Lite Way stroller
This is an easy to fold, lightweight stroller that is very portable.
What’s included?
Although the instruction booklet was not terribly clear, it was very straightforward to put together. The stroller I’ve tested is an attractive green and black colourway called Greenland, which looked smart when walking around town. The Lite Way is also available in various other colour options. I was pleased to see a full rain cover included as standard and was delighted to find a toasty-warm footmuff was also provided free with the stroller; excellent for use on colder days.
It achieves its aim as a smart, portable city stroller
Safety first!
I noted a standard 5 point safety strap that could be used in two different positions, according to the size of the traveller. When the footmuff is being used, there are holes in the back panel of the foot muff for the straps to be threaded through to ensure baby is kept secure when travelling fully wrapped up, and I liked this feature. The brakes are operated by foot. They were easy to use and I found they could be relied on when on the flat or very gently sloping ground, but were not strong enough for serious incline, which is something that could be improved on.
Olivia’s favourite feature? The reclining seat!
The stroller is suitable from birth until 15kg with a seat back that can be inclined into five positions, ranging from flat to fully sitting up, and a foot panel that can also be raised or lowered to support feet or the backs of legs. Olivia particularly enjoyed the moving seat; she was able to have a good nose around when fully awake and as she dropped off, I was easily able to recline her to lie flat, using the very accessible seat-back mechanism, without waking her up. It would be nice to include some head support as when Olivia slept, her head flopped to one side.
Useful extras
There is a shopping tray beneath the seat, which is fairly generous in size and netted at the side for easy visibility. It was handy to carry Olivia’s nappy bag and the raincover when not in use, although it did look a little strained when I tried to put a heavy fruit shop into it and it is not easy to access when the seat back is completely flat. The raincover is a generous size and is quick to pop on over the pushchair. It is secured in place with Velcro tabs and worked well to keep Olivia dry when the heavens opened. It took an hour or two to dry and was easy to fold up into a small pack to stowaway in the shopping tray for another time. There was no bag provided to store the raincover, which was a shame.
It is light as would be expected by its name.Practical attachable sunshade
The hood felt more flimsy than others I’ve used and even with repeat positioning, it can remain wonky. It is designed to be easily mobile so that it can act as a ‘chase the sun’ shade but this feature makes it feel mobile and weak. I have previously used a different brand of stroller which also has a mobile hood feature that is bigger and stronger and really works well, but this particular pushchair is also much more expensive. The Lite Way hood does however feature a zip on/zip off material shade, which is designed to provide full cover at the back of the pushchair, especially for a fully reclined sleeping baby. This is easy to attach to the back part of the hood and has Velcro tabs to hold secure to the chair and I found this part was very useful.
Test drive one!
I found the pushchair worked well in town. It felt light and easy to manoeuvre around shops, with front wheels that are straightforward to lock in position when going on and off the bus or up a deep step into a doorway. The handles are comfortable and well positioned, and although they are not able to be positioned at different heights, their position suited my mother and me, and even my young nephew when he asked for a push.
Test drive two!
I decided to take the Lite Way to the countryside and really put it to the test! It fared well on the country lanes of Devon and I found it managed concrete paths and semi-made roads without trouble. It was less well suited to rubble footpaths or really rough terrain when it was more difficult to move
My favourite thing!
Being a single mum, I travel to see friends and family a great deal and am usually packing things by myself. The Lite Way is very easy to fold up one handed and takes up very little space in the boot of the car.
Did Lite Way make us smile?
Overall, I found this a good value product. It is comfortable to use for both driver and passenger, and is suitable for use over many years. For Olivia and I, it will work best as a second stroller to use when we are off visiting family and friends; to keep in the car for any short hops here and there; and to take on the train or aeroplane for longer distance trips. We like it!
