Saturday, February 06, 2016

Little Tikes Stroll 'n Go: Review & Giveaway!



We've been talking lately about downsizing with our pram. We have always had a big bulky travel system, a very rarely used (and huge!) double and a very basic stroller in the boot for emergencies.  A is too big for prams now, so we don't need the double and the idea of just having one decent stroller to do all the jobs and having our conservatory back sounds ideal. It's looking like a pram park! Stroller wise, we needed something that still reclined for 18 month old S and was comfortable for when she has a snooze, easy to push, fold and compact to store. 

Luckily for us, the lovely people from Little Tikes got in contact recently and kindly offered one of their Little Tikes Stroll 'n Go pushchairs for us to review. The timing of this one couldn't have been more perfect! As well as the review, if we were happy with the stroller we were also offered to run a giveaway for one lucky reader to win one of their very own. Needless to say, we are fans, so there is a giveaway at the bottom of this post. Keep reading for our full review!

Setting up


When the stroller arrived, my first thought was that as the box was quite big, which meant there wouldn't be too much assembly involved, awesome. It's not that I can't follow instructions, but I just worry I will break something (I have form) or lose something (I also have form) in the chaos of our house. I was pleased to see when I opened the box, that it was just a case of attaching the wheels and best of all, there was no need for any tools.

The pram wheels went on really easily, it was literally a case of lining up and clicking in place. As they are removable there was room for error which is always good for me.


Otherwise, the only thing that needed doing was to clip the hood on which was very easy and put the reclined seat into a sitting up position, ready to use in the morning. The seat is pretty easy to recline and sit up, it seemed a little stiff to push up to start with but after just a couple of uses this loosened up perfectly. I found it a little hard to put the seat back up when baby was in there, but extremely easy to recline when she fell asleep which is the most important thing!

First impressions


Once set up, my first impressions of the stroller were that it looked nice and big and felt really strong and tough. I've used a few strollers now and this is definitely the most robust feeling. I like the design and it feels pretty childproof and looks comfortable. As you  unfold it it has quite a satisfying clip into place, it just feels well made.

Features


The Stroll 'n' Go has the recline feature as I've mentioned, so babies and toddlers can sleep but also, you could add a foot muff and newborn insert to make it more suitable from birth. I like my tiny ones to face me, so I think I would probably use this from 6 months onwards, but that really is just personal preference and being a little over protective on my part! There is a pretty decent sized shopping basket (weight limit 6lbs) perfect for popping smaller items in and you could get a small nappy bag through the gaps to get to the basket, but nothing too big. A lot of strollers don't offer such good storage (if any) so although the access is a little restricted because of the frame, I can't really complain at the space available.

The leg rest part of the stroller can be altered too, very easily, meaning you can quickly move a sleeping toddler into a cosy feet up position. I did find the rain cover didn't reach to tie on very well in this position which was fine as long as there wasn't too high winds. It looked very comfortable though and baby refuses to go anywhere near her other prams now so it looks like she has definitely made her choice! It feels pretty smooth and steady too, so no nasty bumps for baby.

Feet up, reclined position, rain cover, 5 point harness, comfortable sleeping baby!

The hood is super tough and doesn't clip off easily, which is perfect as there would be nothing worse than toddlers cottoning on to the fact they can remove the hood (yes we have had this previously) and does also have some very strong velcro to doubly secure it in place; the velcro also helped me make sure I had the hood in the right position!

There is the usual rubber strap for longer legs to support their feet and extra tall handles to avoid the 'Mummy stoop', though at 5'4" I found them nice and high, so if you are, um, 'vertically challenged' it may be worth working out the height or trying one out first.  I love this high handle feature though and have no idea why it isn't a more commonly seen feature.

The straps are pretty basic and a little (actually quite a bit) fiddly to start with, but do the job well and it's a nice supportive five point harness. The addition of some cheap strap pads and they are perfect. At first I wondered why they came apart into 4 sections, but I soon realised how much easier it was over bulky coats than squeezing their arms in all directions! So, although fiddly initially, it is a really good design.


My favourite thing about this stroller from a parent point of view is the big ol' pocket on the back of the hood. This is really handy for the rain cover if the basket is full and also brilliant for storing things for walking the dog, or quick access drinks and snacks.  Why don't they all have this?  Such a simple idea!

Swivel wheels, ample storage for small bits and bobs and of course a dolly! Legs in down position.

The rain cover is pretty clever too as just kind of sits on the front instead of all over like bigger prams. I found it a tiny bit fiddly in strong winds, but I would usually have it half on in advance anyway if it was likely to be used.

High handles, angled frame and parent pocket.

Thoughts


The Stroll 'n' Go had baby S interested from the word go, she sat in it to watch her morning TV shows on day one and looked really comfortable. It's normally a battle to get her in the pram, but not with this for some reason. The seat is nice and padded and she had bags of room at 18 months, so this will last us a long time or at least up until she reaches the 33lb weight limit which I guess will be around three? My (large) four year old sat in this too and he still had ample room, he was very comfortable and it is the only pram he has been in that he didn't look too big for!


I love that this has been designed with parents in mind too, with it's comfortable handles, super easy smooth folding mechanism and ample storage. The rain cover goes on easily (unless very windy), so that's one less battle when the weather turns wet. Baby S hates rain covers too but this one doesn't annoy her, I think because its not too close to her and is more like one big flat window so doesn't obstruct her view.

The front wheels can be fixed or set to swivel for super easy maneuvering. This is comfortable and easy to use for parents due to the angled frame and higher than average handles. The Stroll 'n' Go is easy to fold/store and although the fabrics could maybe be a little more exciting, the fact that more thought has gone into the actual ease of use, quality and comfort, makes the neutral grey details fine with me. The high handles are really great for those like me with bad backs, grandparents and taller people, they make it really easy to push and steer one handed if you have another child (or dog) to keep hold of.



This feels like a stroller that will last 'donkeys years' (perfect for child minders) and I bet it will see a lot of use from us! The wheels look great and it's reassuring knowing how easy it would be to fit new ones myself if that day ever came.

In short, if you are in the market for a comfortable, easy to use, great quality stroller to see you through years of use, then I would recommend this to anyone! It's not the most exciting to look at, but who cares when it's so nice and easy to use and actually gives you all the features you really need. If you are more fashion conscious, you could always buy a fancy liner or have custom covers made. For us though right now, this is perfect! A big double thumbs up from me and the baby who now sleeps better in this than her bed!

Competition time!


If you are in the UK and you'd like to be in the running to win one of these great strollers for yourself, please enter my giveaway via the Gleam app below and one could be heading your way for those wonderful spring time walks!


Good luck!



This competition has been added to the Competition linky at U Me and the kids as well as Prizefinder.

Disclosure: I was provided with a sample pram in exchange for an honest review, all words and thoughts are my own, recording baby's behaviour during use and my experience of use as a parent. Giveaway open to UK entrants only.