I’ve been considering a stroller for a while now, especially one which boasts ‘city-living’ credentials. Although we live in the countryside, a few miles away from the nearest town, Rory (my 4-month-old) and I have a busy social life. We take lots of trips into town throughout the week for meet-ups, mom & baby classes and play dates. I have a pram with a carry cot but bringing the multiple parts with me every time I leave the house gets a bit tiring. Plus, I drive a small hatchback so boot space is limited. I need something compact and easy to transport that I can navigate around busy streets, multi-storey car parks and the odd coffee shop.
The Maxi Cosi Laika stroller ticks a lot of boxes for me…it isn’t the cheapest stroller around, at £230 + but it has some key features that I felt were quite important.
First off, it looks great … I know, I know…a stroller is a functional item right?...true, but if I can find something stylish that’s also practical, I consider that a plus. My Laika is Nomad Grey which is a dark-grey fabric which contrasts nicely with the brown leather-effect handle and bumper. I’m a big fan of dark-grey fabrics as they tend to wear quite well and don’t show up marks or dirt as much as lighter colours might.
On the practicality side, the Laika stroller also performs well…it was delivered in a small box with no assembly required (Mr. S was pleased at that).
It folds up and down easily, I can do this one-handed using the little lever located behind the handle. It’s also really light, so I can carry it with one hand. The shoulder strap helps when you want to carry it a little further keeping your hands free. As the Laika lies flat when folded, it fits easily into the boot of my car and I don’t need to remove my parcel shelf like I do when I’m trying to put my other pram in the car.
I’ve taken the Laika on a few trips into town and it’s performed well. It has a small shopping basket underneath which is sufficient to fit the essentials. I also like that the sun canopy provides UV protection (50+) and that the rain cover is very quick and easy to fit. Living in Norther Ireland with temperamental weather, means that I often use both the sun canopy and rain cover several times in the same afternoon.
As Rory is only 4 months old, he still needs to lie in a reclined position, the Laika multi-recline seat adjusted using a simple strap and clip which allows me to adjust the angle of the seat. This makes the stroller perfect for new-born’s right up to around 3.5 years so I can guarantee that I’ll get my monies worth out of it over the next few years.
The Laika can also be used with a Maxi Cosi car seat, for short trips into the shops and there is also the option to combine with a carrycot too which can be used from birth to 6 months. Although I’m mainly using it as a stroller and alternating it with my bigger pram, the 3-in-1 feature means that it could serve as your main buggy too.
All things considered, I’d recommend the Maxi Cosi Laika. For a compact ‘city ready’ stroller it certainly delivers on style, practically and convenience.