Mamas and Papas Urbo - Feedback?

[NellyE]

OK, no responses when I posted this in pushchairs, trying over here instead...

Does anyone have this buggy who could give me any feedback please? There aren't many reviews online. I loved it in the shop - felt like a Bugaboo only without the Bugaboo price tag - although the shopping basket seemed on the small side.

Would love to hear from people who've got one...thanks!

We decided to go for the Mylo, although were originally keener on the Urbo until we had a close look at them both. You're right though; it does seem like a Bugaboo but without the price tag! The key difference for me was that the handle height wasn't adjustable - my DH is 6'4 and just looked like he was pushing a doll's pram! Other factors that swung the Mylo for us (over both the Urbo and the Bugaboo Chameleon, which was our other consideration) were:
one-handed folding mechanism, which the Urbo didn't have
the bassinet with the Mylo has a reclinable mattress with air flow, which means you can use it as an occasional overnight bed - perfect for visiting parents and in-laws!
the bassinet also has a 'solid feet' base or a rocker base, which i liked
Importantly, the Mylo stroller has fabric that makes it impossible for any little fingers to get caught in the folding mechanism of the hood - the Urbo had plenty of space so it's highly unlikely that any fingers would be caught, but having seen the issue with McLaren's in the media last year, this was something we were keen to avoid entirely.

So, we didn't buy it so aI can't give you exactly the feedback you wanted, but I can tell you why we decided against it. It really came down to only a few things that in the grand scheme are pretty minor (except the adjustable handle height!)

Thank you! That's really useful, I'll investigate the Mylo.

Hi,

We received our Urbo last week. Haven't used it yet as our baby is due in July, but it looked really nice in the shop. I liked the bugaboo too but my husband said it was too small and when he tried it out in the shop it looked like he was pushing a doll's pram. Quite funny.

We orginally bought a Quinny Buzz but then saw the Urbo online. Went to Mamas and Papas to see it and it was more compact and lightweight then the Quinny so returned the Quinny and ordered the Urbo. Was a bit concerned at first as there was lack of reviews but it had just come on the market - hopefully we have made the right choice.

I've had my urbo for about a month now, and i love it!
Can't say what the carrycot is like as DS2 is 17months old, but i much prefer it to they bugaboo that i had.
Im just under 5'8" and the handle is just right for me when its pulled all they way up.

The hood is huge aswel, keeps the sun out of his face when sitting right up or when the seat is fully reclined. The hood is the main reason why i got it, as all the other pushchairs i've had (apart from pliko switch and ultima) had smallish hoods that didnt keep the sun off his face.

i got my urbo delivered yesterday and absolutely love it! baby isnt due until august so had a play with it with my 3 year old who also had plenty of room in it (and he is quite big for his age!) i love the whole look of the urbo.. very trendy and very practical and the hood is excellent as a sun canopy...its heavier than i thought it would be but im pleased with that as i was worried it would be a bit flimsy... far from it! and the handle is adjustable unlike stated in some other reviews i have read. i have the carrycot to go with it which looks beautiful but it isnt absolutely necessary as the pushchair lies completely flat so is suitable for a newborn... just waiting for my carseat now to make the whole travel system!

hello we brought the urbo about 2 months ago and we LOVE it, we have a few flaws with it however mamas and papas have said that it's only our pushchair and are replacing it (the handle slides down if you put a nappy bag on it or put too much weight on it and one of the wheels locks every now and then so makes it hard to push and you have to keep moving it but as it's isolted to just our urbo and are getting a replacement we don't mind) i do think the basket is small but it's a nifty pushchair and so lightweight, i love the fact it lays flat, i have a pram addiction and have had LOADS of prams/buggys nd by far this is the best (i have 3 children my eldest being 8 and youngest 13 months) i love the hood too as it stops the cun from going in my son's eyes but still alows him to see everything which he loves lol and i love the fact he can face me and chat to me and if we go places like the zoo we don't hve to take him out of the seat to turn him around which is great, the bumper bar is a bit close to him but it's quite hndy to put toys on and he can get them easily without having to reach far and it's easily removed so i'd say all round great pram/buggy and would recomend it to anyone

What a useful thread. DH and I were looking at Urbos today and having searched elsewhere for online reviews haven't been able to find many. I should have known that MN would be the right place to go!

At the risk of being accused of hijacking Nelly's thread...Have those who've bought the Urbo also bought the separate carry cot? If anyone's used it without, how have you found it?

Hi, I just had a look at the Urbo and I really like the look of it. Just wondered if anybody knew what it is like off road i.e. on grass, bumpy roads, in the countryside etc. It seems to be perfect for the city and shops... but I am looking for an "all rounder" pushchair and I am just not sure about the wheels.

I really like the look of the Urbo (it's a toss up between that and the iCandy Cherry)...however, read another online review similar to above re problems with adjustable handle and locking wheels which put me off a bit...anybody else had any probs along a similar line?...

