My little girl comes to work with everyday as her nursery is at my work. When she first starting to come work with me I had a Mamas and Papas Pilko, it was a lovely buggy to push but was too big and heavy and not even a year old. I first have a short bus ride (I sometimes walk if the weather is good), a tube and then a short 15 minute walk to work. Most people that use public transport know that it is not exactly buggy friendly, the buses are getting there but the tubes have along way to get there yet.
I decided to treat my little girl to a new buggy so went looking. It needed to be light, easy to collapse (in other words able to hold her and put it down or up), easy to carry either open or closed and was pleasing to the eye. I dragged my mum around a few shops to help me choose, plus also to stop me buying something just because it look nice and not practical which was what I needed. I knew Maclaren was a good make and had been around for years so they must be doing something right if their buggies are still selling really well.
They have 5 designs for stroller out at present depending on what you need. I didn't need their first two as that goes down to 0 months and I could not have their last one as that does not lie down and as she still has naps during the down I needed one that still reclines. This left me with the Triumph or the Quest and both are advised from 6 months.
There was not much difference between the two from what I could see apart from the price and the Quest had more seat settings, so I opted for the cheaper one of the two, the Triumph.
The seat has two positions, up right and slightly reclined. They do not seem to be much difference between the two positions and my daughter can sleep quiet comfortable in both positions. To recline the seat you just unhook the catch behind the seat and release the material gathered
to let the seat recline and to put in upright you just push the catches together and it just gathers up the excess material. The catch is like the buggy catch for the main harness so is quiet easy to do. As the seat does not sit fully upright I find that she slouches in the buggy when she is wide awake and is sitting up and looking around.
The seat is very easy to clean you just unpop the poppers which are attached to the back of the frame, unhook it at the slides, pull through all the straps through the holes (you can leave the top two straps on if you want), slide it off the bottom. There you go; it's taken you a couple of minutes and it is ready to pop in the washing machine. I usually wash mine at 40C on a normal wash on its own, hang up to dry and there all cleaned. This is brilliant that you can take it off with easy and wash it the washing machine as my little girl is always getting something down hers, drinks or chocolate. Also it comes in handy when you are potty training as if they wet them selves while they are in the buggy you can just pop the seat in the washing machine when you get home.
The buggy has a 5 point harness and can be turned into a 3 point harness if you want to. This is done quiet easily by unhooking the top harness from the side harness and then thread through the seat to detach them fully. I find it quiet hard to unhook and to thread them through so when my daughter was about 2 years old they went. The top and side straps can be made longer or shorter to fit your child correctly.
The buggy has a hood/sunshade and can be detached if not needed by unhooking it either side of the buggy. The hood is not easy to clean and you are not able to put it in the washing machine so has to be washed by hand. You will find by habit that you will throw things on the hood when it not up so gets dirty very easily. The best way to keep it clean is to gibe a quick clean by using a shower hose on it about one a month. My hood is slight bent to one side where my little girl want to see me more or wants to get something out of the hood so pushes the hood to the side. It still works so I am not too bothered and does not effect it when you push it out and push the locks down either side to lock it in place. To pull it back you just simple pull the locks up and pull the hood back.
The brakes are not the worse point about the buggy. You are suppose to knock the brakes with your to the left or the right, I can never remember as I never use it, and then the brakes go in to the back wheels make them unable to move. To unlock the wheels you just knock the brake with your foot in the opposite direction and off you go again. Like I said before as never use it as I can never get the brakes to go in to the wheels and find myself using my hands when I have used the brakes.
This is a four wheel buggy and there are two wheels for each set. The front wheels can either be locked forward at all times or you can let them swivel round. This can be down easily by using your foot or hand to put the catch up or down above each of the wheels depending on what you want. The back wheels can not be swivelled round and like I said before the brakes slot in to them so they can not turn, if you can get this to work. The wheels are 12.7cm, which is 5inches, in diameter each and are made of a rubber. Be careful with putting bags on the back of the buggy, as I do this everyday and has caused the rubber on the back wheels to wear away at an angle though you will have to have quiet awhile before this occurs.
