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Marina and Poppy review the Mamas and Papas Ultima MPX
Marina Frow (26 years old) from Sheffield is Mum to Poppy (16 weeks). Marina recently purchased the Mamas and Papas Ultima MPX and has kindly answered a few questions upon the pram/ pushchair for us:
What make is the Pram/ Pushchair?
Mamas and Papas
What model is the Pram/ Pushchair?
Ultima MPX
When did you purchase the Mamas and Papas Ultima MPX?
July 2011
Where did you purchase the pram/ pushchair?
Mamas and Papas outlet store
How much did you pay for the Mamas and Papas Ultima MPX?
£350
Do you think the Mamas and Papas Ultima MPX was worth of it’s retail price?
Yes. Although I wouldn’t pay the full retail price though.
Do you drive? If so what car do you drive?
Yes, I drive a Nissan Micra
Does the Mamas and Papas Ultima MPX fit into the boot?
It just fits in the boot!
If you make use of public transport, do you find this pram/ pushchair easy to use whilst out and about?
I’ve not tried.
What made you decide upon purchasing this pram/ pushchair?
I liked the way it was a travel system and could be a ‘9 in 1’.
Were there any additional features (such as a parasol, changing bag or shopping carrier) that were included in the package you purchased?
I bought additional accessories including a changing bag, foot muff, a rain cover, rosette and a stand
What colour pushchair/ pram did you buy and why?
I purchased the Mimi style, which is black with while polka dots. I thought it was fun and quirky.
Was size an issue when purchasing your pushchair/ pram?
I had to make sure it would fit into my small car.
Where do you keep your pushchair/ pram?
I keep the pram in the car boot
Is this the only pushchair/ pram you own?
Yes
Are you happy with your pushchair/ pram? If so why?
Yes – It has come in useful, the car seat attached straight onto base so great for space saving in the car and not disturbing baby. The carrycot is used on a stand for daytime naps.
Is there anything which you are unhappy about regarding your pushchair/ pram?
The base is quite bulky when in car, and the car seat is heavy.
The Mamas and Papas Ultima MPX is a versatile travel system which is available in a range of designs and usually retails from £749 from www.mamasandpapas.com. For further information visit www.mamasandpapas.com
Boosting Travel with the Bubblebum Inflatable Booster Seat.
Suitable from ages 4-11 years, the Bubblebum booster seat is a cost-effective, portable and lightweight solution for travelling with children. Measuring 13 x 13 x 4.5”, The Bubblebum booster seat rolls up neatly inside a small bag for carrying and when required for use can be removed from the bag and inflated with ease. The Bubblebum folds flat enough to fit into the average sized handbag or changing bag. Due to it’s compact size, the Bubblebum is ideal for using in cars, taxis, buses/ coaches, school trips, car pooling or travel abroad (this item should not be used whilst on-board an aeroplane as the Bubblebum booster seat is designed to be used with a three point seatbelt, not lap belts).
The UK law states that every child under the age of twelve years and shorter in height than 135cm must travel with a child seat or a booster seat, in order to help avoid serious injury in the event of a traffic collision. The Bubblebum inflatable booster seat has been approved under the United Nations ECE Regulation R44/04 for safety for both Groups 2 and 3. It is designed to use with a standard three point adult seatbelt that has been approved to the ECE Regulation 16 or equivalent.
Mums Baby Magazine put the Bubblebum (v2) inflatable booster seat to the test whilst travelling. We were surprised by how small and lightweight the Bubblebum booster seat was whilst in its drawstring bag. The Bubblebum booster seat was very simple to inflate and took just under a minute to blow up to full size, the mouthpiece features a twist nozzle to ensure to secure airflow. Bubblebum states that after the booster seat has been inflated more than twice that it attempts to self inflate (from deflated) when the nozzle is released, it is therefore advisable to ensure the nozzle is twisted closed at all times (other than during inflation). It is essential that adults carry out inflation not children. To deflate the Bubblebum booster seat, simply twist the nozzle, roll the Bubblebum booster seat until deflated and twist the nozzle so that it is secure.
The Bubblebum Booster seat can be used by children who are:
- Between 4-11 years of age
- Between 15-36 kgs
- Measure up to 135cm in height
It is however advised to keep your child in the lowest sized car seat until they reach the maximum measurements for that particular seat. When children outgrow their forward facing seat (usually when they weight between 15-18 kgs) they should ride using booster seats in the back seat until the vehicle seat belt fits properly (the lap belt should lay across the bony part of the pelvis/hips and the shoulder belt should go across the chest, never across the face or throat). Children should use a booster seat from around 4 years of age (as most children over the age of four weigh over 40lbs which is the recommended starting point for booster seats to be used) until the vehicle seat belt fits correctly, which is usually when they reach 4 feet 9 inches.It is recommended that children should always be placed in the rear seats of a vehicle and therefore it is not recommended to use this product in the front seat of any vehicle.
