Deciding which pushchair or pram to buy for your baby may sound like an easy task to those unaware of the advances in the world of baby transport. Do you want an MPX chassis? A Sportline chassis? Does it have a sports suspension? Pneumatic tyres? ABS? (or a brake!) A classic line? Front swivel wheels? Do you want it to be a pram, a pushchair? a cot too? And transport your car seat? Next, you’ll be thinking can I have 17-inch Oz alloys! I think you get the picture now. These were all the sorts of questions I was posed with when I went to buy my first travel system for my baby one year ago. As you can see from the product name 3 in 1 means it performs a multifunction job; it can be used as a carrycot, pram, pushchair and if you buy the matching car seat this too can form part of a travel system as it can be clipped on/off into place - very useful for transporting young babies.

Buying any transport combination system for your child is expensive and it’s important to make sure you choose the right one for you and your baby. If you’ve read my Primo Viaggio car seat opinion then you’ll already know I have a slight bias towards italian styled products and to complete my travel system I bought Mama’s & Papa’s again. The underlying factor fuelling my purchase towards the “3 in 1” was that I knew I was not going to buy a separate Moses basket or crib so would make full use of the carrycot for my baby to sleep in; which also serves as a pram. If you don’t require a carrycot or pram I suggest you try the Mama’s & Papa’s Venezia Completo travel system which is over £100 cheaper than the 3 in1 combination travel system. My Ultima 3 in 1 and a Primo Viaggio car seat cost £459.99 last year; the Ultima 3 in 1 on its own without car seat costs about £379.99. If you buy the car seat as part of the travel system, you save about £20. You can buy the range at any Mamas & Papas superstores and at many Co-op stores who also operate a Nursery Club allowing you a 10% discount.

I have had my Mama’s & Papas Ultima 3 in 1 travel system for over one year now, this has given me a good understanding on what worked well and potential problems. When you buy any Mama’s & Papa’s 3 in 1 travel systems you can choose your own chassis; this is the base and set of wheels that your other components like the pushchair sits on. It is, if you like, the foundation and the most important part of your decision making. The other parts such as the pushchair and pram are standard and only vary in trim levels and colour.

I chose the MPX chassis this seems to offer a compromise in that it is sporty, has front swivel wheels so is easy to manoeuvre and turn but the wheels are smaller than the sportline chassis. Before buying, I would advise you try out the chassis and push it around in the shop. I actually tried 2 types of chassis before deciding that the MPX was easiest to manoeuvre. A smaller lightweight chassis is the Freedom Argento, which I didn’t find as smooth and responsive as the MPX even though it had front swivel wheels. It would be ideal for use in cities though. Another one I’d recommend you try is the Classic Argento that has bigger wheels so holds the road well but doesn’t have front swivel wheels, its wheels are fixed. You should consider the weight of the chassis too as this may be a critical factor especially if you have a bad back like me. The MPX chassis weighs 6.3Kg and is about average weight, the lightest chassis in the M&P range weighs 5Kg and the heaviest weighs 8.5Kg.

The MPX chassis is propelled by two sets of 20cm black wheels on front and back. It sits elegantly on a silver and charcoal corrosion resistant aluminium frame. The front swivel wheels can be locked when required. It’s a fully spring loaded chassis with an independent suspension on all four wheels –this makes it accurate and easy to turn and I’m quite a whiz with it now! On the bottom of the frame there is a deep net basket that can hold a few lightweight items. One of the features I find quite useful is the adjustable handle so when you grip the chassis its at the right angle/height for you and others. Note, not all pushchair/pram chassis have an adjustable handle bar. The brake bar simply locks the back wheels with a simple push down with your foot. There is also a plastic cup and food tray that you can attach –I did not attach this as it’s not as well made as the rest of the chassis and made the whole thing look tacky.

Now to the key question…

How easy is it to open and close?

Fortunately, it isn’t too difficult to open thanks to a side handle on left side that you grip, and then press down the 2 locks and pull the chassis open holding the main handle. The locks are numbered 1 and 2 so you always know what order to do it. Once open you must ensure the locks have fitted correctly and clicked. The first time I used this chassis I did not make sure the chassis had clicked and attached the baby seat and went for a walk and few minutes later the chassis started to fold! Since then (and after reading the instructions!) I always make sure the chassis fully opens and clicks into place. It’s very easy when you know how! I’ve not had any problems since.

