Mamas & Papas Ocarro 2 review: is this still one of the best all-terrain pushchairs?

Our verdict

Having previously used the original Ocarro with her daughter, Rebecca was in a good position to see what had changed with the Ocarro 2. After eight weeks of testing with her eight-month-old son, she came away impressed by the improvements while retaining everything she had liked about the original.

The result? High praise. Rebecca says: "I personally loved my Ocarro with my older daughter and with the new improved model I love it even more."

One of the Ocarro 2's biggest strengths is its ability to handle a variety of surfaces without compromising on comfort. During testing, Rebecca used this puschair on pavements, grass, country paths and gravel. While she found deep gravel challenging, she was impressed by how well the suspension absorbed bumps elsewhere, explaining: "The suspension absorbs a lot of it and my son slept through plenty of bumpy terrain."

Comfort is another area where the Ocarro 2 excels. The updated seat padding feels luxurious, the extendable UPF 50+ hood offers excellent coverage, and the spacious seat can be used from birth with the included newborn insert or paired with the optional overnight sleep-approved carrycot.

There are a few compromises. At 13.9kg, the Ocarro 2 is noticeably heavier than rivals such as the Bugaboo Fox 5, and Rebecca acknowledges that some parents may find lifting it into the car a challenge. The updated wheels also didn't quite win her over compared to the original model.

That said, Rebecca believes the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. She says: "I would 100% recommend this pushchair." For parents looking for a durable, comfortable pushchair that can handle everyday life from the newborn months through to the toddler years, the Ocarro 2 is a strong all-round choice.

The Ocarro 2 features a padded seat with multiple recline positions and a large storage basket.

How we tested the Mamas & Papas Ocarro 2

Rebecca tested the Mamas & Papas Ocarro 2 for eight weeks with her eight-month-old son, using it regularly for everyday family life, including school runs, dog walks and days out on the bus.

Due to its all-terrain capabilities, she tested the pushchair across a range of surfaces, including pavements, grass and gravel, to see how it handled different terrain. She found it performed well across most surfaces, although deep gravel could cause the wheels to stop spinning.

Who is the Mamas & Papas Ocarro 2 best suited for?

The Mamas & Papas Ocarro 2 is a good choice for:

• Active families who regularly walk on pavements, grass, park paths and other mixed surfaces

• Parents who prioritise comfort and stability over having the lightest possible pushchair

• Families looking for longevity, as it's suitable from birth to 22kg (around four years)

• Parents with a decent-sized car boot and storage space, as the Ocarro 2 is relatively large and heavy

• Parents who want a sturdy everyday pushchair that can handle school runs, dog walks and days out with ease

Rebecca's testing also suggests it's particularly well suited to families who want a comfortable, durable pushchair for everyday use, rather than something ultra-lightweight or compact.

The Ocarro 2 builds on the original with upgraded wheels and brakes, a redesigned storage basket, improved fabrics and an overnight sleep-approved carrycot.

What's the difference between the Mamas & Papas Ocarro 2 and the original Ocarro?

The Ocarro 2 builds on the original Ocarro rather than completely reinventing it. It retains the reversible seat, all-terrain design and three-position recline, including a lie-flat option, while introducing several practical upgrades.

The biggest addition is the overnight-sleep-approved carrycot, which can be used with a compatible stand for safe sleep away from home. The Ocarro 2 also features updated wheels and brakes, a redesigned storage basket that's easier to access, and softer recycled fabrics.

Other updates include an extendable UPF50+ hood with ventilation panels, a shoulder carry strap and a more compact one-hand fold, helping to make the pushchair easier to use day to day.

What's in the box and how easy is it to assemble?

The Mamas & Papas Ocarro 2 comes with the pushchair frame, seat unit, rain cover and instruction manual. If you choose to purchase the optional carrycot, it comes with its own rain cover too.

Rebecca found the setup process quick and straightforward, describing it as "very easy to assemble" and saying it took "under 10 minutes" from box to pushchair.

The frame and seat unit arrive separately but simply click together, with the only other assembly required being attaching the four wheels and fitting the hood extension. As Rebecca explains: "All that was needed was removing the protective packaging and fitting all four wheels into place."

No tools were required (other than scissors to remove packaging), and she found the instructions easy to follow thanks to the step-by-step photographs. Once assembled, the Ocarro 2 is ready to use straight away, making setup relatively hassle-free compared with some larger pushchairs and travel systems.

