Micralite Toro Nero Pushchair review

In theory it is supposed to be the only pushchair you'll ever need, but it's worth noting from now you'll need to buy extras for this to be the case.

Thanks to the all important Airflow carrycot (£165), the Toro Nero (£450) is suitable from birth and comes with car seat adaptors, which also makes this pushchair more infant-friendly.

So for £615, you could be the proud owner of a travel system which offers good manoeuvrability, style and is very light weight.

A nice piece of British engineering, the Toro Nero offers some unique features like a one-handed fold and a u-shape handlebar, along with a very striking look, which will appeal to those looking for something different.

As a pushchair company, Micralite is well known for its lightweight, manoeuvrable and alternative looking pushchairs.

In 2003 they launched the Micralite Fastfold and they have since widened their range to four unique pushchairs (including the Twofold) which all have the well known Micralite patented one-handed, one piece fold.

First impressions of the Micralite Toro Nero?

When I was told I’d be reviewing the new Toro Nero I was itching to get my hands on it and see whether it was a worthy contender for my son Stanley’s (7 months) daily outings.

We are the proud owners of a Joolz Day pushchair, which we have used from Stanley’s birth - and have also recently bought a Silver Cross Reflex, which we’ve used when travelling, for convenience.

On first impression, the Micralite Toro does, in fact, feel like a cross between a pushchair and a buggy with its lightweight frame, quick fold and big rear wheels.

And we took it with us to France and gave it a good run for its money. We took it EVERYWHERE: in the car, at the airport and out and about and I loved how lightweight it is.

At 8.5kg it's not the lightest buggy out there, but it’s a dream to get in and out of the car unlike my Joolz which is bulky and heavy (11.5kg).

The last version was criticised for being difficult to get up kerbs, is this still the case?

The Micralite Toro have clearly made progress here because neither my husband or I had any issues getting up kerbs. I tested the pushchair on various kerb heights and didn’t struggle getting up.

Do you have to press the foot bar to lift it up the kerb?

No, I’m pleased to report that I managed to get up the kerbs quite easily, especially when the handlebar was turned to face me (in the 'n' shape).

The Toro is sold on being a light buggy, is it actually light?

As mentioned above, it's not a super lightweight buggy, but it is very easy to get in and out of the car.

For me the weight was the Toro Nero’s best feature since my previous pushchair was so hefty.

And if for whatever reason I need to carry the Toro Nero any further than a few meters, I can pull it along quite easily on its wheels.

Does its weight hamper its durability?

No although it is light, but it still feels sturdy and well-made. The Toro survived a flight to Europe when we went on holiday and it came back home with us damage-free!

How easy is it to push?

The Toro Nero is very easy to manoeuvre, even one-handed! I felt it wasn’t quite as easy as my Joolz Day but much smoother than the Silvercross Pop or Reflex which don’t have big wheels or suspension.

I tried pushing it with the wheels locked and in swivel position and I found that turning with the wheels locked was much harder work. I personally never lock my front wheels on any of my pushchairs/buggies and I found that yet again, the pushchair was much easier to push around that way (unless on rough terrain).

It fared well on rough and uneven pavements although I wouldn’t go as far as saying it was a smooth ride for Stanley and it certainly isn’t an all terrain pushchair.

Another one of Micralite’s unique feature is the unique U-shaped handlebar. By altering the lever claps on either side, you can adjust the handlebar’s position to suit your needs.

The handles felt too close together and I personally like the wider, more traditional handlebars as I find it more comfortable.

This is purely down to preference though as my husband on the other hand, enjoyed Micralite’s unique handlebar feature.

What do you think of the tyres?

The rear tyres were quite big and therefore offered some great suspension. The front wheels on the other hand felt much more flimsy in comparison and I wish they had been air or foam-filled as opposed to plastic as they kept moving around when pushing the pushchair along (see video).

Tells us about the breaks

The break lever is situated at foot level and is quite thin therefore not the most comfortable to lift/push if you are wearing sandals or ballerinas.

On my most recent outing with my mum friends, I realised that I had been pushing this pushchair with the break on without realising... So sadly, I wasn’t too impressed with the breaks.

The pushchair never rolled back on a slope but I’ve not had an opportunity to try it out on a very steep hill and I’m not sure I would want to.

What do you think of the seat sizes?

The seat on this pushchair is very nice and quite roomy. Stanley is very tall for his age and he fits nicely in it yet still has room for growth.

What do you think of the height of the buggy?

The Toro Nero seems quite standard height-wise. It certainly is higher than my Silvercorss buggy but lower than my Joolz pushchair (which I purchased partly for its ergonomics and high seat).

Is the frame strong, durable?

