A buggy for Liberty print lovers

What happens when you cross iconic style with clever, functional design? I’ll tell you what happens. You get a buggy that is so pretty you’ll want to lick it.

I present to you the limited edition Urbo 2 – the result of a collaboration between Mamas & Papas and Liberty:

I should probably put a disclaimer here and admit that I’m not a buggy fanatic. In fact, I think that in the ten months since Baby Girl’s birth, I’ve used a pram and buggy far fewer times than I’ve used a sling or baby carrier. I’ve been offered a few buggies to review over the months and have turned every one down, simply because I didn’t feel we had a use for a second buggy. But then I clapped eyes on this little beauty and my opinion changed forever…

Call me fickle, but the Liberty print Urbo 2 is now my most favourite baby item in the entire house. And yes, we have a lot of baby items. I may not be a buggy enthusiast, but I am a Liberty print enthusiast, so this stroller is like a dream come true for someone who has a weakness for beautiful, timeless, classic textile design.

Available in store from next month, the collaboration between Liberty and Mamas & Papas doesn’t stop at buggies. There’s a whole range of other products that have been given the Liberty print treatment, including toys and cute little baby clothes.

Back to the buggy though, and this is why it has won me over…

1. It’s beautiful

Did I mention that it’s beautiful? Not to labour the point, but… IT’S JUST SO PRETTY! Let’s just take a moment to soak in that classic Liberty print again shall we?

Even with the rain cover on it’s beautiful. It’s not just the Liberty print that I love though. Every detail of the Urbo 2 is stylish – right down to the chrome frame and plush leather handle.

I’ve always been a bit scornful of people getting all excited about buggies, not really seeing what all the fuss is about, but when multiple random strangers came up to us on holiday to complement us on our stylish buggy and ask where we got it from I totally understood. This is a very beautiful buggy.

2. It’s easy to handle

One of my key bug-bears about buggies is that they can be a pain to wheel around. You can get that trolley thing, where the wheels want to go a different way and you’re grappling with two hands and all your body weight to try and steer the thing. Not so the Urbo 2. I found it really easy to maneouver, as did my husband and my five year old daughter.

Surprisingly, I was also able to easily wheel the buggy along the beach. Not something I thought I’d be able to do as the wheels aren’t massive.

3. It has an adjustable handle

I know a lot of buggies feature an adjustable handle, so this might not be something you’d think was worth shouting about, but this handle is different to any I’ve seen in my fairly limited buggy experience. It has clips at the side which you can undo to push the handlebar to the exact height you want it to be. This means you have more flexibility than if it were just a three height setting option, for example. It also means you can push the handlebar right down to get it through tight spaces.

4. It has a deep hood

Baby Girl is at the age where she’s very curious to see what’s going on around her and really fights sleep when we’re out and about. This used to be easily solved by putting the SnoozeShade over the buggy but, recently, she’s started to protest at being hidden underneath a blackout blind when she knows there’s fun stuff happening on the outside. The deep hood on the Urbo 2 is a helpful compromise though. It blocks enough light out to create a cosy mobile sleep environment for my inquisitive baby but allows her to see enough action for her not to kick off when it’s lowered.

5. It’s really comfortable

We were sent the matching footmuff which attaches to the buggy, making the whole stroller like a little nest on wheels for Baby Girl. But even without the fleecey lined footmuff, the buggy is comfort itself. It has padding around the straps (which are a lovely safe five point harness, by the way) and a very soft padded seat. Plus, the seat itself can be adjusted to different positions depending on if you have a baby or toddler. When Baby Girl gets bigger we’ll fold it down so she can put her feet down to rest on the foot rest in the forward-facing buggy position.

It’s not cheap with prices starting around £500 for the Liberty special edition pushchair options, but if you’re looking for a buggy that makes a style statement and are a sucker for a heritage print then this is most definitely for you. Well done Mamas & Papas and Liberty – it’s top marks from us.

 

CREDITS:

Liberty Caesar Urbo², £579
Liberty Caesar Footmuff, £94.95

MAMAS & PAPAS: 0845 606 7772, www.mamasandpapas.com

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Thanks to Mamas & Papas for sending me special edition Liberty print Urbo 2 and footmuff for the purpose of this review. All opinions and images – as ever – remain my own. The Liberty collection will be available at Mamas & Papas from September 2015.