What they say:
“The seat unit converts into a lie-flat pram mode for baby and is also reversible so babies can travel in rearward facing position, and older babies can sit forward facing position. Incredibly versatile, can be used as a travel system and converts into a tandem pushchair by adding a second seat. For extra convenience, the basket unit can be pulled out to extend storage space. A clean and fresh environment for baby as fabric has been treated with a silver nano technology. For extra comfort the pushchair comes complete with a cosytoe, chest pads, a pram apron, liner and weathershield.”
Tested by dad Mark Jones for the M&B Awards 2017:
Would you recommend the Mothercare Genie to other parents?
I would recommend the Mothercare Genie to other dads and mums because it's easy to put together, easy to turn into a double buggy from a single, folds up pretty small (good for small car boots like ours), looks comfortable (no complaints from the toddler) and is a bargain compared to the other tandems that do the same thing.
How did this product make your life easier?
The Mothercare Genie makes me life easier as a dad because it's easily switched from a single pram to a double. I don't always take both out with me, or the twoligan sometimes decides she'd rather walk so it's great that I can just take the extra seat out and not have the extra weight or length on the pram.
Would you choose this product to win?
I would choose this tandem pram over the others because it's an absolute bargain. It does everything the more expensive prams do as far as I can tell but the price tag is far lower. The seats convert into the baby cot by just clipping the seat up so no need to even buy a separate carry cot as well as the extra seat. It's like they're trying to save you spending even more.
What changes would you make to this product?
If I could change something about this product, the quality of the seats is fantastic and they look really stylish, the chassis looks good too but I think the wheels on the chassis look pretty cheap and bring down the look of the pram a bit. Other than that, I really like this pram and can't really fault it.
Tested by dad Vincent Clarke for the M&B Awards 2017:
Would you recommend the Mothercare Genie to other parents?
This was the best value for money in my books, I liked the design, it felt like a good quality pushchair, being able to adapt from a single to double meant that we would not need to purchase another pushchair at a later stage. The pushchair felt well built enough to last a good few years. I would recommend this to first-time parents who plan to have another child as it could potentially save them a fortune.
How did this product make your life easier?
As a dad, I don't like carrying the change bag, this pushchair had a big enough basket to easily have the bag in. Sometimes in other pushchairs, when I have put the change bag in the basket it can be difficult to get to. Because of the good access I could even open the change bag and get things out without having to get the whole bag out of the basket.
Would you choose this product to win?
I found it very easy to use and my children were both sat very comfortably in the pushchair. When folded, it went in my car boot quite well and although slightly difficult to put down, it is very easy to assemble. I liked that I could use the car seat with the pushchair, I didn't have to wake my daughter to get her from the car to the pushchair.
What changes would you make to this product?
There isn't much I can fault with this pushchair. The only thing I can mention is preferring a drop-down handle bar height adjustment (changing the angle as opposed to the height) of the other pushchairs, the sliding action of this height adjustment just didn't seem to be as easy to push. Being quite tall, I had it set to the highest setting for my comfort, but when I tested it lower down it seemed easier to push and mount kerbs.
Tested by mum Colette Molyneux for the M&B Awards 2017:
Would you recommend the Mothercare Genie to other mums?
I would definitely recommend this pram if like me, you are a frugal person on a budget who is constantly alarmed by the rising cost of a baby human's needs. The price tag is the main message. After speed-reading the instructions, we were able to a) build it, b) fold it and c) pop it in the front seat of the car (I have dogs in the back). As a person who craves simple functionality in this demanding logjam of a world, I am more than happy to have this pram as a family aide.
How did this product make your life easier?
As I do not have to treat this product like the family silver due to the price, I am able to use it as the aide it should be. It has taken quite a few knocks but it's still holding up well in the onslaught. The baby has no issues with being replanted into the pram and the toddler's protestations are no more than the usual I would expect from her.
Would you choose this product to win?
If I thought that I would have an issue with this product, I know that Mothercare is a very accessible, historically sound and reputable brand on the high street and whilst I have considered Mothercare clothing to be an expense that I can avoid via other outlets, I applaud their foray into the affordable alternative.
What changes would you make to this product?
I would like the second seat to recline further considering that babies can jump from awake to asleep within the first bump in the pavement (there does not appear to be a semi-conscious state in a pram. This state only happens after midnight when you are walking the floor). In addition, the pram is rather long with two which makes the walking gait a little uncomfortable unless you are using the pram as a crutch - which I do.