Having bought and loved the Armadillo Flip XT with all it’s bells and whistles, I was really excited to try out the lightweight version for our holiday – The Armadillo City Stroller.
Mamas and Papas have named this little beauty the “Slim Line Big Little Stroller” and I can see why. It has the same feel and look as it’s big brother the Armadillo Flip XT but in a much more compact shell. Although the Flip XT is a brilliant pram, it isn’t practical for lumping on and off flights so we knew that we would have to find something smaller and more compact for our travels this summer. The City stroller was the obvious choice for us as it was in a reasonable price bracket (from £149) and operated in a very similar way to our lovely Flip XT.
What do you get?
- Chassis
- Wheels (easy to put on!)
- Rain cover
- Instruction Booklet
Ease of Assembly
The lovely staff in Mamas and Papas actually assembled ours for us in store so we could wheel it away then and there. Nothing is ever too much trouble for them. They are honestly brilliant in there! However, it did only take the lady about 3 minutes to pop the wheels on and have it ready to go. She even installed our pram liner in it. I’d say it was about the easiest stroller I’ve ever seen to put together.
Positives
- So light and easy to push that I can steer it comfortably with one hand at any time and still feel totally in control.
- Folds up with one easy twist and flip manoeuvre – again I can do this comfortably with one hand. This is a big plus when you are wrestling a screaming, back-arching baby under one arm and trying to fold down the stroller with the other!
- A large canopy that pulls over a lot further than many of the other strollers we have seen. The canopy also offers SPF50+ which is perfect if you are heading out and about over the summer. The canopy also has a flap you can lift so that you can see what your little darling is up to in there.
- For a stroller, it has a surprisingly decent sized basket underneath that happily stored my large changing bag and a couple of coats.
- A roomy seat unit. Sophie is a dainty little thing so this doesn’t really matter for us but if you have a bigger child then there is plenty of room in there.
- Unlike with so many buggies, you will not spend hours wrestling with an inexplicable rain cover. It is idiot-proof (even for me) and I popped it on with the handy clips in about 30 seconds.
- Design – you can get the Armadillo City in a variety of bright colours or just in a neutral if like me, that’s much more your thing. I love the streamlined look of the City stroller. Mr S actually looks quite proud to push it round too which is a bonus!
Negatives
- Whilst the seat does recline flat (and this is a positive) the mechanism for pulling it up and down seems fiddly and a bit awkward. I think that this could have been designed in a more obvious and user-friendly manner.
- The handle bar height cannot be adjusted so if you are particularly tall then it might feel a bit awkward to steer.
- There is no clip or area to hang your bag on but this is a minor point to be honest.
There are lots of matching accessories that you can purchase with the Armadillo range of buggies as with most ranges . We will be having a look for a lovely, snuggly cosey-toes when the summer is over. For now we have the coffee cup holder that slots neatly onto the side of the stroller (essential for a sleep-deprived Mama) and the parasol in the matching fabric.
All in all I am loving using the Mamas and Papas Armadillo City Stroller and I have complete confidence in taking it abroad with us this summer. If you are looking for a lightweight, versatile stroller then I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this to you.
xxx
It sounds great!I am already looking for a new stroller for when we go on holiday to Italy next April. Our new baby will be almost 6months and the buggy we are using for Leo now will be in the bin by then it’s so rubbish and our proper pram will just be too big to take on a plane. I love the look of this one, it sounds great. Love the yellow too xx #abitofeverything
wendy recently posted…Birthday gifts my 3 year old really wants
This looks great Fi – the other day I was in town with my Mum and our Maclaren just suddenly collapsed! So I’m on the lookout for a new one and this looks very sturdy but lightweight too. Great review! x #triballove
Bridie By The Sea recently posted…Ditching the Negative Vibes
Sounds the perfect stroller!
Brilliant review. I love the look of this pushchair, especially the colour, gorgeous! x #MarvMondays
Emma Plus Three recently posted…How to Tie Dye
Really good review. I’m past that stage thank god, but at the time it was a real pain trying to find reviews so I love seeing buggy ones when they are around, especially one as honest as this. This is so helpful to new mums! Very well written too!! #KCACOLS
We’re just about coming to the end of the pushchair phase as our youngest is nearly two and has moved on to a trike as his favourite means of transport. I’d have loved this pushchair though – it looks really stylish and I love the canopy.
Great review!
#bigpinklink
Oh that stroller looks great. Especially in the yellow. Makes me want to have another child 😉 #marvmondays
Emma recently posted…6 ways you can create the hotel look at home
Looks fab. Great price too and functionality. I am currently reviewing another stroller which fits in the over locker on planes. Genius! It also doesn’t have a bag holder which I do miss).
Love this ones yellow colour too!
Looks gorgeous! I always look for something easy to fold, unfold and put together. Being light and easy to steer is definitely a plus point. Thanks for sharing with #bigpinklink.
Agent Spitback recently posted…The Care of Tweens and Other Magical Creatures
Love that they put it together for you instore, how lovely! That rain cover looks genius too, ours was so stupid and you had to stretch it right over the top and tuck it under, that looks so much easier to use. Thanks for linking up to #MarvMondays. Kaye xo
I love the armadillo! We bought one for A but she’s outgrow ln it now so I’ve passed it on to my sister for her little one and they love it just as much as we did
Geraldine recently posted…Kidloland Review & Giveaway
We have this as a holiday stroller in the ochre colour! I love how simple it is to fold but agree about the fiddly reclining pull thing! We also had ours put together in store which was great, plus I was surprised with how compact it was once folded as I managed to fit both pram & stroller in the boot on the way home!
Lauren recently posted…Lamp-tastic
We’re choosing a stroller at the moment to take on holiday with us – I might have to pop into a shop to check this one out #KCACOLS
Kim recently posted…Swimming in The School Holidays with Multiple Toddlers
I love the colour and the easy folding system is key to me as I am always walking on my own. It needs to be easy to do with a baby in my arms! It’s at a very good price too! #KCACOLS
the frenchie mummy recently posted…When Mummy buys 1 pair of handcuffs for baby
This looks like a great little stroller, it looks like it folds up to be really small! I love that it still has a decent sized basket underneath too, and that it’s easy to handle one=handed. x #KCACOLS
Madeline (This Glorious Life) recently posted…Living arrows 28/52 and 29/52
These look very nice. It’s always helpful to have a light weight stroller that packs up easily. #TribalLove
This one is Perfect stroller for quick trips.
Seat fabric is really nice and padded, canopy is descent and I absolutely love that it came with the rain cover.
Only thing I wish it had were an adjustable leg rest and a child snack tray option.
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Hi Fiona,
It’s an outstanding little stroller and unique design.I really like this stroller. But the wheel is so small. Every day, I am going to jog with my kids. Big wheels are perfect for jogging .
Gabrielle Gagnon recently posted…15 Best Double Jogging Stroller Reviews 2016
Hi Fiona,
you have spent much time to write an amazing article. It is so helpful for mother. I will share it with lovely mother around the world. I deeply thank you!!
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