Reviewed by Leigh Johnson, “recovering shopaholic Mum”

Babystyle Oyster in Green/Black

Trendy, handles perfectly, offers an extremely smooth ride, roomy shopping basket, convenient for public transport, and folds and tucks away neatly – what’s not to like about the BabyStyle Oyster?

BabyStyle Oyster: I love it because…

At the risk of sounding loony, I confess that I knew the Oyster was “the one” the moment I saw pics of it online!

The best things about the Oyster is that it is everything I need it to be:

Babystyle Oyster in Pearl with Footmuff

It’s so easy to push and offers a smooth ride. We live in the city and we don’t use the pushchair off road very much but I use it on a variety of surfaces like cobbles, gravel, sand, and at the park… and the ride remains relatively smooth. I know it isn’t built for off road use though, but much to my surprise my baby doesn’t “rattle n roll” in it.

Great for Public Transport. The Oyster is so easy to steer and turns on a 6 pence. It’s less than 60 cms wide so it’s not a problem getting on and off buses. I drive all the time when I use it but my Ma takes the public transport and she finds it really easy to cope with unlike the previous pushchairs we’ve had before.

Big basket. As I said in my self description I am a shopaholic so naturally I love having baby pushchairs with massive baskets. But the best thing about the Oyster’s shopping basket is that unlike other pushchairs, its basket remain conveniently accessible even when the seat is fully reclined. Call me nuts, but I love it!

Suitable from birth to 15 kg. The back of the seat reclines up to 3 positions, but the lowest it could go is at 143 degrees. Meaning, it doesn’t recline to 150 degrees or more which are the best angles for newborn babies (something to do with their spinal development). That’s why we bought the carrycot and car seat with it because I wanted to be able to use it from birth.

BabyStyle Oyster Car Seat

It’s compatible with a few car seats: Oyster LB321, Maxi Cosi Cabriofix, and Britax Baby Safe car seats.

Easy to clean Fabric. I’m obsessed with the colour white so I really really wanted the Pearl one but I was worried about stains so I read up on what the fabric was like. A popular review site mentioned it was easy to clean so I went ahead and bought it. It really IS easy to clean and even though it had suffered a few spillage abuses it still looks like new.

Another fab feature is the reversible seat, and it can be folded regardless of which way the seat is facing! No fiddling, unlike other pushchairs!

Good Value for Money. The Oyster is not the cheapest Travel System, but if you compare it with other travel systems with similar features it’s excellent value for money.

No Hassle Storage. It fits OK in my VW Passat’s boot and I’ve read another Mum say in a forum somewhere that it even fits inside their VW Polo! I find it hard to believe to be honest but maybe she managed because she took off the seat, plus the wheels come off easily. The folded dimensions with wheels are W56 x D40 x H75cm, but without wheels it measures W50 x D31 X H70cm (Take note that the rear wheels are 25 cm in diameter and the front wheels are 18 cm).

Other Pros worthy to note:

Babystyle Oyster is Compact when Folded

• Front lockable swivel wheels
• Built in sun canopy and UV mosquito net
• Adjustable foot rest
• 4 wheel suspension system
• quick release wheels
• Adjustable and removable bumper bar
• Viewing window in hood
• Adjustable hood
• Padded 5 point harness (fully adjustable)
• Raincover included
• Adjustable handles

BabyStyle Oyster: The Cons

Negative points? Well it’s really hard to fault the Oyster to be honest but :

• It would have been nice to have a cup holder.
• A carry handle would be nice to make it more handy for my Ma when she needs to carry it.
• Weighing at around 11 kg, it’s heavy for my Ma so would be nice if it’s about 9 kg or less to make it easier for my Ma.
• I wouldn’t recommend it for frequent off road use, or to those who live in the country side or parents who like the Outdoors.

Conclusion

I would happily recommend the Oyster to parents with newborns who value style and practicality without having to pay an arm and a leg for it!

BabyStyle Oyster Travel System Specifications:

The BabyStyle Oyster is Available in Colours:

• Black/green
• Pearl
• Black /Pink

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Accessories Included in Price (Could depend on the package deal you buy)

• Footmuff
• Raincover
• Shopping basket

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Pushchair Accessories Compatible with BabyStyle Oyster:

Alternatives

The Oyster has similar specifications to Bugaboo Bee, Bugaboo Chameleon, Stokke Explory, iCandy Apple, and Quinny Buzz 4 but sells at a cheaper price.