The Ocarro 2 can be customised with accessories including a footmuff, cup holder, car seat adapters and sheepskin liner, available separately or as part of a bundle.

Does the Mamas & Papas Ocarro 2 come with accessories?

Yes. The Ocarro 2 comes with a rain cover as standard, which Rebecca found practical and secure in use. She says: "It fully covers the pushchair and has fastening to make it secure from being kicked off or coming off in the wind." The same rain cover can also be used with the optional carrycot.

There are also plenty of accessories available separately, allowing parents to tailor the pushchair to their needs. Optional extras include:

• A footmuff

• A cup holder

• A sheepskin pushchair seat liner

• Universal car seat adapters which Rebecca used with her Cybex Cloud Z car seat.

If you'd prefer to buy everything in one go, the Ocarro 2 is also available as part of the Ocarro 2 Complete Pushchair Bundle with Cybex Aton B2 i-Size Baby Car Seat, which includes a selection of travel-system essentials in one package.

How does the Mamas & Papas Ocarro 2 look?

If you're familiar with the original Ocarro, the Ocarro 2 will look reassuringly familiar. Rebecca describes it as a "classic design", noting that visually not much has changed aside from the updated wheels and redesigned storage basket.

The Ocarro 2 has a premium feel, with plush fabrics, a coordinated bumper bar and a sturdy frame that feels built to last. Rebecca was particularly impressed by the quality of the materials, saying: "The pram is well made of good solid materials, and it is very sturdy even when it comes to uneven ground."

She also liked the fabrics, which felt both high quality and breathable, while the UPF50+ hood adds an extra practical touch for warmer weather. The bumper bar is well padded and colour matched to the rest of the pushchair, helping to create a polished, cohesive look.

Available in a range of colours including Oatmeal, Crema, Evergreen, Eclipse, Heritage and Americano, the Ocarro 2 offers plenty of choice whether you prefer neutral tones or something a little richer.

How sturdy is the Mamas & Papas Ocarro 2?

One thing Rebecca noticed straight away was how solid the Ocarro 2 felt when pushing her son, particularly for an all-terrain pram. She describes it as "very sturdy" and found it coped well with everything from pavements to grass and uneven paths. The large all-terrain wheels were a particular highlight, with Rebecca saying: "Small kerbs are no problem - you don't even need to lift the pushchair for it to go over them."

The five-point harness was straightforward to use, with each strap clipping individually into the central buckle. Rebecca liked how securely it held her son in place: "The straps are easy to adjust so that arms can't be slipped out of the harness."

She was equally happy with the brake, which sits beside the rear wheel and was easy to reach when needed. Rebecca says: "It has a good hold when on a hill and also held well on a moving bus." While it could feel a little stiff to press at times, she liked that there was no doubt when it was properly engaged.

Throughout testing, the Ocarro 2 felt planted and stable, whether she was tackling kerbs, walking across grass or navigating bumpier paths.

How comfortable is the Mamas & Papas Ocarro 2?

The Ocarro 2 has plenty of padding to keep children comfortable, and Rebecca noticed an improvement compared with the original model she used previously. She says: "The padding in the seat has been changed since the original Ocarro. It feels luxurious and comfortable." The padding can also be removed as your child grows, giving them more room when they need less support.

There are three recline positions – upright, inclined and lie-flat – and Rebecca found the movement between them smooth. The harness also has different height settings, making it easier to adjust as your child grows.

Rebecca, who is 5ft 8in, found the pushchair comfortable to use, too. She liked the cushioned, leather-look handlebar, found the height worked well for her and said it was easy to steer and manoeuvre.

When it comes to comfort, the extendable sun canopy is another helpful feature of the Ocarro 2. It pulls forwards to meet the bumper bar, giving plenty of coverage from sun, wind and rain and helping to keep your child comfortable when you're out and about.

The Ocarro 2 can be used parent-facing, with the included rain cover providing full coverage for the seat in wet weather.

How adjustable and adaptable is the Mamas & Papas Ocarro 2?

The Ocarro 2 is made to be flexible in that it can be adapted as your child grows, with the seat unit able to switch between parent-facing and world-facing positions. Rebecca found it simple to change, explaining: "Two little buttons just above where the seat connects to the frame need to be pressed together, then the seat can be removed and turned round and clicked back into place."

