A few months ago Mamas & Papas paid for me to attend a blogging event and as I was taking Betsy along with me they sent her an Urbo to ride around in. You know I don’t class myself as much of a pram lover yet I was quite smitten by the Urbo.
The Urbo is a mid-priced birth to toddler travel system when paired with a Mamas & Papas car seat. It is suitable from birth and has an optional lie flat carrycot which makes it more pram like for the early months. The seat is a plastic shell which is upholstered and padded. It has adjustable back positions and leg rest. It can be parent or outward facing with minimal effort. The chassis is aluminium (or black if you want to pay extra for the Elite version) with faux leather handle. It has a large hood (with peep hole) and a simple rain cover. The basket on the current model is shallow but I know Mamas & Papas are already working on changing this for future models. At 9kg it falls in the lightweight category and is easy peasy to fold.
That’s the spec covered but how does it perform? Having taken it on the train, in taxis, in my car boot, to the park, on the school run, into town and just about everywhere else I have been in the last few months I’m happy to say it is great to push and from Betsy’s point of view is super comfy to ride in. Having her in parent facing position is fantastic and she is far happier than facing away from me. As it’s an urban pushchair I didn’t take it over properly rough ground but it performed well on grass, gravel and uneven paving (although it could do with suspension!).
The handling is light and I’ve tried it with Monty (2) and Milla (4) and found it just as easy to push. Folding and storage is fab – I can even leave it up behind my door by sitting the seat up and lowering the handlebar. In a small terrace that is no mean feat but saves me precious time getting in and out for the school run. The basket thing didn’t bother me: it fit my changing bag fine and when I went shopping I increased its capacity with a big reusable shopping bag.
Loved:
- Adjustable handle – great for parents of different heights, public transport and easy storage.
- Lightweight – the aluminium frame manages to be both sturdy and lightweight.
- All round – I actually love using this pushchair and it is great in pretty much any situation.
Niggles:
- Suspension – or lack of. This is a hard wheeled pram and so Betsy experienced every bump in the road. I think it needs either pneumatic tyres, suspension or a combination of both.
- Seat adjust – it’s quite easy to accidentally pull the seat from flat to sitting when adjusting the hood (or when tampered with by a sibling).
- Colour – I was sent mustard but it’s closer to a bright lime which is not nearly as cool.
All in all this is a superb pram which more than measures up to comparable models on the market. It is both stylish, practical and perfect for urban adventures. It will happily take you from birth to 15kg adapting to the different stages your child goes through. Personally, I love it and have already recommended it to friends.
Starts at £325 but always worth waiting for special offers or finding a gently used model on eBay if you’re watching the budget.
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