The price aside, if I needed only one reason to pick the Graco Mirage+ travel system above any other, then it’s the blessed ease with which one collapses and raises this pushchair. Many brands make this claim, very few live up to - just have a look at mums, with baby on one arm, struggling desperately to collapse the pushchair while getting impatient looks from the bus driver. This model, in sharp contrast, is a dream.
You also get a removable play tray for your baby to mess with and a rain cover is included in the price.
The Graco Mirage+ travel system is light and easy to manoeuvre, and has three recline positions. As a pushchair, it weights 7.1kg. It comes with a large footrest, a large canopy with window, 5-point safety harness and lockable swivel front wheels.
The Graco Mirage+ is not fancy in looks or big on accessories, but I’d happily hold my head high wheeling my baby girl through town in it.
What we love
More than anything, the price! With a veritable sea of travel systems to choose from, this one is a real bargain. And, it comes with all you need for your baby from birth until they are 15kg (about 3 years old).
The car seat is beautifully padded and therefore very comfortable and there’s no need to wrestle to attach it to the frame. While the pushchair is forward facing, the car seat, when attached to the frame, makes it rear facing. The car seat also has a nifty ‘correct position indicator’ to tell you that the seat has been fitted at the correct angle.
The canopy on the stroller has a ‘window’ so that you and baba can check on one another on your travels.
The stroller has a removable seat pad, which is machine washable.
What to watch out for
It feels a little flimsy and, at the risk of saying the obvious, the Graco Mirage+ is not as robust as more pricy travel systems.
And while it was one of the very easiest travel systems to collapse that I’ve come across, I still needed two hands to do it - despite the promise of a one-hand fold.
The seat is slightly on the short side, making it a little breezy at the back of the stroller when in the lowest recline position.
Parents will want to use a few blankets as the stroller itself is not padded sufficiently.
The shopping basket at the bottom is economical on the size front.
The literature promises suspension on the front wheels, but there’s very little evidence of this (and don’t be fooled by the plastic covers at the wheels that look like springs).
Who is the Graco Mirage+ travel system best for
Budget-conscious parents who need a no-frills stroller, rain cover and car seat for under £150.
What you see is what you get with the Graco Mirage+ travel system. It offers good features for a great price but, in the long run, this travel system may not be as robust as others when it comes to handling heavy, long-term use and coming out unscathed.