If the Oyster is still too heavy or expensive for you, lighter and cheaper travel systems are Graco U’go, Graco Mirage, Graco Mosaic One,  Mutsy Spider and Maxi Cosi Loola Up.

Maclaren Techno XLR in Black/Champagne

If you’re a busy Mom like myself who needs a no-nonsense, super easy to push, lightweight but reliable pushchair that’s easy to adjust with one hand, I’d definitely recommend giving the Maclaren Techno XLR a shot.

Maclaren Techno XLR: I love it because…

Well I’ll have you know now that one of the most compelling reasons that convinced me to buy it was because every review I read about it on the internet was favourable. Everybody seemed to love their XLR, and so I went ahead and bought it for our Chloe (a week before she was due to arrive, I might add!). It’s been 3 months now and I’m happy to report the XLR didn’t fail my expectations.

Apparently the XLR is Maclaren’s version of a luxurious XT (which is one of the bestselling pushchair in the Maclaren range), so I liked the sound of it straight away. The XT in itself sounded perfect to me but Chloe was our first daughter so we wanted the best in both functionality and comfort.

We live in the city and I hate driving so I wanted a pushchair buggy that is going to last even if I used it rigorously everyday. Because of Maclaren’s reputation as a maker of reliable pushchairs, we looked at their models.

One of its strongest feature I think is that it’s such a dream to push. I’ve gone to long walks with this travel system and so I’ve pushed it up kerbs, around corners, carried it up and down stairs, used the public transportation with it, and even used it on escalators!

Maclaren Techno XLR in Pink (all images courtesy of Kiddicare)

Yet another crucial point is that compared to other travel systems, the Techno XLR is quite light, weighing only 8 kg (with the hood and shopping basket)!

Something that the reviews I’ve read before didn’t mention is the handles of the XLR are very high. Because I’m 5′11″ and my partner is 6′4″, the XLR is perfect because both of us are tall but we have 5 inches height difference. My partner find most pushchairs too low for him but the XLR’s handles goes from 110 to 130 cm so it’s perfect for tall people like us.

I really like the massive hood with viewing window and sun visor because if the shade is not enough, you can unzip the hood from the back and extend the entire hood forward, giving even more protection from the sun. Another thing I love about it is the pockets and net bag at the hood’s back. I’m always doing several things at once so having somewhere to stash random things into is a big plus for me!

The seat reclines to 4 positions, including an angle suitable for newborns (more than 150 degrees), so again it was perfect for us. We have the 2009 model which Maclaren recently improved by changing the recline adjustment to a simple lever that you can operate with one hand. Again, this tickles my fancy because I rarely have both hands free hehehe…

The buggy itself folds in umbrella style It’s easy to fold with one hand. We bought the XLR with the Recaro first stage baby car seat, which we found easy enough to attach and remove from the pushchair, and easy to use in the car, too.

Other Pros worthy to note:

• Front lockable swivel wheels
• Sturdy, aeronautical quality aluminium frames
• Carrying handle makes it easier to carry when folded
• Adjustable foot rest
• 5 point harness – press on both sides to release
• Easy to use rain cover with good coverage
• The XLR can accommodate a child with weight of up to 15 kg

Maclaren Techno XLR: The Cons

Now for the not-so-good points.

Maclaren Techno XLR is compact when folded

The only thing I can genuinely complain about is the 2 kg shopping basket. I’m a work-at-home Mom and I tend to work even when I’m out pushing the pushchair so I tend to bring my entire office with me wherever I go. Sadly the shopping basket doesn’t help, so either I take extra storage bags with me or I limit myself to a few essential items.

Personally, the shopping basket is the only thing I want to complain about, but based on experience I can imagine the following to be potential pitfalls for parents with needs different to mine:

The XLR is not for short people. Even the lowest setting of the handles will come up to about chest to armpit level for a person who is 5′1″ to 5′3″ tall. I know because my best friend is about this height and she had always complained to me about it!

