The Stokke Xplory resembles a Segway or a space probe but it's actually a "complete baby carriage solution."  But, chances are, unless you live in a major metropolitan area, you probably have only seen this stroller on the Celebrity Baby Blog. 

The key feature of the Xplory is that it brings baby to your level, literally.  The Xplory's seat extends vertically so your baby is closer to your face, allowing you to interact in a way that other low riding and conventional strollers can't.  This gives baby a great view of the world, not just a dog's eye view.  Additionally, research shows that keeping strong visual contact and interaction strengthens your child's feeling of security and comfort. 

It has great versatility.  You can have the baby face you or away from you.  You can buy a bassinet to use with your newborn baby.  They now sell a car seat adapter for your Peg Perego Primo Viaggio SIP, or Graco Snugride.  They offer a footmuff and two sleeping bags/buntings for the bassinet- a warm one for the winter and a light one for spring/fall. Other accessories you can purchase include a backpack style diaper bag that fits on the handle, mosquito net, sun protector, an umbrella, a travel bag to carry the stroller in, and 2 textile sets to customize the color scheme of your stroller.

Stokke let me testdrive an Xplory for 10 days. The first thing I noticed, besides its unique design, is how ultra smooth the ride is, even compared to the Bugaboo. A shock absorber between the wheels and frame makes for a smooth, comfy ride. Living in NYC, your stroller is your car because you do a LOT of walking.  Its reversibilitycombined with the design of the stroller lets you use the stroller as a highchair which is great for all of those restaurants that don't have highchairs (or really gnarly ones).

I love the vertical height feature- having Anya so close to me is really great.  I am a big fan of any stroller that gives you the option of having baby face you or away.  (However, one thing I didn't like is that when the seat faces forward, it can't recline all the way.  We use the stroller to put Anya to sleep for her naps and the fact that it can’t recline more means leaving her to sleep in it for extended periods in a sitting position).  The handle adjusts vertically which is great for taller parents and in different angles (and very easily) and lets you steer with one or two hands.  I didn't find that this design allowed me to hang my diaper bag on it, though.  The sunshade is great- it is more full than other strollers I've tried and also has a mesh area that shades baby but lets some air flow through.

One small thing I think Stokke should fix is making the footrest easier to remove. If you have the seat facing you, it's annoying to have to remove the leg rest to take off the seat to fold it (and that you need three hands to remove it).  I found the base of the stroller to be quite heavy to lift into the car (heavier than the Bugaboo) but it needs to be in order to balance the seat.  Also, storage is pretty limited.  The bag that attaches to the base does open up but people who are used to loading up the basket may be disappointed. 

The deciding factor for most people will be the price.  At $950 for the complete  stroller (which includes the bassinet) or $769 (without the bassinet), the Xplory is definitely a big purchase.  However, I believe the Xplory is a good investment because you will use it from infancy through toddlerhood. Overall, I really like the Stokke Xplory and recommend it, especially for city dwellers. 

Celebrity parents who use the Xplory include Russell Crowe and wife Danielle Spencer who used it with their son Charles, Rachel Weisz and Darren Aronofsky who used it with Henry, Courteney Cox and David Arquette who used it with Coco, Heidi Klum and Seal who used it with Henry, British pop singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor who used it with her son Sonny, and Italian Formula One motor racing driver Jarno Trulli who used it with his son Enzo.