A mom of 5 put this lightweight, foldable stroller to the test, and it's now her go-to for everyday strolls

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• The Chicco Piccolo Stroller comes fully assembled and is ready to go within minutes right out of the box.
• I completed the setup up with one hand while holding my 8-month-old in the other.
• I love how lightweight yet sturdy it is for a compact stroller, and the "green means go" step-on brake system makes braking foolproof.

As a mom of five, I've gone through a lot of strollers, such as my beloved Baby Trend jogging stroller, several hand-me-down doubles and joggers, and the Graco Sit-n-Stand that I used when I had two kids under 2.

It's not easy to impress me, but the Chicco Piccolo Stroller, sent to me for review, has with its durability and lightweight frame. It's a respectable everyday stroller that can function on school runs and quick trips and hold up for playtime and walks in our rural area.

Assembly and design

The fabric material on the stroller is 100% polyester, and the frame is aluminum, which explains its strength and sturdiness, while still staying lightweight. And as the name suggests — "Chicco" is Italian for "lightweight" — this stroller is very lightweight, weighing in at 14 pounds.

The stroller is designed for babies 6 months and older, and can hold up to 50 pounds. I tested it with both my 8-month-old and my kindergartener, so I can safely confirm that it comfortably holds either of them. The five-point harness has three different positions for the shoulder straps so that it can be adjusted for different sizes of babies.

I was shocked by how fast I was able to set this stroller up; it was ready to go within minutes, right out of the box. The stroller comes fully assembled, so all I did was cut open the box, lift the stroller out, and use the handle to open it up, and it was good to go. I completed the setup up with one hand while holding my 8-month-old in the other.

Both the seat and the harness of this stroller are padded and seem very comfortable for my baby, as opposed to some other strollers I've owned (The Baby Trend jogger I used for years and loved, for instance, only has a nylon harness without padding.) I especially appreciate how the entire length of the harnesses is padded; I didn't have to worry about the harness cutting into my baby's neck. I also like how, even with how comfortable the fabric is for my baby, it also has a "wipeable" quality to it, to make cleanups easy.

Transporting the stroller

To fold the stroller down, all you do is slightly turn the handle on the top of the stroller bar, then push down to fold it down. I've found it very easy to do with one hand, and even my 9-year-old can fold it.

This stroller fits in the back of my minivan with plenty of room, but if you have more limited trunk space, the front wheels also come off to make transporting or storing it even easier — you press the release button on the inside of each wheel and pull down to take them off. It folds down to 23.5 x 11.0 x 18.7 inches.

To reassemble the stroller, you just pull up on the handle while also stepping down on the back axle (the bar near your foot) until it clicks back into place.

Using the stroller

I've primarily been using this stroller in my rural area at home, and I have to say, the all-wheel suspension on this thing is the real deal — it rolls just as easily through my gravel driveway and through the yard as it does on our concrete slab. It moves very easily in any direction and actually almost reminded me of a jogging stroller with how well I could navigate it and how smoothly it rolled.

As I mentioned earlier, the padding on the stroller is also incredibly comfortable for my baby, and for a compact stroller especially, the seat has an impressive array of reclining positions for on-the-go nap times. I also really like the vented sides, so I know my baby is getting plenty of airflow, while still staying protected.

I'm so impressed by the durability of this stroller and how easy it is to fold with one hand (a lot of strollers say that, but this one means it). I also appreciate the clear "green and red/stop and go" rear brake system, so you never have to wonder if the brakes are on or off. You step on the red lever to lock the brakes and the green lever to unlock them.

The brakes work with a step-on system, which means that instead of traditional stroller brakes, which make you lift on the brakes to unlock them, this stroller lets you step down on them to release. This is a convenient feature that you will understand, especially if you have ever tried to unlock a stroller brake while wearing sandals, because you know that sometimes, lifting just does not do the trick. You can also engage the swivel lock on the front wheels with their click-down locks.

There is no snack tray available for this stroller, but there is an attachable fabric cupholder that it comes with, and the under-stroller basket is very roomy and can hold up to 10 pounds for stashing whatever you need to carry with you.

The cons

The cons I have with this stroller are the canopy and cupholder. Although the canopy is adjustable and expandable, it doesn't move all the way forward, so it doesn't give you an option to block the sun from your baby in multiple positions. Several times during our walks, my baby was in direct sunlight, which is a concern if you will be using this stroller outside for long periods.

The stroller also comes with a clip-on fabric cupholder, which is definitely convenient if you want something easily removable, but for me, I prefer a more structured cupholder. You might not be able to fit a travel cup of coffee in this cupholder, or even a wider sippy cup, so that is a drawback for me. I mean, walking with a coffee is kind of an essential in my mind.

The bottom line

For how lightweight and compact this stroller is, I love how durable it has proven to be for our family's needs. It has become my go-to everyday stroller.

If you need a durable yet lightweight stroller that is pretty much foolproof to use, I highly recommend the Chicco Piccolo Stroller. If you're looking for some more affordable options for a lightweight stroller, Chicco also offers the highly rated Liteway for $100, BabyTrend has the Rocket Lightweight for under $50, and Graco's TraveLite comes with a carrying handle and is $69.