Mamas & Papas Armadillo Flip XT 2 / Bugaboo Bee5 or...?

[Nimsay1]

Hi All. I was pretty set on getting a Bugaboo Bee5 as I live in London and have several flights of stairs to navigate at home every day so need something light and easy to fold & carry. However, popped into Mamas & Papas yesterday and they gave me the hard sell on the Flip XT 2 and said it’s almost as light, as easy to fold and has much better wheels for parks than the Bee5. Plus, it’s on sale this week for £359, including the carrycot! I can’t find many reviews online as it’s a brand new model so was wondering if anyone here has bought one? I’d love to know thoughts or recommendations. Thanks.

Ooh you and I could be the same person - have the exact same decision to make! Also live in London and in a top floor flat, so similarly want something very light and easily foldable. We looked at the Bee5 and the Yoyo Zen but I didn't like how low the Yoyo seemed and I couldn't get the hang of folding the Bee5 easily . DH and I are pretty set on the Flip XT2 now, it's a little heavier but so easy to fold and I figure I can take the carrycot upstairs first and come back for the frame if managing both at once is too much. Luckily our closest tube and rail stations both have lifts...

The only review I've found about it is this one: www.n4mummy.com/a-day-out-with-the-flip-xt2/ but she seems completely sold on it. I do want to go back to Mamas and Papas this weekend though and ask them about the issues with the original Flip model - I read that the basket can drag on the ground if overloaded and there was a faulty batch a year or so ago where the pram flipped backwards when tilted to go up a kerb! As long as they can reassure me those problems have been fixed in the XT2, we'll be buying it. Just holding out for Black Friday in the hope of getting it on the cheap...

Thanks for your response. I’d thought about it last night and decided to go for it. I like that it feels a bit sturdier than the Bee and is apparently a lot better on grass, plus it’s only 2kg heavier. When I was in store at the weekend I asked them about the flipping backwards problem and they reassured me that that was only a problem on the old model and it has been completely fixed on the XT2. Also, apparently the basket only drags when it hasn’t been fitted properly so it might be worth going into a store and getting them to show you how to fix it. Mamas and Papas actually have a 50% offer on until this weekend so the buggy plus carrycot is only £359! It’s such a bargain! This is the link: www.mamasandpapas.com/en-gb/flip-xt-pushchair-carrycot-package-black/p/604325300/

Hi all! we are new here, and actually got to Mumsnet because of this discussion. Nimsay1, MrsMcW, any other :-) if you finally got the Flip XT2, could you share your experience, likes/dislikes about the pushchair and carrycot? We are now looking for a pushchair and getting almost crazy, so your comments would be really relevant for us :-)

Many thanks!!

We had the exact same dilemma a few months ago and ended up going for the bee. It pushes better, is more compact (when unfolded), huge extendable hood and extendable seat. There were a few things about the XT2 that they had changed from the XT that i didn't like... the hood is a lot smaller (doesn't give much coverage from sun in lie flat mode) and the bar at the end of the leg rest digs in to the back of their ankles as they grow plus gets very scratched. However the seat on the XT/XT2 is bigger, the fold is more compact and i love that there is a calf rest.

We actually ended up buying the armadillo (not flip or XT but exact same design) as our holiday buggy and DS did look very comfy in it - the seat is huge and with the calf rest it does become completely lie flat.

P.s the basket does not drag - people haven't read the instructions and fitted it properly. So many people haven't hooked the velcro over the back bar which completely prevents it from dragging.