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Cosatto Swift Lite Supa Pushchair
by MikeBorry
~*~*~ Cosatto Swift Lite Supa Pushchair ~*~*~
~ What is it? ~
This is an adorable pushchair by the makers Cosatto, it is a nice lightweight pushchair that is suitable from birth.
~ The Look ~
This is why I ended up choosing this pram - the looks! It is a very cute and attractive ... pushchair. The main colour to this pushchair is a deep chocolate brown, the inside of the hood has a cream base and is covered in large colourful circles, on the outside of the hood you find bright colourful print saying 'you & me'.
The frame of the pram is coloured in a powdered silver and the wheels are even cute, the wheels have a little person making up the spokes!
The pram comes with a footmuff that in itself is adorable, it has such a cosy cute look about it. The front of the cover has a lovely yellow bear on the front and he is holding a little srtiped bear, it is very well made and nicely padded. The footmuff has a little uique kangaroo pouch in which your little one can place their hands to keep them warm.
~ Why I bought it? ~
I haven't had much luck with prams or pushchairs since having my son last year, my Silvercross popped apart on me, my KiddieCare pram snapped at the handle whilst I was out shopping, and even though I do have other buggies I wanted my son to have a nice sturdy pram that will last him. I have owned a different more basic Cosatto buggy since I had my third son and that is still going strong and looks quite good so I knew a Cosatto pram would be a good investment, but I purely chose this based on it's cute looks.
This is suitable from birth but my son is over a year now, 14 months to be exact so I wasn't worried about getting a suitable pram for his age, I just wanted to bring this to peoples attention as buggy style prams are usually suited to older babies. It has three recline positions which I did think was important as my son often drops off to sleep in his pram when we are out and about. It also has an adjustable calf rest, which can be either up or down, I like this too.
But as I have said I did buy this based on looks alone!
~ What is it like? ~
It's really nice. I really have no major complaints other than the fact the front wheels seem to have a life of their own whenever I enter Tesco or Asda, I think it's down to the very shiny flooring they have as I don't have this problem in any other shops! The wheels just seem to slide in and out and turn! But outside it is fanstastic.
It's really comfortable to push for both me and my hubby, I am 5ft and half an inch (yes I had to mention that!) and my hubby is 5ft 11", I find it comfy, I do have my hands raised up slightly more than I did with my Silvercross but my hubby likes this as he doesn't have to stoop down, so in all we have found it really nice to push.
I think the look of the pram makes it jolly and cheery looking without looking tacky and my little boy adores it, he rubs the little bear and chuckles away.
The footmuff has a zip to take the cover off but I haven't done that as it is too cold at the moment to need to do so. I don't however use the head hugger as my son doesn't require it. I love the little pouch on the footmuff I tuck my little ones hands inside it to keep them warm ... Not that he keeps them there though!
In all I really love this puchchair. And the wheels are very cute indeed. The wheels don't have a very thick 'tyre' part but it doesn't wear down quickly so apart from not being shiny anymore and having a few marks from stones etc. they still look the same in thickness.
It's also quite light so if we do need to put it down to get on the bus this doesn't cause too much a problem. It does however require two hands and a foot to fold it, you need to push in and lift a lever on the back, push down another lever with your foot and then it should start to fold in on itself, you have to bring the handles in together and then it is done. It has a handy carry handle on the side too.
It is easy to recline which I find is very handy when my little boy has fallen asleep, you just have to lift the sides and it lies back in a gentle manner.
~ Extras ~
When purchasing the pushchair it came with the following -
* Footmuff
* Raincover
* Removable Washable Seat Cover
* Chest Pads
* Head Hugger
Checking the Argos website I can also see that they have listed the shopping basket and hood but I would assume that everybody assumes it would come with these anyway!
~ Folding Specifications ~
When folded the pushchair size has a length of 106cm, a width of 30cm and a depth of 32cm.
~ General Information ~
** Taken from the Argos website **
* 3 recline positions.
* 1 hand recline adjustment.
* Forward facing seat.
* 5 point harness.
* Swivel and lock wheels - front wheels only.
* Handle height 106cm.
* Linked brakes.
* Adjustable leg rest.
* Adjustable calf support.
* Aluminium chassis.
~ Price & Availabilty ~
My mum said she would go in halfs with me for this as she has seen how rubbish my other prams have treated us! I found it in Argos priced at around £160 so I purchased it there as my brother works there and gets a 10% discount and my mum had £25 in vouchers too, however online I have seen it being sold for as much as £300 in Mothercare so I would definately say it would be best to shop around for this. It is also available on Amazon for around the £150 mark.
~ Overall Opinion ~
Seeing as this is a pushchair that can be used from birth to around 3 years I find this really good value. It's adorable to look at, it is nice for a boy or girl and is really nice to push. The front wheels can swivel or be locked which is handy for us as my step-mum can't push swivel wheel prams! It's nice and cosy and comes with everything you need.
I really love this pushchair I love how cute and quirky it looks, I get lots of comments about it - Nice ones! People always say how nice it is not to see a black or pink pram! I think so too. It certainly stands out.
The raincover is just a small one that fits onto the hood but it does the job just fine. The basket is a little bit flimsy but big enough, harder to access when the pushchair is reclined but it is still adorable.
Thanks for reading :o) x Read the complete review |
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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 Read the complete review |
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Cosatto Swift Lite
by chrisandmark
I bought the Cosatto Swift Lite pushchair in May when David was five months old; I'd squeezed him into his travel system car seat for long enough, and now it was time for him to go into the pushchair side of it I thought I might as well trade down and get a more compact one. I didn't do much research actually and ordered this one pretty ... much on a whim, mine is the Globe Trotter design although others are available.
