REVIEW - SUMMER 2022
ON THE GO
Georgina Probert and her two-year-old daughter Florence review the Ark 3-in-1 Travel System.
W
ith so many different brands and models available, choosing the right buggy, pushchair or travel system for you and your family can seem daunting. What’s important to note is that lots of brands may be popular, but each family is different and what works for one might not work for another. A good starting point is to think about your lifestyle and your family’s needs. Are you going to use the buggy around a busy town centre or on long walks in the countryside? How often will you be folding the buggy and putting it in the car? Where will it be stored when not in use? Knowing how you will use the buggy will help you to identify the key features that will be important to you. For example, if you live in a town centre you are likely to want a more compact model that can easily navigate aisles in shops
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and busy pavements. While country dwellers might find that an all-terrain buggy is best for them. To help take some of the stress out of deciding which features you need and which features you can live without, we have road tested the Ark 3-in-1 Travel System. Designed and engineered in the UK, this is the first travel system released by this up-and-coming British brand.
Eco credentials
The first thing that drew us to Ark was the fact it uses sustainably sourced, natural and chemical-free fabrics, which is great for the environment but also good for our little ones’ delicate skin. When your new baby is lying in the carrycot, you want the fabrics
surrounding them to be hypoallergenic, soft and comfortable. The Ark mattress is made from wool and cotton, and carrycot is lined with cotton fabric that can be removed and machine washed – a very useful feature. Both wool and cotton are naturally fire retardant, so don’t need to be treated with chemicals to make them safe to use in pushchairs. Another huge plus point for the carrycot is that it can be used for overnight sleeping. This means that if you go on holiday, you won’t have to pack a separate Moses basket or travel cot, as your baby can sleep all night in the carrycot. Plus, we all know that newborns spend most of their time asleep, so they are likely to spend a lot of their day napping in the carrycot too. Ark recommends that you remove the hood, cover and bumper bar before use and open the ventilation panels when your child is sleeping in the carrycot overnight.
Size does matter
The Ark Travel System takes you from newborn right up until 15kg (roughly preschool age). Babies can use the carrycot up until six months old. While we really like how compact this travel system is (58cm wide), if you have a larger-than-average baby or toddler then you might find they outgrow the carrycot and seat much earlier. Our
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