Delta Children LX Side by Side Review

Louis Shamie Sr. founded Delta Children in 1968 as a new parent. The Shamie family continues their father and grandfather's vision of offering products at prices families can afford. Along with their children's furniture and baby gear, they own Simmons kids and license many characters. The Delta team works closely with the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) to create industry standards to ensure the production of safe children's gear.

Performance Comparison

Weight and Folded Size

The Delta earned one of the highest scores for weight and folded size, surpassing most of the competition in this metric.

This stroller weighs 18.5 lbs and is 8,211 cubic inches when folded, making it one of the lightest options and smallest when folded.

If you need an easy-to-carry option that can fit where other doubles might not, then the Delta is a good choice.

Ease of Use

The Delta earned one of the lowest scores among the group. Ease of use is a metric that will impact your everyday experience using a stroller, both for passengers and pushes.

Fold and Unfold

Folding this stroller is difficult with a red unlock tab that is foot-initiated and hard to use. Pushing the handles forward then collapses the product with a manual fold lock (though advertised as auto-locking). Unfortunately, when you push the stroller down, the lock goes past the connection point, and you'll need to attach the clip manually. The clip is stiff to lock and unlock. It would be considered a one-handed fold if the lock mechanism was easier to use. The ease of folding and unfolding is 25% of the ease of use total score.

Brakes

The Delta brakes are stiff and hard to release. These are not sandal foot friendly with rough edges on the underside of the plastic. They are somewhat easier to set, but it would have been better if they were single-action brakes with only one pedal to press as opposed to two. We worry parents will forget or become complacent over time about setting both pedals.

Storage

The Delta does not have the standard under-seat storage bin. Instead, it has pockets on the back of the frame (above left) and on the back of the canopies (above right). Storage features make up 25% of the total ease of use metric.

The canopy pockets have a Velcro closure, but the frame pockets are mesh with elastic tops. The frame pockets each hold 3.3 lbs, and it offers a parent cup holder.

Sunshade

These sun shades offer the bare minimum of coverage from the sun and likely will only work when the sun is at high noon. They are one of the smallest shades in the group, and even though they rotate forward, they are too small to really block out any sun from any angle; you can forget other elements like wind and rain. Besides, if you pull them forward, the back flap with the pocket attached will be on the baby's head. They do not have a peek-a-boo window but are too small to need them anyway. Sunshade size and usefulness make up 20% of the total ease of use score.

Harness

The Delta has 5-point harnesses in each seat. This stroller has double rethread buckles that can be more difficult to adjust than one thread, but the harness itself is easier to use than others. However, if a smaller harness is needed, you'll need to remove the shoulder pads to make it small enough.

Seat

The Delta does not offer leg rests but instead has a fabric strap across the frame for legs to rest on. The seatbacks recline, but not far enough for truly cozy napping. The adjustment for the recline is odd and difficult to maneuver, but it does have an all-or-nothing feature that is easier to operate. Given how little it reclines, to begin with, it seems easier to just fully recline the seats and leave them that way. The backs themselves feel flimsy and flex in a way we suspect they shouldn't. The seating arrangements are 15% of the total ease of use metric final score.

Ease of Setup

Maneuverability

The Delta earned a below-average score for maneuverability. None of the double umbrella strollers shine in this metric as they are all difficult to push; as a result, none score over average. So, while the Delta's score is low, it is one of the best in the review. The Delta has dual front wheels on three legs with a total of 6 wheels altogether. This causes problems when it comes time to push and turn with wheels that veer off course on their own. This stroller is narrower than some, but it still has trouble in tight spaces where the cup holder catches if the wheels don't. You will not be able to push this stroller one-handed, and the handles flex with weight in the seats.

The Delta manages flat ground well with no real problems getting it going or difficulty pushing, but moving on uneven terrain is more difficult, and you won't want to take it on grass or gravel very often. Turning is more difficult and takes some advanced preparation, but it isn't impossible and is smoother than some more expensive competition. If you want great maneuverability, you may need to look at strollers of other types.

The Delta only has front-wheel suspension, and the seat bottoms are fairly stiff with the back being flimsy; with minimal recline, we think this stroller won't be comfortable for passengers on long trips. The handles are foam-covered and feel good at first, but the shorter height may cause discomfort for taller pushers as they will be hunched over most of the time while pushing.

Quality

The Delta earned a low score for quality. This stroller is about what you would expect for the price.

This stroller has a basic frame with round tubing and exposed fasteners. The fabric has a slick plastic feel, and there is minimal padding with weak elastic on the pockets. The plastic wheels are smaller and cheaper than most. Altogether the Delta has cheaper materials that come together in a somewhat sloppy configuration that still gets the job done but is unlikely to impress.

Should You Buy the Delta Children LX Side by Side?

Choosing the Delta over other options would be the right choice if you value budget and only need to use it a handful of times. It can fill a niche for parents who need a cheap secondary stroller for quick trips that are largely indoors, think moving around the airport between flights. Alternatively, it is not the best fit for a day at the zoo as the features for passenger comfort are limited, and it has no storage for all-day supplies. Also, the quality is disappointing enough that we worry continued and frequent use would result in a short lifespan for the Delta. When you are looking to purchase what will likely be a second stroller, it can be hard for many families to justify spending more than they need to for a fill-in product.

What Other Double Umbrella Stroller Should You Consider?