Mountain Buggy Terrain (2010 new model with 16″ wheels) Review by JBH

Firstly, this is very much a first impression review. I have only had this stroller 24 hours!
My reasons for buying the Mountain Buggy Terrain are that I have a 3.5y old child and part of our daily routine is to walk his siblings to school and then carry on from their to his pre school. This results in daily walks of between 4 and 6 miles typically. I don’t drive and we are a one car household (my husband uses the car to get to work and back). We have a Baby Jogger Summit XC which I love dearly! I’ve written a review for that also, so you can go and read about that too if you like.
However I had noticed the overall footprint for this Terrain stroller (which is similar to the BJ Summit XC) was smaller. We live in a small terraced house and space is an issue. My family were getting fed up of tripping up over the BJ. Although it can fold quickly, it would typically be laden with school bags and things in the basket beneath (ready for our early start long walk next day). Emptying the stroller to fold daily had become a pointless chore! I saw several online videos for the Mountain Buggy Terrain and was impressed.

There was no store nearby for me to view this purchase so I took a risk and ordered a Terrain online on approval! It arrived yesterday late afterrnoon as I was preparing our evening meal, so the box was dragged to the living room and placed as much out the way as you can a huge heavy box in a tiny terraced house until later. Finally after the children were all gone to bed could I carefully open the box and unpack what had become “The Elephant in the Room”! (I have tried many different pushchairs over the years, in my quest for the perfect one so when a new model arrives my husband asks little and rolls his eyes!).

I must admit I’m somewhat fussy over quality these days and the Mountain Buggy Terrain underwent a very thorough look over as I unpacked and assembled it! I am pleased to report it is very nice quality. A nice fabric, all stitching is perfect, no loose ends. All poppers securely attached and perfectly placed. The chassis is top quality and feels robust. The wheels are all really great quality also. Assembly was easy and I was impressed with the hood shape and size and the good protection from elements it will offer. It is a good height and shape. There is plenty of room for growth I even tried my tall 8 year old in the seat and she could easily have the hood up and not be touching it with the top of her head!
The bumper bar fits the seat very well and at a nice height for my 3.5y old. He likes to hold onto it or rest his arms on it. The stroller seat is high from the ground (it’s the highest seat I think I’ve seen on a stroller!) so I think the bumper bar adds to his feeling of security.

There are a lot of dog walkers locally, and mostly nice dogs well under the owners control, but as always there is also the occasional one that has run loose and is excitedly jumping up at strangers or just getting its nose into everything…rarely there will be one that barks a lot and frightens the children. For this reason I’m especially pleased with the seat height as I feel he is out of harms way and also has a better view of what’s going on from up there. He is also nearer to me making conversations easier despite that he is facing away. He only needs to turn his head a little to make eye contact and he can clearly hear me as he’s not down low (at “shopping bag in face” height).
I like the basket on this terrain model very much. It’s easy to access and easy to see into. The basket also features a mesh zip cover presumably to hold items in place if you are off roading…or maybe its to stop autumn leaves blowing in there?! The zip mesh can be rolled into a small elasticated pocket when not needed…that way you can pile in coats, balls, picnic, shopping etc.
The height adjustable handlebar is very nice to use. The handbrake is fitted centrally pointing to the right. I am assuming the manufacturer thinks runners will be using their right hand to push when running.

I am no athlete and am not used to running except when I am late! However I did try chasing after my kids who had headed off on their scooters today and I had not locked the front wheel straight, yet this stroller glided beautifully. Not a hint of the front wheel wobbling (which is what usually happens if one runs with an unlocked swivel wheel)…I do have some weight to loose so who knows, maybe this new terrain stroller will inspire me to take running up as a part of my life! It seems to be the thing to do around here and it’s a lot less costly than gym membership!”
I haven’t found a single thing to dislike about this terrain stroller yet. It oozes quality and the design seems very well balanced and engineered. The stroller feels very light and nimble. Manoeuvrability is most excellent! I love the seat, basket, harness (one of the best designs ever as its hard for kids to undo, easy for adults, so so easy to adjust to fit perfectly and nicely padded too), and hood.

I got the storm cover for my Terrain stroller too. It’s great quality and comes in a storage pouch which can be fastened to the stroller frame ready for use. I especially love the zip open panel at the front. If you go inside temporarily (a shop or library perhaps) there’s no need to remove the entire cover. Just zip open that front panel for ventilation!

I will be back to give a more thorough review at some point but my initial impression of this stroller is very good. It’s great for my needs (walking everywhere and carrying lots of stuff – school bags and lunches or shopping, or even picnics and toys!). My child sits nicely and comfortably in the seat and appears to have some growing room still. This stroller is a real pleasure to push. It is easy to fold and will free stand. It’s easy to pick up and carry (seems well balanced and easy to handle folded). I needn’t have worried about the very heavy box it arrived in…our “Elephant in the Room” may in time be affectionately known as “Ellie”…she is large and grey after all!