The Bubblebum Booster seat is brightly coloured and made from soft fabric thus comfortable for young children whilst seated. The Bubblebum booster seat can be sponge washed and air dried. However, the cover should never be removed for washing or ironed as it is part of the seat itself and machine washing/ ironing this item could interfere with the products performance.It is possible to fit three Bubblebum booster seats across the back seat of a car provided that the car has enough three point seat belts. The Bubblebum Booster seat can be fitted easily by threading the lap belt section of the three point seatbelt through each side of the Bubblebum using the red safety catches and then clicking the seat belt into its holder, it’s simple! The Bubblebum Booster Seat V2 now includes a belt positioning clip which holds the seat belt against your child’s shoulder and away from their neck to prevent them from tucking the seatbelt under their arm (a very dangerous habit which many children seem to carry out during travel).
Mums Baby Magazine were so impressed with the simplicity and ease of the Bubblebum Booster Seat that we gave it 10/10. The Bubblebum Booster Seat is a must have for parents who are regularly on the move or finding themselves having to remember to remove or insert car seats on a regular basis due to transporting children. The Bubblebum Booster Seat is available for £29.99 from www.bubblebum.co.uk Travelling with Tots
- Candy Damask Diaper Diddle £16.90 (www.mumsbabymagazine.com/shop)
- Bobbo the Bear Qatch My Travel Toy £20 (www.mumsbabymagazine.com/shop)
- Choc Buds Large Monkey Foot Wet Bag £16.00 (www.mumsbabymagazine.com/shop)
- My Carry Potty £24.99 (www.mycarrypotty.com)
- Red Polka Dot Miracle Changing Bag City Range £37 (www.mumsbabymagazine.com/shop)
- Tipu Tiger Trunki £34.99 (www.trunki.com)
Making Travel Tidy with Carries Crafts Car Tidies.
Travelling with little ones can be difficult at times, children become easily frustrated with the lack of entertainment and restrictions of car seats. It is possible to reduce the tension and ease the frustration of travelling for little ones by offering simple distractions such as books and toys. However, as soon as you do begin to take along ‘mobile entertainment’ it can feel as if your car becomes a oversized and rather disorganised toy box.
In order to give your car some order and enable little ones to access items easily, it is possible to fit a car tidy to the back of the chair which is in front of your child’s car seat. There are a range of car tidies available on the market, most of these are either standard designs to suit your car make/model or usually black in colour. Carries Crafts have recently launched a new range of car tidies which are not only colourful but also be personalised too!
Carries Crafts produce a range of handcrafted items including bibs, drawstring bags, crayon rolls, bunting, bags, wipes, sensory ribbon blankets, roll up changing mats, car seat covers, large blankets, clothing and car seat tidies. Carries Crafts use well known fabric prints from the likes of Alexander Henry, Amy Butler and Michael Miller, many of these prints are not available on the high-street! Carries Crafts are more than happy to undertake bespoke orders in order to produce high quality and affordable ‘one-off items’. For more information upon Carries Crafts visit www.carriescrafts.net
Mums Baby Magazine put a car tidy from Carries Crafts to the test in a rather disorganised car, littered with an array of books, toys and blankets. We began by fitting the car seat tidy to the chair using the simple tabs featured in each corner. We found that there are several ways in which you can tie your car 
tidy to the seat itself. However, we found the most effective method to be wrapping it around the chair itself (see photos) and then tying the tabs securely by the head rest.
Each car tidy features two large elasticated pockets which can fit a range of items into. We managed to fit the following items into the Carries Crafts Car Tidy:
- 2 board books
- 1 large plush book
- 1 plush toy
- 1 pacifier
- 1 Sippy cup of water.
When purchasing a car tidy it may be worth considering the colour you select carefully, as when little ones have shoes on they may rub muddy feet against the car tidy…thus it is worth selecting a darker colour which will not show dirt as easily.
The Carries Crafts Car Tidy can be washed easily at forty degrees Celsius, although due to the delicate stitch
ing it may be worth selecting a less vigorous wash cycle (such as delicates).
Carries Crafts Car Tidies are individually homemade with love, each car tidy is a standard size (35cm x 55cm) which fits most cars. However, custom sizes can be created if required.
