Mamas & Papas Urbo 2 review

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Out of the box

Unboxing the Urbo 2 was a pleasant experience as everything was already assembled and it was simply a case of popping the seat unit onto the frame, which was really easy to do.

The seat unit is reversible, which is a real bonus for this type of system (they generally only seem to offer static, front facing seats) so the opportunity to choose whether to have the child facing inwards or outwards is a real bonus.

How compact is it?

In terms of practicality, the Urbo 2 folds to a compact size, as well as having wheels which click in and out of place, and it fit easily into the boot of our small hatchback.

How was it to fold?

The folding system is simple and effective – I was asked by a bus driver to collapse the buggy and store it in the luggage rack on one occasion and the Urbo 2 made it an easy task.

The handle is also height adjustable, which not only adds to the compactness of the unit when folded, it means that my husband and I can both push the buggy comfortably with just one small adjustment.

How was pushing the Urbo 2?

The handling of the Urbo 2 is one of my favourite things about it – the pushchair moves through a crowd with a fluidity that adds to the overall premium feel and the added suspension means that baby has a very smooth ride.

We live near the coast, which means lots of old, cobbled streets nearby – the Urbo 2 handled them with no issues and I wasn't worried about baby being shaken around by the uneven surfaces as the suspension seemed to do an excellent job of damping the bumps.

It also deals well with curbs, feeling evenly balanced when tilted to go up or down.

There have been several design improvements made with the Urbo 2, with ride height being one of them – baby felt a lot closer to us than in other pushchairs, which is a feature that both myself and my husband said made us love the Urbo 2.

It made interacting with the baby a whole lot easier and kept us feeling better connected with her whilst on the move.

How would it fare in all-weather conditions?

The Urbo2 has some excellent features, which illustrate perfectly just how much effort and thinking has gone into the design of this pushchair (which is a new and improved version of the original Mamas and Papas Urbo).

The hood is one of the largest I've seen on a pushchair, offering a level of shade and protection from the elements that I found to be highly appealing.

The hood also has an integrated insect net which, when combined with the weight and compact folding, makes the Urbo 2 the ideal pushchair to be taken on holiday.

There's also a flap in the hood which opens to reveal a clear plastic panel, allowing you to view your baby whilst in motion without compromising their level of cover, and the flap itself has a weighted magnet in it, which keeps it in place with a satisfying thud.

Mamas and Papas have also included a removable rain cover for use with the Urbo2, which fits snugly around the pushchair, giving even more protection from the elements whilst still looking stylish and sleek.

What was the safety strap like?

When we first got the Urbo2 out of the box, we were a little unsure as to what the strap in the centre of the handle was for, but a quick peruse of the instructions revealed it to be a tether strap and it quickly became one of my favourite features.

Safety is obviously at the forefront of most new parents' minds and having a strap that you can place around your wrist whilst pushing the Urbo2, effectively allowing you to attach the pushchair to your person, adds an extra level of peace of mind.

This means that in the unlikely event that your grip fails, the pushchair can't get away from you if you're using the tether.

How were the brakes?

The brakes themselves are also reassuringly sturdy (we've found that some cheaper pushchairs have brakes that only seem to work if the buggy is on a completely flat surface with no pressure applied in any direction) and didn't fail no matter how much pressure I tried to apply to the handles while the brakes were on!

How do you like the style?

In terms of aesthetics, the Urbo 2 is a seriously good-looking pushchair. I fell in love with it as soon as we got it out of the box and have been complimented on it a ridiculous amount of times...it's genuinely got to the point now where people compliment the Urbo 2 before they tell me how cute my baby is!

The materials feel high-end and hard-wearing and the basket underneath is deceptively spacious, giving you plenty of room for a couple of shopping bags or all of usual coats/cardigans/book bags/P.E. kits which get immediately discarded by my eldest daughter on the after-school run.

The Urbo2 also comes in a arrange of very stylish, limited edition versions, such as the Liberty print and rose gold range - bang on trend.

Who would you recommend this pushchair to?

The Urbo2 is perfect for busy, style-conscious parents who are uncompromising in their want for quality and ease of use and is truly a system, which can be used from birth, right through to when baby is old enough to walk. I'd highly recommend it to parents looking for something, which is as attractive as it is comfortable for their baby.

In the box

• Adjustable handle
• Leather bumper bar
• Reclining quilted seat
• Large basket
• Adjustable vents
• Pushchair
• Sun cover/ insect netting with plastic window

Optional extras

• Urbo carrycot £169
• Aton car seat £135
• Ellis shoulder bag £59.95
• Cold weather plus footmuff £79.95
• Parasol £95

MadeForMums verdict:

Overall, we were really impressed with the Mamas and Papas Urbo2 . From the moment we opened the box, the pushchair performed consistently well and offered intuitive design features, which you'd usually expect to see on far more expensive travel systems.

The Urbo 2 can also be used with a separate carry-cot or car seat and although I didn't use these and am unable to comment on the actual quality of those parts, the fact that its possible to make the Urbo 2 even more adaptable to your lifestyle gives it even greater appeal.

Read more...

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