Graco 'Mirage' Pushchair Up Against The Citisport (Graco Mirage)

Member Name: jusophine

Product:	Graco Mirage
Date:	22/02/01 (496 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: see opnion

Disadvantages: see opinion

Having read the opinions on the Graco Citisport, I dragged my husband over to Mothercare World, intent on buying one. When I had a good look at it though, I was disappointed, and ended up buying a Graco Mirage pushchair.

I needed a pushchair to use for either of my children when the other was not around, and to take on holiday. It had to be light, compact when folded, but above all comfortable. Once at the store I decided to place both pushchairs next to each other to compare them.

The Citisport, although very light(5kg), had A 'Cheap' feel to it.The talked of 'one handed folding action' seemed impossible to do, so I asked the shop assistant to demonstrate it to me(I'm a bit cruel like that!), eventually she managed it, but I did see a sneeky other hand whip up and grab the frame at the same time.

Once erected, the hood wobbled about terribly. I then tried putting my eldest child in the narrow looking seat to check the fit and comfort. Despite being less than two, and of average size, he looked huge in the seat, and his head touched the hood!
Therefore the pushchair would not really be suitable for him to use.

The back support was firm, but moved back and forth as he moved around, and was unstable. The support itself was multipositional, which was good, but had a ruck sack style draw string pull system which I could imagine snapping at some point, and I didn't really like it.

The model this store had was silver, grey and black, I had expected red and black as shown in the new Mothercare brochure. Apparently they had only been allocated this colour, which I didn't really like. The price was £89.99, but I know I could get it in different colours and for as little as £49.99 from one web site and £74.99 from another.

Enter the 'Mirage' pushchair. This particular model is in a vibrant turqoise(Atlantis) that is exclusive to mothercare. It comes without a attachable car seat,
which suited me as I already have one. My first impressions were good, it's extremley attractive and fun looking. However, looks aren't everything so I took a good look.

The Mirage pushchair is far more substantial than the Citsport, with a wider, deeper seat. The back rest only has two settings(upright or flat), but to be honest, the seat feels really comfortable. Both pushchairs had a removable, washable padded seat cover. Both had good sized shopping baskets, and each had easy glide, large wheels. The Mirage however, has a see through panel in the hood in clear turqoise plastic which I liked. The Citisport had no clear panel. Both come with a pvc raincover. Both had the same harness but could do with the same kind of padding seen on a car seats harness.

The back rest on the Mirage was sturdy and easily adjustable. Your baby could be layed flat quickly once asleep, and the seat had a nice deep feel to it with a larger hood than the Citisport. I put my daughter in it, and she looked safe and comfortable. The hood would keep plenty of sun off her on holiday. I also tried my toddler in it and there was plenty of space for him.

At 6.7kg, the Mirage is heavier than the Citisport, but not that much, and feels far more substantial and better quality. As I don't use public transport, I felt the extra weight was justified. It still felt light enough to lift in and out of the car with ease. Both pushchairs handle height is 101cm, nice and high for the average height.

The folding system is simple and involves squeezing to plastic rings on either side of the handle. The pushchair then appears to break in half. However, once collapsed it is compact and easy to lift and transfer. The shop model was a little stiff and so is the model I bought, but I think it may be to do with technique, but if it's not I will update this opinion.

Now the best part, the price. At £69.99, the Mirage is £20 less than the Citisport, and in
this case less is definately more! My husbands face beamed as he was expecting to pay far more.

The Mirage requires some assembly. The instructions are in diagram form only, which initially presented a bit of a challenge. However, it took me 8 minutes to put together(wheels and break bar only needing to be attached to the rest of the pushchair), and then it was ready to rock and roll!

It comes with a 1 year guarantee. If anything goes wrong in this time, Mothercare will return it to the factory to be mended.

I'm really pleased with the Mirage. In conclusion, it's slightly heavier than the Citisport, but better quality, more robust, and more comfortable. It's also easy to fold.

Summary: