I have admittedly been a pramaholic in my day. I've got two children and with my youngest approaching two now, I have been through at least 15 various modes of travel for the two youngsters. Don't get me wrong, I'm not rich, I buy and sell on Ebay to make sure I don't lose money on my obsession. However, as you can guess with my daughter being almost two, I have pretty much reached the end of my time needing a buggy. And thankfully my interest is waning too. We are down to two simple strollers now. The Silver Cross POP which I am about to review, and the Jané Sonic. One sits in each car for the times when we need it. And both I am very happy with. Two simple little strollers that are compact and do a good job when you need them to.

When I bought my Pop Stroller it was getting really good reviews. Since I've gotten mine, either more people are simply logging their dislikes on review sites, or the Pop has been redesigned as we've used it for over a year now without a single bad point. I am truly surprised to see that it's been getting a 3 star rating here. It has been flawless for us. As well as having read good reviews about the Pop, a friend personally recommended it so I was happy to pay £99 for mine on offer. I also bought the footmuff as well, so that it would see us through the winter time and remain cosy and warm. We chose the "Jet Sport" colourway. This is a plain black colour with some reflective sweeps throughout. It's very simple, and it could be used for either gender. They don't actually make this colourway any more, but they have a similar one called Ebony.

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Features
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The features of the Silver Cross Pop stroller are as follows:

Ergonomic handles
Hood pocket
Easy clean durable tailored fabrics
Brushed aluminium frame
Silver alloy effect wheels
Multi-position cup holder
Shoulder and buckle pads
Shoulder and hand carry strap

If you have bought the newest version of the Silver Cross Pop, then you will have a clear PVC and mesh pull out sun visor. I don't personally know that I would use this, but it's always good to have it just in case. The hood of the Silver Cross Pop that I have is adequate. It's on the large side anyway so it gives plenty of coverage from the elements.

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Usability
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I think no matter how good and how trendy a stroller is, essentially what a busy mother needs is something that is convenient, compact and easy to steer. For me, the next item on the check list would be a spacious basket that I can pop the smaller items in when we are out and about. Luckily I have always found that the Pop has ticked all of these boxes. And over and above that, it has never tipped on me. Some lighter strollers can tip when you inevitably pop a plastic bag of shopping on to one of the handles. I have never had this issue even though my daughter is really a petite poppet.

My son is almost four, and recently we went to the Zoo. It was a very long walk and when his sister had decided to walk for a bit, my son got in to the stroller for a few minutes. I think it was his first time in a stroller in a year and a half, but I was surprised that he fitted in there and was comfortable. For guidance, he's a big boy for his age, always on 80% centile on growth charts for both height and weight. If you have children that might give you a good guide to what size of child can be comfortably accommodated in the stroller seat. I wouldn't have liked to push him too far though; he was very heavy indeed!

The wheels are very easy to steer, and the one time that they were a little sticky for me, I popped a few drops of WD-40 in to the middle of the wheels and they were loose and functional again. We haven't had a problem since. If you do find yourself steering one handed, then it's more difficult, but it can be done. There are two separate handlebars on the Pop stroller which makes it slow work to steer one handed. I always have found that strollers with a single handlebar are easier one handed (And yes, there are times that you need to steer single handed! I always thought that was a myth then I realised when you pop to the supermarket and have a basket in your free hand , the ability to steer with one hand is invaluable!)

The stroller is not 100% straight in it's upright position, but a good feature is that it is suitable from birth as it can lie flat (or reasonably flat would be a better way to put it!) We don't use the flat setting any more, but it was always convenient when our daughter would fall asleep while out in the town.

The raincover included is pretty easy to attach, even in a heavy burst of rain you can get it on in a minute or two and the child is totally covered.

Folding the stroller is very easy. It's your typical umbrella fold which makes it very compact when folded. Every time that I open it out of the folded position I find that I have to reattach the hood, but this takes literally 10 seconds so it isn't a problem. It also has it'd own drinks holder. Mine ends up rolling around the boot of the car. It's not something I need, and when I do have it attached I always find my self throwing my car keys in to it. As for the pocket on the back of the hood, I use it for tissues. It's very convenient.

My Pop stroller has coped in the town, over cobbled streets, on rough terrain and on gravel. It's not particularly good over large expanses of gravel, but then I have not yet found an umbrella stroller that is. Usually you need air/gel tyres for a smooth ride over rough terrain.

I've been very happy with the Silver Cross Pop, and I would definitely recommend it. It has also become one of the top sellers in the U.K. now, so they must be doing something right! It's a 5/5 for me. And if you are looking for more information on the stroller there is lots to be found on Silvercross.co.uk where they have the full range of colours and specifications for the range.