Get your Mojo back with Graco
The Graco Mojo
£89.99
http://www.graco.co.uk/en_GB/product/6C98/009/
Buggy Features:
One-hand fold up system
Carry Handle
Washable seat pad
Front swivel lockable wheels
One hand adjustable multi-position back rest
In November 2008, the City of Bristol faced one of its finest moments when it was crowned the most sustainable city in Britain. This was due in parts to its impressive increases in recycling and green spaces amongst other criteria.
We thought this was an excellent opportunity to get into the ‘green spaces’ of Bristol and see how environmentally friendly the city was.
We did this with the help of the Graco Mojo buggy, which we took out and about Bristol over the winter season pushing the pram to its absolute limits.
We found the buggy easy to assemble from instructions and was quickly up and running with no shouting, tantrums or use of inappropriate language.
We really liked the fact that it was a full lie back buggy suitable from birth. Not everyone drives, or drives everywhere so this is the perfect pram for the get up and go mother with a newborn.
It is lightweight and easy to hop on and off of public transport. If you don’t live on a bus route that is buggy friendly the one handed close mechanism is swift and easy enough with a few practises. It is also one of the lightest lie back buggies for lumping on and off buses when folded up.
We are also really impressed that the buggy seems to support the back of the child much better than other makes on the market. Whereas in other buggies our test child (1 year) slumped, this buggy supported their back and made them sit up straight in comfort. Even when falling asleep in a sat up position the child seemed comfortable.
It was good over rougher ground due to its larger than average buggy wheels. It was easy to bump it backwards up steps, drop down off of buses and all the other things the manufacturer would tell you not to do but you have to do anyway through the course of daily life.
The mechanism for making the buggy lie back is located at the back of the seat. All you have to do is pull one strap. It’s all far too simple. We couldn’t believe it was this simple and we pulled and yanked in all kinds of ways but the lie back mechanism is great and you can adjust it subtly to what ever angle you want.
The one thing we were not so keen on was the rain cover. It is simply too big and cumbersome to whack on quickly and cannot be left folded over the top of the hood when putting the pram up and down. It gets in the way of the clip that keeps the buggy folded together.
There is probably a manufactures specification saying that this should never be done anyway, but a parent having to whip a child out, fold down the buggy and get on the bus in a swift movement will struggle with the rain cover.
The Mojo comes with its own pram cover that was warm and snug and our awkward test child who will not have any blankets on him by day or night was kept forcibly warm by this. When we went out in the rain we were happy leaving the rain cover behind and using this instead. Unless the rain is torrential it was good enough on its own.
We also liked the challenge of the 5-point harness. It is not possible to leave the arm straps clipped together. If you needed to get your child out very quickly this harness is excellent but when they are doing the ironing board manoeuvre to avoid going in the pram it can be tricky.
The Mojo does have a big, generous shopping basket underneath which we managed to get loads of the heavy bulky shopping in, such as bags of potatoes, glass jars and a bottle of wine. It is also a well balanced buggy and does not tip when the child jumps out and the changing bag is left on the back.
The lie back facility is not suitable for larger older toddlers as the child’s head came over the top of the buggy’s back. Should for any reason your buggy tip back, in an accident or incident then the child’s head would most likely absorb the impact rather than the pram frame. This is only the case for larger toddlers. Small babies would be fine.
We conclude that the Mojo buggy is excellent for getting around town and keeping your child comfortable. What is surprising is that when you delve into the pram market place buggies are only designed for children up to the weight of 15 kg and maximum age three. At one year old our test child was technically too heavy.
Now some people would huff and puff saying that children over this age should walk. And so they should but sometimes having the buggy on hand means that you can spend long days out or go further and not have to worry about your child getting too tired because they have no buggy.
Not everyone drives and children who spend more time out on the road in the buggy are absorbing direct experience and knowledge of road safety.
We thought the Graco Mojo is an excellent first buggy from birth. It is a budget friendly price, comfortable and fully lies back for your newborn.
We don’t think it will bang up and down as quickly as other buggies on the market but that is because this is more than other buggies.
Walking around town there is no shortage of newborn babies being pushed around in upright £15 buggies. There really is no need for this as the Graco Mojo is a bargain.
Replacement parts and wheels can be ordered when needed from the friendly Graco helpline making this a fully green option. We have always found the wheels to be the weakest part of most prams, tending to wear out quickly. If you wore out the wheels on the Mojo there is no need to dump the frame. The front wheels are £12.00 each and the back set £12.00 coming to a total of £36.00 should you find you need to replace them.
If you have lost your buggy Mojo and you need a new set of wheels to get about this will give you back your rhythm.