Buggies are a bit of a sore spot in our family. We’ve had one All Terrain all-in-one travel system from when our boy was born and in addition to that, we have had two strollers which we’ve used for the less adventurous, more city-based activities. The problem we have had is finding something that is stable enough for the odd country excursion and light enough to be able to haul in and out of the motor (without costing chipped paint and a slipped disc) for when we are in town.

On top of all of that, our boy is abnormally long. I’m not saying he’s freakishly tall, but we have found that because of his long old legs, a lot of buggies just haven’t been suitable since he has been about a year and a half. Don’t get me wrong, his buggy based time has reduced significantly as he’s gotten older, but we still need a bit of assistance lugging his 19kg around and he still likes a fresh air kip…so having a decent wheeled number is still something that we need, especially if we are travelling.

Stokke have just brought out the Beat.  It’s a compact stroller that weighs in at a light 6.5 kg and it boasts a number of features that make it perfect for whipping your toddler or newborn around in. It’s designed to be easy to push and it folds with the seat unit on, making life so much smoother. The Beat has a notably small footprint making it the ideal solution for travel, navigating busy streets and public transit. 

The chassis is sturdy and strong, without any compromise to the smooth ride and superb maneuverability. The specially designed frame has a small footprint making it the ideal solution for travel, navigating busy streets and public transit. We used it in the tube the other day and it was a brilliant size – the most notable thing was that the buggy fitted through the ticket gates, something we haven’t had the luxury of before! At only 53.5cm wide, accessibility isn’t an issue.

We are very much in the fussy toddler stage at the moment. If anything isn’t quite right, we have a battle on our hands. One of the big things that made this buggy appeal to us was the clever seat. Firstly, the straps (a huge point of contest at the moment for us) are unobtrusive, easy to adjust and comfortable, so there were minimal complaints from the passenger. Moreover, the seat itself fully reclines at the pinch of a tab, making an airy, spacious hammock like bed. No joke, I want one of those pods for myself. 

The innovative simplicity doesn’t end there though. What I like most about the Beat is that you can do anything you need to with it with one hand. There’s no battling with ridiculous buttons or wrestling with weird couplings. The buggy, from wheels to handle, is absolutely designed with busy parents in mind. 10kg luggage basket, endless seat adjustments, extended canopy with ventilation – it’s made to be used and I like that.

Although it isn’t strictly designed for it, the Beat fares well in the country too. Although it is best on harder surfaces, the wheels are robust and the suspension in the front arms means that the quality of the ride is still good, even on more uneven ground.

At this point, we don’t have any use for them, but there is also a huge list of additional extras that you can opt for to make your buggy more suitable for your child. If you’ve got a newborn, you can add on a carry cot (although the seat is designed for use from birth – the cot gives added comfort) car seat adapters and many more gadgets and trinkets.

Overall, I’d say Stokke have got the perfect balance between weight and stability. The buggy is well thought out and it is representative of exactly what a modern parent needs when it comes to ease and practicality of a travel system.

Technical Specifications: 

• Chassis weight in kg/lbs: 6.5 / 14.3
• Seat weight in kg/lbs: 3 / 6.6
• Complete stroller weight (seat and chassis) in kg/lbs: 9.5 / 20.9
• Folded chassis with seat dimension (length x height x width) in cm (seat forward facing): 77.5 x 53.5 x 36
• Folded chassis with seat dimension (length x height x width) in cm (seat parent facing): 72 x 53.5 x 33