When I discovered that I was pregnant the search started for the perfect pushchair and until then I never realised the vast selection and different brands which were out there on the market, all the different features which they could offer me. Confused would be the right word to sum up when I started my search.

Thankfully I did have an idea of specific features which I wanted the purshchair to include and this was a big help to me, this helped me to be able to eliminate many and make my search that little bit easier .

I felt it important that the pushchair had a traditional pram feature, that while the baby was of a young age I could have them laying flat and facing me. I also knew that I would prefer a pushchair that would convert from a pram to a forward facing pushchair once the baby was that little bit older and had outgrown the pram mode, I felt this important as I really didnt want to have to be paying out for another seperate forward facing pushchair in the future, Id rather just initially pay that little extra for having both of these features.

I also wanted the pushchair to have the added option of being able to convert into a travel system too, that I could purchase an additional car seat which I would be able to connect to the chasis of the pushchair when the baby was at a very young age, so that I didnt have to disturb the baby when I was going out in the car and could just take the carseat straight from the car cliping it directly on to the pushchair therefore not waking the baby up.

Another important feature for me was that when collapsed down the pushchair was relatively small as at the time storage was a big issue, I also wanted to make sure that it would collapse down small enough to enable it to fit into most family size car boots.

I looked around at a selection of different pushchairs that were available on the market at the time and taking into account all of the above factors that I wanted I discovered the Mamas and Papas Pliko Pramette.

The Pliko pramette is a two in one pushchair which can also be used as that travel system that I desired, all you had to do was purchase it as a complete travel system or choose to purchase the car seat at a later date.

The Chasis of the pushchair

The frame of the pushchair is extremely robust and extremely hardwearing although it does seem a little bit bulky, it uses an aluminium framework which makes it fairly light weight, its not as light as some other pushchairs out there but light enough to be able to push it with a two year old in with total ease. The frame itself did feel fairly stiff at first but this feeling didnt last so Im putting it down to the fact that it was brand new. The wheels can also be used in a fixed position or as swivel wheels for easier manouverabillity.

Other features that the pushchair includes:

- Height adjustable handles - Now my fiance and I found this feature great and I relly feel that all pushchairs should offer this feature. My fiance is 6' and im only 5'6" so having the option to be able to adjust the handle height really suited us as it made it easier for the both of us to be able to push.

- Raincover - the raincover is of a high quality, not flimsy like some out there, although instead of covering the entire pushchair it zips onto the hood and covers the foot end of the pram or pushchair modes protecting your child from the elements.

- Shopping basket - the shopping basket is a really good size and can store quiete a few items although I will say that when you have it in pushchair mode and the seat reclined you can have issue of trying to access the basket.

-Individual wheel suspension - this is great for giving your child a smoother ride even on uneven ground.

-Solid wheels - Now I felt this was quiet important as a friend of mine bought an expensive Silvercross pushchair with wheels which had inner tubes, when she was out shopping the tyre got a puncture and she couldnt use it, she was literally stuck so solid tyres were a must for me.

- Toddler ride on step - suitable for if you have another child.

- Apron - This can be used in both the pramette and pushchair mode to cover the feet end and to protect the child from the elements.

You can also buy additional products for this pushchair including footmuff, changing bag, parasole but please be prepared that these do come at a cost.

Pramette mode

I loved the fact that this pushchair had a traditional pram mode so that I could lay my baby down flat. With many pushchairs that were on the market you had to purchase an additional carry cot to be able to do this.

Now when in pramette mode the pram is spacious enough for you baby to lay down in, the pram is padded nicely although I will admitt that I was a little worried that the baby may be able to feel the straps for the pushchair mode through the material, so I simply rectified this by unzipping the padding , placing a towel or blanket inbetween the two layers to make it that little more padded and that little more cosy inside for the baby.

The Hood of the pram is great, it provides great protection from the sun and is also effective at keeping the pram as a dark environment for when the baby wants to sleep.

The only downside I found to the pram mode is that there is no fastening to keep the baby secure whilst they are laying down, I didnt find this too much of an issue when my son was very young but as he grew and started to wriggle around more I started to get a little concerned.

You will probably find that the Pram mode will last you until the baby reaches 4- 5 months or has simply out grown the pram, thats when you will need to transform it into the pushchair mode.

This transformation is simple:

-Firstly you remove the hood
-You will find that the pramette has a zip running around the edge of the outside of the pram, unzipping the head end you will release the fabric which you then need to fold back.
this will reveal the straps which will be used in the pushchair mode.
-You can then re zip the material you folded back to the oposite end to which you unzipped it.
-The hood is reversable and so are the fittings so all you need to do is put the hood to the opposite end and snap it into place.
-You then need to raise what was the foot end of the pram into a reclined fosition and this forms the back to your pushchair and that the transformation.

