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Cosatto You2 Little Tweeters Twin Stroller
by nteer09
This buggy is most blokes worst nightmare.....pink, pink, pink and more pink! When I found out I was expecting a girl for the second time round, my husband couldn't tell me we needed a neutral buggy anymore.
Originally I wanted to buy a buggy which had one seat infront of the other, but when I saw the exact buggy I originally ... wanted being pushed by two other women I changed my mind. They looked like they were driving a bus, it was that long. One woman couldn't open doors with them as her arms wouldn't stretch long enough to do so.
I absolutely love pink, so when I had another think about which buggy I wanted, this one jumped out at me straight away. I did see others which were cheaper-but I didn't like them half as much. I wasn't so keen on the wheels at first, as I was used to pushing a three wheel buggy which had big, sturdy wheels, but with only a couple of months left till my baby arrived I decided to give it a go.
Besides the fact that pink is my favourite colour, I liked the fact that the buggy came complete with free head huggers, chest pads, insulated bottle carriers and cosy toes (with kangaroo pouch and a zip-off fleece liner). Some of these items cost a lot of money when you're buying them on their own-but I wanted to make sure my babies were nice and snug.
Another reason I chose this buggy is that it is from birth. Some of the other double buggies which I looked at, the youngest child 'had to' sit in a certain place. Anyone who has young children knows that children can be awkward at the best of times. I can guarantee that if I tell my eldest to sit at the front, she will have a tantrum, just because she can. The Cosatto You2 Little Tweeters Twin Stroller is perfect, as both of my girls can sit side by side and play together and see what the other is doing. It makes my life a hell of a lot easier.
The tweet tweet buggy also comes with a raincover-bit of a pain to put on when you're in a rush, but it does fit well. It has an easy umbrella fold, lockable swivel front wheels, and three recline positions, which are easy to adjust. This buggy has two decent sized storage baskets underneath, and it has three handles to make it easier to manouvre (though I tend to buy half the shops-and use it to carry all my shopping bags!
One of the things which impressed me so much about this buggy is that it came with a four year guarantee-but don't make the same mistake as I did and leave it in the box until a couple of weeks before the baby was due. In order for the guarantee to be valid, you have to register your details within 28 days of purchase. I did still get a years guarantee from Argos but 4 years would have been a lot better.
We have now had this buggy for ten months. We had to send it back to Cosatto as the wheels were sticking-but I think that was more to do with the fact that I ran over a bucket handle which somebody had chucked on the ground, and it got caught in the wheels. We also had a slight issue that the brake kept coming off. Even though it was my fault they still sent a courier to collect it-who arrived when they said it would, and the buggy was returned on exactly the same day they said it would. It's come back with a fresh handle, they have lubricated the wheels and tightened some bolts up. It is a lot stiffer to put up, but the wheels are working perfectly now. The customer service has been fantastic from Cosatto-and the buggy equally as good.
We purchased this buggy for £229 from Argos, as it was in the sale. It currently retails for £279 from Argos-although I have seen it a lot cheaper online. As with anything, you just need to look around.
I would recommend this buggy to anyone. Although we did have the problem with the brake, they were quick to fix it. I love the fact that the buggy fits into almost any shop, without the girls having limited space to move about. Fantastic buy
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Micralite Superlite Pram
by deedee610
UPDATE TO REVIEW:
Since writing my review (below), I have decided to update it, based on the terrible customer service I have received from Micralite (re an ongoing problem with the handlebars, which I touch on in my original review). It is this which has spoilt something that would otherwise be a great product.
The ... handlebars themselves are repositioned by pulling up on a 'hinge', loosening it, moving the handlebars to the desired position, then tightening the hinge again (this has to be done on both sides). Not long after receiving the pram, the handlebars began to move when they were supposed to be locked (you can read more about this below). I consider this to be quite dangerous and it did cause an accident at one point. Micralite took the pram back and 'fixed' it, claiming there was a problem with the washers. However, soon after, this problem occurred again. I have subsequently read a few other reviews claiming a similar experience. I recently contacted Micralite but was told I'd have to send the pram in again to be 'uplifted' so that their engineers and design team could inspect it. Given that this was the second time I was having to send this pram back, I didn't appreciate being met by internal jargon. Either there is a fault with this particular model (in which case, it is an inherent problem that needs to be rectified in order to make this a pram fit for purpose (and, more importantly, safe)) or it's an issue with my particular pram. They've tried to fix it once - it didn't work. I expressed my concerns but the response was this is the way things are done at Micralite. Since they're the manufacturers, as a consumer I would have expected them to put their 'procedures' to one side and offer a replacement, given ongoing issues I've had with the pram. After all, something which has broken twice now certainly isn't of satisfactory quality.
For this reason, I'm amending my review and would warn potential purchasers of this issue - and, also, of the rather shoddy customer service you can expect from Micralite if you do have an ongoing issue.
Below is my original review (now with a strong caveat warning buyers about the problem with the handlebars)
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ORIGINAL REVIEW:
ABOUT THE MICRALITE: The Micralite Superlite is the most recent addition to the Micralite range - weighing a super light (wonder how they came up with the name?!) 6kgs. It also claims to have an ingenious single-handed fold mechanism. It's suitable for little ones from 6 months, has 2 seat positions and HUGE pneumatic rear tyres - this baby is built for off-road strolling!
