My cousin is about to have his first baby with his beautiful wife.They came over for coffee on Sunday afternoon and we were chatting about all of the things that they 'must have' in order to be ready for this next exciting chapter.As I scrambled through the piles of baby clothes and gadgets that I'd scooped up ready for them, it occurred to me that our 'list' was probably quite frightening. When it comes to the baby/parenting industry, the options really are endless. Literally hundreds of different prams, beds, baths, bottles...where do you start?!My biggest tip would be to choose things that are right for you, and your lifestyle. What are your priorities, how will you parent and what will make your life easier, not mine, yours. It's taken me a little while, and lots of mistake-buys to realise this. Nursery/Parenting Products are not 'cookie cutter'. There isn't a 'one size fits all,' and in future, when I'm recommending products to new parents, I'm going to make sure I remember this.

I’m about to tell you about a new buggy that we have been testing out, The Baby Jogger City Tour LUX. When Baby Jogger approached me about this, my initial thoughts were that we definitely didn’t need another buggy. We have three…THREE…all with different features and benefits. But on further investigation, this did sound like something we hadn’t yet come across yet…and I’m really glad we went ahead and gave it a try.

Here’s my honest feedback about the buggy, how it compares to what we have already and who I feel this would be most suitable for.

What we have already:

• We have a beautiful travel system, the ultimate investment for new parents. Suitable from birth with interchangeable carry cot, car seat combinations and a big basket underneath. It might break the bank, but it looks great and is really easy and enjoyable to use. It does however weigh an absolute tonne and takes up all of the space in my large boot, leaving no space at all for the food shop or weekend bags.

• We also have one of those ultra lightweight folding travel buggies. Amazing for boot space or hoping on and off the tube…not so amazing when you try to take it to the park and end up dragging it backwards across the grass or cobbled streets.

• We have a large side-by-side, all-terrain double buggy. It’s a bit unsightly to look at on so many levels and it fills my boot completely, thats after Ive broken my back lifting it in, but it really is amazing over cobbled streets, gravel, and the muddy fields and lanes of home.

So whats different about this? 

Putting it to the test:

Little midweek adventures alone with my two are not only my favourite ways to spend our days together, but also a great test of practicality. We have membership at lots of local country houses, the ones with children’s play areas and picnic spots. It’s a brilliant way to wear out the boys and enjoy some fresh air together. But, alone, with nobody to help me, the products I use need to be durable, easy to manoeuvre, lightweight and of course I love it when they look nice too.

Last week I took the boys to Hampton Court Castle with my lovely friend Lids (She took all of the these gorgeous pictures — clever lady that she is!)  And we put the City Tour LUX to the test.

The first thing thats struck me about it was how lightweight the box was when it arrived. I was expecting it weigh something between the Heavy Full Travel System we already have and the lightweight portable buggy, but it was almost as light as the portable…pretty impressive for something that has a large basket, interchangeable seats, newborn attachment and the option of adapting a car seat too.

It took Colin less then 5 minutes to put it all together with the instructions…very straight forward.

We didn’t need the newborn attachment, but it was very padded and secure, as lightweight a the rest of the buggy.

The City Tour LUX features an ultra-compact one hand fold and auto-lock when folded, allowing you to fold and go really quickly, even with your baby in one hand. It includes a carry bag and integrated carry strap for easy transport.

Once set up, you can choose weather you would like your baby to face inward or outward. The inward facing option is particularly important for the early days, when your baby just wants to see you, but now Rory is a little older, he loves facing out and seeing the world. Its great that you can easily switch this around though, depending on your babies mood. Theres also multi-recline options for helping them drift off to sleep.

Once folded, it takes up hardly any space in the boot, in fact you could store this in the foot well leaving your boot clear for weekend bags, shopping, bikes, scooters…..

All of the fittings feel sturdy, safe and lightweight. Theres a large basket underneath so plenty of space for all your adventure essentials. I love the little zip pocket too, a handy place for nappies and wipes if Dad is taking the boys out and doesn’t want to take the entire baby bag with him.

I love the three panel hood which comes right down over the top of the seat offering extra shade on a sunny day and contains UV 50+ protection. These dark hoods are great for helping Rory fall asleep if we’re still out at nap time. There’s a little pop out window so you can keep on eye on them while you walk too.

Unlike our other lightweight buggy, the City Tour LUX glides easily over grass and bumpy ground thanks to its durable tires and all wheel suspension. The small, lightweight front wheels can swivel around easily if you’re in a busy street. The only think I would mention is that if you’re intending to go onto very bumpy or muddy ground, this probably isn’t the product for you. While its great on grass, it would struggle all-terrain.

Its narrow, fitting easily through doors, or over bumpy park bridges in our case. The handle bar break is also great, particularly if you’re attaching you baby bag to the handle bars, you can see what you’re doing without having to lean over.

The City Tour LUX is lightweight, very lightweight in fact, but I don’t think this would be a suitable option if you’re intending to carry it for a long time. I’m not really sure why you would be, but I thought I should mention that too. Having said that it’s really easy to lift into the boot and carry for short periods of time, if you were on and off public transport.

So, overall, I’m really impressed! If you’re looking for a something suitable from birth to toddler, with the option of attaching a car seat, but you don’t want to fill your boot with a heavy travel system, then I think the City Tour LUX is brilliant. Its fantastic value, less then half the price of a heavy travel system and does a lot more. It ticks more boxes then any of our other buggies we have, and we’re looking forward to using it, and freeing up some space!