Tutti Bambini present to us their show-stopping single-to-tandem pushchair, the Arlo. We've spent some time putting it through its paces, so read on to see how it performed...
Quick Summary: The Arlo is a fresh new example of a single-to-double tandem pushchair. The attention to detail in its unique styling really make parents feel like they are pushing something special. For such an incredible price at just £530 for the single version of the Arlo, including the accessory pack containing your seat fabrics and hood, there is no denying that the Arlo offers value for money as well as class and style in abundance.
Whats good?
- Folds with seat in place
- Converts to a tandem
- Large seats to accommodate taller toddlers
- Interchangeable accessory packs to change colours easily
- Fabulous depth to melange fabrics
Whats not so good?
- Very little basket space when in tandem mode
- Exposed seat unit design
- Sometimes heavy to steer with two toddlers on board
Chassis
Putting the Arlo together was a very exciting affair and relatively quick and easy too. It is pretty unique as pushchairs go, so depending on what option you purchase (single or tandem/carrycots or seat units), you will have different assembly processes to follow. Either way, all of the bits pop together with a reassuring click and there were no headaches gained from consulting the instruction manual every two seconds! We loved the fact that all of the operations are clearly marked with grey button and levers so that everything is easy to find and operate.
The handlebar is adjustable using the two grey coded pressure points on the side of the handlebar. These height-adjusting buttons are cleverly shaped to replicate the Tutti Bambini logo – a little touch of luxury that we kept noticing time and time again in different places on the Arlo. The handlebar is chunky to hold and covered in leatherette, which gives a lovely luxurious feel whilst you push. The chassis is very elegant to look at. It is available in a choice of two finishes, charcoal and chrome. The Arlo chassis definitely does have a premium look and feel to it. It has a great height and it feels rock steady to stand behind. Even though the Arlo converts to a tandem pushchair, the overall wheelbase isn’t as long as we have seen with some other tandem pushchairs, meaning it doesn’t feel too long when when both seats are in place.
The wheels of the Arlo feature that same clever nod to the Tutti Bambini logo – we liked this a lot. Not only do they look fabulous to the eye and complement the chassis design, it also shows great thoughtfulness in the whole design process. The wheels are workmanlike in appearance with visible tread on their rubber tyres. After weeks of daily use, they do not appear worn at all. The two smaller front wheels feature a locking/swivel function indicated with a handily coded grey slider. All four wheels pop off easily using an easy-to-reach grey button. We found this really handy for cleaning the pushchair wheels during the spell of particularly wet and muddy weather in which we tested the Arlo.
The shopping basket on the Arlo is a really great size. There is plenty of height to slide shopping bags in and out of the pushchair basket with ease. The back of the basket has an access flap, which is secured using strong magnets. The back of the basket also cleverly houses the points on the chassis where the second seat can be clicked into place to make the Arlo into a pushchair for two! When using the Arlo as a tandem pushchair the fabulously sized lower seat fills pretty much the whole basket, so you will have to revert to hanging your bags from the chassis in this case. It is also possible to use the Arlo as a full travel system with the addition of the Tutti Bambini ByGo ISOfix car seat to add that extra little bit of convenience when running short errands.
Seat and Carrycot
The luxurious nature of the Arlo is never more evident than in the seat and carrycot. The fabrics are purchased separately to the pushchair chassis and seat unit in the form of an accessory pack.
There are five on-trend colours to choose from, each one just as gorgeous as the next. The fabrics are so richly textured and the debossed logos add that extra touch of style and substance. The height and width of the seat are brilliant, leaving plenty enough room for the tallest and chunkiest of toddlers. One noticeable feature of the Arlo is the exposed seat unit. Although beautifully padded by the accessory pack of your choice, there are no sides to the seat, leaving it quite exposed for younger babies if you are using the seat from birth as is possible.
The harness is a five-point harness with that same nod to the Tutti logo with its soft triangular shape. The harness webbing oozes luxury with its thick and glossy qualities.
The hood is large and gives great coverage. The pull-down sun visor adds that extra protection from sun rays and when fully extended using the zip-open panel, it almost touches the bumper bar. The peek-a-boo window was very useful for checking on baby and it is secured using a magnet to avoid that loud Velcro ‘rip’ startling your little passenger.
