Review: Britax B-Agile 3

Oooh pushchairs, I just love them! Aside from actually have a baby, one of the best parts about being a Mummy is the pushchair. There are literally hundreds and thousands of designs out there to tempt you and to fit your personality. But as much as a pushchair needs to look good, it has to actually fulfil the purpose it was bought for and this is one of those pushchairs which I think has been really well thought out.

Britax have been around for years and from my perspective is a name I associate with safety and quality. When I was asked if I would like to be a Britax Mumbassador I didn’t need to think about it for a second, I knew the answer had to be yes because they have so many products which I think are just brilliant.

To kick-start my Mumbassadorship (is that even a word?!?!) I was sent the all-new B-Agile 3 which is the new 3 wheeled version of the already popular 4 wheel design lightweight stroller. Sometimes when a new pushchair arrives I have a fear that I will need to audition for the Krypton Factor just to put it together but this one was so simple that I didn’t even need to refer to the instruction manual. All I had to do was remove all the packaging, slot the wheels into place until they clicked and then clip the hood on, pushchair complete in less than 15 minutes!!

Opening the pushchair from it’s folded position you just need to press on the grey clip on the side of the buggy which releases the folding mechanism, then simply pull up the handle bar until the pushchair clicks into a fully upright position. My first impression of the fully erected pushchair was just how spacious the seat appeared to be the rider. Usually Beanie Boy is the first to climb into new pushchairs when they arrive but Little Bean beat him to it and declared, “this can be my pushchair when my legs are tired Mummy”. Little Bean is now 4 years old and on some of Mummy’s mammoth days out she can tire easily so likes to sit down every now and then. This pushchair was great for her as she had plenty of room and said that the “back is really comfy”.

There are certain things in a pushchair that I always look out for and are my must-have features, the Britax B-Agile 3 has covered them all;

• Multi-position recline with lie-flat (this is perfect for newborns and also for Beanie Boy as he still likes to sleep when out and about).
• Lightweight aluminium chassis – never underestimate the weight of a pushchair. Babies start off very small and lightweight but they just keep on growing and getting heavier so you need the pushchair to be as lightweight, yet sturdy as possible.
• 5-point safety harness – now we don’t want those little cherubs to escape or fall out do we!
• Adjustable shoulder harness – as I said before children grow so you need the pushchair to grow with them, this is also great when you switch the pushchair from one child to another as I often do.
• Lockable swivel front wheels – everyone has their preferences, I like mine to swivel but Nanna prefers them locked.
• Built-in suspension for a smooth ride – a happy baby equals a happy Mum, a bumpy ride equals no sleep for baby and more stress for Mum!
• Puncture-resistant tyres – NEVER again will I have pneumatic tyres!!
• Spacious shopping basket – who needs to carry shopping when you can store it underneath?!
• A large hood because what is the point of a small one? The hood is also detachable although I’m never sure why anyone would want to take it off?

And then there are the extras which I hadn’t really considered before but I absolutely love;

• As I mentioned above, the B-Agile 3 has a large hood which is great for protecting delicate eyes from the bright sunshine and the light rain. But the hood has an added extra, there is a zip that runs side-to-side across the middle of the hood and when you open it further it reveals an additional mesh section which allows the front of the hood to pull down further to protect from low-lying sun and lets the heat out through the mesh keeping baby cool and also allows you to have a sneeky peek at baby too.
• One-handed folding mechanism – this is genius. I can actually fold the buggy whilst holding Beanie Boy or shopping or whatever else takes my fancy with my spare hand. Just a simple click of a button on the side of the pushchair and then pull on this strap and the pushchair folds up easily ready to store away.
• Large storage pocket in the back of the hood – this is perfect for storing the raincover, purse, car keys, mobile phone, whatever you want really.
• Quick release wheels – if you are short on space you can make the folded pushchair even smaller by removing the wheels. BUT, and this is a really big BUT. If you have a tendency to move pushchairs from one car to another, make sure whoever moves it remembers to take the wheels too. On a recent trip to a theme park Hubby opened the boot when we got there (after HE packed the pushchair) and asked “where are the wheels?”. Now don’t get me wrong, the B-Agile 3 is a fantastic piece of kit but without wheels it was as much use as a chocolate teapot!!
• Adaptors to enable you to attach a car seat (sold separately) straight to the chassis. Obviously I don’t need anything like this at the moment for Beanie Boy but with Jelly Bean due in January, this would give the B-Agile 3 another dimension for me.

We have only had the B-Agile 3 for a little over a month and already it has clocked up some miles. On it’s maiden voyage I took it (and Beanie Boy) down to London on the train. It was perfect for getting on and off the train, gave a lovely smooth ride to Beanie Boy who fell asleep the moment we stepped off the train. Unfortunately the weather was not with us that day and so I had to break open the raincover (they never quite fold up the same again do they?) but at least it meant I got the chance to check it out. I was really impressed with the air holes in the side which prevented Beanie Boy from building up his own little sauna and overheating. It was easy to attach to the pushchair and gave him ample leg room. The pushchair was easy to steer single handed (I had to hold hands with Little Bean on the busy London streets) and it happily took the weight of my overfilled changing bag for a day out with two tiddlers.

(There is a Snoozeshade under the raincover in case you wondered why it’s so dark)

I have used the B-Agile 3 around town, on a trip to the beach and most recently on a shopping trip to Leicester where Little Bean was the occupant. She was so comfortable in it, she fell asleep and that is a big bonus to Mummy let me tell you!! I have a feeling this could be the start of a long and happy pushchair love!

RRP £229.99 currently available from Mothercare

DISCLAIMER: I was sent the Britax B-Agile 3 for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, opinions and images (apart from the initial image) are my own and may not be copied without my permission.