Great pushchair! (Graco Mirage)

Member Name: christinemc

Product:	Graco Mirage
Date:	10/05/01 (763 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Inexpensive, Lightweight, Versatile

Disadvantages: Needs 2 hands to fold

I am SO impressed with this pushchair. I already had the twin version so I was expecting to like it, but the single version is great. The reason I wanted a Graco is that they have a single handle, rather than umbrella folding pushchairs, which have two. I find it impossible to hold a childs hand while pushing (let alone steering) my two handled buggy, and was fed up with having to use my heavy 2 in 1, hence I was after a Graco. When I saw the Mirage reduced to £39.99 in babies r us, with a free raincover, I had to get it.

So, what did I get for my £40? A single pushchair with lockable swivel wheels. The wheels are quite large and seem suited to rougher ground (such as concrete roads with potholes in!). It has a hood, which comes far enough forward to shade a toddlers face from the sun, and has a small “window” through which you can see your child. There is a generous shopping basket, a footrest and a removable bumper bar. The 5 point harness is easy to adjust. It has 2 positions, lie flat or sit up. There are no reclining positions in between. However, my old Mamas & Papas had 5 positions and I found I rarely used any other than lie flat or sit up straight, the children always seemed to feel insecure in a semi reclined position. The covers on the pushchair are washable (haven’t had to test this yet!). It folds in half and is free-standing when folded. And it’s very much lighter to push than my M&P (even with toddler on board). I was also lucky enough to get a free raincover into the bargain, worth £15.

An extra bonus we’ve found is that it’s much more suitable for my husband, who is nearly 6 foot tall. He used to find the Mamas & Papas uncomfortable to push as he would end up kicking the rear axle, however he finds with the Graco the handle is higher and more comfortable, and he has enough striding room so that he doesn’t kick the back of the pushchair when walking. I never thought we
217;d find a pushchair he LIKED to push, but now we have!

The folding mechanism is easy to use, but does require 2 hands so is perhaps not suited to someone who lives in a flat or uses public transport a lot, as you would have to put the child down somewhere while folding it. You can easily unfold it one-handed though.

This opinion category is for the mirage as a travel system. I bought just the pushchair and don't have the car seat (I already had a rock a tot which I love) so I can't comment on that.

Considering the price of it, I am very impressed with how robust the pushchair is. It is also available in twin version (which I can also recommend!).

Summary: