Cosco
Cosco is a maker of affordable umbrella strollers, often sold at mass merchants like Walmart and Target (as well as online on Amazon).
Cosco stands for the Columbus Specialty Company, which was founded in 1935 in Columbus, Indiana. The company's first product were tin matchboxes, which was followed by other household items like dust pans.
In the post World War II years, Cosco expanded to making metal household products (stools, card tables and chairs). This led the company to entering the juvenile product business in the 1960's with high chairs, play pens, booster seats and strollers. In 1978, Cosco added car seats.
In 1988, Cosco was acquired by Dorel, a Canadian company founded in Montreal 1962 as a seller of crib mattresses. Dorel expanded into ready-to-assemble furniture by merging with Ridgewood Industries in 1987.
By 2000, Dorel decided to focus on juvenile products, acquiring Safety 1st, a manufacturer of child safety products, and merging the business with Cosco.
Dorel sells strollers under the Cosco brand, as well as its sister divisions (Safety 1st and Maxi Cosi). Cosco is Dorel's entry price point.
Flagship Model: The Cosco Character Umbrella Stroller
Cosco's Character Umbrella Stroller (7.68 lbs., see price on Amazon) is an affordable umbrella model with a cute character motif (either a flamingo or a dinosaur). It's features are very basic: an adjustable canopy, 3-point harness, covered umbrella handles and compact fold. It lightweight makes it travel friendly.
The downside to this stroller is its cheap wheels which can cause the stroller to wobble, it's short handles (not great for tall parents) and it's lack of storage.
Safety Recalls
In 2004, the Consumer Product Safety Commission and Cosco recalled 300,000 Cosco Rock 'N Roller Baby strollers. The problem: the seat could come partially detached from the stroller frame during use and the child could fall.