Thursday 28 July 2011

Obaby Atlas Scribble stroller

After being very happy with the wonderful performance by the Graco mosaic travel system, for 18 months, we decided that we needed a umbrella-fold light weight stroller for travel purposes. We do take the public transport quite a lot and in the trains and buses it is a hassle if we have to fold our pram and put it away. Although a great stroller, the Graco mosaic is cumbersome when folded and has big wheels that makes fitting it anywhere other than big luggage racks a hassle. With Anjalie's grandparents offering to buy her a new stroller we thought it was a perfect time to go stroller hunting. After much research, looking around and tries. We bought the Obaby Atlas stroller with scribble design for £70 in Amazon a month ago.


It is light weight (7.7 kgs) and folds small H107 x W31 x D26 cm and compared to our Graco system it had two advantages, viz., smaller wheels and umbrella folding. We have not yet tried to fit the pram in the train overhead rack. But, with the small wheels and fold-flat mechanism, we hope that it will fit. It was one of the few light-weight push chairs that recline fully and also has enough leg rest that can fold down or stay up right.  This means that Anjalie can sleep very comfortably in this stroller. We did take it out and about for a couple weeks now. Having been extremely satisfied with our Graco mosaic, the Obaby Atlas, has some mighty wheels to fill. It is definitely light and easy to push and manoeuvre around. But it is also very flimsy and has already started to feel a little shaky in uneven terrains. This definitely cannot handle the wear and tear we have put our Graco Mosaic system through! We are not happy with the straps either. We do not doubt that it is safe. But Anjalie is at a stage where she is learning and wants to do everything for herself. She likes to do and undo the straps in her pushchair, high seat etc. The Graco straps were safe and easier for her to deal with on her own. But with the Obaby Atlas push chair it is very easy for her fingers to be caught in them, and squeezed, which is not great. Also the brake system is not the best design (which we were warned about by others before buying). The brake bar is flexible and flimsy. While, you can set the brakes by pressing on either side of the bar, to undo the brake you have kick in the centre of the bar. If we cannot get this right, we have to try to kick on both sides of the bar to adjust it (not ideal). Last, but not least, the maximum weight for this push chair is 15 kgs, while, Graco Mosaic can take up to 18 kgs. So we have decided to simply keep it for travelling purposes and continue using our Graco Mosaic day to day activities. The one point where it is better than the Graco mosaic is the compact easy throw over rain cover that comes with the stroller. It is very thick, easy to attach, fits perfectly and provides full coverage.


To summarise, Pros: light-weight, folds-flat, takes up less space, easy to move and manoeuvre, fully reclines, adjustable leg rest.


Cons: flimsy (not for everyday wear-n-tear & rough terrains), strap system can catch small toddler fingers, terrible design for the brakes.


Our verdict: good for travelling or once in a while use or as a spare. Cannot take everyday wear and tear or rough terrains.