Mountain Buggy have taken their ‘mini' to a whole new level. We have put it through its paces to see how it fared up when used in our real parent review.
Quick Summary: If you love the idea of a practical and affordable pushchair that will try its hand on all terrains then it's definitely worth considering the MB mini. At just £299 for pushchair and car seat, the MB mini offers great value for money from a quality and well trusted brand.
Whats good?
- One handed small fold
- Comes as a complete travel system
- Affordable
- Excellent maneuverability
- Suitable from birth up to 20kg (around 4 years old)
Whats not so good?
- Small basket
- Brake lever sits low to the floor and can be tricky to flick off with your toes
- Bumper bar not included
- Raincover not included
Chassis
When you stand the old version of the MB mini and the new side by side, the difference is eye opening, it looks sleeker and even more compact. The new chassis is more refined due to the re-design required for the new fold and the MB mini is now even more compact than it was previously.
The handle height ranges from 66 – 98cm. I am 5’6″ and found the highest position just right. For those of you who are taller, I would recommend you have a test drive as some may feel that the handle position is a little low even at its highest point.
We found pushing it smooth and effortless, especially through the streets of towns and cities. The wheels have nimble innovative aerotech tyres, and are more streamlined than the wheels you may have come to expect of Mountain Buggy’s all terrain ‘off-roading’ pushchair range which further embeds the fact that Mountain Buggy have designed the MB mini specifically for urban use. But don’t worry as if you plan on going on park paths or encounter gravel or cobbles on your shopping trips then the front wheel can be locked by pushing down the lever that sits above its axle.
With the chassis shrinking to allow for a significantly smaller fold, unfortunately the basket size shrinks too but it does have enough space for your changing bag and the odd bottle.
The brake is simple and operated with your feet. It doesn’t matter which foot you prefer to use to flick the brake on and off as there is a foot lever next to both back wheels. What we did notice was that the brake pedals were quite long and close to the floor when engaged, which sometimes made it trickier to get our toes underneath to flick the brake off again – perhaps a handbrake would have been better for city use? All the same, this wasn’t a huge issue and the brake always held the pushchair firm whenever we needed to use it.
Seat options
At first glance the MB mini’s seat looks a little small, so we were surprised when measured, that the seat has 50 cm of usable height and is 30 cm wide and 17cm deep – a size that comfortably accommodates our 3 year old toddler. It’s great to know that the newly designed fold has not shaved any size from the seat.
We were impressed that the harness straps could be adjusted easily without the need to re-thread them through the seat fabric. By just releasing the clamps we were able to slide the harness to the correct size for each baby easily and without breaking nails! Each harness strap clips separately into a central buckle.
The strap recline lies flat meaning that you can lie your newborn in the seat right from the very start however if you prefer a parent facing option then it’s probably worth purchasing the carrycot plus for a little extra money. The carrycot comes with bassinet fabrics which provide a safe and cosy space for newborns but when baby is ready to see a bit more of the world you remove the carrycot fabrics from the frame and pop on the included seat fabrics which turn the carrycot + into a parent facing seat unit.
This is really handy for interacting with baby in the early months. When you are ready to use the mini as a parent facing pushchair, you just hook and clip the pushchair seat fabrics back into place, it only took us around 10 minutes to do and is very simple.We loved the addition of the carrycot plus. Even though it costs you that little bit extra, you really get your money’s worth in the form of a sturdy, safe carrycot that is suitable for overnight sleeping as well as a parent facing pushchair seat too.
The parent facing seat has a weight limit of 15kg too, which will last you until your child is a toddler and wants to world face and take in the sights and sounds of the world in the main MB mini pushchair seat.
There is also the option to use the MB mini with an additional cocoon. The cocoon is a lightweight solution to the full sized carrycot+. You simply secure the soft bassinet into the seat unit of the MB mini when the seat is fully reclined and it offers a flat, safe space for a newborn to nestle. The cocoon has a hard base and a zip open apron to protect baby. It also has really handy carry handles which we found most useful for after a walk if baby had fallen to sleep we were able to use the carry handles to lift the cocoon into the house.
There’s no bumper bar included with the MB mini which would be a great added feature for baby to hold onto and to hang toys and books off to keep baby occupied whilst you are out shopping.
The hood provides ample protection from the elements and has a handy viewing flap to enable you to check on baby as you stroll.
Another notable feature of the MB mini is that you can also pair the chassis with a newborn car seat using the Mountain Buggy car seat adapters that click onto the frame of the Mini. The new MB protect 2020+ car seat has a fabulous extendable sun canopy and is a car to buggy essential in our eyes.
This makes the MB mini excellent value and wonderfully practical solution for parents who need to make quick city trips often. It also offers another parent facing solution for families who would like to use the MB mini from birth making the Protect 2020+ a real car-to-buggy essential. The Mountain Buggy Protect 2020+ car seat clips onto the frame of the Mini pushchair easily and gives a safe and comfortable space for baby to travel. The car seat adapters are also compatible with other brands too.
Fold
Perhaps the biggest change to the design of the MB mini is the fold. Mountain Buggy have completely re-designed the fold mechanism and in the process reduced the folded length by an incredible amount. Folding is now a one handed affair as well. I am impressed, the resultant folded pushchair is Mini by name and mini by nature.
To fold, first, it is best to ensure the seat is up and the handle is in its lowest position, also push the MB mini backwards a little to turn the front wheel round. You can also put the brake on which may help you with unfolding. Next reach under the front of the seat near to the leg rest and locate the grey button on the left hand side, press this in and twist the bar. The end result is nice and neat, easy to put in the car and very compact.
