Cybex Mios pushchair review

Pros

• Stylish design

• Genuinely suitable from birth

• Seat can quickly be turned parent- or world-facing

• Carrycot and car seat-compatible

• Wide variety of colour and print choices (17 at the time of writing)

• One-handed fold

• One-handed recline

• Adjustable handlebar

• Machine-washable fabric covers

• Manages well on all types of terrain

Cons

• On the heavier side for a lightweight buggy

• Hefty price tag (carrycot also sold separately)

What are the key features of the Cybex Mios?

• Can be used in four different ways – with a carrycot, car seat or with the main seat in parent- or forward-facing mode

• Four different recline positions

• Breathable mesh seat

• Removable seat inlay for warmth

• Leg rest adjustable to three different positions

• Large, extendable sunshade with UPF50+ sun protection

• Four-wheel suspension

• Peek-a-boo window

• In-built carry handle

• Swivel wheels

• Self-standing when folded

• Faux-leather handlebar

• Three-point harness

What are the specs?

• Suitable from: Birth to 22kg (around 4 years)

• Orientation: Parent-facing and world-facing

• Dimensions: L 94.5 x W 50 x H 107cm

• Folded dimensions: L 65 x W 50 x H 29cm

• Weight: 9.9kg

• Sunshade: UPF50+

• Warranty: 2 years

• Compatible with the Cloud Z car seat, or others from Cybex or gb

• Accessories available: Lux carrycot, Lite cot, changing bag, footmuff, snack tray, parasol, drink holder and insect net

• RRP: £699.90

What’s in the box?

• Frame and seat chassis

• Wheels

• Car seat adapters

• Padded seat cover

• Sunshade

• Buckle for harness

• Raincover

• Faux-leather belly bar

What’s the Cybex Mios like to use day-to-day?

The Cybex Mios is a crossover success story, with the full functionality of a travel system but small and transportable enough for us to consider it a true lightweight buggy.

Whereas many lightweight buggies claim to be suitable from birth but lack the cocooning or other features that would make them a genuinely viable option in the earliest months, the Mios lies flat and can go parent-facing.

Turning either way couldn’t be simpler, with a quick click to either side of the buggy before lifting and turning the seat around. The leg support then lifts to create an enclosed pram of sorts.

The seat cover offers a cosy fit for any age, but a choice of two different styles of carrycot is also available for purchase for babies under six months. Please note, however, that we only tested the buggy with a toddler so did not try out Cybex's compatible newborn carrycot.

Four-wheel steering and high-quality wheels make for an easy glide on most surfaces. Our parent tester, Adele, found that the Mios was even able to cope with a grassy, bumpy journey up a long hill with minimal fuss.

On ordinary, everyday journeys, it managed kerbs and dips in the road beautifully. As we tested the Cybex Mios during lockdown, Adele couldn’t take the buggy on public transport due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Manoeuvring around tight spaces, our tester found the steering highly responsive and never tricky. It appears wider than many of the other models we tested, such as the popular Bugaboo Bee5, but it won’t have a problem getting through even the narrowest of doorways.

The carry handle makes taking the Mios up and down stairs really straightforward, however you wouldn’t want to go up or down a long flight as it is on the heavier side for a lightweight buggy, weighing in at 9.9kg. That said, the lean design means that you could logistically carry the pushchair in one hand, manage a baby on your hip and have your bag strapped across your body for a short distance.

When it comes to reclining, you simply press a lever one-handed to lower the main seat. The movement is so smooth that there are no concerns about waking a sleeping child. The seat reclines in four different positions (lie-flat included) and the leg rest adjusts to two positions.

The rain cover offers excellent coverage and is very simple to use – just slip it over the seat and Velcro at the back. The footrest is pocketed in the rain cover and there are air holes on either side for maximum breathability.

Adele found that her three-year-old was completely covered and the chair fully encased, which meant that the rain cover didn’t flap about at the front, back or sides.

How easy is it to assemble?

The Cybex Mios requires a bit of assembly but comes with clear visual instructions. They aren’t overkill, but enough steps are covered to ensure you easily understand where everything goes.

Wheels, seat, seat cover, sunshade and harness buckle all need to be slotted on before first use. A 2019 tutorial video on the Cybex YouTube gives a really thorough look at how everything works.

The instructions show how to assemble, alter and remove everything but don’t explain care, which is instead available on the website.

Assembly took our tester 10 minutes as the sunshade was a bit fiddly and required some figuring out. Other than that, it was all very straightforward and didn’t call for any tools.

The Mios also comes with a 24-month warranty against manufacturing defects.

How comfortable is it?

The Mios' padded seat cover makes for a comfortable ride for your small passenger. Adele’s three-year-old had lots of room in the main seat unit and she could see her daughter easily fitting in it for some time yet.

