Designed to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Super Dreamer, the first Maclaren travel system, the GT LX aims to be “the all in one solution to parents’ needs”. It marries Maclaren’s functional approach to baby travel with a large dash of luxury.
The Grand Tour LX features a reinforced aluminium, one-hand-fold chassis to which you attach the carrycot or pushchair seat. You can turn it into a travel system by attaching a car seat using adaptors. Compatible car seats are Recaro Profi Plus, Britax Cosy Tot Premium, Maxi-Cosi Cabrio and Maxi-Cosi Mico, Bebe Confort Creatis Up. The soft, parent-facing carrycot is suitable from birth until your baby is around 5 months or a maximum weight 9kg. It slides on to the frame via the bumper bar attachment.
In pushchair mode, the bucket-style seat can be front or rear facing and has three recline positions from upright to virtually flat - a blessing for sleeps on the move. A thick, webbed 5-point harness locks securely into a click-in buckle and the straps can be adjusted for height. Made from Nano-Tex™-enhanced fabric, with high performance spill resistance and durability, the seat is removable and washable. Hooray.
Front and rear suspension, front-swivel, removable wheels, removable bumper bar, height-adjustable handle and open shopping basket complete the list and should satisfy the basic needs of most parents.
But, the Grand Tour LX does not stop there. Safety lights (operated by remote control), an instrument panel or “dashboard console” (featuring clock and temperature gauge) and a detachable strollometer give this buggy a touch of the James Bond. Add to this mosquito net, large waterproof sun canopy, padded boot (leg cover), leather card holder, cup holder and raincover (all as standard), and you’re certainly getting a lot for your money.
What we love
The Grand Tour LX is a huge departure from Maclaren’s signature style. It is big and bold and has a touch of bling.
Much thought has gone into making this buggy stand out from the crowd and as a result, there are some great features and it retails at a very reasonable £595.
The bucket style seat is huge but rather than rolling around like a pea, 9-month-old Minnie looked snug and secure and she revelled in the room.
Whilst the 5-point harness is stiff to click into the buckle, it is the most secure harness I have ever used, thanks to the combination of thick webbing and a front and rear squeeze-release mechanism on the harness buckle.
The one-hand fold actually works like a dream, so you’re not left wrestling your buggy - Crocodile Dundee style - in the car park of Sainsbury’s. And the waterproof sun canopy, which comes in a range of colours to compliment or contrast your seat, is genius.
What to watch out for
The Maclaren Grand Tour LX is a monster of a buggy. It weighs 14.2kg and as a result it is hard to push. It doesn’t roll particularly well and pushing it up kerbs took a lot of effort. It is also wide – 65cm – so small doorways and narrow shopping aisles could be a problem.
Removing the bumper bar is a tussle. You need to press a release button and slide the bar down the chassis but the material of the seat stops the bar from coming off smoothly.
I was surprised that the height adjustable handle had only two positions and the difference between the two is just 3cm. So, as a not-so-tall 5ft 6in lady, I was kicking the brake as I walked along.
The clock and the strollometer are great features, which I used more than I thought I would but unless you’re planning on strolling down the M25 in rush hour, or sending a message to ET, I can’t really see the need for safety lights - particularly ones that flash red and green.
Who is the Maclaren Grand Tour LX best for?
Gadget-lovers after a big, safe buggy with loads of luxe extras.
The Maclaren Grand Tour LX is an innovative, sophisticated buggy that looks good and does the job in style. It has some great features, such one-handed folding, a reversible seat unit and very secure harness. However, some of the features are unnecessary and some parents could find it too heavy for their liking.
First reviewed 05/01/2010. Updated 24/02/2012.