Closing the chassis is equally easy you just hold the handle and push the locks in on either side and pull the handle then the chassis starts to fold. As with opening, ensure the locks click. The chassis can be stored freestanding; this is useful when storing or transporting. I would recommend you try fitting the chassis in your car’s boot as it is quite bulky and takes up a lot of space and I’m not sure it would fit in a Ford Ka for example! I have a hatchback and it fits quite nicely in there. The chassis forms the base to allow the pushchair, pram or travel system to be securely fitted via the famous G-Matic ‘one click’ locking mechanism.

My Verdict: 4.5/5 Excellent chassis, only minor point prevented me giving full marks is that it’s a bit bulky to store and you will need space.


CARRYCOT

Although the carrycot, which can also be used as a pram when fitted to a chassis, lasted me the shortest time (about 5 –6 months) as my baby became too big –it’s the one that gave me most pleasure. The carrycot is such a delight to use when you first put your baby to sleep after coming home from the hospital. It’s softly padded in cotton and depending on the trim level will vary on style of padding and design. The Ultima comes in about 4 different shades of fabric and is generally seen as the modern and sporty type. The fabric I chose is known as ‘New Moda’ it’s a beige and burgundy check co-ordinated with dark charcoal (see Ciao Photo). Sadly, Mama’s & Papas have discontinued the New Moda fabric range but you still have a choice of 4 other colours mainly greys or denim. The carrycot really does keep baby snug; it comes complete with basic mattress, a removable retractable hood, cover and liner. I bought an additional Sleepsafe mattress (about £10) to put on top of the basic pad as my baby slept in it daily. I cant emphasize enough how useful I found the carrycot for my newborn baby; the base is ventilated and you can adjust this, this helps in air circulation and helps keep baby’s temperature regulated and ensure he doesn’t get too hot. Another very helpful feature is that you can elevate the backrest I found this most helpful when my baby had a cold and keeping him slightly elevated helped him breathe easier and sleep more peacefully. My baby could be rocked to sleep as the carrycot has a slightly curved base. There are also carrying handles made of soft fabric, these however were a bit thin and flimsy and would have been made better by having a thick padded Velcro band in the middle to aid lifting, but that’s just a minor point.

PRAM (see Ciao photo)

I got to use this pushchair seat last when my baby was about 6 months of age as I was using either the pram or fixing the car seat directly onto the chassis. The pushchair can be used from birth as it has a 4-position backrest to lower baby till almost flat. It has a luxuriously padded back and 5 –point harness. The pushchair can be used forward facing or rear facing. You can re-use and re-attach the hood and cover from the pram. However, I found that after attaching the hood to the pushchair it looked too big and out of place, whilst it suited the pram well, it is not a perfect fit for the pushchair. Another problem caused by adding the hood is that I found it makes lowering the backrest harder as I have to feel through the layers of padded fabric to sense where the lever is to engage the recliner function. I have found removing the seat also a little hard at first as you really do have to grip your fingers under the armrest and slide the lever and press both levers hard at the same time and only then you’ll find the seat lift off. Its takes a little getting used to but I have now got the knack. I suggest you practice all this in the shop before you buy any pushchair.

CAR SEAT (Primo Viaggio)

I have contacted Customer services based in Huddersfield a few times although it can take a while to get through on the telephone. I thought I had a problem with the chassis from the beginning–one of rear wheels appeared as it was facing inwards though the chassis was still working well. I looked like it was a manufacture fault in the way the whole was drilled that’s why the wheel faced inwards slightly. Within a couple of days customer services arranged for a courier to collect my chassis (which I packed back in a box –tip-good idea to keep original box for repairs etc) They replaced all the wheels on my chassis and oiled it and it came back in pristine condition though the wheel was still facing slightly inwards it was not affecting the use of the chassis.

The Ultima 3 in1 offers the most versatile and comfortable transport system that can be used from birth till your child is about 3 years old. This is not a lightweight system that you can throw in and out of your car or hop onto a bus with like a stroller and it will never take the place of a stroller but it is indeed meant to be and is a long lasting and very comfortable travel system for your child.

*please note I have selected the 0-6 months age nearest rating below as it can be used from birth till approx. 3 years.