Mamas and Papas were launched from humble beginnings in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire by David and Luisa Scachetti. Over the last 30 years they have become market leaders in nursery products, whilst still retaining their family control over the business. We have one of their best sellers in for review, the Mamas & Papas Mylo.
Quick Summary: The Mamas & Papas Mylo is a wonderfully easy pushchair to get to know. It's attractive and uncomplicated with a brilliant fold and bags of finesse. Having such broad choice of colours and accessories, you would never find yourself getting bored with your pushchair because you could change it on a whim if you wished.
Whats good?
- One-handed fold
- Well finished
- Great colours
Whats not so good?
- Awkward basket
- Wobbles on the central mount
Launched in 2010, the Mamas & Papas Mylo offers a variety of colours that you can mix and match to create your very own Mylo combination. Using colours not seen in pushchairs made by other manufacturers, the shades are all very sumptuous and modern, far from the primary spectrum and crossing the genders with ease. The choices include Black Jack, Welly green, Lime Jelly, Dove grey, Sandcastle, Plum pudding and Raspberry Ripple, these can all be contrasted or complimented by the addition of accessories.
Mamas & Papas cornered the pushchair market in the 80s/90s by bringing the best of European chic to the UK where we were hungry for the exciting colours and fabrics they had to offer. Besides their funky colours, they were the most contemporary pushchairs you could buy. I speak with firsthand experience as my very first pushchair was a Mamas and Papas and I felt like the bees knees pushing my daughter around in her designer pram.
Mamas & Papas have evolved over time, still offering contemporary, good quality pushchairs with a twist of something a little bit different – the Mylo is no exception. We have the Welly green/Lime jelly model in for testing and the first thing you notice is the colour, the acid Lime compliments the muddy green perfectly. It stands out from the crowd because it dares to be different in both colour and design.
The first element you are likely to use after having a baby is the carrycot, so what better place to start.
The Mamas & Papas Mylo carrycot is vast at 84cm long and 43 cm wide. Covering the body is a soft microfibre fabric in the Welly green that also covers the interior mattress. This mattress can be propped up using the bracket underneath to put the bed at a slight incline for colicky babies.
The apron and hood are in the contrasting Lime jelly. The apron sits cleverly on top of the rim of the carrycot held in place by concealed magnets. It lies flat like a lid to perfectly seal the bottom end of the bed. Elastic attachments affix below the hub of the canopy to keep it firmly in place and to allow the small wind break, at the top of the apron, to stand.
The large canopy is supported by the arched handle that spans the carrycot. This can be folded down by pressing the buttons on the hub allowing better access to your baby. During spells of hotter weather, the back of the canopy can be folded up to reveal a netted segment that will give the carrycot a flow of ventilation. The centre of the canopy arch is finished with a leather stitched handle, used for picking up the carrycot from the floor, the stand or the pushchair frame.
If you place the carrycot on the floor it can rock because of its convex bottom. Alternatively you can extend the legs in the base to stabilise it. Should you wish to use the carrycot as an overnight sleeper, it has an alternative mattress and a stand to transform it into an infant bed. The same stand can be used for the pushchair seat unit or a car seat. I love this idea, it means your baby is not floor bound all the time and out of the reach of inquisitive pets or over amorous siblings.
Along the edge of the canopy is a zip, this is used for attaching the insect net and sun shade accessory. The raincover envelopes the whole body of the carrycot and is a thing of beauty – if you can say that about a raincover! It is tailor made for the Mylo and finished to a very high standard, incorporating a magnetic flap so that you can get to the handle, zips on the side to access your baby, ventilation panels and zips on the front and back to nip it in to fit tightly around the bottom.
To attach the carrycot to the pushchair frame, simply drop it into place (parent facing only) on the central mount and give it a small push downwards to click it in. Removing the carrycot is slightly more fiddly. Squeeze the button at the base of the bed at the same time as lifting the carrycot, the button can be a quite stiff to operate but it will come away with a little perseverance.
Seat
The seat can be attached to the frame in the forward or parent facing direction by dropping it onto the central mount. As with the carrycot, the seat pad is in the same microfibre Welly green with the hood in Lime jelly.
The seat is well padded with the soft fabric and the contours of the moulded foam contribute to the comfort. It is quite large at 30cm wide, 23 cms deep with a tall back height of 47cms. The sides of the seat extend to make protective fins either side of you passenger, however, they are a bit flappy and fold in towards the seat. It feels as though they have missed a clip or attachement to stop this from happening.
