The Cosmopolitan is a new style of buggy for Mountain Buggy. It’s got (gasp!) 4 wheels not the traditional 3 and a different profile from the Mountain Buggy buggies that we know and love. It’s a stylish model that has some fantastic features. The buggy has three positions – front facing, rear facing and reclined and is suitable from birth through to about 4 years (20kg).
I’m liking
Oooo it’s really pretty. The Cosmopolitan has a denim-ish coloured exterior fabric and the inside comes in three different fabric colours – stone, red and turquoise. I’ve mostly used this buggy in the full recline position (more on this in a minute) and it has a lovely ‘classical’ buggy look.
Like everything from Mountain Buggy, things work beautifully. From the ease of folding to the smoothness of the moving parts, this buggy is built well.
The parcel carrier is designed to take up to 10kg (unlike many that are only design for up to 5kg) and it’s cleverly designed so that it’s lower at the back and front – making it easy to slip your parcels in, no matter what position the seat is in.
I didn’t use a cot attachment or rear facing cot with any of my other babies and I’d have to say that I’m really enjoying being able to watch my baby as I walk. Let’s face it, there’s something quite lovely about watching a sleeping baby.
Some other features that I liked:
* Hidden suspension makes for a smooth ride
* Automatic frame lock keeps the buggy clipped together when folded – genius!
* Aerotech tire = NO MORE FLAT TIRES! Awesome!
* As with other Mountain Buggies, you can get a range of accessories, including covers and the car seat attachement.
Things that made me go hmmmm
The handle on this buggy doesn’t adjust so if you’re particularly tall or short, you’ll want to test it out for a while before you buy.
The interior padding is lovely and soft but it doesn’t come out, making it tricky to wash. If you’ve got a pukey baby or your kids eat in the buggy, I can see this becoming a bit mucky. Similarly, the foot rest is quite small and is part of the interior of the buggy – meaning that it could be hard to keep clean, especially as your child gets bigger and is able to climb in and out of the buggy themselves.
I’m not sure if it was the model that I was trying or a general issue, but when in full recline mode, the seat slopes slightly backwards. I found that I often popped my bag or another heavy object on the end of it to try and balance it up.
The conclusion
When I first saw the buggy, I though that perhaps it wouldn’t be robust enough for my family. I have 3 pretty tough girls and I need a buggy that’s rough and also fits 3 different ages. However, I’ve really come around to this buggy. It has lots of nifty features and I love the easy of use and especially how easy it is to change the configuration. It’s worth checking out the online demonstration videos as they give lots of great tips and instructions on setting up your buggy correctly.
While the Cosmopolitan is a break away from the traditional Mountain Buggy 3 wheeler, I think it’s going to be a hit. It’s snazzy styling and clever construction are great for an all-purpose around-town buggy. You’re probably not going to want to take this buggy on hard-out off road walks but it will suit most people just fine.