OFFICIAL FEATURES:
* 2 position seat
* Lightweight aluminium frame
* Unique one handed fold
* Extremely manoeuvrable
* Pneumatic tyres
* Under seat shopping basket
* Adjustable handlebars
* Waterproof 300D woven fabric with TPE coating
* Raincover included
* Conforms to EN 1888 & ASTM F833-09
* Basic weight: 6.2kg
* Folded size: 102 x 40 x 35cm
PRICE: £159.95 (on Kiddicare.com and pramworld.co.uk) and £149.95 on Play.com. Mothercare also sell them.
SO WHY THE SUPERLITE? It's probably fair to say that, for mums, finding the 'perfect' stroller takes the place that was formerly reserved (pre-baby) for finding the perfect handbag. By the time my little girl reached thirteen months, I'd already had two other pushchairs. From the off, I'd avoided the much-hyped Bugaboo, feeling it was more a case of style over substance (although all you Bugaboo lovers out there, feel free to shout me down!). The fact is, though, I didn't really want to spend the money on something like a Bugaboo and I actually didn't much like the look of them anyway. However, I'm only 5ft 2" and quite small, so I was finding pushing my existing pram (a Peg Perego Uno), and ever-growing toddler, quite a strain.
With this in mind, I set out to find the lightest stroller I could and, after quite a bit of research, the Micralite Superlite seemed like a good contender. You can even see videos online where dads race each other using different prams - and the Superlite trounced the competition.
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? Looks-wise, the Superlite might not be for everyone. Its futuristic 'triangular' shaped mesh seat and large rear wheels aren't especially girly (a consideration if you do have a girl). I was never into the pretty pink things though and the flash of colour provided by the hood (I chose red but they also come in yellow, blue, black and grey) was good enough for my requirements. It's fair to say that this is a stroller most blokes would be happy to push round - it's cool-looking and the rest of it, apart from the hood, is all black. And then you have the distinctive 'bullhorn bars' - they can be positioned in any direction but, when slanted up, look exactly like a bull's horns.
The pram comes in parts but is easy to assemble - it also comes with a rain cover in a special case - although, once out of the case, I found it impossible to return. Still, I'm a pessimistic sort who normally keeps the rain cover on the pram for much of the year! You can also buy seat liners (to match the hood colour) which gives a bit of extra warmth or, as I did, a black zip-up cover (around £45). Your little one sits on it and if it gets cold, you can zip it up (it's a middle zip). By about 18 months though, my little girl didn't want it zipped up and was starting to get a bit too long for it.
For summer months, the mesh seat is fantastic - allowing air to flow and, also, biscuit crumbs to fall through. It also has a mesh basket underneath (accessible from the front, unusually).
WHAT'S IT LIKE TO PUSH? Once you've used the Superlite, you may never want to go back! It is the easiest stroller I've ever handled - it feels like guiding a feather through the streets. Plus, its ergonomic design means you can push it one-handed. At last I can order a coffee from Starbucks and manage to hold my cup AND push the pram at the same time! The secret is all in those large back wheels (and swivelling front wheels), which make it easy to steer through any terrain. I even managed to push it home yesterday through snow (although it would struggle with very deep drifts - but then cars do too!).
ANY DOWN-SIDES? There are some niggles with this pram - in fact, the very thing that makes it so easy to push, can make it a bit of a nuisance when loading it into the boot of a car. The wheels are very large and it can take a bit of juggling to get it in. That said, we have a Micra (possibly one of the smallest cars on the road!), so it's a bit unfair to blame the pram. If you have adequate boot space, you'll be fine. Also, the wheels can be easily removed (if you can be bothered with the faff).
Some people might not like the fact you can only access the basket from the front - it means lifting your child's legs up (once they're larger) each time you want to get something. The basket is also divided by a strap which cuts down the middle at the top (it has to be there because of the way the stroller folds). So if you have one very large bag of shopping, you couldn't get it in. However, I've never had a problem with this - I mean, let's face it, there's only so much shopping a whining toddler will allow you to do anyway!
The main problem I've had with this stroller has come from the bullhorn handles. In order to adjust them, you have to prise up a swivelling lever, move the bars into the desired position, then tighten the lever and lower it again. No matter how tightly I turn the lever, the bars always seem give way when any pressure is put on them. And because there's a point beyond which you can't tighten the levers any more, I would suggest that this is a design fault and something I'd like to see rectified in future models. I actually sent my pram back because of this. They said the bars were moving because the washers had gone - however, despite them replacing the washers and 'fixing' this, I still have the problem. It means, if you're pushing the pram down a curb and press on the handles, they may dip. This can be dangerous and I once fell over because the pram tilted forwards. Also, it goes without saying that with a pram that's so light, it's inadvisable to place anything heavy on the handlebars (although all pram manufacturers advise against this).
IN CONCLUSION: Despite the 'problem' with the handlebars, this is an outstanding stroller. If the issue with the handlebars gets ironed out, I'd hazard to suggest this could be the best stroller on the market (and they're the only thing that's stopped me giving it five stars). I went to Tenerife a while back and bought the Maclaren Volo (which is 9lbs, that's around 4.08kg, so lighter than the Superlite). I got it simply because it had regular sized wheels, which made it smaller for the plane etc. However, it is certainly not easier to push (and this is one of the other main contenders in the lightweight stroller stakes). Nothing I've ever pushed compares to the Superlite - it's a sheer pleasure to navigate it around the streets. For me, this pram screams individuality - it says you're 'in the know'. Pah to Bugaboos and Juicy Coture prams that will finally do your back in! Opt for a stroller that makes at least one aspect of parenthood a breeze!
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