I never thought I would be reviewing a pram on my blog but I wanted to share my thoughts and experiences on the Mamas & Papas Armadillo City Pushchair. It can be hard trying to find the right pram and we got it all wrong with out first choice so finally after 7 months of using it we decided to just buy a new one. I will also be briefly sharing my thoughts on the original pram we chose just to compare the two choices.
The first pram we bought was the Mothercare Xpedior Tusk Pram as we loved the design and colours, the idea that it was made for rough terrain and 4% of the price went to their Tusk animal charity. It’s a travel system which can used from birth and we are still using the car seat now although he will only last another month in it as he’s getting so big. From the first use of the pram we realized that it was bulky, heavy and so inconvenient. In order to travel with the pram we had to put a seat down in the back of our old car because it didn’t fit inside the boot. In the end we had to buy a bigger car as it was just so impractical. Although it was great when we went walking in the woods or a dirt track it’s absolutely useless in a day to day environment. The three wheels stuck out which meant we couldn’t slip through small gaps or thin isles and we tripped numerous strangers with the front wheel because it jutted out so far. Turning was a nightmare and we usually ended up having to do 10 point turns in a shop isle. When in the newborn position, we had to pad out the bottom so that the straps underneath weren’t digging into our newborns back and once it was in a seating position, George just generally looked so uncomfortable the whole time.
Since George needs a new car seat we thought we might as well just buy a new pram and sell the old one. I spent hours online searching different prams, comparing every little detail as this time I wanted to get it right and I wanted it to last. I had found a couple online that I liked the look of but I wanted to see them in-store before I made a decision. One weekend we drove to three different shops miles away looking for this pram I had found but couldn’t find it anywhere. We just decided to go into a Mamas & Papas store just to look but it was here we discovered the Armadillo City Pushchair.
A store assistant showed us how to adjust the straps, fold the pram down and testing out how it moved was just brilliant, it glided around the shop and most importantly George looked comfortable. I had the idea that I wanted a bumper bar so we went home and I carried on the search. However when comparing the Mamas & Papas to the Joie pram I was trying to find, this one just seemed so much more sturdy and I decided I didn’t need a bumper bar after all. Since I couldn’t test out the Joie I chose the other one and so the next day we travelled miles back to buy the pram in person. Now lets get down to the nitty gritty of the actual pram.
The Armadillo City Pushchair price ranges from £149 – £219 depending on the colour you want. Mulberry, Black Jack and Teal Tide were the cheaper options however the material is different and not as strong. Since I use the pram more Brent said I could chose the one I wanted and so I opted for the special edition dark navy. For the extra £60 you get gorgeous quilted material, leather handles, a chrome chassis, extra padding on the seat and shoulder pads to protect your babies shoulders from the straps. Not going to lie, the general look of the pram had me sold as it looks luxurious and excellent quality but the extra padding on the seat and straps is so important as it means extra comfort for George.
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PIN IT!(The shoulder pads always end up lower down as George likes to play with them)
To fold the pram down you just twist the handle and push it forward, then pull a handle that’s underneath and clip it together. It’s so compact and in our boot it takes up just half of the space compared to our old pram that took up the entire space. It’s really light to move around once it’s folded as well.
To use it is a dream, so smooth and easy and turning in shops or tight spaces is a breeze now. I’m not even going to try using it in the woods, however it’s great on flat grass still and since we are coming into the A/W season soon, we won’t be finding ourselves on anymore random woodland walks anyway. The brake on this pram is so much easier than our first pram. On the Tusk pram the brake is up so if you knock it when you’re walking the pram suddenly jolts and locks. The Armadillo brake is the opposite which makes so much more sense.
This pram does appear to be more of a second stage pushchair but it can be used from newborn up to 15kg which is roughly 3 years old depending on the weight of your child. It’s so easy to recline the seat back while your baby is asleep and instead of certain recline levels, you can lower it to whatever position you like. It also has a viewing flap so you can check on your child without having to keep looking round the front.
I adore this pram so much, I think the extra £60 for the better quality material, extra padding and general look of the pram is totally worth it. It’s made me not want to use any other brand for a pram again as it’s just so reliable. If anything does go wrong we also have 2 years warranty as well. For my next baby I will definitely buy a Mamas & Papas travel system, something like the Urbo 4 Piece Bundle as this looks amazing, I only wish I had seen something like this when we were looking last year.
What’s your favourite baby brand?
Kiss & Make-up
George sure looks happy in his push chair 😀