It really is much simpler to do it than actually write and explain it lol


Pushchair mode

I found myself having to convert the pram into pushchair mode when my son reached five months old.
The pushchair itself is spacious and well padded, It has three reclining positions so you can lay your child down if they fall asleep which some pushchairs seem to lack.
The hood gives a good coverage, shielding your child from the sun but also has a viewing window to the top so you are able to see the child whilst your pushing.

Now there was only one issue which I had with the pushchair and that was the harness.
The mamas and papas pliko pramett uses something called a
" Freedom to Explore harness" The harness is a free movement harness which gives your child the freedom to be able to sit up and be able to move freely around in the pushchair, that it has more adjustment points so you can ensure a perfect fit around the child's body as they grow up.

Mamas and papas claim that.
" Whether sat up to explore or reclined for a snooze your baby will be comfortably and securely strapped in"

Now personally Im not a big fan of this, when my son was younger I constantly found myself checking to make sure that he hadnt slipped down or fallen forward because its not anchored at the shoulders and even when my son was older I was then worrying about the amount of freedom which he did have. I felt like he was about to escape or climb out, not good.

Now seeing that I purchased this pushchair as a complete travel system I am going to also give you an overview of the carseat which comes with the travel system package...

The carseat is the Mamas and Papas Primo Viaggio, this is a group 0+ rear facing car seat which is suitable from birth up to 12/15months. (really depending on the size of the baby, My son out grew it by approx 9 -10months) . The maximum weight for the baby is 13kg.

Now this car seat retails at £135.00 which is about average for a decent Group 0+ carseat but I still find this expensive.
When it comes to babies and children traveling in cars The govenment spipulates that all babies and children up to 150cm (4ft 11in) tall have to be in the correct carrier/ car seat/ booster seat for their age and group, that it is illegal for a child not to use one yet car seat manufacturers still make them so expensive. So if you want to travel with your child in a car the fact is you need a car seat, its a necesity. Your not even allowed to be dischared from hospital with your baby without bringing one in to take them home in and of course the manufacturers are perfectly aware of this and as parents we have no choice to pay these prices.

The car seat is nicely padded out making it nice and snug for the baby.It has a five point harness that can be adjusted along with the growth of the baby making sure its always a snug, secure fit.

The carseat came with a surefix base which is a unit which can be secured into the car by the lap section of the seatbelt then when you want to put the car seat into the car all you need to do is click the carseat into the base and loop the cross over section of the car seatbelt around the back of the car seat.
Once the base is in position it is perfectly secure, we never had any issues with movement or instability.

I must say I really did find the surefix base a great help, it would mean that I could just unclip the carseat from the base and easily remove the carseat with the baby still in it.

The carseat can also be used along side the pliko pramette to form the travel system, all you needed to do is click the car seat onto the chasis of the pushchair and you had your travel system. You can also connect the hood of the pram/pushchair to protect the baby from the elements.

One downside to the Carseat is that I found it extremely heavy and found it very dificult to carry around for long periods of times, especially as my son got older and heavier, therefore I found myself using it for purely for transportation reasons.

collapsing it down:

Now another important feature for me is how easy a pushchair is to put up and to collapse down, I only have two hands so I didnt want a pushchair that required four to just put it up or down.
Now Mamas and papas claim that this can be folded one handed.. Yeah right! Its not true!
The Pushchair itself uses a telescopic fold technique which is simple to do but it really does require two hands to do it and take a bit of getting use too, my one reccomendation to expectant parents would be to Practice, it will save you so much time once the baby is born and once you have it mastered it wont be a problem .
Now once collapsed down the pushchair is quiet small, especially for being a pramette and one advantage is that once folded its free standing so is great for storing away of standing up in a corner, great for if you have a lack of storage space like I did.
The pushchair is also small enough to be able to fit into most family car sized boots.
Now it is quiete heavy to carry around and lift into and out of the car but you get used to it, although this is the main contriutiong factor why after 2 1/2 years of use I had to swap it for a light weight stroller.

Overall I really did find this an extremely practacle pushchair, even though it had its faults. It did everything that I wished it would and some. We got a good 2 1/2 years use out of it and we still actually have it up in the loft all wrapped up as it has gained very little wear of tear over that period of time.

The only downfall is that I do feel that it is extremely highly priced
A Piliko Pramette alone retails at £380.00
the Primo Viaggio car seat retails alone at £135.00 and the
Surefix adjustable base for the car seat alone retails at £95.00 and that not including any extras like footmuff, nappy changing bag or sunshade umbrella.

If you do purchase it as a travel system and opt for all three items you may find the price a little more cheaper, I purchased mine from an independant shop rather than Mamas and Papas for just under £500 compared to over £600 if you were to purchase them individually.
If you are considering this pushchair definately make sure that you look around, including some of those smaller indepndent shops as you really can find some good bargains.