UPPAbaby Minu Duo pushchair review

Throw in the extra-large sun canopies, no-rethread five-point harnesses, decent storage basket and one-hand, one-step fold, and you have a slick, stylish pram that is ideal for city life and travel.

How easy is it to build the UPPAbaby Minu Duo?

Honestly, this pram didn't take long to build at all; all I had to do was click the wheels into place and voila, it was ready to go.

How compact and lightweight is it for a double stroller?

I have previously used the Cosatto XL with my kids, which I found heavy, difficult to push and far too big for public transport. In comparison, the UPPAbaby Minu Duo is an absolute dream, fitting through standard doorways (and annoying country-style gates) and proving itself to be almost as light as my preferred single buggy – a massive win.

While it's lightweight in terms of pushing, it's still just over 12kg, so it doesn't feel all that light if you need to lift it up and off the ground completely (for example, when you need to pop it into a car boot). It's definitely doable, though.

How easy is it to fold and unfold the UPPAbaby Minu Duo?

Technically, the pram can be folded and unfolded with one hand, although I found it tricky to do so; the locks on the sides, for starters, were stiff and tricky to manoeuvre – especially if holding a baby at the same time. It also wasn't all that intuitive: I spent ages puzzling over it, read the instructions several times and had to call my husband in for help. Then again, I'm quite a visual learner and an instructional video would probably have helped me out there.

Once I had mastered the technique, though, it was very easy: all you have to do is unlock the mechanisms on the sides of each pram (three in total), push and squeeze the button, and slide it closed. To open, you unlock the side-latch, push the button, lift and voila. I found it a lot easier once I lifted it up off the ground and let gravity pull it down, rather than trying to wrangle it upwards from a folded position on the floor.

The pram is pretty compact when folded (for a double pram): think 32.7cm deep, 70.6cm wide and 60.2cm high. This means you still have plenty of room in the car boot for shopping, potties, nappy bags and all the other paraphernalia you have to carry around with you as a busy on-the-go parent or carer.

How comfortable is the UPPAbaby Minu Duo for your children?

The seats were comfy and felt well padded, with adjustable footrests to boot; all of this meant that the toddler willingly climbed into her seat on more than one occasion (a miracle) and that my sleepless baby actually decided to have a nap on the go (unheard of!) – and that’s in spite of the fact that the seats don’t fully recline.

What’s particularly great about this pram is the fact that the seats have extra-large sun canopies, which are ideal for the sunny summer days to come, and they can be independently reclined, too. If your toddler is anything like mine, this is sure to prevent any meltdowns if your baby needs a nap and they don't...

How well does the UPPAbaby Minu Duo handle different terrains?

While the UPPAbaby Minu Duo is great on pavements, stony paths, cobbles and grass, it doesn't fare so well when you take it off-road; the wheels may have made it through the very deep mud at my local park (currently a building site as it undergoes a redesign), but it wasn't easy getting them through it.

It's also worth noting that the wheels were almost too slick at the local supermarket, so much so that the brakes did nothing to stop it being pushed around the aisles when it should have been stationary – although this became less of a problem as the wheels got scuffed up on walks. That being said, the all-wheel suspension made for a really slick and sturdy ride.

How easy is it to push and manoeuvre?

I wasn't expecting to be able to push a double pram with one hand, but you absolutely can with the UPPAbaby Minu Duo – and you can stop and turn on the spot without any effort whatsoever, too. It tackled my two very different-sized children without any hassle, distributing the weight evenly so that I could still push it with ease, and I absolutely loved the oh-so-simple brake mechanism.

All you have to do is click the red foot pedal if you want to stop, and the green one on the other side of the pram to go again – one foot per job, essentially.

What do you think of the UPPAbaby Minu Duo's basket?

The storage basket isn't the easiest to access, and you have to bend right down so that you can manoeuvre items into it. It's also worth noting that it's quite a shallow basket, so not exactly made for bigger bags and items (which meant some of my shopping had to be bagged up or balanced on the canopy), and it has an unhappy tendency to drag along the floor if you pop anything too heavy in it.

That being said, I found there was more than enough space for the bits and bobs I needed on a day out.

What is the handlebar like?

The handlebar isn't adjustable, which may be a negative for some parents, but I never found it a problem. It's comfy to hold, easy to steer with and actually pretty handy for hanging bits and bobs from (like, say, my toddler's own toy pram, which she abandoned pretty quickly into one of her walks around the park).

Are there any other features you like about the UPPAbaby Minu Duo?

I really love the peekaboo mesh windows, as they allowed me to keep the girls cool and check in on them as needed (if only to spy on them as they sat holding hands, my eldest pointing out the sights to her baby sister). I was also a fan of the no-thread harness and simple recline mechanisms.

No fuss, no drama, no problems whatsoever in ensuring the pram was tailored to my girls’ needs – no small thing, as they’re both quite slight and narrow in the shoulders, so it's usually very tricky to adjust straps to fit them.

Can you attach a car seat to create a travel system?

As mentioned already, you can easily attach the UPPAbaby Mesa i-Size infant car seat (with adapters) to transform this into a convenient travel system. Apparently, though, it only allows you to attach one car seat at a time, so this is likely not going to be a big plus for those with twins.

What's in the box?

• 1 x Minu Duo pushchair
• 1 x rain cover
• 1 x set of wheels
• 1 x set of instructions

Is it worth the money?

If you have two young children, I'd say this pram is definitely worth the money. It's lightweight, it's a comfy ride for both children (whether they're asleep or awake), it's far easier to manoeuvre than an inline double, it's smaller than most side-by-side prams on the market right now and it is much easier to store than a lot of doubles as it all folds up and down as a single piece.

It's suitable from birth, too, which means you won't need to keep buying different prams for different stages. If you are using it with two different-aged children, though, it's worth considering when the eldest will max out the weight limit, as this may impact how much you can use it.

I actually really appreciated that this pram allows you to buy accessories as and when needed. It's a great way to cut down on waste as I found I didn't use a fair few bits and bobs that came with the pram for my first baby (most notably, the attachable parasol and cupholder). That being said, I do think it would have been nice for UPPAbaby to include the bumper bars, as it feels as though they should come as standard nowadays.

Sustainability features

• Materials – Good news: the Minu Duo is GREENGUARD Gold Certified, with REACH-certified leathers, too, which basically means you're promised superior materials that haven't been chemically treated.
• Repairability – While you can attempt a few tune-ups at home, you don't really need to as the Minu Duo falls under UPPAbaby's Tune-Up Gear-Up programme and extended warranty service.
• Packaging – The chassis was wrapped in plastic, the wheels contained in a smaller cardboard box, the instructions came in an envelope and the rain cover was wrapped in FSC-certified cardboard paper. All of this was easy enough to recycle.

Where can I buy the UPPAbaby Minu Duo?

It is available from Natural Baby Shower and Pramworld.

MadeForMums verdict

With its independent recline options, extra-large sun canopies and lightweight frame, I absolutely love the UPPAbaby Minu Duo and would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone looking to get two small people around – so long as you're living a predominantly urban lifestyle, that is, as it's far better suited to pavements and public transport than it is off-road hikes with the dog.

Speaking from my own experience, it's also worth thinking about how long you plan on using a double, as your eldest will be maxed out of the Minu Duo once they hit 22kg (approx 6-7 years old). If this isn’t all that far off for you, then you might be better off using a single pram with a buggy board attached, depending on your kids’ ages.

Those caveats aside, though, this is a great option for anyone who needs a compact, go-anywhere stroller for two. Just be prepared to fork out for the extra accessories as and when you need them.