The Mamas & Papas Strada Best Pushchair is one of the latest releases from the brand, sporting four different colour pallets and just as many bundles, consisting of four to eight pieces, depending on your needs. Here's how dad-of-two Mark got on when he tested the Grey Melange Mamas & Papas Strada.
www.mamasandpapas.com
Mamas & Papas Strada overview
Pros:
• Collapsible lay flat
• Compact
• Easy to fold and unfold the frame
• Lightweight and easy to manoeuvre
• Excellent amount of padding
Cons:
• Handlebar height adjuster feels flimsy and easy to misalign
• Small basket
• If not careful the clip that keeps the frame together when folded can catch on things when stepping over, such as door frames
Key features
The Mamas & Papas Strada pushchair is a small and easy-to-collapse pushchair which has a lot going for it.
With its three-step collapse process (twist, fold and lift), boosted by a collapsing lay flat baby basket, the whole unit takes up half as much space in the boot as other pushchairs we’ve used in the past, leaving plenty of space for the shopping or the dog.
Compact frame and lay flat
The lay flat and compact foldable frame are the real selling points for us. The ability to collapse the lay flat to the size the Strada does is a huge pro! Measuring 50cm by 70cm by 30cm (approximately) the folded Strada frame fits nicely around the collapsed lay flat. Together they measure 40cm by 85cm by 50cm (approximately) which, in our experience, is about half the space of a car boot, leaving plenty of room for shopping, or more often for us, the dog.
What would be beneficial would be some sort of harness or cable to secure the frame and lay it flat so that it doesn’t slide about in transit. That said, it wasn’t difficult to makeshift something out of an old dog lead which works fine.
Manoeuvrability
The Strada feels very light and smooth to manoeuvre around the street, ideal for a trip around town or up to the shop. However, as a dog-walking family, we spend a lot of time in fields or rougher terrain, so personally, we prefer a heavier, bigger wheeled, sturdier frame. Sometimes while “off-roading” in the Strada, our baby looked like he was bouncing about and would struggle to sleep at times.
Testing the Mamas & Papas Strada
To test the Strada we made it our main pushchair for everyday life; this included school runs, dog walks, car trips to visit friends and family as well as hospital appointments.
At the time of this review, our child is five weeks old and we have been using the pushchair since birth.
The initial assembly of the Strada was very quick and the instructions were very clear. The main pushchair unit was as simple as inserting the wheels and you were good to go. The lay flat and seating unit only needed their liners and hoods attached via zips and they were also ready for use.
After that, setting up the pushchair is as straightforward as pulling the side clip and lifting. The seating and lay flat units are smooth to attach and release with buttons on either side. Unfortuanately, the handlebar adjuster is a bit of a letdown. With independent clips on either side, it is far too easy for one to be out of line with the other, resulting in a lopsided experience.
With our first boy, space in our car was already pushed to its limits. Our previous pushchair, the Silver Cross Pioneer, when folded and combined with either the lay flat or seat, would consume the entire boot, leaving no room for the dog. Our workaround was to fold the passenger side rear seat up to make room for the combined pair there, so the dog had the run of the boot.
This meant with our second on the way we were very concerned about space and being able to go anywhere as a family. Luckily for us, the Strada has solved this problem. With its compact design, the Strada frame and collapsing lay flat fold up small enough to leave room in the boot for the dog, so our newborn can use that previously folded-up rear passenger seat.
Our previous pushchair was a bigger and heavier frame which made it more cumbersome to manoeuvre when compared to the Strada but that heavier frame did have its upside. You felt comfortable walking the dog with the previous pushchair, confident in its weight preventing the pushchair from moving if the dog would suddenly stop or move in a different direction. With the lighter-weight Strada we are less confident and could see the potential for an accident so haven’t done the same thing with the Strada. Luckily though, the lightweight design also means it can be driven one-handed, leaving the other free for the dog lead.
Final thoughts
The Mamas & Papas Strada was easy to assemble, easy to drive, easy to fold and easy to transport. Its light frame and small wheels make it ideal as a road pushchair when out and about or walking up to the shops but its small basket does hamper how much you can transport and those smaller wheels and lighter frame don’t lend themselves to travelling across fields or gravel.
Overall, the Mamas & Papas Strada is a well-made pushchair that would be at home with any family. In comparison to our previous pushchair, it has some benefits and some disadvantages but they both achieve the most important thing, a safe and comfortable place for our newborn whilst out and about.
Full product spec
Age Suitability: Birth - 15kg (3 years approx.)
Dimensions: L88 x W56 x H95cm
Folded dimensions: L70 X W56 x H95cm
Weight: 10.5kg
Shopping basket: 45 x 43 x 50