Mothercare Journey Edit review

The Journey Edit is the higher spec version of their signature Journey pram, upgraded with some lovely little touches like surprisingly realistic leatherette handles and excellent suspension.

The mid-range Edit feels more substantial than what I suspect is its closest competitor, the Red Kite Push Me Fusion (£279.99 on Amazon), and - thanks to the excellent styling – could rival more expensive models like the Koochi Modhero.

Tested by:

Dan Miles is a first-time father to 5-week-old Orson and lives in York. He tested the Journey Edit in the city and in the surrounding Yorkshire countryside.

What were your first impressions of the Journey Edit?

This stroller certainly looks far more expensive than it is, making me wonder if they’ve somehow got the price wrong!

How much does it cost and is it worth it?

At a budget price, the Journey Edit offers a lot of style and substance for your money. I would definitely recommend this pram, but with a few provisos.

How does it compare to other pras you’ve tried?

The Edit feels more substantial than others in this price range, and it definitely seems more ‘premium’ than the price implies. Thanks to the excellent styling, it might even tempt some people away from more expensive models, like the Koochi Modhero.

What’s in the Journey Edit’s box?

The box contains the pushchair, carrycot, pram apron and liner, rain cover, cosytoe, pushchair and carrycot hoods, bumper bar and car seat adaptors.

Is it easy to put the Journey Edit together?

Despite the instructions coming solely in unlabelled, slightly dodgy picture form, the Edit is actually fairly easy to put together. Expect lots of talking to yourself as you try to decipher the images but then, even with the terrible hieroglyphics, it only took me 35 minutes to build. Assembling the Journey Edit is fairly straightforward once you work out which part is which.

How comfortable does the Edit seem for your baby?

The carrycot’s mattress and interior lining are both soft. There’s also a handy flip-back air vent in the hood that helps with temperature control. If we take sleep as a good, if not exactly scientific marker, then my 1-month-old son Orson seemed more comfortable in the Edit than in the far more expensive Uppababy Vista.

What age is it suitable for?

The Journey Edit’s carrycot is suitable from newborn to six months, whilst the pushchair attachment should take you from six months to two years.

How did you like the look of the Mothercare Journey Edit?

The very attractive blue-and-grey colour combination only adds to the overall effect that what you’re pushing is actually far more expensive than it is. Throw in the buggy’s leatherette handles and it packs a real punch in the style and looks category.

How did you find the design of the bassinet?

This is where the Journey Edit first let itself down - thanks to a badly thought out combination of the zip-on pram apron and the position of the click-on click-off bumper bar. To be fair, Orson is both small and new, but when placed in the feet-to-foot position, the shape and length of the apron meant I couldn’t see him (or him me) whilst pushing.

The bumper bar, meanwhile, is great for lifting the carrycot on and off the frame, but when installed it makes it even harder to see the baby and a real struggle to place him inside, as you have to choose between sliding the baby under it, or back through like you’re threading a soft and squidgy needle. Thankfully it’s also removable so it spent most of the time in the basket.

How many recline positions does the Journey Edit seat have?

Four.

What do you think of the height?

At 109cm, the Journey Edit’s height is pretty similar to most other prams I’ve tried, including most if its direct competition. However, the bassinet itself is fairly shallow (I measured it at 15cm) which made lifting Orson in and out easy – something that was much appreciated on those occasions when my back was aching.

How much does the Journey Edit the weigh?

At this price, I wasn’t exactly expecting high-tech, super lightweight materials and didn’t get them, but at 11.3kg it’s still within 1kg either way of most of the competition. The Journey Edit’s carrycot meanwhile is actually a touch lighter, probably thanks to its shallow depth.

Is the Journey Edit’s frame sturdy?

The frame itself is made from chrome and even after several weeks of intense use didn’t have a scratch. The plastic wheels, however, are already showing signs of wear, so I doubt this pram will see you through to a second child without contacting Mothercare and getting some parts replaced.

How does the Journey Edit fold?

Initially, the folding technique seemed unnecessarily complicated. First you press a small grey button on the base of the Edit’s handlebar and then pull out a sliding section on each side whilst simultaneously flipping it out. To unfold, you press the button once again and then push down whilst flipping back.

Once you get the hang of it, however, it’s surprisingly simple - it just takes a few rather frustrating attempts to get it right.

