Ickle Bubba have just released something a little different to their travel system, let's take a look at the small and nippy Aurora.
Quick Summary: The Ickle Bubba Aurora is a stylish and simple stroller that offers parents a compact form of transport for their little one. We love how quick and easy it is to fold and unfold, with the included carry bag making storage clean and tidy.
Whats good?
- Compact and easy fold
- Lightweight
- Comes with carry bag
- Fantastic price
Whats not so good?
- Static handlebar
- No lock for the lowest footrest position
- Short seat back
We know that Ickle Bubba like to provide good value products that include everything you could need, as seen with their Stomp V3 travel system. They are now looking to capture another niche in the market with their Aurora stroller. Aimed at active parents who crave simplicity and style, it’s designed for urban environments.
Chassis
Pushchair assembly can be a nightmare, but there really is nothing to do with the Ickle Bubba Aurora. Arriving ready to go from the box, the Aurora is folded inside it’s own carry bag. As a lightweight stroller weighing only 5.5kg, the carry bag makes it really easy to transport and keep it clean in the car. There’s a toggle strap to keep it fastened and an adjustable and removable strap made from webbing, making it just the right length to put over your shoulder. The instruction booklet reflects the ease of use, being only 8 pages long and featuring large images as well as some text.
It must be said that the Aurora has a certain look about it, not dissimilar to other well known brands in the lightweight pushchair and stroller market. The striking black frame looks great against the bright Sunshine Yellow that we have in the office for testing, and even comes with coordinating yellow wheels for a flash of colour as you roll.
The handlebar on the Aurora is static and covered in a foam along its length. At 5′ 6″, our tester found the height comfortable, but someone shorter at 5′ 1″ did find it a little high and would have preferred some adjustment. You can comfortably hold the continuous bar with one hand to steer, but the fold buttons slightly obstruct holding it in the centre.
Designed for city streets, the four wheels on the Aurora are small and made from plastic with rubber tyres. We love that another little bit of design has been included, with the insides of the wheels matching the colour of your stroller. There’s even dual front suspension for a really smooth ride.
To bring the Aurora to a stop, there are two small pedals at each side, behind the rear wheels. It’s a simple push down for on, push up for off system. They are slightly hidden under the back of the basket. For such a small stroller, there is actually a decent sized basket under the seat. You will easily fit your changing bag or a couple of shopping bags in there, and it has a maximum capacity of 3kg.
Seat
Ickle Bubba advise that the Aurora is suitable from birth to 15kg, or around three years old. With a padded liner, made from an almost memory foam material, it Velcros to the seat to offer good comfort for a toddler. To add better cushioning and support if using the stroller from birth, you could use it with a footmuff or additional liner. Because of the unique fold of the stroller, and the ridged sections of the seat, we found that the seat liner material doesn’t retain its shape very when unfolded.
Measuring 39cm, the seat back height isn’t very big and may not last taller children up to the 15kg weight limit. There is however, plenty of head clearance between the top of the seat and the hood, you’ll just need to go on whether this is comfortable for your child.
The five point harness has three height positions and it’s easy enough to rethread to the correct position behind the seat liner. The shoulder straps themselves have a long length of light padding, and there’s also padding on the crotch strap. To fasten, the two sides of the harness sit together and clip together into the buckle.
The recline is done with a simple strap mechanism. The button on the strap needs squeezing and you can then slide up and down to the correct angle. This way, there are multiple angles to choose from, with lay flat and upright amongst them. Giving the seat a bit more length when reclined, the footrest can be positioned down or up with the triggers underneath. We found that the footrest only locked into the horizontal position and didn’t always stay in the lowest position. Just below the footrest is a small plastic footplate formed from the chassis.
Following on the trend from its much bigger brother, the Stomp V3, the hood is made from a stretchy material. It looks great fully extended, thanks to the strong hood rods. To create an additional position, there is a toggle on the top of the hood to decrease the size by one panel and this hooks into the back.
As well as the stroller and carry bag, a raincover is included with the package. It Velcros around the handle of the Aurora and is a good fit with plenty of room for little legs.
Drivability
With weight on board the Aurora is easy to manoeuvre with one hand, the colourful front swivel wheels leading the way. For a very light stroller, the chassis is still strong and stable. As well as parents, kids will love how the front dual suspension soaks up any cracks in the pavement for a super smooth ride.
Fold
Though it concertinas down into a compact parcel, it’s easy to fold the Aurora. Slide the button on the outside of the handlebar and push the button on the inside. This releases the handle and you can push forwards until the chassis folds. Then it’s just a case of folding back the hood and top section of the handlebar back on itself, which is done with the buttons on the inside and at the bottom of the handle. An automatic locking clip keeps it together and it’s possible for it to freestand it on it’s end.
Measuring only 64 x 40 x 21cm, the Aurora is small enough to fit in any boot, and ideal to for public transport users. The carry bag keeps everything clean and neatly together.
Getting it upright again is just as easy – unclip the automatic lock and pull the handle back until you hear it lock into place.
Conclusion
The Ickle Bubba Aurora is a stylish and simple stroller that offers parents a compact form of transport for their little one. We love how quick and easy it is to fold and unfold, with the included carry bag making storage clean and tidy.
Although fine for young babies and toddlers, the seat back is quite short, so may not last to its highest weight limit for tall children. The seat liner also bunches up, making it aesthetically less pleasing.
As it’s so lightweight, it’s easy to manoeuvre and carry, making it the perfect stroller for holidays and public transport. We think that parents will love the price point of the Aurora. Compared to other similar pushchairs available, it is over half the price, yet still offers more features than a standard stroller. We think that it’s great value for money!
