely no tipping. Both children had a turn sitting in the front in the Joey seat and both loved it. My 23 month old didn’t want to go home and loved riding up front. It was just as easy to push with two on board as it was with just my daughter.

Pushing the Quad with the Joey seat was so easy and so much fun for them that we walked much further than I had intended. The seat fit both well and the back of the seat extended above my daughter’s head. The straps adjusted down well enough for her and had plenty of room for her tall 23 month old brother. The straps seem much longer than those on the original model, but that might just be more room created by the taller seatback. With the 45 pound weight limit and more room in the harness, you could use the seat for quite awhile. We have the original seat on our Twin Trimode and my very large 40 pound 3 year old started filling the seat beyond capacity just after he turned two. I had him give the Joey a try as well and he fit just fine. It’s probably not likely that he’ll be riding up there very often, but it is nice to know that he can if needed.

The Joey seat is a great improvement on an already great option for when you need an extra spot for your older child. The seat is easy to put on and take off and you can even fold the stroller with the seat in place. It’s a bit thicker fold, but not by much really. And it’s so convenient to have the option. With 4 children, we love that we can use our Quad as a single or add an extra seat and have a spots everyone on the rare occasions when all 4 need to ride. The Single retails for $80.00 and the Joey for the Twin retails for $100.00. As with the previous model there is an optional canopy. The canopy is also new, so you cannot reuse your old canopy. There is a different canopy for the Single Joey and the twin, but both retail for $40.00. Rain covers are not ready yet, but are expected in mid-October. You can also use the Joey Seat with the Valco Hitchhiker board in place and take three (or 4 on the Twin) along for the ride.

If you’re looking for an option that allows your toddler a spot to ride when needed, this is a terrific choice. Available for the Quad, Matrix, Tri-Mode EX and a second version for the Twin Trimode EX, this offers you such great flexibility and improved comfort and space for your children. If you have three children, especially if you have twins and a toddler, the combination of the Twin Trimode EX with the Joey seat, gives you something that is hard to find anywhere else, 3 seats in the space of a double. – Kiersten, Staff Writer

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