9 minute read
On the go BUGGY REVIEW
With 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
ON THE GO
Georgina Probert and her two-year-old daughter Florence review the Ark 3-in-1 Travel System.
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
daughter has just turned two and she is almost too tall for the buggy seat. When we ‘borrowed’ our four-month-old niece to test out the carrycot, she had plenty of room and seemed very comfortable.
Hey, good looking!
The premium price tag of this travel system includes the detachable carrycot and toddler seat, which can be world- or parent-facing. We found that our daughter like to be parent-facing initially so she could see Mummy and Daddy, but she soon realised that there were much more exciting sights to see when she was facing the world. The travel system also comes with a rain cover that can be used for both the carrycot and the seat.
If your toddler likes to nap in the buggy then this model is a great option. It is really easy to lay down the seat using the two buttons at the side – but you will need two hands to do this. It is a smooth process and shouldn’t wake a sleeping child. The footrest can also be raised and lowered to make the seat more comfortable while it is reclined.
Let’s talk about looks. Don’t judge a book by its cover, but do judge a buggy by its style. While practical features and safety are at the top of our wish list, we also want a buggy that looks smart! The 3-in-1 Travel System certainly delivers. It comes in five gender-neutral colours: mustard yellow, black, coral red, melange grey and teal green. We tested the mustard design and loved the sleek, stylish look with a pop of colour on the hood and seat. The buggy looks and feels sturdy and well made, and our daughter found the seat comfortable to sit in. The five-point harness has adjustable shoulder straps and is easy to clip on and off. The Ark travel system features well-thoughtout design features that put babies and children’s comfort at the front of mind. The extendable 50+ UPF sunshade is great for keeping harmful UV rays out and the carrycot has an internal temperature gauge to let you know if your baby is at risk of getting too hot or cold. The carrycot’s ventilation panels at the top and bottom also help with temperature control.
It may seem like a small feature, but there’s a little pocket at the back of the seat, which is just the right size for a mobile phone, packet of tissues or car keys. The basket at the bottom of the frame is generous in size and has internal pockets for secure storage. The basket is waterproof and it can also be removed to be washed – an unusual but helpful feature.
Great on the move
One of the best features of the Ark buggy is how portable it is. The aluminium frame and carrycot have a narrow footprint, which means it is easy to fold, store and also to manoeuvre in tight spaces.
There are several folding options, depending on how flat you want the buggy to be. You can fold the frame with the carrycot and seat attached (world-facing only) or take the carrycot/ seat off the frame and fold them separately. The back wheels can also be easily removed and slotted back on.
We have a small car (Vauxhall Corsa) and the buggy fits perfectly in the boot with the wheels removed. In fact, Ark claims that the travel system can be folded flat enough to fit into the boot of a Mini.
The shock-absorbent wheels feature a patented honeycomb design and are made from TPU plastic meaning they won’t puncture. The wheels deliver two layers of suspension, as they compress and absorb shock on impact, providing a smooth ride for parent and child. The Ark Travel System does not come with a car seat, but you can purchase car seat adaptors and the frame is compatible with i-Size and Group 0+ car seats, including models from Maxi-Cosi, Cosatto, Joie, Nuna, Cybex and BeSafe. up from folded. A simple clip holds the buggy closed while folded and it can stand upright for easy storage.
The fold
The mechanics of opening and folding buggies can be a huge bugbear for many parents if it is too complicated. The Ark travel system has a one-hand fold mechanism whereby you click two buttons underneath the seat at the same time using your thumb and forefinger. You have to crouch down to operate this and we found that we needed practice to do it one-handed – you certainly couldn’t do it while holding a baby. But it does fold down easily once you have mastered the twist and click. And you do need two hands to open the buggy back
Handling and height
Our only complaint about this buggy was that it doesn’t handle kerbs very well. Often, we have to push a buggy with one hand due to holding our other daughter’s hand or shopping bags, or a takeaway coffee! We struggled to navigate kerbs when steering the buggy one-handed. You need to tip the buggy backwards to lift the front wheels to get up a kerb. If you are tall or simply find it more comfortable to have a higher handlebar, the PU leather handlebar can be easily adjusted one-handed using the large button in the centre. In some models we have tried, having a button on the handlebar can impair how comfortable it is to push the buggy. However, the placement on the Ark frame is well out of the way and did not hamper how easy it was to push the buggy. At 5ft8 tall, I have found many buggy handlebars are simply too low, making the buggy uncomfortable to push – but the Ark is ideal with three height settings from 102cm to 112cm. However, shorter parents under 5ft might find that the handlebar is a bit too high, even at its lowest setting.
Final word
Overall, we are really impressed with the Ark 3-in-1 Travel System. It has been designed to make parents’ lives easier and we love the safety features, luxury materials and smart look. This model is perfect for smaller babies and toddlers, but would not be ideal for children on the higher percentiles. It is really easy to steer and is comfortable for taller parents. We would like better kerb controlm as having to lift the front wheels each time you encounter a kerb is frustrating. If you are short on storage space and have a smaller car, then the compact fold is a big plus point. And the eco-credentials are the icing on the cake.
Technical Spec
RRP: from £799 Dimensions when folded: H86 x W58 x D32.5cm Weight: 11.7kg with seat unit, 11.9kg with carrycot Available from Ark:
arkpushchairs.com
What’s included
Frame Carrycot Front- and rear-facing seat unit Colour pack: hood, carrycot cover and seat pad Rain cover
Additional accessories (sold separately)
Car seat adaptors Mattress protector Snuggle Foot muff Bliss canopy Grab & Go bag
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