The buggy is very to collapse even with the baby in one arm and having only one arm free. To collapse the buggy could not be easier. There is a foot catch on the side which you put your foot and push down on, use your foot to pull the centre up in the and this then allows the buggy to close fully by just pushing the handles forward. As it is has an umbrella mechanism once you have pulled the centre up it closes more or less on its own and you just have to push down so that it locks close. This is done by a catch on one of the sides. To open it up you hold the buggy with one hand and use the other hand to unhook the close lock and the wheels should jus fall to the ground if they don't just shake the buggy slightly and it will. Then just put you foot in the middle and push down and the frame will lock in place so you are left with a sturdy frame. When folded down the buggy is 104 x 26 x 15cm and if you ask the shop assistant at most shops, they should allow you to try and see if you can get it in to the boot of the car easily. I had a Peugeot 106 when I got this buggy and it fitted fine in to the boot of that, now I have a bigger car, Vauxhall Meriva and have no trouble getting it into that.
The handles have a sponge coating and are set at one height and are tilted inwards, this seems to be the in fashion with handles I have noticed with most buggies now a days. Personally I prefer them being like this especially as I have to push the buggy for long distance but her father hates the feel of the sponge so hates pushing the buggy so ensure that you try pushing the buggy around the shop to ensure that you like the feel of them. The height if the handles are 104cm, which is 41inches.
The buggy does have a foot rest, which is a piece of thick rubber just above the wheels with the word Maclaren across it. Most the time my daughter has her feet on it but occasionally as the seat is low she will put her feet on the wheels or the most irrating thing especial if she has new shoes on she puts her feet behind the foot rest and drags her toes across the floor, so do be warned and watch out. This is also easy to clean just a quick wipe over with a cloth.
You have got to carry the baby, the shopping and the buggy up the stairs. Do you carry it all or do you leave something at the bottom of the stairs either way you have to carry the baby up and back down the stairs if you decided to leave something at the bottom of the stairs if no one is in doors. Maclaren have though about this and put a carrying handle on the back of the buggy from just below the handle to about half way down the buggy. It has a paddy plastic shoulder pad attached to it as well. This means you can carry the baby in one hand throw the buggy over your shoulder and then carry anything you like in the other hand and as it is light about 5kg, which is 11lbs, your shoulder is not weighed down. Problem is now solved you can carry everything up the stairs together.
The buggy does come with a shopping basket which is fitted under the seat which can be attached or detached depending if you want it or not. It just a simple net and can take a fair weight. I have managed to tear mine. This was done by stupidly by over loading the basket and closing the buggy. If the shopping basket has anything in it will not close so it is advisable to empty it before closing just leaving soft squashing in it.
The buggy does come with a rain cover and is made of the normal material, PVC. To attach the rain cover could not be easier, you place it over the edge of the hood push the hooks through the holes at the side at the top of the hood and do the exactly the same at the bottom by the foot rest. It does fold up and you can keep it under the buggy and only put it on when needed or during the raining time of the year you can leave it attached and fold it up and put the excess in the hood folded back. Mine is constantly attached to the buggy as I found that if the rain cover is left folded for long time and is compressed which it will be when the buggy is folded that holes may appear at the corners where folded which causes it to leak thus defeating the object of it. You may find that as you children get older they can stick there feet underneath the rain cover and have them exposed as it ends just below the foot rest. You can easily put your hand through the rain cover at the edge to pass something to you little one or take some from them with out removing the rain cover.
You can get various accessories for the buggy. There is the footmuff, carrying bag and nursery bag. I have not brought these as I did not need them so sorry have no idea on cost
They have made a few changes since I have brought mine, like a handy pocket at the back of the hood to throw your purse and keys in to, more range of colours there was only bright red or blue when I brought mine and have made the strips reflective now.
It does not come with a manual but I doubt you would ever look at it. When I brought mine I had no buggy that day as I knew I was buying a buggy so when they offered me the manual I told them to chuck it as the buggy is so simple to use.
I have had mine now for 2 years and has been used virtually everyday and now needs to be replaced. For what is cost, £75, and how long it has lasted me it was worth every penny that it cost me. It fitted all my needs so was worth the buggy, so if you want a light and robust buggy it is worth the buy and is for you.
Here is the website so you can look at there fully range and to see where there stockist are.
http://www.maclarenbaby.com/
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Advantages: lightweight, easy to move, great on public transport, good choice of colours Disadvantages: brakes very difficult to use, poor support from seat
very helpful by (100%):