The five point harness has two height options but you have to remove the back of the seat to re-thread the straps. The harness itself is super soft and has a closure mechanism that no toddler will ever fathom and emits a reassuring clunk when closed. The chest pads can be removed as they snap together with poppers but you wouldn’t want to because, like rest of the chair, they are all about soft comfort.
The canopy is a large arch that contains an extra zip out section, not only to expand the reach of the shade but also to reveal the peephole window that has a cover flap with a magnetic closure. Every detail, including the zip fobs is meticulously designed to look and feel good.
My only criticism with the canopies is that the fabric creases easily making them look a little crumpled which is a shame when they bring so much to the look of the pram or pushchair. Both sport the Mylo logo on the back and sides, in a reflective silver that stands out in the dark.
The bumper bar is exquisite. It is covered in the same stitched leather as the handle of the carrycot and embossed with Mamas & Papas. It is narrow to accommodate a little hand’s grip and can be easily removed via the buttons on the underside. It can also open like a gate to allow your child access, then closed when they are safely strapped in.
The long calf rest can be angled in four positions from 0 to 90 degrees, using the buttons either side. The bottom lip of the calf-rest forms the foot-plate. This point of the chair is not covered by the seat pad, which is ideal if your child is jumping on board with muddy boots or shoes.
The back of the seat has four positions, from upright to nearly horizontal, all controlled by the multifunctional latch at the back of the seat. At full recline, the purpose of the fins down the side of the seat becomes more apparent, they stretch out to make shallow cot sides for a sleeping infant. The latch at the back of the seat also allows it to clam shell shut enabling the pushchair to be folded with the seat in situ.
Removing the seat is a doddle! As you go to lift the seat off the frame, lift the two paddles underneath and the seat comes away – incredibly simple.
Folding
To get the hang of how the Mylo folds, it’s probably best to initially attempt it without the seat unit in place. It’s not a complicated fold. Beside the central mount are two handles, grab either, twist and the frame collapses. Easy peasy!
If you want to fold it with the seat unit in place this is best performed in parent facing mode. Fold back the canopy and lift the footrest, then clam shell shut the seat. The handle near the central mount is revealed, grab, twist and the pushchair closes. This is by no means a compact fold but is a quick one-handed fold to get you going. However, removing the seat and folding the chassis takes only a fraction of a second longer.
Chassis
Apart from this ingenious construction around the central fixing point the frame has more to offer. Our sample is an unusual brown/ gunmetal colour. The handle is clad in the stictched leather found on the bumper bar and carrycot handle. It reminds me of the style of leather cover that they used to put on the steering wheels of, what are now, classic cars. It’s a very refined touch to an elegant frame constructed from narrow tubing. The handle can be extended from 99cms to 109cms by unclamping it on either side of the frame.
The back wheels are 23cms and the lockable front wheels are 17cms, it’s no off-roader especially as the tyres are smooth foam, however for urban use it is ideal. Braking is controlled near the right rear wheel where it’s an obvious red button for stop and green button for go – easily performed in flip-flops or even barefoot.
Accessories
Once again, the raincover for the pushchair is equal in quality to that of carrycot. Tailor-made to fit the Mylo, it arches out in front of your passenger giving them ample room to feel safe and warm without feeling claustrophobic. In fact it adds to the attractive looks of the Mylo where most raincovers ruin the look of a good idea!
Conclusion
The Mamas & Papas Mylo is a wonderfully easy pushchair to get to know. It’s attractive and uncomplicated with a brilliant fold and bags of finesse. Having such broad choice of colours and accessories, you would never find yourself getting bored with your pushchair because you could change it on a whim if you wished.
It has elements of brilliance stamped all over it. The fold is superb and definitely ticks the ‘makes life easier’ box. I love the leather clad handles and bumper bar, they are thin and elegant. I would recommend the raincovers not only to protect your baby but also because they look so polished, matching the frame to perfection. But bear in mind, the pushchair raincover is not small when removed, it would need to be installed before you go out if rain looks like a possibility.
The functionality on the Mylo is brilliant, the chair is easy to remove, the handle is easy to extend and the seat is simple to recline. However the central mounting system does leave the seat quite high, exposed and a little wobbly. The basket is not particularly useful but you can buy an alternative that attaches in front of your knees, it looks more sturdy and practical than the one supplied with the pushchair.
It is definitely an urban city dweller, it would not be content on a country path or a gravel bridleway. In the same way that some people wear Barbour jackets in town, the Mylo has no intention of ever seeing mud even though it sports the colours of a countryfile! This said, it does urban in style and with so much choice surrounding this pushchair, you can’t help but make the right decision for you and your baby.
