Baby Elegance TUX review

Baby Elegance does a range of buggies, and the TUX pushchair is its compact model aimed at the travel market. Priced at £169 it pitches itself against the Mee-Go Trio (£169), Mamas & Papas Acro (£169), Baby Jogger City Tour Stroller (£189) and Babyzen Yoyo (£339). In terms of its compact size it folds up smaller than the Mee-Go Trio and Baby Jogger City Tour and is only beaten in weight (or lack of it!) by the M&P Acro, making it a great choice for families who like to travel light.

Baby Elegance may not be a particularly high profile brand when it comes to the buggy market, but the company has produced a compact buggy which we love. It’s smart and stylish, lightweight yet sturdy and folds down to a really compact and portable size. It’s competitively priced compared to other compact buggies, offering good value for money at £169 for something which can be used comfortably in lots of different settings. We’ve found it a really nice smaller alternative to our regular buggy, the Mamas & Papas Urbo 2.

It’s a really smooth push, never feels flimsy, our baby seems very happy and comfortable in it and it has a good range of reclining positions making it a very versatile piece of baby-kit.

What were your first impressions of the Baby Elegance TUX?

From the off we were impressed with how robust it felt for something that does pack down pretty small. It doesn’t necessarily look like what you’d expect from a compact buggy – appearance wise it could easily pass for an everyday buggy. Its black frame and grey lining look very smart, and the brown leather effect handle covers are a nice touch.

How does the TUX compare to other compact buggies you’ve used?

With a small baby and holidays coming up, we’d been researching compact buggies and strollers to take away with us. We’d been looking at the new Mamas & Papas Acro which costs exactly the same. The Acro is lighter than the TUX and slightly smaller but for the increased weight and size you get a sturdier feeling buggy which feels like it will last. An advantage of the TUX is also that it fully reclines, while the Acro doesn’t have this feature.

How compact is the Baby Elegance TUX when folded and unfolded?

The TUX folds to a tiny 50 x 23 x 45cm. It sits nicely in our car boot, taking up much less space than our everyday buggy and also takes up very little space in our hall way when folded. Unfolded it doesn’t feel hugely different in terms of size to regular buggies, which we think is a good thing, it will never be mistaken for a toy pram.

Is the TUX buggy lightweight?

It’s a featherweight buggy coming in at 6.2kg, the same as the Babyzen Yoyo and you can easily carry it with one hand. It's even light enough to lift it with our little one strapped in.

• 10 of the best lightweight buggies under 6kg
• Buyer's guide to lightweight buggies

How easy is Baby Elegance’s TUX to push?

It is very easy to push. We liked that it had a continuous handle which made it easy to steer with one hand. However, the handle isn’t height adjustable.

How does it ride on different surfaces?

We really put the TUX through its paces, taking it out with us through muddy woods, busy London streets and along dirt tracks. It coped better than you’d expect a buggy of this size to, the only place it really struggled was on a gravel drive way but that’s to be expected. With its smaller front wheels you need to approach kerbs with more caution than with a full size buggy and mounting them can feel a little jerky, but it’s something you get used to.

How easy is the TUX to take on public transport?

The TUX works really well on buses and trains. It is sturdy enough that you don’t feel it’s going to get knocked around, light enough that you can carry it up and down stairs and lift it on to trains where needed (depending on the weight of your baby!). The locking system is simple which means it doesn’t move around or roll away.

Can you take the Baby Elegance TUX on an aircraft?

We didn’t take it on an aircraft, but have checked its dimensions for two upcoming holidays and it fits within hand luggage restrictions on both BA and EasyJet.

• Have a look at some more buggies perfect for transport here.

What do you think of the wheels?

The front wheels are both swivel and can be locked in to position which is a nice feature.

How easy is the TUX to store?

It is really easy to store when folded down. However, the Mamas & Papas Acro comes with a storage bag as standard which the TUX doesn’t, and there isn’t one available at an additional cost either which is a shame. A storage bag would be handy for travelling.

Is the frame strong, durable?

The frame certainly looks and feels durable, but only time will tell.

What do you think of the TUX’s fold system?

The fold system is easy once you get used to it. The instructions are clear but you do need to follow them to start with!