Being the middle of winter, we tested out some of the accessories from the Tutti Bambini range too.
The comfort pack came with a gorgeously soft and deeply quilted seat jersey seat liner as well as a quilted, lined footmuff. There was plenty of room for our 2-and-a-half year old tester to wriggle around in the footmuff and it also helped shelter our newborn in the otherwise quite exposed seat unit.
If you don’t want to use the seat unit from birth then there is the option to purchase a carrycot separately. We quite like the element of choice as if you don’t need a carrycot then you aren’t lumbered with an additional item to find a storage space for. The small details on the carrycot have been really well thought out. The branded zips and metal logos again add a premium feel to this great pushchair.
The seat of the Arlo can be used in either forward or parent-facing modes by squeezing the grey clasps handily situated inside the conveniently shaped carry handles on each side of the pushchair seat and lifting it on and off the frame. The seat in the lower position can recline just as the seat in the regular position. Getting younger babies in and out proved hassle-free. Our toddler testers in the lower seat could even climb in and out of the seat by themselves, making life a lot more fuss-free for us as parents.
Our 4-month-old napped happily in the carrycot on the included comfortable mattress. To attach the carrycot to the pushchair frame you do need to use the included carrycot adapters. They’re easy to use with left and right indicators so you know you are popping them onto the correct side of the frame. These adapters raise the carrycot up to a nice height to allow you to check in on your newborn. There are a few subtle features of the carrycot that we really liked here at PX HQ. The soft Velcro newborn band that stops tiny babies slipped to the bottom of the carrycot, for example, and the ability to unzip all of the carrycot linings just in case baby has a little accident on them and they need to be popped in the wash.
As your family grows, the Arlo is able to adapt into a pushchair for two, meaning there is no need to buy an additional double pushchair. There are multiple combinations that the Arlo may be used in: two seats, two carrycots, one seat one carrycot, two car seats, one seat one car seat to name just a few. Usually with tandem pushchairs we find that additional adapters and kits need to be purchased to convert your single to a double. With the Arlo this is not the case. All of the connectors are already built into the frame, meaning there’s no need to fuss about clicking adapters on and off when you change the mode of your pushchair.
In tandem mode, of course, the extra weight of the second child and seat/carrycot was evident when pushing the Arlo, especially when we had two 2-year-olds in the seats. Kerb-popping with a lower seat or carrycot in place felt different, but was definitely doable with a little extra muscle and not once did the Arlo ever feel unstable in any of its modes.
Fold
The fold on the Arlo is just what parents need – simple yet effective! There are a few motions that you have to go through but none of them are fussy or fiddly. Firstly, you squeeze the palm button located in the centre of the handlebar and flip the handlebar forwards. This will reveal a central barrel on the pushchair chassis. Push the grey button on this barrel in and twist all in one motion – the pushchair will effortlessly fold in on itself and lock together using the plastic auto-lock clip.
To unfold the pushchair you need to release the frame lock. Once this is released, we just grabbed the handlebar and flicked the pushchair into place. Everything clicks into position itself so there’s no need to worry about locking off any levers. It’s perfectly possible to fold the Arlo with the main seat on the chassis, in the forward-facing position. The overall fold package is still nice and neat and of an average size too. We had no problems in fitting the Arlo and two seats into our hatchback boot with plenty of room to spare for shopping bags if needed.
Our verdict
The Arlo is a fresh new example of a single-to-double tandem pushchair. The attention to detail in its unique styling really make parents feel like they are pushing something special. The extra large extendable hood, roomy seats and depth of fabrics make sure that the Arlo will certainly turn the heads of fellow parents and passers-by whilst you’re out and about. We love the fact that the Arlo can grow with the family and adapt to the changing needs of our children and that there’s no need to have to replace your much-loved pushchair when you add to your growing brood and require a double pushchair.
If we were to be super-critical, the open-sided seat units might not provide the cosiest space for your child but this is easily rectified with the addition of a comfort pack. The Arlo was heavy to steer when fully laden with two toddlers but a lot easier to manage up and down kerbs in single mode. For such an incredible price at just £530 for the single version of the Arlo, including the accessory pack containing your seat fabrics and hood, there is no denying that the Arlo offers value for money as well as class and style in abundance.