An optional carrycot can also be added to the frame, making it suitable from birth. For parents who want to use a car seat, the universal adapters work with compatible models such as Rebecca’s Cybex Cloud Z, adding another option to the setup.

The range of accessories we mentioned means you can build the Ocarro 2 around your needs, rather than having to buy a completely new setup as your child gets older.

What’s the storage basket like?

The Ocarro 2 has a generous storage basket, which Rebecca found more than big enough for everyday family life. She regularly used it for the rain cover, coats and her changing bag, and says it "can even fit the contents of a basket of supermarket shopping."

One of the changes from the original Ocarro is the redesigned front flap, which folds forwards to make the basket easier to access. Rebecca found this particularly useful for getting larger items in and out, saying the previous design could make this more difficult. There’s also enough room for a changing bag, which can either sit in the basket or be hung from the handle.

The Ocarro 2 features upgraded all-terrain wheels and brakes, while retaining the sturdy design of the original Ocarro.

What’s the Mamas & Papas Ocarro 2 like to use day to day?

Rebecca found the Ocarro 2 easy to steer and comfortable to use across a mix of everyday surfaces. She says: "It’s very easy to steer - small turning circle which is great." The front wheels can also be switched between fixed and swivel modes, which is useful when moving between pavements and rougher paths.

Small kerbs were easy to tackle without lifting the pushchair, while the suspension helped smooth out bumps on uneven country paths. Rebecca says: "The suspension is really good - smooth ride", adding that her son stayed asleep even when the pushchair was being pushed over uneven ground.

Despite being marketed as an all-terrain pram, there are some limits. Rebecca found the wheels struggled with deep gravel, explaining: "The wheels don't spin properly on thick gravel." She felt this was a weakness of the Ocarro 2, although it still performed better than she expected on most other surfaces.

The main downside for day-to-day use is its weight. Rebecca found it "quite heavy", although she felt this was partly due to the strong, sturdy frame. The new carry strap tucked underneath the seat helps when it needs to be lifted, allowing the Ocarro 2 to be carried over your shoulder rather than relying on the handle alone.

Is it easy to fold and store?

Rebecca found the Ocarro 2 straightforward to fold, with a clip on the left side of the frame that locks it into place once folded. To unfold it, she simply pulled the clip to release the frame.

The pushchair can also stand upright when folded, although Rebecca found the wheels need to be positioned correctly for this to work.

Despite its sturdy build, she was able to fit it sideways into the boot of her BMW 1 Series, with enough room left for a changing bag and shopping. It also worked well on the bus, although Rebecca noted that its larger size could make it "quite big and bulky" in a busy designated pram space.

Is it easy to clean?

Yes. Rebecca found the Ocarro 2 easy to keep clean, with most everyday marks simple to wipe away. She tested the Americano colourway, a rich brown shade that she felt was particularly practical for hiding marks compared with lighter options.

Is the Mamas & Papas Ocarro 2 good value for money?

Rebecca felt the Ocarro 2 offered good value for money, particularly because you can buy the pushchair on its own or choose from different bundles and accessories depending on what you need. She also felt the updates from the original Ocarro, including the improved seat padding, new footmuff design and UV-protective hood, added to its appeal. As she puts it: "I would consider it good value for money."

At £849, the Ocarro 2 is in a similar price bracket to the Bugaboo Fox 5, which is often discounted to around £750. The Fox 5 is lighter, while the Ocarro 2 has a heavier, sturdier build and a large everyday storage basket. Both are designed for use from birth to around four years and offer an overnight sleep-approved option, with the Ocarro 2's carrycot designed to be used with a compatible stand and the Fox 5 featuring an all-season bassinet.

For Rebecca, the Ocarro 2's quality and durability were important when considering the price. She had previously owned the original Ocarro for six years and says it "still looked brand new" and continued to work just as well as when she bought it. She feels the Ocarro 2 keeps that same high-quality feel while adding some useful improvements, making it a worthwhile investment for parents looking for a sturdy pushchair they can use for several years.

About the author

Tammy Jacks is a distinguished researcher and writer in the field of child safety, with a notable focus on the critical domain of travel systems including car seats and strollers. Her extensive expertise and commitment to child safety have made her a trusted authority in providing comprehensive insights and guidance to parents and caregivers looking for the right stroller, travel system or car seat for their children.

As a seasoned school runner and mum to a nine-year-old, Tammy has personally tried and tested numerous buggies, lightweight strollers and car seats over the years, across all age categories.