How easy is it to carry when folded, what do you think of the carry handle?

It’s pretty easy to carry the TUX – it folds down nice and compact and the handle allows it to be carried easily in one hand.

What do you think of handlebar?

It’s comfy enough although is fixed at a set height which may not suit everyone. The leather effect cover is a nice touch and fits well with the overall style.

What do you think of the size of the seat unit?

The seat size works perfectly for our chunky little 10-month-old (she weighs just over 10kg) but we are intrigued by how it will feel as she gets older, and how long it will last for bigger children.

How many recline positions are there on the TUX?

There are 5 recline positions – which is a really great range. They go from fully reclined to quite upright. We’ve mostly used it in the most upright position as our girl really enjoys looking around when she is in the buggy. We tend to use our larger buggy for longer walks when she needs to sleep, as we know she sleeps well in it. Being sturdier, it is a slightly smoother ride, but I am sure she would sleep in this too if needed, as it seems comfy.

How comfortable does it feel for your little one?

She seems very comfortable in it, although she is so inquisitive at the moment that she only really wants to be in the upright position so she can look around!

How is interacting with your little one when in the buggy?

As it’s only forward facing that limits the interaction you can have when pushing, although the hood does pull right back if you don’t need it for shade, so you can see your little one.

What do you think of the hood?

Hood works well for keeping the shade off the head and face when sunny, which has been really useful in the nice weather we had when testing the buggy. If you wanted any more shade you’d need to add a shade cover though. It comes with a rain cover which is great if you get caught out or just have to head out into bad weather.

Tell us about the brakes.

The brakes are simple but effective. The back brakes are engaged by one foot pedal which lifts up and down very easily. The front wheel locks involve bending down to flick a little catch on each wheel, but they hold well once on.

Does the Baby Elegance TUX fit in the boot of your car?

The buggy fits really nicely into the boot of our car and takes up so much less space than our regular buggy, which is perfect when going away on any trips where the bigger buggy isn’t needed. It creates much needed space for all the other things that come with taking a little one away.

What age children is the TUX best for?

As mentioned already, it’s great for our 10-month-old. It seems sturdy and comfy enough that it should last well, but only time will tell at what point exactly she outgrows it – we’re dubious about having it up until 4. The manufacturer says it last until approximately 4 years, but it is tested up to 15kg, which we find more often corresponds to around 3 years.

How easily can you access the basket?

Very easily. The basket is big enough to take a small travel bag for baby essentials, some small toys and a few small items of shopping. Although you probably wouldn’t want much else in there.

When it is upright, the hood creates a small baggy pocket behind the baby’s head - we’re not sure if this is a deliberate feature or not, but while Mum finds it a bit aesthetically unpleasing, Dad finds it really useful for holding lightweight things like glasses, baby hats and so on.

What’s in the box?

• The buggy
• Rain cover
• A simple set of instructions

What would you have wanted to know before you purchased the buggy?

It would have been great to get a few more details on the spec of the buggy such as materials used, unfolded size, maximum weight etc. The details on the website are a little brief.

What type of parent is the TUX buggy best for?

This buggy would be best for parents out and about in town who don’t necessarily need to take a full size buggy with them. It’s particularly great for anyone going away for long weekends and holidays as it’s so portable and takes up limited car space.

Is there anything unique about the TUX product?

There isn’t anything we would describe as unique, but its combination of style, sturdiness and compactness is a real selling point.

Is the Baby Elegance TUX good value for money?

The TUX retails at £169. Given the points listed above, we think it is good value for money as it serves the purpose of a compact stroller while also doubling as a functional buggy. You don’t need to buy any extras, unless you perhaps wanted an additional sunshade.

Intro to our parent testers

We’re a mid-thirties couple with a 10-month-old baby girl. We live in London and have tested it out and about on roads, buses and trains, and in parks as well as out of London on dirt tracks and even in slightly muddy woods.

MadeForMums verdict:

We’d definitely recommend this as a really stylish lightweight and compact buggy that still feels sturdy enough to take out and about around town and off the beaten track.

Here are some more lightweight strollers like the TUX:

• Mutsy Nexo buggy review
• Ickle Bubba Aurora review
• Mother care XSS Stroller review
• See the most compact strollers you can buy here.

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