The Swift Lite is a useful buy as it comes as a set with cosytoes and rain cover, when I bought it I paid £169 (which I thought was a bargain) but this fab little pushchair is £20 cheaper now! When the pushchair arrives you'll need to put the wheels on, I think that was all Mark did although to be honest I didn't take much notice - I remember it wasn't pushable straight out of the box anyway!
I vividly remember my first impressions of the pushchair even though it was six months ago because I was so impressed by the solidity of the build. Pushing it is tight and responsive, the shallowish design makes it easy to steer and despite the perfect amount of padding to keep David comfortable the whole thing is surprisingly compact. The swivel wheels make it an easy push around the supermarket (or more specifically my tiny corner shop) and locking them makes trekking up the ridiculously steep hill on the way to school almost bearable. Almost. Locking and unlocking them is a simple process involving plastic clips, you don't need any knack at all to start messing with the wheels and before you know it you'll be changing the 'push' half a dozen times on each journey.
David seems comfortable enough in the 5-point harness; the shoulder and chest protection pads stay in place on the straps and never crinkle or twist to make my son uncomfortable and irritable. The straps are easy to adjust and the free flowing clips allow you to get the perfect fit for your baby even if it just means loosening them a millimetre, I've adjusted these at least five times as David has grown and I'm getting a bit worried about the length left in the groin strap - it's starting to look a bit tight although there still seems to be lots of room left in the arm straps. Because I can adjust these to be a snug fit I'm not only confident that my son would be protected in the event of a pushchair disaster but it also prevents him from working his arms free of his straps, something he has become an expert at when he's in one of his other pushchairs.
The seat reclines through four positions ranging from upright to lie-back; that's lie-BACK, not lie-DOWN. It does not recline to a fully flat position and in my opinion wouldn't be suitable for a newborn baby, I definitely wouldn't feel comfortable putting my own babies into such a 'sitting' position when they were so young but obviously the choice is yours and Cosatto's tests have declared this safe for the tiniest of infants. Not very comfortable for a newborn though, how would you feel at being bent in the middle at five days old?!
There is a head hugger attached to the back of the pushchair, it looks good quality and is a reassuring size to fit small babies. David was too old for a head hugger by the time I bought this pushchair but it's easily detachable so I've taken it off an put it in a safe place in case I ever need it again. (Un-bloody-likely!). The rain cover was a bugger to fit the first time and I still find it a bit stretchy and awkward; it keeps David perfectly dry though so the tight fit is obviously a benefit, the cover also allows for ventilation though and there's never been any build up of condensation even on cold rainy mornings. Talking of cold rainy mornings, this pushchair is mainly used for the school run and the weather has turned decidedly chillier this week - twice it's rained on the walk to school and thanks to the thick fluffy cosytoes and perfect rain cover David has arrived home warmer than before he went out! I'm grateful for the smooth wheels as it means I can push it one handed while holding my brolly with the other, something I couldn't do with the bulky travel system so baby stayed dry while mummy got wet.
The cosytoes is a decent one, not something that's been thrown in with the pushchair to make a set up. The Globe Trotter one is black to compliment the grey of the pushchair, it's embroidered with city skylines and although the monochrome design should be dull it actually looks very classy. There are other varieties of the Swift Lite stroller, the design of the pushchair itself stays the same but the colour and styles of the accessories are altered - there are gender specific designs as well as the more unisex ones such as the one I picked.
My only criticism is the shopping basket, which is so flimsy it won't hold more than a magazine and box of tea bags. The mesh is so elastic that if you put anything heavy (or even light but oddly shaped) into the basket it would either drag on the floor or jut out at irritating angles. Not good when you have four kids and are constantly going to the shop for milk and spuds! I've risked it a couple of times but can tell the basket is getting fragile now, luckily the frame of the pushchair is strong enough to let me hang a bag from each handle - although for gods sake if you're going to do this keep hold of the handles as it's so (umm) embarrassing when your child tips over in the buggy!
By the way, the handles are padded with a soft foam which is not only comfortable but also helps you keep a firm grip on the pushchair. When I first bought it I thought the handles were a bit high for me, but I've got used to it and to be fair at five-and-a-tiny-bit feet tall most pushchairs are too high! This one might actually be too *short* for taller people, at nearly six feet Mark doesn't like it as his longer stride means he's constantly wary of banging his shin against the back cross bar. It's a bit awkward to push in heels for a similar reason, although that doesn't worry me as I have my special semi-blinging going out pram and wouldn't take this anyway!
For the price I think this is a fab pushchair for older babies. Just as newborn is a bit optimistic, so is the upper age limit of three. David's a lump and at nearly eleven months he's filling the seat, if he's in it by his second birthday I'd be very surprised - my three dainty girls would have outgrown it well before their third birthdays so I wouldn't let the recommended age range sway your decision.
One last thing that may sway it though is the fact that the Swift Lite is so damned easy to open and fold. It's not completely one hand operation but is definitely manageable even with an irate and squirming baby on your hip, if all else fails the pushchair is so lightweight that it's equally manageable to pick the whole thing up and dump it on its side in the boot. Problem solved, strap misery in and mutter all the way home about how babies are supposed to be warm, fuzzy and pleasant.
I don't like to blow my trumpet, but I know my stuff when it comes to pushchairs. I love them so much and have probably owned around the one hundred mark over the various stages of my four children, so trust me when I say that this is a keeper. Taken without the accessories it might be a basic pushchair but I think it's an excellent choice for the money, mine has covered miles in a variety of weather and looks as good as new - the dark colour helps but the hardy choice of fabric Cosatto have used also goes a long way towards keeping the pushchair clean and respectable! Read the complete review |