Also, although it can be described as hardly taking up any space when folded (112 x 35 x 33 cm), it’s fairly long so in that respect some people might still find it awkward to store. It fits OK in our car boot though.

The seat is not reversible, but I didn’t mind. I just thought I’d mention it here because I know some parents who want a travel system to use from birth likes to face their baby during the first few months.

Lastly, because it’s not an all terrain pushchair, I would only recommend the XLR for city dwellers like myself. I’m not saying it won’t cope well for off road use, but I haven’t used it heavily on country roads or off the beaten track, and judging by its specifications I don’t think it was made for this purpose either, but don’t take my work for it OK!

Conclusion

If you are a tall city dweller looking for a great, easy to use, reliable pushchair suitable for use from birth and great for public transport, the Maclaren Techno XLR baby travel system could be the perfect pushchair for you if you don’t mind a small shopping basket and non-reversible seat.

Maclaren Techno XLR Travel System Specifications:

The Maclaren Techno XLR is Available in Colours:

• Black/Champagne
• Coffee Brown/Sky Blue
• Coffee Brown / Powder Pink

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Accessories

Accessories Included in Price (Could depend on the package deal you buy)

• Recaro 1st stage car seat
• car seat adaptors
• Shopping basket
• Hood with sun visor
• Raincover
• Maclaren footmuff

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Pushchair Accessories Compatible with Maclaren Techno XLR:

Alternatives

If you like the Maclaren Techno XLR but you’re not that tall and you prefer a good all terrain travel system instead, check out our review of the Graco Quattro Tour Deluxe TSB.

If you want a travel system cheaper than the XLR, check out the following budget travel systems: Graco Mosaic One, Graco Mirage and Mutsy Spider.

Britax Vigour 4+ Baby Stroller in Black

Britax Vigour 4+ is another trendy pushchair that, if used as a travel system, can be used from birth until your child outgrows the pushchair. Versatile and practical, it’s designed for heavy Urban use.

Britax Vigour 4+ Travel System: The Pros

This Britax pushchair is a stylish stroller that is easy to use: it’s easy to push and easy to fold and unfold even with one hand because of the self-catching clip. It has suspension too for added comfort for your baby.

The seat covers are removable and can be washed.The hood is massive and offers a generous shade and shelter against the elements.

The shopping basket is easily accessible, although things can fall out of it when going up kerbs so watch out for this.

The seat recline can be adjustable easily and smoothly with one hand to lie back in any angle because it reclines in a continuous fashion. You can even have your baby lying down completely flat.

It has a reversible seat unit, which is a great feature to use especially during those crucial early months when you may prefer to have your baby face you so you can talk to them or keep an eye on them. When they get older you can then have them face the other way so they can see the outside world.

The handle bar adjusts from 87 cm to 107 cm, so short and tall carers will find a suitable handle position for their own height.

Using it for public transport is convenient enough, although some users have found it a bit challenging on buses because of the extra wide rear wheels.

Pushchair Accessories Included in Price (May vary from Merchant to Merchant):

• Hood
• Shopping basket
• Raincover

Bitax Vigour 4+: The Cons

The raincover that comes with it is quite difficult to put away because it’s quite stiff and doesn’t fold much. Because of this, it can take up the entire shopping basket underneath if you put it there. Putting it over the carrycot is difficult too, because you have to remove the carry cot first from the chassis to put the raincover on.

The britax 4+ can also be bulky when folded (65 x 85 x 65 cm). However, it helps that the wheels are easily removable in no time at all. This will come in handy especially for those who have small car boot spaces.

Conclusion

I will recommend the Vigour 4+ for city dwellers who’d like a versatile pushchair that can take the tolls of everyday use. It’s also great for carers who have massive height differences. If you want a pushchair from birth to toddler years, have the Britax Vigour 4+ as a travel system.

Britax Vigour 4+ Specifications

Britax Vigour 4+ is Available in the following colours:

• Anthracite
• Mars Red
• Coffee

Video

Accessories

Pushchair Accessories Included in Price (May vary from Merchant to Merchant):

• Hood
• Shopping basket
• Raincover

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Alternatives

Bugaboo Chameleon