Being a mother of three, I've had many prams and pushchairs over the last 7 years! Despite not getting on with the Silver Cross 3D, it didn't put me off trying the Pop when the time came to buy my son a lightweight pushchair. The Pop is a fantastic umbrella folding buggy - one of the best, along with the Maclaren Quest which I've also had and loved. It's actually very similar to the Mac Quest with a few more plush features, although it makes it a fraction heavier.

It's extremely lightweight and easy to both push and carry. It has a carry handle on the side of the folded frame, and a carry strap which attaches to the handles and folding bracket. This allows it to be either slung over the shoulder or carried horizontally like a suitcase, so perfect for public transport. It's easily folded with one hand. Unlike most umbrella fold prams you don't kick up the knob in between the rear wheels, then push down with your foot on the side lever to fold - instead you pull the carry strap upwards and then do the lever, which makes it marginally easier to do quickly. There are two folding locks on either side of the frame rather than the standard one on the right hand side. This keeps it more secure and symmetrical, so it's not gaping at one side. The only downside is that when it comes to unfolding it can be a bit tricky to do one-handed, although not impossible.

The wheels on the Pop are excellent for a stroller - they have good suspension and are slightly larger than average (compared to the Quest for example) which makes for a very smooth ride. They don't wear too quickly and have good quality, solid brakes and locks on the front wheels, both of which go on and off with a reassuring click. You can lock the front wheels when they are in any position, you don't have to align them first, and when you push the buggy forward they automatically lock when they turn forwards. The brakes do their job well and look chunky and stylish compared to your bog standard buggy brakes. I've read reviews that say the brakes are bad as you can't bump the buggy down stairs - however buggies are not designed to be bumped down stairs so I think that is an unfair point.

The handles are ergonomic and feel nice in the hand. I much prefer plastic/rubber handles to foam ones as they wear better and don't end up ripping chunks out, and feel nicer to hold. They are of a good height - perfect for me at 5ft 6/7, and never had any complaints from my 6ft husband.

The seat has nice fabrics and adequate padding for babies from 2-3 months old onwards. The Pop is advertised as being suitable from birth, however the seat unit doesn't lay completely flat so I'd personally wait until they are at least a couple of months old. The seat has several recline positions, and it's so simple to raise and recline the seat smoothly with minimal disturbance to the child. There is a good sized hood with a viewing window and zipped parent pocket - I found this especially useful to put my phone, purse and keys in if I wanted to "pop" to the local shops quickly without taking my whole bag. There is even a cup holder which is removable and can be placed on either handle!

It has a slightly different style harness and buckle to most buggies. Instead of the strap that goes over the shoulder and strap that goes round the waist being connected, they are separate, and you have to join them together on each side before clipping into the buckle. Some people hate this as it takes a few more seconds to strap the child in - I personally love it as I didn't have to wrestle my son's arms (especially if wearing a thick coat) through the straps. It also means you can use it as a 3 point harness should the child get too big for the shoulder straps - although my son was walking permanently by the age of 2 so was never an issue for us. The round shaped buckle is also more difficult for a child to undo themselves, making it more secure.

The shopping basket is of a good size and easy to access when the seat isn't fully reclined. I like that the bottom of the basket is made of one piece of solid fabric with mesh sides, rather than beings totally mesh - it means it shouldn't rip easily and is just another small feature which makes it the quality you'd expect of Silver Cross.

The only downsides to the buggy is that the raincover doesn't come low enough to cover the footrest, so an older child gets wet feet. I believe this is quite a common feature of many buggies though. Also the seat is quite shallow and the crotch strap loosens easily, meaning the child can end up slipping down if they wriggle a lot or are thrashing around because they don't want to be strapped in.

Overall I really like this buggy and got a lot of enjoyment from using it. It was a good price at £100 and think it's one of the best buggies on the market for this price. It's not perfect, but very nearly! I would not hesitate to recommend it!