How compact is it when folded?

When collapsed, the Edit’s frame is pretty compact at 66cm (height) by 58cm (width) by 95cm (deep) - fitting fairly unobtrusively into a corner or decent sized cupboard.

What do you think of the Journey Edit’s handlebar?

Again, it looks good and the brown leatherette covers are surprisingly realistic. Personally, I would have appreciated a little more extension on the handlebar, as even on the maximum setting I occasionally found myself kicking the buggy’s back axle whilst walking. If you’re under six-foot though I doubt this will be an issue.

What do you think of the hood?

The Edit doesn’t have a separate switch or button to raise or lower the hood, you just flick it up and down as you wish and I actually liked that. The disappointment is that it doesn’t come with a sun visor, which - considering some of the lovely touches they’ve included as standard - feels a little cheap. You can, of course, buy an attachable parasol or a universal sunshade.

How easily can you access the basket and is it big enough to store everything you need?

The basket is one of the Edit’s real successes, as it’s generously sized and, thanks to the forward-facing slant, easy to access. There’s also a useful zipped pocket that sits above the foot brake – perfect for keeping the rain cover in.

How easy is it to push?

Initially I had reservations, as the Edit has opted for solid plastic wheels rather than rubber coated ones. However, the decent shock absorbers and suspension make up for it. It’s manoeuvrable in tight spaces, thanks to its small turning circle, and generally holds up well on both cobbles and those knobbly rumble strips at road crossings - which I’ve come to dread. As a result, it’s a great pushchair for city streets. On grass and earth, however, the Journey Edit becomes wake-the-baby shaky and it feels heavy on slopes - so you probably won’t want to go off-roading.

How did you find the Journey Edit on public transport?

I tried the Edit on a train and the local bendy bus, and - whilst I was nervous of the gap between the platform and the train - the Edit handled it well and the small turning circle made even tight train corners a breeze. My only issue is that, with its overall length, storing this pram on-board was a little tricky.

Tell us about the brakes…

This is yet another area where the design of the Edit slips up. As well as being made from cheaper looking plastic than the rest of the pram, the brake pedal sits in the centre of the axle and when the zip up pouch above it is full it slumps over and gets in the way.

Does it fit in the boot of your car?

This will greatly depend on your car. On the extreme end, I tried the Journey Edit in a little Suzuki Swift, where the frame took up the entire boot and the bassinet most of the backseat, leaving just enough room for Orson, and the driver seat positioned uncomfortably far forward. In a larger vehicle, in this case an SUV, the shape actually become a bonus, as it slid in comfortably lengthways allowing more room for other stuff on the sides.

Is the Edit compatible with car seats?

Yes, and it also comes with adaptors that fit a wide range of leading car seat brands.

What do you think of the seat unit?

Orson is too small to test this at the moment so I can only go from my own overall impressions, which are that whilst it’s not exactly plush, the ride position is nice and upright - much like they’re driving a little car - and the 5-point safety harness is reassuringly thick.

How easy is it to swap between the carrycot and toddler seat?

Removing and replacing the Journey Edit’s carrycot couldn’t be easier - you just pull up a switch set on each side and keep pulling to remove it. You can then slot the toddler seat in place, and simply press two buttons on the bottom to flip out the lower half.

Are there any additional extras that you need to buy?

There doesn’t seem to be anything specific to the Journey Edit that you need to purchase, but Mothercare has plenty of compatible accessories that are optional extras. I’d say you definitely need to add a parasol to make up for the lacking sun visor, though.

What would the Journey Edit be most useful for?

City travel, definitely.

What was your favourite feature?

The overall ride quality and the handy zip up pouch on the basket (when it’s not slumped over the brake, that is).

What would you have wanted to know before you purchased the Edit?

That the wheels are solid and scuff easily and it lacks a sun visor.

Where can I buy the Mothercare Journey Edit?

It's available from Boots.

MadeForMums verdict

All the things that don’t work on the Edit (the bumper bar, pram apron etc.) are balanced by what does, such as the zip-up compartment, the push quality and sheer style. Whichever way you look at it, the Edit is exceptionally good value for money and comes with an awful lot of features as standard. With a few extra touches, it could have been outstanding, but will just have to settle for very good instead.

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