Carries Crafts Car Tidies are available in a wide range of fabrics (or you can have a custom tidy made in a fabric of your choice!), Background fabric is cream by default but can be made in blue, pink, purple or red and there is a wide choice of fabric for the pockets. Lettering can be machine stitched or hand sewn for a more personal touch
Mums Baby Magazine give the Carries Crafts Car Tidies 7/10 as we feel that it could possible have more pockets (such as a bottle pocket). Otherwise, we were very impressed with the design and deem these tidies to be the ideal way in which to organise the chaos which travelling with a child can cause. Not only can these car tidies be used in the car but due to their design they are ideal for hanging over the back of a door, over a baby gate or even over the back of a cot!
Carries Crafts Car Tidies are available for £16.00 from www.carriescrafts.net
The Hauck Luna 11, Lightweight but Long!
The Hauck Luna 11 Buggy is available from a range of online retailers, with an average price of £47.95.
Suitable from six months upwards (with a maximum weight allowance of 15kg), The Hauck Luna 11 features a five point harness, manoeuvrable swivel wheels, detachable hood, two position recline, rubber footrest and a small shopping basket below the buggy. Mums Baby Magazine put the Hauck Luna 11 Buggy to a series of short tests to find out how exactly ‘Hauck handled!’.
How quickly can the Luna 11 be put together and put into use?
The Luna 11 unfolds and folds easily using a two catch locking system, the swivel front wheels are lockable and there are brakes on both back wheels. The Luna 11 features a removable sun canopy/ hood which uses two clips either side to attack to the frame of the buggy. This can be placed in numerous positions to protect your little one against the sunshine. However, the Luna 11 does NOT come with a rain cover, this must be purchased separately.
It took Mums Baby Magazine under ten seconds to open the buggy and get it ready to place a child into. However, strapping them in was a little more difficult. The Luna 11 also features a five point harness which clips together. We found the clip quite difficult to get together as each part of the clasp requires fixing to the other. However, the straps are easily adjustable and offer a good amount of material to adjust the length of the straps for larger children.
Is the Luna 11 comfortable?
The Hauck Luna 11 has two zips either side of the chair which can be undone to recline the seat. However, this means that there are only two positions which the buggy can be in (either sat up or reclined). The Luna 11 also has a rubber foot rest which children can rest their feet upon. However, this is not practical when wet as little feet do tend to slip.
The Luna 11 buggy certainly seemed comfortable enough. However, it doesn’t have any leg support as such or cosy toes attachments which may be a requirement if using this buggy in cooler conditions. When we took a toddler for a short stroll using this buggy, the lockable, swivel wheels made steering very easy. The handle bars (foam lined) are easy to grip and quite high, therefore are ideal for taller parents.
How does the Luna 11 measure up?
The Luna 11 Buggy is colourful, bright and modern in design, the Luna 11 has a steel frame and is one of the most lightweight buggy’s we have come across in terms of weight thus making the Luna 11 an ideal buggy to pop into your car boot for a trip out shopping. When folded the Luna 11 is extremely thin and takes up a very little amount of space. However, it’s length is a different matter… We tried placing the Luna 11 (whilst folded) flat into the boot of three different sized cars including a large Hyundai Santa FE, we found that the Luna 11 is surprisingly longer than the average buggy when folded and was awkward to put into and take out of a smaller car.
The Luna 11 measures:
Open: 82cm x 47.5cm x 106cm Folded: 118cm x 30cm x 25cm Seat Width: 31cm Weight: 5.6kg
How easy to clean is the Luna 11?
The Luna 11 can be easily wiped down and washed using ‘sponge cleaning’. Alternatively, both the cover and canopy are removable and can be washed by hand. The outer material is 100% polyester with 100% polyester fleece filling.
How robust is the Luna 11?
Although the Hauck Luna 11 appears to be a trendy buggy, in reality we found that it seemed a little flimsy. The hood clips to the frame yet it still seems to flap about when windy. We also found that the handle bar grips seemed to slide around the handles and needed adjusting. We would also advice against hanging bags over the handle bars as this buggy isn’t the strongest stroller available.
Stroller Summary
The Pros
- Extremely lightweight
- Super easy to open and fold up
- Good for taller parents
- Looks trendy
The Cons
- Too long for many boots (very tall)
- Only one recline position
- No Cosy Toes
- No Rain Cover
- No Leg Support
- Flimsy hood
Mums Baby Magazine give the Hauck Luna 11 6/10. The Hauck Luna 11 is available in either silver or red. For further information upon details and retailors go to www.hauck.co.uk
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