We've also reviewed the newer award-winning Ickle Bubba Stomp v3 travel system here.
In the box
- Lightweight aluminium chassis
- Pushchair seat unit
- Carrycot
- 0+ Infant Car seat
- Car seat adapters
- Cosy toes
- Rain cover
- Changing Bag with Changing mat
How was it out of the box?
An upgraded version of the original Stomp, this all in one travel system includes a carrycot for use from birth, a pushchair and a car seat, all of which fit simply and easily onto the smart silver chassis.
It is available in black, pink, blue and red and comes with cosy toes, changing bag and changing mat.
Putting it together took minutes and while the instructions were clear and concise they weren’t really necessary as it was quite obvious. The rear axle had to be attached, then the rear and front wheels just clicked into place.
Click here to buy the Ickle Bubba Stomp v2 on Amazon
How does it compare to other pushchairs you’ve used?
Before I was given the chance to review Ickle Bubba Stomp v2 I was using the Mothercare Spin travel system (on loan from my sister!) and while the carrycot part of that was fine turning it into a pushchair proved difficult.
Rather than coming as a separate component the carrycot actually adapts into a pushchair by tilting it and changing its shape using straps.
However, not only was this quite difficult to do it was also pretty uncomfortable with the baby not so much sat up in a pushchair but rather strapped onto it! The Ickle Bubba is much better for this.
How compact is it?
Both the pushchair and the carrycot share the same frame (and flexible hood) but have different bases which are attached to the frame using zips or Velcro straps. The fact they share a frame means it’s easy to store the part you’re not using – which, when you live in an apartment like me, is really useful!
What really impressed me was how lightweight both the pram itself and the car seat are. George is 18lbs now and carrying him in and out the car in our old car seat was a sure fire way to pull a muscle! The Ickle Bubba seat is noticeably lighter yet just as robust.
How comfortable was it?
The carrycot is nicely padded for little ones (although you can add a mattress up to 10mm in thickness if you like).
At seven months George is not very fond of carrycots anymore, preferring to be sat up so he can satisfy his curiosity but I did manage to take him for a walk in this in the name of research and he seemed very comfortable.
What’s the seating position like?
The pushchair can be tilted so your child is sitting upright, reclining slightly or lying back. Because of the shape of the chair the baby can’t lie completely flat as the seat is sunken in, but as George rarely wants to lie flat anyway it’s not a problem for us.
It has a five point safety harness, which is actually quite easy to fasten once you’ve done it a couple of times and my son, who is a particularly wriggly baby was very secure.
Both the pushchair and the carrycot can be forward and rear facing and both are a nice height so it was easy for me to speak to George and tuck his blanket in.
How was it to push?
With large foam wheels the pram provides a smooth ride and really is a dream to push. I took George for a very long walk to make the most of the sunshine we had over Easter and was amazed at how light and easy it was.
Yet, despite being super light, the Ickle Bubba does look a little bulkier than some of its competitors and taking it on a bus was a bit of a tight squeeze.
Tell us about the car seat.
The car seat is easy to fix in the car and feels secure, however, whilst it claims to be suitable for babies up to around 28lbs (13kg) I think 20lbs is probably a more reasonable number. George won’t get much more use out of it and he’s not exactly big for his age.
Would you take it on holiday?
It is quite compact when folded though, fitting easily in the boot of the car. This, and the fact it is so light, mean it would be perfect to take away on summer holidays.
The front and back wheels are easily removable making it even more compact when travelling. We recently went away for a weekend and we’re amazed at how many things we needed to take so the space saving is great.
If you’re heading to the supermarket though you can save even more space by leaving the carrycot/pushchair at home and just taking the chassis as the car seat can attach to this, leaving you even more space in your boot.
What was the storage like?
And on the subject of shopping, the basket on the Stomp v2 is fantastic – a great size that’s really easy to get at.
What is folding the pushchair like?
Folding the chassis is quite straightforward (and this is coming from someone who struggles to fold down an ironing board!) but it does take two hands rather than one.
How was the hood?
The flexible hood is great for sunny days as it keeps George in the shade without the need for a parasol, however when it comes to windy weather it’s a very different story.
We live in an apartment near the river where it often gets very, very windy. When I took George out in the Ickle Bubba the hood really struggled to stay up.
What’s more, with George currently going through a phase of grabbing everything in sight he tends to pull at the hood a lot and because it is so flexible and soft it’s easy for him to pull it down.
Is it good value for money?
When I was pregnant with my son George I was quite possibly the world’s most naïve mum-to-be. I had no idea what ‘equipment’ I’d need and no clue how much any of it would cost.
As such, you can imagine my shock when I came to look at prams and travel systems and realised just how expensive they can be! And it is in the cost area where the Ickle Bubba Stomp v2 really delivers.
At just £379 for everything it really does represent good value for money. For first time mums who have to buy the countless other things that these little folk require it’s a Godsend to find a smart, stylish pram at a very reasonable cost so top marks to Ickle Bubba for that.
The Ickle Bubba Stomp v2 is a lightweight, stylish travel system that allows mums to have a fashionable pram that easily competes with the market leaders on looks and features but beats them hands down in price – just watch out on windy days!
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