Mountain Buggy Cosmopolitan review

• Chassis
• Wheels
• Grab bar
• Hood
• Instruction booklet

Any additional extras?

• Car seat adaptors - £34.95
• Cosmopolitan bassinet - £119
• Cosmopolitan sun cover - £20
• Cosmopolitan storm cover - £20
• Universal travel bag - £79
• Freerider stroller board - £79
• Rain cover - £75
• Cosy toes - £20

How is assembling the Cosmopolitan?

This was the easiest assembly job ever. It was just a question of clipping on the wheels and attaching the grab bar and sun canopy. It took me all of about four minutes to get up and running.

The instructions are perfectly clear, but putting this buggy together is so intuitive you’ll probably be fine without them.

How does the Cosmopolitan perform in a city environment?

My six-month-old daughter Ava and I breezed around Glasgow with the Cosmopolitan, gliding along shopping aisles, popping up kerbs and crossing roads with ease. It’s most at home on pavements, where it tracks beautifully in a straight line.

You can happily steer with one hand, which really helped when I was walking the dog. It’s lovely to manoeuvre and I didn’t have any problem navigating tight spaces and sharp corners.

Watch the Mountain Buggy Cosmopolitan in action in our MFM video.

How is it on rougher terrains?

This isn’t the lightest or nippiest urban stroller on the market, but it's one of the toughest I've tested and can handle the rougher terrain that’s part and parcel of city life. It took grass, gravel and even the cobbled road at the back of my flat in its stride.

I spend a lot of time in the park and I loved having the freedom to head off the path and over bumpy ground.

Did the wheels ‘lock’ and ‘swivel’ positions make a difference when pushing?

The locked wheels made a big difference on rough terrain while the front swivel wheels allowed me to spin the buggy through 360 degrees on the spot – a big advantage in the supermarket. You switch between the positions with the simple push of a button on top of each front wheel.

How comfortable is it?

The seat is roomy, the fabric feels gorgeous and the harness is nicely padded. Ava certainly seemed happy. Most importantly, the tyres and suspension make for a smooth ride. I tackled the cobbles when Ava was asleep and she didn’t stir.

I found the Cosmopolitan comfortable to push and not too heavy. One thing to watch out for is the non-adjustable ‘fuss-free’ handlebar. Fixed at 102cm above the ground, it was the perfect height for me, but my partner found it slightly short. So if you’re quite tall or small it might be worth trying it out for size before you buy.

What did you think of the seat and convertible carrycot?

The main seat, which can be forward or rear facing, converts into lie-flat mode with the release of a few buckles. A number of reviews refer to this mode as a carrycot, but this is a little misleading. As far as I can see, it’s not designed to be carried (there are no handles). However, it’s great for newborns and it was nice to be able to switch to lie-flat mode when Ava needed a nap.

There are three seat recline positions and you can move between them by lifting a small lever with one hand. It couldn’t be easier. The shoulders straps have three heights. I needed to adjust them for Ava and was bracing myself for lots of irritating fiddling, but it was done in a matter of seconds.

The five-point harness is reassuring and simple to use. The gate-opening grab bar made it easy to get Ava in and out of the buggy. On the down side, the seat lining material does ruffle when you move from lie-flat to seat mode.

How was interacting with your child when in the buggy?

I loved the rear-facing option as Ava is only six months old and I like to have face-to-face contact with her.

The grab bar is quite thick and did slightly block our view of one another, but as she gets bigger this won’t be a problem. The peek-a-boo window with no noisy Velcro is a nice touch and will be handy when we’re in forward-facing mode.

Would you recommend it for use from birth?
The Cosmopolitan is billed as suitable from birth to four years, but you might want to invest in the bassinet if you’re looking to use it for your newborn. You can’t remove the harness system from lie-flat mode so your little one might end up sleeping on a buckle.

What do you think of the folding system?

Once I realized that you need the seat in forward-facing mode to fold the buggy, it was seamless. You push a button on both sides of the frame and a large button on the handle, and it folds flat – although in my experience not quite as flat as the manufacturer’s website would have it.

Once folded, there’s a nifty latch that keeps it all firmly in place. It can stand upright when folded, which is a neat way to store it if you’re short of space. You can also pull it behind you like a luggage trolley, which I found handy for negotiating the short staircase out of my flat.

Is it a compact fold?

No, it’s still a fair size when folded, which is not a problem if you have the space in your home or vehicle to accommodate it. If you don’t, it’s a doddle to take the rear wheels off and detach the seat to reduce the buggy’s overall bulk.

We have an estate car with a big boot so it fitted fine, but in a saloon or hatchback this partial disassembly might be your best option.

Is it durable?

Yes, from the sleek, high-grade aluminium frame to the neat, strong stitching, the Cosmopolitan is a top-notch piece of kit. The use of materials is well thought through. The tyres, a mix of rubber and shock-absorbing EVA foam, feature a hollow inner core, making them puncture proof.

What are the basket and storage pockets like?
A lot of thought has gone into the design of the Cosmopolitan and it’s full of parent-friendly features. The storage basket under the seat is huge and can hold 10 kg of stuff, with two steel bars underneath providing extra support. The extra weight didn’t affect the handling of the pram. We packed the basket with groceries and still enjoyed a smooth ride.

What do you think of the style?

I really like it! The main fabric in the seat is a dark-grey denim – a clever choice by Mountain Buggy as it’s hard-wearing, gender neutral and stylish. The grab bar is covered in denim too.

The seat has a soft ‘200 denier cotton-like interior’ that comes in three contemporary colours: turquoise, chilli and stone. The adjustable foot rest is made of rubber, so it’s hard-wearing and easy to wipe clean.

The brake pedal is flip flop-friendly. You just push forward for on and backward for off with no risk of a broken toe nail! The hood design is my only slight niggle, as it gapes a little at the side. All it needs is a couple of extra poppers, which seems an odd oversight. You can extend the canopy by unzipping an additional mesh panel, but in lie-flat mode the canopy still falls a bit short and I found it difficult to keep Ava’s face out of the sun.

Is it travel system compatible?

Yes, all you need is the adaptors (sold separately for £34.95) and the Cosmopolitan’s compatible with the Mountain Buggy Protect, Phil&Teds Alpha, Optimum, Maxicosi Cabriofix, Pebble, Mico and the Cybex Aton, making it easy to head into town.

Would you take it on holiday?

We did! We took the Cosmopolitan on a camping trip to Devon where the buggy’s flexibility came into its own. It was completely at home on sandy beaches, pebbly shorelines and lumpy camping fields. We loved the fact that we could take the buggy on the beach as it allowed Ava to have a nap when she was tired.

Made for Mums verdict

Adaptable, flexible and super easy to manoeuvre, the Cosmopolitan is perfect for city parents who like to explore on and off road. At £499 it’s not a budget option, but it’s good value for such a stylish, high-end product that’s built to last.