Mamas and Papas Armadillo City Stroller

By Published On: September 15th, 2014

When this review was initially arranged, I spent loads of […]

When this review was initially arranged, I spent loads of time looking at other Mamas & Papas products available on the company’s website (holy cuteness!) because this stroller wasn’t even out yet and I wanted to get a feel for what to expect. I started to imagine this top secret stroller that was being sent our way. When our Mamas & Papas Armadillo City stroller arrived, we were so excited.
Mamas-&-Papas-Armadillo-CityPrior to the Armadillo City, we had a fancy high-end stroller but didn’t use it very much because it was big, bulky and barely fit in my Nissan Juke. I love babywearing but sometimes a stroller is really your best option. We will be traveling quite a bit because my daughter’s grandparents live in Italy, so a big, bulky stroller was not going to work.
When the Armadillo City arrived, I could not believe that it fit in a box so small! I wanted to put it together right away, but figured I would wait for daddy to do it because our other stroller was so complicated.
We finally unpacked the stroller over the weekend, and I was in love with the colors. We got the “Lemon Drop” which we immediately renamed “bumble bee.” Knowing now that the brand is British, “Yellow Submarine” seems more suitable, ha! All the colors are  gender neutral, and dad loves the look (probably because the same colors would work well on a sports car). The Armadillo City is honestly such a good-looking stroller. For style-conscious mamas and papas (pardon the pun), it’s totally perfect.
Mamas-&-Papas-Armadillo-City-1Assembly was so simple—I wish I had put it together sooner! The only complicated thing was figuring out how to place the wire that locks the brakes. Once we figured that out, we basically only had to put on the wheels.
The Armadillo City has all the basics that come with most strollers at a comparable price range: a large hooded top with UV protection and a peekaboo window, a toy hook, a basket underneath and easy-steering wheels. The only extra that comes with the stroller is a rain cover, but I wish it had a cup holder—because of the positioning of the handles, our universal Velcro cup holder doesn’t work (and mama loves her kombucha on long walks!).
Although I was excited about our new “toy,” I was nervous because our house is packed was already baby stuff. However, we folded up the stroller—which by the way is as easy as turning the handle and folding it over all in one piece—and drum roll please, the Armadillo City folds up super tiny and stands upright, so it fits in a coat closet no problem! The next day, we decided to take the stroller in the car with us on an errand, and the Armadillo City fit behind my seat in the car. I was so thrilled!
Mamas-&-Papas-Armadillo-City-2With practice, the stroller can be opened with one hand, which is quite convenient. The seat back has various recline positions, which are awesome for napping on the go. The stroller is also perfect for city walking and paved hiking trails as it turns seamlessly and bumps were no issue. The foot brake is very easy to operate, and there is a wrist strap, which I love for extra security.
All in all, I think this is a great stroller for our daughter. It has a 50-pound weight limit and two-year guarantee, which seems just right. We will absolutely use it nonstop for travel at her current stage, and I can envision us storing the stroller in the car for just-in-case situations when she is older and doesn’t feel like walking.
The Armadillo City is priced at $270, which I think is fair for a high-end day-to-day stroller. Our main stroller costs about double that, and we use it a lot less than the Armadillo City because of its size. I would advise having a good option for when baby is a newborn (like a stroller frame that is compatible with your car seat) and then using the Armadillo City as your infant-to-toddler go-to stroller, especially if you are doing a lot of city/sidewalk walking and travel. I can’t wait to recommend it to all my friends!
Price: $270
To buy: mamasandpapas.com