The option for the seat to go parent-facing is also a huge plus point for parents, which some will definitely prefer for younger babies. It’s also elevated so that the baby can sit higher up and easily observe their surroundings.

Rather than being extendable, you can adjust the angle of the handlebar one-handed to suit the height of the parent. Our tester really liked this customisable feature as it made the buggy really comfortable for her (at 5’6”) and her partner (6’1”) to push. At its highest and lowest, it will suit most parents well.

The faux-leather hand grip also offers welcome padding for parents, resisting as opposed to absorbing moisture on a rainy walk.

Swivel wheels make the Mios effortless to push, with no accommodations needed on the part of the person behind the wheels. A sturdy footrest also gives your young passenger extra support when travelling.

How safe is the Cybex Mios?

Without a doubt, the Mios is designed to be stable and sturdy. It passed our topple test with flying colours, staying put when a changing bag was hung on the handlebars, both with and without our tester’s child in the seat.

The seat is a great fit for the entire birth-to-four age range and was certainly able to put up with the antics of Adele’s three-year-old daughter.

The three-point harness is effortless to adjust, with smooth sliding straps to give a great fit and to make sure that the child doesn’t go anywhere – it clips in and out without any difficulty, even in a rush.

Our tester had no trouble operating the brake, which needs to be pushed instead of flicked up, making it easy on open-toed shoes during summer walks. The brake is highly effective and held fast during our hill tests.

For sun safety, the Mios scored top marks. The UPF50+ sunshade can be unzipped for impressive full-body coverage with a mesh panel at the back for added air flow.

Are there any extra features?

The Cybex Mios’ most eye-catching feature is, without a doubt, it’s breathable mesh seat cover, which makes it an attractive option to take on tropical holidays or to get through hot summer days.

Now that Cybex has introduced the padded comfort inlay for warmth, buyers also have the best of both worlds.

What’s the storage like?

The shopping basket on this buggy is generous with a capacity of up to 5kg: wide at the front, narrow at the back and not getting in the way of any feet.

Our tester was able to fit a changing bag, a few parcels and the rain cover in it and deemed it more than adequate for a day out with children.

How does the Cybex Mios fold?

Folding is a breeze, once you’ve got the hang of it, and our tester found it quite intuitive all in all.

It can be done one-handed, but requires two different movements: moving the seat forward before collapsing the frame. The process is simple, smooth and ergonomic, and, usefully, it can fold with the seat facing either direction.

The buggy doesn’t lock when folded, but is stable when collapsed into a freestanding position and also has a handle for carrying.

How much space does it take up?

Although the Mios was the heaviest model we tested in the lightweight buggy category, it packs in tightly when folded to snugly pop in a corner or lift a short distance if needed.

It’s too wide to fit in the footwell of a car but, for the size of buggy, it’s surprisingly small when folded, collapsing smaller than the compact Bugaboo Bee5.

It can lie flat or be left to stand by itself and, in either instance, would fit easily into an average-sized car boot with room either side.

Adele kept it in her car boot and porch in between test drives with lots of space to spare.

How does it look?

When it comes to aesthetics, the Cybex Mios is nothing short of elegant and its design is streamlined to banish any visual clutter.

The belly bar and handlebar are both covered in faux leather and the fabric feels sophisticated and well made. It stands out for good reasons.

As it comes in a wide variety of colours and prints, it’s easy to go neutral, modern or quirky. You also have a choice of frame – rose gold, matt black, chrome and chrome with brown detailing.

How easy is it to clean?

When it comes to cleaning, the Mios' seat cover is washable at 30 degrees and cleans up really well.

The washable parts of the Mios are incredibly easy to remove as everything either Velcros or poppers off, and it was one of easiest models for removing covers out of all the buggies we tested.

This buggy also seems resistant to stains and fluff after being put through the mill by Adele and her three-year-old during testing. It endured both ice-cream drips and muddy smears and came out looking as good as new.

Final verdict?

At around £600, the Cybex Mios is quite expensive and you should bear in mind that you’ll have to shell out for the carrycot too if you want it.

That said, it achieves what many travel systems and lightweight buggies don’t by providing a birth-to-walking solution that's both small and minimal as well as functional enough to easily nip about. As such, we think it's a good option to use right from the get-go.

While some might want an even smaller second buggy to go travelling with, it’s not hard imagine taking the Mios with you, especially if you’re headed somewhere hot.

At the end of the test period, after covering a whopping 50 miles, the Cybex Mios didn’t show any wear and tear, which means it should easily stand the test of time. So, if you can afford it, we reckon it’s well worth your pennies.

About Mumsnet Reviews

All Mumsnet product reviews are written by real parents after weeks of research and testing – this includes recommendations from the Mumsnet forums. We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust. Sometimes, we earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. However, we never allow this to influence our coverage.

For more information about what to look for when buying a lightweight buggy, check out our buyer's guide.