What’s in the box?
What’s the Micralite ProFold like to use day-to-day?
Where many travel-sized lightweight strollers can be rickety or present a compromise in functionality, the Micralite ProFold stands out as a genuine everyday option.
It’s the most compact model in the British-designed and engineered Micralite family, outstanding in its intuitive foldability. At a mere 7kg, it’s an out-and-out travel option, touting itself as an approved airline carry-on (though check with your airline before flying). As a main pushchair, however, it’s just as suited to families with limited storage space or who live up long flights of stairs.
Day-to-day, our parent tester, Adele, found the ProFold pushed easily one-handed, managing dips in the road and pavements with no issue, and taking hills and uneven grassy surfaces in its stride.
The four-wheel suspension and large back wheels aid its stability and give a smooth ride over a variety of terrain. These features also make taking on kerbs a breeze. The steering on the ProFold is impressive, allowing for tight manoeuvres wherever you are.
When it came to tackling stairs, our tester found the ProFold quick and simple to collapse and manageable to carry up or down, either held by its nifty in-built handle or by the detachable strap that allows it to go over a shoulder.
Although her three-year-old walked alongside her when travelling up and down stairs, she was able to manage the buggy and a bag while holding her daughter’s hand. She did note, however, that she wouldn’t want to do this with a pushchair any heavier.
Adele appreciated the placement of the brake in the middle of the bar between the back wheels. This meant that her foot didn’t get stuck between a double wheel while clicking the brake on and off as was problematic in other models we tested, such as the gb Pockit Plus All-Terrain. The brake also doesn’t require flicking up so is fully friendly to open-toed shoes.
She found that reclining and moving the seat into an upright position could be a little awkward with the buggy, especially if her three-year-old was in it, but this is often the case with toggle recline mechanisms which need to slide up and down for the seat to be adjusted.
While the ProFold’s toggle glides smoothly and remains secure when the seat is upright, some users might prefer a different style of recline altogether.
How easy is it to assemble?
The ProFold comes fully assembled straight out of the box, ready to go apart from popping on the belly bar if needed.
The instructions enclosed are mostly visual and very clear, with arrows and clicks to simplify working out where everything goes and ensuring that all parts are secure before use.
When it comes to adjusting the straps, the manual shows where the straps need to be for a good fit. Although it doesn’t explain exactly how to adjust them, feeding the shoulder straps through the back of the seat didn’t take much effort or figuring out. Care instructions on washing, polishing and lubrication are also provided.
How comfortable is it?
For a buggy so narrow, the ProFold is surprisingly spacious and, despite the 15kg weight limit, our tester felt that her three-year-old still had room left to grow. The bamboo seat liner is soft and well-padded, and there is also a sturdy footrest for tired legs.
Initially, Adele was concerned that the ProFold wasn’t a very deep pushchair and seated her child in an unusually upright position but, by adjusting the recline strap and the thigh support, she was able to find a position that both she and her child were happy with.
Bear in mind though that it isn’t cocooned for a young baby so, while our tester deemed it comfortable for her three-year-old, she wouldn’t have used it with a baby under six months.
For a parent, the ProFold’s handlebar isn’t adjustable in height, however it is tall enough that both our tester (who is 5’6”) and her partner (who is 6’1”) found it comfortable to push.