Ah that's interesting, we were tossing up between Urbo and iCandy Cherry too. I've got sidetracked at the moment though with iCandy Apple - the seat unit looks more comfy and you can buy an additional wheel to make it like a three wheeler jogging type pram. Thought this would make it more multipurpose and versatile as the baby gets older. Still like Urbo though...but I don't think it would be so good 'off road'.

Hi,

As mentioned in my previous message, we got our U'rbo delivered last month but havent used it because our baby is due in July. We also bought a Cybex Alton Car to form a travel system. Does anyone know if it needs some an adaptor to slot into the pushchair? Thought I read somewhere it does need one but when I went on to the M&P website, there was no mention of it.

One of the wheels on my urbo has started to stick, mamas and papas have recommended pocket rocket to lube it. Handle has been fine, a sales assistant told me your not ment to hang bags on the handle as it will invalidate the warrenty! I hang bags on mine though.

hi, iv just come online to see if im the only person struggling with my urbo, but apparently not. iv had it 2 and a half months and at first i loved it, but the wheels are driving me mad!!! they lock all the time making it impossible to maneuvre, and sometimes its so random that it locks when im in full walking pace an the pushchair tips forward, its got so bad i can no longer use it. also the adjustable handle sometimes slides down when its locked, which usually happens when im getting back on the pavement from the road, which is annoying because then your stuck on the road for those few extra seconds that you dont want to be, which actually makes it dangerous. im in the middle of trying to get a refund!!! i dont think il be buying a mamas and papas pram again. iv seen a few reviews now with people having the exact same problem so theres obviously a manufacturing fault. i bought mine from an ebay shop and theyve said i cant exchange or refund, and that theyl fix it but i have to pay the posting charges and il be without a pram for a few days, but this doesnt seem very fair to me? the pram was ex-courtesy and cost me £190. it hasnt been worth it at all!

ease do not buy this pram!!

After much searching we decided on the Urbo and were initially delighted with it! We were initially disappointed with the poor suspension, lo felt every bump in the road! Similar to other users, the breaks started sticking and then the chassis wouldnt close properly. We brought it back to the shop and had it repaired. Two months later the breaks started sticking again and the handle wouldnt stay in place. Brought it back to the shop and got a replacement chassis. Within two weeks we noticed there were additional faults with the new chassis, again it wouldnt close properly and couldnt be used. Have brought it back to the shop and am waiting to find out if I can have my money back, which I should know within the next few days. Although the staff have been pleasant and have tried to deal with the problems, the unit has caused so much hassle I really wished we had bought something else!

We got an Urbo in May when it was just released. When it is working properly it is great, but we have been back to the shop about 10 times to get it fixed. The front wheels are faulty. Every time we get it back it works for a couple of weeks and then the same problem returns. On the last occasion it was sent away for 6 weeks. We had it back for about a month and the same problem again. I have tried contacting Mamas & Papas directly for customer support, but have never heard from them.

I would not recommend the Urbo - poor engineering on the front swivel wheels. As a minor point the brake mechanism isn't very good.

I would say do not buy the Urbo. It should be a great pushchair but due to bad design and/or manufacture it is terrible.

I have had real problems with the front right wheel too. at first i was advised to oil it and that helped for a few weeks. Mamas and Papas have fixed it once but the problem came back after about 7 weeks. I now have to take it back in again. This is difficult as I do not live close to a store. I can get them to collect it but they do not then supply a replacement. I need a decent pushchair with an 8 month old, especially in this weather. M&P insist that all they can do is repair and I have been told that after 12 months I have to pay for the repairs. I wouldn't mind but the fault is with the Urbo and not something I have done to it. I use it for short walks in a town centre environment, i'm not doing anything its not designed for.

Wheels are splitting and the back does not lock in to place easily either - in fact it sometimes falls down after I have put my daughter in it.

After sales service is pretty terrible too.

Really not happy and will probably have to buy another pushchair.

hello everyone,

i bought the Urbo in July 2010 and within a few months, the handle bar started to slide down frequently. however, with being a very busy new mother- and also having travelled for 2 months over christmas without taking the pram i have only just recently gone to the store to repair it (jan 2011)

i went to pick it up yesterday and used it today with the same problem recurring!! before the repair, i had to adjust the handle back up every 45 mins and now i need to do it every few hours!! the handle bar slides down by about 8cm and this is so frustrating. it seems to have made my shoulders, back and neck worse over time.

my husband is 6ft3 and simply cannot use the pram because he has to adjust the handle bars more often than i do to use the pram without bending his knees as he walks!

i am SO unhappy with my urbo for the handle bar reason as it makes going out with the pram difficult to walk! customer services make me hold on the phone for at least 25 mins per person and i am now on my 4th phonecall wasting my mins on them!

i am trying to get a refund as i refuse to have any other M&P prams anymore. can anyone give me any advice on how i could go about doing this?

thanks
mmlim

I too have had real problems with the M&P customer service people. I am sending my Urbo back to be fixed again.

