Micralite Pushchair –
To be exact: Micralite ProFold Compact Stroller Carbon
At the time of buying this it was completely new on the market. Therefore making it hard to source reviews and information on peoples pro and cons, therefore here are mine for you!
We love this pushchair, we bought it for my daughter who at the time was just over 4 months old. We needed something for our pre planned trip to Disneyland. The journey consisted of a car trip, train journey, Eurostar trip and a free shuttle bus to get us to our hotel. My anxiety was at an all time high and I knew I needed something other than our everyday Cosatto. I didn’t want to spend a fortune, as quite simply we couldn’t afford it. I looked at various models in a shop as I always feel nervous about buying online as you can’t try and touch, but with Mothercare closing options I limited. I managed to visit a bespoke shop locally to look at options these were – Baby Jogger City Mini 2 Single Stroller, Silver Cross Pop Stroller (2019).
In brief I will simply tell you why I didn’t go for each of these models:
Baby Jogger City Mini 2 Single Stroller – For those joggers out there, this buggy is not intended for joggers was what I was first informed of (this was never going to be a problem for me!). I think due to the name this safety aspect had to be drawn to my attention! The three wheel base on this model made it perfect to push and handle. When folded it was the ideal compact size and included a handle to make transporting it easy also. The only slight niggle and why I didn’t pick this model myself was the wheel base when compacted to carry was wide and the wheels seem to stick out more than I felt comfortable carrying.
Mamas and Papas Cruise Buggy – A good choice for me and the cost was very reasonable too. This buggy gave the option of adjusting both the leg and back rests which would have been ideal for my daughter as she isn’t happy until she is in the perfect position! This model included a sun visor but for me I required one that would cover the front of the buggy as much as possible as the sunlight in my daugthers eyes is always a problem for us.
Silver Cross Pop Stroller (2019) – Although Silver Cross is a really good make which made me get drawn to this model, when folded it wouldn’t fit the width of my car you fold it in on itself only so the length was always going to be a problem for me. Other than this I have to admit it was an ideal option with widest seat base and tallest seat height in it’s class.
I didn’t look at the Cosatto buggy and I can’t really answer as to why not – think I was adamant I didn’t want to spend anything over £200, therefore it ruled out the Cosatto.
I suppose now is the time for me to tell you why I went for the Micralite despite it being a new model at the time. It’s cabin approved (going to be very helpful when and if we eventually brave travelling by air). It’s extremely compact and the lightest stroller I could find. Although the model was light I didn’t feel like there was any compromising on quality or comfort for my little one. It has four wheel suspension – this is so much easy than our main family pushchair. It has a one handed fold, which really does work. I wasn’t convinced until I tried it myself, I will admit though when me and my partner first tried it on our trip in the middle of the busy train station I doubted this fact. The liner fabric was comfortable for my daughter to be lying on, you can choose how you want it either: super soft and natural bamboo or sporty black mesh depending on where your going. Ours has stayed on sporty black mesh as I simply do not have the time to swap and change this around amongst the 50plus other jobs to do before leaving the house. Lastly it is completely waterproof, alongside having a UPF50 rating. You can store all your essentials in the large basket, with a pocket on the hood too which certainly comes in handy when you run out of hands or always need a bottle and a muslin to hand. The hood also comes down to cover much of the sunlight coming in to wake my daughter and has a peep hole – not so ideal when she has worked out she can peep through it also and use it as a distraction not to go to sleep!
The deciding factor for me was that it fitted perfectly in my car boot, I could lift it easily in to my boot and it allowed me to have spare room in the boot once inside. This is something I had forever given up on after 4 months of continually forgetting how much room the Cosatto took up on each and every car journey. If you are a mum already – you will get my frustrations!