Yippie-Yo Crossbuggy Mountain Review
Reviewed by Emma Bradley
We received the Yippie-Yo Crossbuggy “Mountain” and the stroller bag direct from the company. On opening the box, the buggy is easy to assemble with simply the wheels to attach, the buggy is well packed in the box to survive its long journey from mainland Europe.
Our children (4 & 2 years old) immediately loved their new “chariot” and insisted on rides round the lounge shouting “giddy-up daddy” (teaching the 4-year-old about Romans recently might have been our downfall). The 2-year-old is very independent and insists on walking everywhere but was very happy to be strapped in and pulled around like a little princess.
First trip out was on a dog walk, the pram handle folds back onto the chair section making it about the size of an average double buggy. Its slightly frustrating that there isn’t a clip to hold it together when folded so has a habit of unfolding on you at inopportune moments! The buggy weighs in at 12kg so isn’t the lightest but is very solidly built with full cable driven disc brakes operated by a bike style brake lever on the handle, it also has a parking brake which can be a bit fiddly to apply but stops the buggy rolling around the boot of the car.
At the back of the buggy is a small luggage shelf on which the stroller bag fits and clips on to the buggy to keep it secure. The 5-point harnesses on both seats are easy to adjust (much easier than either buggies we have had before) meaning swapping between children is easy and quick. The seat position is comfortable and the kids love spending time in it, the hard bit was persuading the 4-year-old to walk at all! The 2-year-old was comfortable enough to fall asleep at one point sat up in the harness.
The buggy trundles along really easily, the suspension and the big wheels ensures a smooth ride over even the roughest ground. Whilst not having taken it into the “mountains” as the name suggests it has been truly tested over some seriously rough ground and it fairs extremely well. It coped well ploughing through big muddy puddles, stony paths and over grass, the only time it struggled was in deep soft sand but due to its thin tyres that was always going to be a problem.
The long handle gives you the confidence that you are unlikely to catch your heels on the pram as you are pulling it along, however, in the UK that handle can give you problems at kissing gates or tight corners as it gives it a wide turning circle. As the handle is at a fixed angle to raise it up to negotiate tight corners can make it an uncomfortable ride for the children as they are suddenly facing the sky, the luggage shelf prevents the buggy tipping too far backwards to make it unsafe, also the wider wheelbase (normal wheelchair width allowing it to go through doors comfortably), and the low centre of gravity ensures its stability as you cross the terrain, even bumping over the roughest sand dunes didn’t pose any problems and the kids loved bumping around. Going downhill steeply can be interesting as the buggy gains momentum so requires a strong guide to hold it back, the brake helps but won’t hold the weight of the buggy on its own.
Our buggy was red with white wheel covers, the white seems a little impractical as it will quickly get covered with mud and dirt from the wheels, the covers are removable and washable in the washing machine but dark wheel covers would be better and show the dirt less. There is an element of education needed for the buggy users as its easier for the children to put their hands over the edge and touch the wheels, whilst the wheels etc are smooth and nowhere to trap fingers, a nasty friction burn could arise particularly as the children are behind you and out of sight. Both our children are at an age where they comprehend the issue and listened carefully but our nephew who had a guest ride was a bit obsessed with the wheels so could only ride with another adult to supervise from the back.
The other issue with the buggy is that you make very slow progress when you go anywhere purely due to the number of people stopping you to ask about the buggy. Either wanting to put their children in and know where it came from (we should have agreed a commission deal) or wanting to know if they make an adult sized one!
We highly rate this buggy as a family and whilst there are a couple of negatives it’s a great practical alternative to a buggy for toddlers and pre-schoolers.
We give this crossbuggy 4 out of 5 stars – mainly due to issues with the buggy being difficult to collapse and hold shut.
Rating: 4/5
RRP: £490.50
For more information or to buy visit yippieyo.com.