I have spoken to Which who have said that the best thing to do is go right to the top. Unfortunately not had the time to do this yet. Cannot advise on best way to deal with them. I would like a refund but they are refusing to do this and they are within their rights to only offer a repair. Not sure if this changes if things continue to go wrong.

Have just looked M&P's website and there are a number of 1 and 2 star reviews of the Urbo on there. All citing the wheels, the back rest and the handle bar as being real problems. Also noticed that they are wheeling out (no pun intended) more colours for this pushchair, I wonder if the problems have been fixed? It's obviously a pushchair they have faith in, lord knows why...

I too have an urbo which has a problem with the front wheels locking! It has already been fixed once but this has not resolved the problem. It is clearly a design fault and I will also be pushing hard for a full refund once they have inspected it again.
It looks great and I def thought it was the best pram available but I would not reccommend anyone to buy it!

I also had the front right wheel problem with my Urbo (been using mine since Oct 10) and as I love every other part of the push chair I was determined to have this fixed. It has now been ca 2 months since the repair and I have had NO problems with it.
Apparently the handle bar and front - right - wheel issue was a manufacture fault and is now fixed.
I think the push chair is brilliant around London as it is so small and easy to handle. I take my son everywhere in it: on crowded buses and trains, straight into black cabs, into small shops and cafes etc. Before I bought it I didn't know how much I would appreciate the extendable handlebar but it is so convenient to be able to adjust it down when parked in busy places. It would be a complete nightmare for me if I could only hang out in "baby-friendly" (read:boring) places while on maternity leave. With the Urbo I can move around town pretty much as before. Love it!!

LIke other owners of the Urbo I love so many things about the design that when it had the wheel sticking problem i accepted a replacement chassis. Today the right hand front wheel on this chassis has completely jammed making my husbands long walk return home an absolute nightmare! I am going to try and get a full refund. I have spent so many hours getting the first one exchanged as well as money on phone calls to customer services that I am keen to get a full refund, but as I bought the first one in July they will probably try to fob me off with an alternative.

We have been experiencing exactly the same problems as you have all been describing, locking front wheels, sliding handles bars and no one else has mentioned this but also getting electric shocks whilst in shops or lifts.
Of course none of it is M&Ps fault! Chassis has had to go back twice now, and although customer services on the phone were apologetic, in store they couldn't really have cared less, apparently wheels just needed lubricating, surely not after 3 months! First time it was sent off to be fixed they had no loan pushchairs so gave me a sola chassis to use with urbo seat unit, I was told they've never been safety checked but they do fit! Second time given a pushchair for nearly 3 weeks with no raincover.
I contacted them this morning about the electric shocks and was told other people have suffered with this but it is not a fault that they are responsible for. I should attach a piece of rubber somewhere on the chassis and this will fix the problem..speechless!
My son is really comfortable when in the pushchair, but at a risk of being tipped out when the wheels jam. Why do M&Ps not admit to each of us there is a problem rather than making out we are unique cases. Think it might be time to contact watchdog....

Nooooooooooooooo I've just bought an Urbo! Not due until October, but am now nervous about this!!

I ordered an Urbo in August 2010, there was a HUUUUUUUUUUUUGE delay on its arrival (a week before DS born at end of Dec), which is a whole seperate moan, but, the delay was due to a change in the manufacturer of the chassis. I am pleased to report I have had no problems (touch wood :) )
I love my urbo, and whereas alot of my friends have dumped their original heavy bases (quinny etc) my lightweight Urbo is fab!

Hello fellow mums. I recently started searching for reviews of the Urbo stroller as I too have been experiencing issues with the wheels and seat and wanted to know if I was the only one. Clearly I am not and a lot of people seem to be having the same problems. I am currently on my third replacement pram from mamas & papas. I recently wrote a letter of demand to the company and requested a full refund as the problems are recurring and a replacement will not be a long term remedy. They have not responded and just simply sent me a new stroller. This has prompted me to lodge an official complaint with Consumer Affairs (Victoria, Australia). I have mentioned that I have found many reviews of people stating the same problems and they are now interested in testing the safety of this stroller. If it is successful this will force mamas & papas to acknowledge the problems and offer us buyers proper compensation. It may even prompt a product safety recall. I urge you to do the same thing with your respective authorities.

I have set up a facebook page so that you can also voice your concerns and state your problems. A little bit of people power will go a long way. Please visit face book page: "Mamas & papas Urbo stroller is unsafe. It should be recalled."
Like the page and post the issues you have had on the wall. Let's make this company accountable for the quality and safety of the products it advertises. Our children's safety comes first.