As 18-month-old Theodore entered toddler-hood I began to wonder if we should make the swap from our travel system pram to a stroller. Would it benefit us as a family? Would it make a difference? Would life be easier? The answer to all of those questions, yes! Theodore has been confidently walking since 11 months old, and although he loves being lazy and being pushed along, we were ditching the pram ever so slowly. We found ourselves dragging it around with us *incase* he wanted it. It was typical that the days he wanted to walk we had pushed around an empty pram, and the days he demanded to be carried/pushed we didn't bother bringing it with us, because, effort!
When Pramworld sent us the new Maclaren Atom Stoller to review I was jumping for joy. Finally a chance to see if the stroller life would work for us. When I saw the box it was delivered in I could quite believe there was a stroller in there. Our previous pram came in two massive boxes which were even difficult to fit through the front door!
We've been testing it out for a month now and have even taken it on holiday with us so it's had a fantastic test run. Along the beach, though forests and in the city! We've had 100's of chances to test it out to its full potential. So here is everything we're LOVING about the Maclaren Atom!
Smooth to drive.
This stroller is incredibly smooth to drive. So easy to push single-handedly too. I love how the handle has a full bar instead of two separate curved handles like a lot of strollers do. It means you have more options to find what's comfy for your hands while you're on the go. It has 4 wheel suspension which you don't usually expect with strollers, that sort of addition usually only comes with your bigger bulkier prams.
It's So Compact!
What amazes me the most about this whole stroller is how compact it is. We have a tiny car and tiny boot (Ford Fiesta 2010) and previously our 2-part travel system would take up the inter boot with and would only stay in with a lot of force. The amount of room we have left for shopping and bags now is crazy. It even had Bradley saying wow.
To collapse the stroller down, you just need to flip the back section down, and then just click one button and a slider under the seat part and it will all effortlessly compact. To pop it back up is an easy lift away of the red lever and a little shake of the stroller and it all just magically opens and clicks into position. So easy I can do it with just one hand - perfect when you're carrying a wiggling toddler too.
A Huge Hood!
Usually the first thing I like to check when I'm looking at the prams/strollers is the hood. Does it open tight, or is it slack? Is it long enough to protect my child from the sun? Having a tight hood is everything to me, it means it just looks so much nicer, slim line and tidy. Nothing anyones me more than a slack hood! This has got to be the best hood I've ever come across. It has a zip to expand to almost double its size, and then, if that's not enough an extra small little sun flap can pop out! Meaning even if Theodore is laid back asleep the sun is still protecting him. Since the stroller is world facing it has a little lift-up flap on the top of the hood so you can easily peak down and see what your little ones are up too! Another little bonus... its waterproof AND has UPF 50+ protection!
Lays Back Flat
I believe that this stroller is actually suitable from birth! This is because it lays completely flat (something which is hard to find in a stroller)! No floppy neck and uncomfortable looking child - they can sleep super easy and you don't need to worry. Where little ones feet sit there is a ledge which can click from flat, to bent at a 90 degree angle. Meaning for babies they will never have their feet hanging off the edge!
Bundles of Matching Accessories
This stroller has so many fancy extras to make parenting life just that bit easier. My favourite little extra is the Maclaren Atom Organiser, it velcros around the handle bars and it is a HUGE deep pouch. I actually just throw my purse in, my keys, a couple of nappies and a packet of wipes in there so I don't have to take a bag on smaller journeys. It's a life saver! It also has two handy cup holders on the top meaning I can fit both Theodore's 360 cup and my reusable coffee cup for me!
There are also a range of different seat liners that are super easy to attach. I used the main Atom one but the clever thing about these liners are they are reversible meaning you get the chance of two designs in one. We've gone for the grey design with the small UFO and I love it.
So Roomy
He just has so much space! Which has really surprised me with a small stroller like this. He has tonnes of room to move about and get comfortable - which of course is the main aspect of any stroller! The seat is both wide and long meaning so perfect for any child (up to 25KG), and is definitely going to be perfect in the winter months when he is wearing a thick coat and wrapped up in blankets.
The Closeness
I just love how much closer to Theodore I feel with this stroller compared to his original pram/pushchair. Previously if he was world facing I could never actually see him even with the hood open. But now because it's much lower he is so easy to see and to talk to. He's always right there in easy to see and reach distance. I feel like we can connect more and explore the world together instead of the constant walking around to the front of the which I had to do with our last pushchair. It's all round just easier now he's chatting away to me and asking what every new thing he sees is.
Perfect for Holidays
Not only is this stroller small, its small enough to fit in the overhead compartment of an airplane! We haven't tested that out yet but we did take it with us down to Weymouth for the week where we stayed in a forest based log cabin with lots of hills! It was so easy to push around even with the more difficult surfaces and never let us down. How light it is meant it was super easy for getting up hills meaning we hardly had to break a sweat! Also it was surprisingly easier than I first imagined when we took it on the sand (and we all know practically all strollers/prams are impossible on sand!).
Just an Overall Love
Overall we are totally in love with this stroller. We're so happy that Pramworld decided to send us this to review instead of forking out for a cheap stroller like we were going to do. I know that I would have never been as happy with something else than I am with this. It ticks all the right boxes for us and is beyond perfect for our lifestyle.
From quick trips to long days out its always there when we need it. So small and compact, so never a pain to move about. When Theodore is at his Grandparents for the day they always use it - and they love it just as much. It fits in everyone's cars just perfectly and isn't a massive hassle! It's so simple to demonstrate how to collapse meaning everyone can do it without a struggle.
A perfect stroller for any toddler in my eyes. So much so we've packed away our original pushchair and the Atom has become the only product we now use. If you're looking for a stroller to make your life easier? This is it.
