Pushchairs: Compare features & prices STOKKE Xplory review http://www.which.co.uk/baby-and-child/baby-transport/reviews/pushchairs/stokke-xplory/review/

We bought the Xplory after getting hooked on the looks and smooth ride in the showroom. However, as soon as the baby was born and we took it outside for the first ride, we were very disappointed. The suspension is almost non-existent. You can feel every minor bump on uneven pavements (the newly born baby feels it even more acutely and wakes up unless you keep your eyes on the surface of the pavement and maneuvre the buggy all the time), which is what you normally get in London. If the area where you live has cobbled pavements or concrete rectangular slabs instead of smooth asphalt, avoid this buggy at all cost! It rides like a wooden horse cart - the wheels are hard and you don't feel any suspension at all... It probably works great in Scandinavian countries with smooth roads, but is a poor choice for London streets. Yes, the other features are nice and live up to the promise, but the quality of the ride is a big let down and it is something that we could not ignore. Folding is also tricky if the strap of the travel bag gets caught up in the mechanism. Kudos to Which! for giving the model a rather low rating and noting the average quality of the ride and folding / unfolding issues. Too bad, we weren't subscribed to Which! when we were choosing our buggy...

Thank you to everyone for their comments on the Stokke Xplory.We'd just like to comment on the post from alexb78; 'Pretty shocked Which is linking to Bambino Direct, though. Google them. They're renowned as a disastrous company to buy from.'We have looked into this comment and found that there were a series of negative reviews of Bambino Direct on Mumsnet forums in 2008. However Bambino posted a response to these more recently saying:“Bambino Direct are under new management (Oct 2010). We’re now part of Buy it Direct, one of the largest e-tailers in the UK, and we’ve undergone a lot of changes. Our key focus is to provide all customers with the best possible deals available as well as giving great customer service. If you have any feedback on their new site or what you’d like to see from Bambino Direct please email us at mumsnet@bambinodirect.co.uk“You might not be aware that the prices on our website are not created by a 'link-up' between Which? and the companies that list prices from. Our position is as follows:'Typical prices are the most common online price we found & are updated monthly. Retailers you see on the 'Compare Prices' links are from a 3rd party. We cannot guarantee stock availability at these retailers and don't endorse them in any way. We are not responsible for any loss or damage for 3rd party websites and have no control over their content.We have informed our 3rd-party supplier of your concerns however and they have said that they will look into it.

Just wanted to say that we live in a flat and there are 6 stone steps to the front door of the building. I've bounced our child down and up those at least once a day every day - and he's now almost 3. The Xplory is fine on a short run of steps and a lot sturdier than you'd expect. It's designed to be light, but very robust. It's both. I love it and wouldn't have any other pram. As most people get through 2 or 3 by the time their kid is the age mine is, it's not as expensive on initial outlay as it looks.Pretty shocked Which is linking to Bambino Direct, though. Google them. They're renowned as a disastrous company to buy from.

I'm tall (5ft 10) and have a bad back and shoulders - and bought this on the advice of a physio - it is brilliantly easy to move and push even with one hand. The handle flips down really easily which cuts down on the space needed very fast.This pushchair is really fantastic - mostly becuase the child is so much higher up. This makes it better for them (at long last they see something other than knees and shopping bags), better for communication (whether front or rear facing), can be used as a highchair in restaurants, and you aren't being down all the time. Yes it is big and not super-easy to collapse (although mine went fine in my vw golf) - but I think that is missing the point. You do get used to those points and it is beautifully ergonomic (for adult and child - for example an adjustable footrest is so much better for a child sitting than dangling legs) and my 5ft 0 mothing found it just as comfortable to push and use. I really think it is the only pushchair where someone has thought about the child first (even if that means parent ease of use slightly second) - they get a better view, huge amounts more interaction (shop assistants, waiters, everyone talks to them when they are so high up), less traffic fumes and shopping bags in the face. Customer service is also brilliant. Come on Which - think about these things - and their contribution to child development - and nothing else compares. Yes, I'm evangelical - and I'm not a frequent reviewer, but this is really great.

I saw the Stokke in Germany originally and fell in love, its quirky looks and height - away from traffic sold it to me! On my return to the UK I discovered the prices and was ALMOST put off but then I started to read owner reviews - everyone loves the Stokke!Personally I do love it - it is light and easy to push, simple to transfer between the optional carrycot, basic seat and maxi-cosi car seat, the pram was excellent in the recent snow meaning I wasn't grounded and I use it with the carrycot on for baby to sleep during the day. The pram comes with 2 weather shields dependant on whith way baby is facing and I love the 'window' in the shield which allows you to let in fresh air without removing the whole shield. On saying that it would be good if the shield attached to the pram with a zip or press studs so that if you do need to fold it back it doesn't fall off - on the bus or train that would really be useful.I love the adjustable handle, means my hubby and I can tailor the pram to suit us.I did use the pram on the bus a week or so ago - goodpoints were that I could make the handle almost dissapear meaning I didn't take up to much space and people were not banging in to us - not so good, as mentioned previously was the weather shield, I had to remove it completely which meant storing it and putting it back on when I was near my stop. The pram was easy to manouvere on the bus. Another issue is that because of the small front wheels I have to take the pram backwards out of the house to avoid tipping baby out! The fabrics are washable but I find they dirty easily and seem to 'collect' hair etc as some fabrics do. I love the adjustable footrest - with my older children I hated when they dragged their feet at age 2 - dangerous! This will NEVER happen in the Stokke. It is not the easiest pram to fold and looks like a golf buggy when it is meaning it takes a lot of space - I have 2 cars a Fiat Multipla in which the pram fits well and a VW Sharan in which I have to remove the last row of seats for it to go in - not ideal.I am looking forward to using the Stokke for a couple of years and only having an umbrella fold for planes. Overall if you are looking for a stylish pram that keeps baby safe and is usable from birth until the end of buggy days AND will sell well at the end of your usage I would recommend - but if you constantly use the car consider other options and check it fits in your boot before buying!

First, the shortcomings: it's truly a pain to use at first, as the adjustments are hard to work out, and the instructions less than clear. It's not great over very rough terrain, and is indeed tricky to take apart and fit into a small car boot. It's a pram for an urbanite who doesn't have to negotiate too many steps (though I've always found it simple on escalators). It's ugly as well, in my opinion.The positives, however, are endless. I had mobility problems after giving birth, and it was easier to walk with the Xplory than without - was like a walking frame, with the sturdy, oval handlebar, so infinitely ajustable. I was also able to tend to my son without bending, as well as push with a straight back. It was slimmer than any other buggy we saw, and steers beautifully, as well as being very light. Your baby is up away from dogs, car exhausts, and legs, and can really see about and engage with you and the world, which he can't in a normal buggy. It faces both ways and reclines right back as well as sits right up - has 5 positions in all. It really can work as a high chair - has done many times for us - and the footrest adjusts, so it's always the right size. No dangling or crammed in feet, as with so many others. The customer service is wonderful - register online, and they offer a free 3 year warranty; apparently they've even been known to repair and service buggies bought second hand (which is another benefit - once your child is out of it, the resale value is high). Compare that with the Bugaboo horror stories on Mumsnet, once your buggy is a week out of guarantee!Finally, what on earth makes Which think that it can't be used from birth? Our November baby had the carry cot (it doesn't only take a car seat as an extra option!) but you'd not need even that for a summer-born, as the removable baby insert makes for an almost flat recline, just in the basic seat. It isn't ideal if you live in the countryside (Mountain Buggy's your beast), or drive everywhere (simple umbrella fold, all the way). But if you live in a city and walk a lot, then it's perfect.