3 Wheel Buggies: The Good The Bad And The Ugly

3 Wheel Buggies

Three-wheel buggies are elegant and sleek, with excellent maneuverability. A lot of them come with seats made of fabric that have a cosy lying flat bed and excellent weight distribution that is ideal from birth.

The wheels are larger and usually come with suspensions to allow for smooth, swift mobility on various terrains. The only downside to these wheels is that they can be bulkier and heavier to store and transport.

Stability

Three-wheel buggies provide plenty of stability. They don't fall over more easily when moving straight. They also allow you to maneuver faster. If you turn or stop abruptly, they can lose their stability and fall over. For this reason, some manufacturers add an extra wheel to their 3 wheel buggy designs to increase the stability of the chassis.

You can also tackle off-road terrain with the extra wheel. Find models with air-filled tires (also known as pneumatic tyres) that can be used to handle off-road paths, sand and mud, and other surfaces such as sand and rock. These models will also feature wheels that lock in the front to improve stability on rough terrain.

The buggies are easy to maneuver and agile with 360o front swivel wheel. They also pass the same stability standards worldwide and test as 4-wheel buggies.

If you're looking for a seat made of fabric that are breathable, they tend to be smaller in the frame as compared to modular seats. This means that your baby's centre of gravity will be closer to the ground - instantly ensuring a smoother ride.

Popular for its car seats, Maxi-Cosi has recently added a lightweight pushchair and travel system to its product line with the attractive Citylife. The model is designed for urban living and is compatible for newborns with a car seat or carrycot for infants. It has 4 wheels and uses an exclusive black pewter frame, which the company claims is 'light and compact'. It's only 2cm wider than the Babyzen Yoyo.

Folding

There are a lot of three wheel buggies that can be folded down to can be tucked away in smaller spaces. They can be folded with a single hand and are easy to wash down. Some of the smallest models come with a simple handlebar height adjustment, while others feature adjustable suspensions and an ultraviolet canopy of 50+ that can be extended. They could also come with large, spacious baskets and a brake lever with quick release.

The most efficient 3 wheeler for rough terrain

A 3-wheeled buggy is usually better equipped to handle off-road conditions compared to a 4-wheeled model, though both may get stuck in tight corners. A model with bigger front and rear wheels will help. This will make it easier to push them across rough terrain, and can aid in getting up and down the steep slopes.

One option is the latest Roma Atlas, which has been praised for its agile handling despite its 3-wheel design. MFM reviewer Kath used it with her infant and 3-year-old son and reported that "it does really well on bumpy pavements, cobbles gravel tracks and dirt roads, as well as on a few hills."

Another alternative is the newest all-terrain 3 wheel buggy from Maxi-Cosi's car seat brand which is called Stella. It's suitable from birth when used in conjunction with the carrycot and is a smaller than the light 4wheelers (with an impressively slim frame of 54cm wide) but has big, air-filled tyres, 3 wheel running buggy recline positions, and a quick one-hand fold.

Its most appealing feature is its modularity - it's compatible with all the brands' infant car seats and strollers. This means you can build your ideal travel system for day-today or longer walks, using just the chassis as a base.

Tyres

The tyres for 3 wheel buggies are offered in a variety of styles and types of materials. Each has its own pros and cons. Air-filled tyres, for example offer a smooth ride and great manoeuvrability while foam-filled tires are more durable. The kind of tyre you pick will depend on your lifestyle and the place you reside.

If you plan to travel on roads that are not paved or in rough terrain frequently, you might be interested in a three-wheeler equipped with more robust tyres. Consider the kind of suspension you need. Suspensions that are strong are ideal to tackle humps and bumps but they can also be heavy and add to the overall weight.

Another aspect to be considered is tyre size. Knowing how to read the tyre's size is essential for safety, performance and longevity. The combination of letters and numbers on the sidewalls of tyres can be at first, but decoding it will allow you to comprehend the tyre's dimensions. A tyre with an 185/70 size R14 for instance indicates that it is a radial tire in 185/70 with 14-inch rim diameter.

In addition to being more durable, PU tires are lighter and more puncture resistant than rubber ones. If you're unsure if the tires on a pushchair are rubber or PU tires, try sliding the tires across a smooth surface and tie them. If they slide easily then the tires are made from PU. If they don't, then the tires are made of rubber.

Suspension

The suspension of a 3 wheel stroller and car seat wheel buggy is a vital aspect to consider as it absorbs the bumps and knocks of rough terrain, making it more comfortable for your child. Large wheels that are air-filled and are able to be locked to provide stability when running are important. This will enable your buggy to maneuver over off-road surfaces effortlessly.

Depending on the style of buggy you're looking for There are a variety of options to suit all lifestyles and budgets. For instance, the Mountain Buggy pioneered all terrain agility in a 3 wheel pushchairs-wheel buggies. Their sling seats made of fabrics are designed with perfect geometry and engineering to fit comfortably inside the frame rather than sitting on top like modular seats. This gives a lower center of gravity, and allows it to be placed at the right height to distribute weight evenly to conquer bumps.

Another option worth considering is the Urban Glide 2 from Thule that boasts a sleek style with large highly manoeuvrable front wheel, a great suspension and an easy-to-use twist handbrake. MFM reviewer Kath tested the buggy its trials by going for a ride on rough terrain. She was impressed with how it was able to handle it very well and said that it "navigates over bumpy grass, cobbles, sidewalks, and dirt tracks, and even makes it easy to go up and down kerbs".

The Roma Atlas is another popular off road option and similar to the Urban Glide 2, comes with a variety of colours to complement your style. It also comes with a movable handlebar and a large basket. You can also select from a variety of infant car seats that convert the buggy to pram. This includes the elegantly designed Carrycot Plus(tm) which is a comfortable, flat mattress for babies and infants up to 12 month old.

Safety

Four wheels make the buggy more stable and less likely to tip over and is easier to maneuver. It is also safer for your child because the weight of their body is evenly dispersed across the frame.

A four-wheeled vehicle has a lower center of gravity, making it easier to get over curbs and climb up. The seat made of fabric is inside the frame rather than on top of it like modular seats do, which creates a low seating position and a comparatively lighter buggy that is more easily maneuvered.

If you're looking to run with your child, then a 4-wheeler is the ideal option. It comes with a suspension system which allows the front wheel of the buggie to be independent from the rear wheel. This will allow you to tackle rough terrains or bumpy roads. However it is not the case that all four wheel buggies are able to be used for running. The exception is Mountain Buggies which have a specially designed suspension system that has been tested by an independent party on all kinds of terrain.