Review: Micralite SmartFold

Micralite SmartFold was a really positive surprise for me. I was a little sceptical at first due to its UFO-like apparance, but it has honestly become one of my favorites. I will explain why in the following chapters.



Some technical data:

• Use: from 6 months, with carrycot from birth
• Carrying capacity of the seat: 22 kg
• Carrying capacity of the shopping basket: 3 kg
• Weight: 9.5 kg
• Seat back height 50 cm (+ basically 6-7 cm more room canopy)
• Seat depth 21 cm, width at the inside of the seat 20 cm, width at the knees 34 cm
• Footrest length 23.5 cm + 6.5 cm until the end of the plastic edge
• Folded dimensions: 104 x 44 x 44 cm
• Stroller width at the back wheels: 44 cm
• Stroller width at the front wheels (i.e maximum width): 59 cm
• Minimum footprint 68 x 59 cm, maximum footprint require when seat is in recline and handle bar folded outwards 115 x 59 cm.
• The function demonstration can be found here.

The seat is an ergonomic seat, with adjustable calf-rest / foot-rest, the canopy is extendable and the bumper bar can be opened like a gate from both sides. The seat is quite roomy, a child at 90 cm has enough room under the canopy and also on the foot-rest. Thought with a thick footmuff (e.g Easygrow Nature or similar) it might be bit tight for a tall and a bit heavier child, perhaps then I would remove the bumper bar for sleeping. With mid-season overall, blanket and Easygrow storm cover it was alright.

 The stroller looks innovative, modern and definitely not massive like many all-terrain strollers. The fabrics, connections and buttons show very good quality. The frame is black-matte, details look finished - e.g. bumper bar and handle are covered with leather (not sure if faux or real).

The seat is located lower than on Bumbleride Indie but they are more or less the same width, footprint is a little shorter on SmartFold but when the seat is in recline, they are roughly the same length. So visually, it is a bit more compact than Bumbleride.

SmartFold is quite light and basically strolls on its own, I even miss the wrist band a little. It very easy to steer, no need to use two hands unless you want to. The back wheels are located narrower than the front, and this one of the strangest features about this stroller to get used to. But I never hit my legs on the back wheels, which was good. We tried out smoother asphalt, older roads, grass, park gravel and dirt roads - the stroller had no problems on any of them. Large-piece gravel was not as comfortable, but I would not enjoy a road like that with any stroller probably. And even there, this did not wake the child. Having gotten used to a lot of three-wheelers in my past, the only thing that I needed to adjust myself to was the maneuvering between the narrow aisles at the supermarket. But there I also really realized how useful the front wheels are for finding out where I can go through and where not. Curbs are not an issue for this stroller, the strolls over most, and if needed the curb-pop is really good. There were no issues crossing the railroad.

The stroller frame is light, a little flexible and even the seat moves a little when crossing rough terrain, but it seems to neutralize any road bumps. I didn't get to testing it in public transport yet, but I doubt there will be any issues at least when the seat is sitting up, when the seat is in recline, one must be a little careful, as the seat extends further than the wheels.

The seat recline adjustment is very easy. You can adjust it from the back of the frame. For that you need two hands. But the movement itself is very easy, you don't need to bend your knees or back too much.

Folding the stroller takes place at the same place on the frame just a bit lower, there you have to push the numbered buttons in right order and pull up. You are basically pulling the front wheels back and up under the seat. It is recommended that the shopping basket is empty when folding it. You can fold it with the use of just one hand, you can use the other to hold onto the stroller, but there is no need. The foot break is very easy to use.

Micralite says it is the "first truly hybrid stroller". Yes, this is very true. It is an all-terrain stroller but also it is very lightweight (just 9.5 kg!). The only other stroller that is slightly similar in my mind is Mountain Buggy Swift but Swift does not have suspension just air tires. SmartFold is a lot more stable, the curb pop is comparable but I never had the feeling with SmartFold that it might tip over. The seat is a bit roomier on SmartFold and there is a proper footrest. The back wheels on SmartFold are even larger than the wheels on Bumbleride Indie not to mention Mountain Buggy Swift. Also the canopy is longer on SmartFold compared to Swift.

The seat liner, tire pump and rain-cover are included in the price of the stroller. The original rain-cover is fully made of plastic, but connects in the back with a zipper and velcro. There is a fairly large window in the front that opens with zippers. In my opinion, it is great that this is included but it is not suitable for a older child because it is very difficult to fit the kids shoes (winter boots for example) under that rain cover. Thankfully my trusted Elodie Details universal rain cover fit almost perfectly and I will likely prefer this.

So, what do I like about Micralite SmartFold?

• Fabrics. They are almost as nice as Silver Cross 2 in 1 prams have. They are a bit more sporty, but feel very nice and high quality when felt. They are not exactly water resistant but they dry fast.
• The leather features on the handle and bumper bar
• The fact that the bumper bar opens like a gate, easy to use with one hand
• Seat design - bit different, but looks good, and the seat is roomy enough. Perhaps I would add a bit more room under the canopy to make it usable even longer.
• The canopy is medium length, sturdy, great in the summer with the mesh extension.
• Suspension is really good
• Best one-hand steer I know
• Easy to steer and maneuver in most places 
• Back wheels are placed closer together than the front - I finally did not hit my legs anywhere
• Good curb-pop. I would probably use this feature in the winter with snow, just lift the front wheels up and cross that pile of snow.
• Wheels are puncture proof, and the back wheels are really big. The front wheels don't pick up gravel, hopefully the exposed suspension will survive the de-icing salts used around here in the winter.
• When folded, there is no need to remove the footmuff.

What could be improved?

• Access to the shopping basket. It is ok for accessories but nothing more.
• The mesh part on the canopy should have a fabric detail to cover it up in the winter like Thule Sleek does.
• The canopy could be a bit higher. For a 90 cm child the fold-out extension of the canopy hinders the view, but the rest of the canopy works fine, just to extend the use time even longer would be good if there was a possibility of raising the canopy just a bit more.
• The rain-cover is not ideal for an older child with winter boots. And it takes a lot of room when folded. A fabric or partially fabric rain cover would be much better.

Overall, I really think Micralite SmartFold is a great hybrid stroller. Light, compact, easy to use and can handle any terrain.

“The best engineering should go unnoticed” is Micralite´s slogan. Though when you look at them, there is no way they are not noticed. They definitely stand out in the crowd, but with more modest color choices it is possible to achieve a relatively modest look. But the main functionality of this stroller is located behind the stroller seat and one may not realize how amazing this really is. I recommend you do not leave Micralite unnoticed, as good engineering should be appreciated.  

You can get Micralite SmartFold from Stroller24.