Yes the frame feels as though it will last. Some buggies which are sold as very lightweight can sometimes feel flimsy but the Toro Nero doesn’t feel that way at all.

What do you think of the fold system?

Micralite are well-known for their unique fold system, which is one-handed.

Unlike other buggies, the Toro is, in fact a one-hand fold, but you'll need two hands to unfold. It's worth noting the instruction manual isn't the most helpful, so it's a case of figuring it out for yourself.

But after a few attempts at trying to fold and unfold the pushchair, I worked out what needed to be done and Stanley and I were on our way pretty soon after the pushchair was delivered.

How compact is it when folded and how easy is it to store?

I didn’t find the Toro Nero much more compact than either of my two other pushchairs. The Joolz Day is bigger (as I would expect any standard pushchair to be) but the Micralite and Silvercross are quite similar:

Micralite Toro Nero: L104 x W39 x H41cm
Silvercorss Reflex: L110cm W31cm H40cm

What sets the Toro Nero apart from my Silvercross Reflex is that it is freestanding. This make a big difference when trying to store it!

In fact, we live in a fairly small flat so storage is always a concern for us. Our Joolz is mainly kept in the car and I’m pleased to say that the Micralite Toro Nero didn’t take up too much space.

Since it is freestanding, we managed to tuck it away in a corner inside our home without it taking too much room - a big bonus.

How comfortable does it feel for your little ones?

Stanley can’t speak for himself yet but seeing as he napped on quite a few occasion while in the Toro Nero, I can safely speak for him and say that he found the pushchair comfy.

The updated version of the Toro Nero we tried comes with a seat liner which pads out the original seat base and makes it more comfortable on little ones’ backs and bottoms!

A Micralite footmuff compatible with the Toro Nero is also available to be purchased for an extra £55 and would probably make our forthcoming winter outings a lot more comfortable

How is interacting with your little ones when in the buggy?

Stanley loves looking out and observing what goes on around him so he was happy to sit facing out. However as the seat unit is world-facing only, I do miss having the option of having him parent-facing.

What do you think of the hood? Can it be used as a sun protection?

The hood feels strong and sturdy and there is a mesh sun visor which can be pulled down for extra protection. I loved how neatly the sun visor was tucked inside the hood and how easily it can be pulled out however I do wish it was bigger.

The hood and sun visor don’t have UV protection built-in, however Micralite do sell a compatible sun & bug shield (RRP £32.95) which does offer UV protection.

What are the basket and storage pockets like?

The mesh basket is sturdy and of average size but I have found it quite hard to access it due to a strap running in the middle.

Does it fit in the boot of your car?

We have a Mini Countryman so our boot isn’t huge but the Micralite does fit in no problem. The only issue is that once the pushchair is loaded, I don’t have room for anything else!

How easy is it to build the Micralite Toro from the box?

As soon as the Micralite Toro arrived I unpacked it and had it assembled within a few minutes without the help of my other half.

All that it requires is to add the rear wheels and you’re ready to go. It was so easy!

Once assembled though, I did struggle with the instructions manual, as I mentioned above. I wish I had found the instructions video sooner as once I’d seen it, I was much clearer on all aspects of the various mechanisms and changeover of the carseat and carrycot.

Is the product value for money?

The Toro Nero isn’t the cheapest of all pushchairs and it certainly is quite expensive if you’re buying it as your second and lighter option.

I think you can find buggies which offer good manoeuvrability, lightweight and compact fold for much cheaper prices.

Saying that, the Toro Nero sets itself apart with features like one-hand fold, goos suspension, free-standing fold, and travel system compatibility.

And if you’re looking to buy one travel system that will last you until your little one no longer needs a pushchair or buggy then this is definitely a worthy contender and a good price point, even including all the extra accessories.

What's in the box?

• Chassis and seat unit complete with front wheels (in one piece)
• 2 x air filled rear wheels
• Rain cover in storage bag
• Seat liner
• Car seat adaptors

Optional Extras:

• Footmuff ?55.00
• Sun & bug net ?32.95
• Rider board ?65
• Mutli positon handles ?22.50
• Travel bag ?39.95
• Air Flo Carrycot £165.00

MadeForMums verdict:

I loved testing out the Micralite the light weight, easy fold mechanism, multiple seat positions and great manoeuvrability were clear winners on this pushchair.

But the viewing window, clumsy bumper bar, difficult to access shopping basket and small front wheels didn’t win me over.

The unique handlebar will probably divide the crowds and it wasn’t one for me but my husband loved it so this is purely down to preference!

Despite all this, I was pleased to see a British-made pushchair company offering such innovative products which will no doubt appeal to tech-savy parents on the lookout for alternative pushchairs.

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