Mamas & Papas is a little known company in the UK that makes pretty awesome strollers for Americans, including the Armadillo, which is one of the more popular small strollers among families in our neighborhood. Well this year, they recently came out with the Armadillo Flip, which does everything the Armadillo does while throwing in a reversible seat. It’s been flying off the shelves in local stores, and I (Susie) had to find out why.

 

Quick Review of the 2015 Mamas & Papas Armadillo Flip stroller

A big part of what makes the Armadillo Flip awesome is because it works well in urban environments. It doesn’t weigh much, it doesn’t take up much space, and it’s easy to fold with one hand, which makes it easier to keep your baby or toddler safe while doing so.

As a result, if you’re a busy parent who makes frequent use of public transportation, you’ll appreciate having a stroller that doesn’t take up much room on the bus or train, or in a taxi or on a sidewalk or…you get the idea. The Armadillo flip is just 22″ wide, which opens up new possibilities for getting through store aisles, fitting into small elevators, or weaving through cars in a Trader Joe’s parking lot.

Features I like in the Flip include the large basket, 5-point harness, and awesome reversible seat that you can set to a near flat recline, making it a great newborn stroller. You can use it with a child from the day s/he’s born until the day s/he weighs 50 pounds. If you want a travel system, all you need is an infant car seat adapter.

The Flip weighs 20 pounds and I’d give it 5 out of 5 stars due to its functionality as a compact, light, and versatile single urban stroller. The main cons for the stroller include the lack of an adjustable handle bar and bumper bar. The  cheapest price I’ve yet found for the 2015 Armadillo Flip is here on Amazon, which includes free shipping, free returns, and no sales tax, depending on your state.

Buy the 2015 Mamas & Papas Armadillo Flip stroller on Sale at Amazon.

Pros of the 2015 Mamas & Papas Armadillo Flip stroller

Generous canopy. The Flip comes with a ridiculously large canopy–in a good way! It’s one of the largest canopies I’ve ever seen, and it gives that in our Bumbleride Indie a run for its money. It stretches from the handle bar to the bottom of the seat if you want it to, and it also includes a pop-out sunvisor. The only issues I see with it are that you can’t unzip the canopy and there’s only a plastic peekaboo window instead of mesh, so you don’t get as much circulation when the weather gets warm as you otherwise would. However, the closure on the window is magnetic, which is great for allowing you to see your little one without waking him or her up. And as I’ve noted, but will note again, the canopy is amazingly huge. Also, a rain cover is included, which is great. Most stroller companies out there will make you pay an additional $50 or so for one.

Reversible, deep reclining, and tall seat. The Armadillo Flip seat is a comfortable, tall, and roomy one. It’s 12″ wide, 20″ deep, and measures 24″ from canopy top to seat back. There’s a generous amount of padding in the seat that makes it fun to sit in, and you can use it from birth until a child weighs 50 pounds.

The recline is adjustable in 3 positions and in the lowest is close to flat, which makes it work well with newborns. In contrast, when it’s in the most upright position, it’s a pretty upright seat, which makes it easy for kids to see out of the stroller well. The recline can be adjusted with one hand thanks to a smooth lever.

Easily adjustable leg rest. The leg rest in the Armadillo Flip can be adjusted easily. If you want it up, you push it up. If you want it down, there’s a lever beneath the leg rest that you squeeze while pushing down. When the seat is reclined to its lowest position while the leg rest is lifted to its highest, it’s almost like a bed, which makes it great for both naps and diaper changes.

Padded adjustable 5-point harness. It’s pretty much impossible to find a good stroller without an adjustable 5-point harness, but it’s still nice to see one as comfortable as that in the Armadillo Flip. The harness can also be adjusted to a height low enough to fit newborns, which is great, since not all strollers with “newborn-friendly” reclines actually have newborn-friendly harness designs.

Fixed handle bar. Something to be aware of in the Flip is that the handle bar isn’t adjustable, which could be a drawback if you’re exceptionally tall or exceptionally short. It’s fixed at 40″ off the ground and has a foam covering. There’s a thicker grip in the center to make it easier to push with one hand and there’s an additional runaway strap you can put around your wrist to keep the stroller from getting away from you. It’s a good safety feature if you’re the worrying kind, like I am.

Good-sized basket. The basket is nice and wide, even though it isn’t the deepest I’ve ever seen. The sides are made from mesh and you can get to it easily from the front, back, or sides. I was able to fit a large diaper bag and a few jugs of milk there.

Foot-activated parking brake.  There is a parking brake by the right wheel that you can activate with your shoe, flip flop, or foot if you’re barefoot. The brake locks both rear wheels.

No-flat tires with all wheel suspension. Speaking of the wheels and tires, something great about the Armadillo Flip is the fact that you can’t get a flat tire with it because the tires aren’t filled with air! They’re EVA tires, which basically means they never need refilling or maintenance yet provide a cushion level comparable to that in air-filled tires. The front tires are 6″ in diameter and the rear tires are a bit larger at 7.5.”

You can lock the front tires or allow them to swivel. Because the tires are on the smaller end, you won’t want to try off-roading with this stroller; it’s definitely not an all-terrain stroller. That said, you can still venture off the sidewalk into gravel, mulch, wood chips at a playground, or grass. And of course, they’ll do a fine job on any smooth surface, such as in a mall or supermarket. Suspension is available on both front and rear wheels.

Single hand fold. I was able to fold the Armadillo Flip with one hand while I held a bag of groceries in the other. When they say one hand fold, they mean it. Mamas & Papas advertises it as the most compact fold in its stroller class. While I’m not sure what class that is, I’m still impressed.

A bonus is that the seat can be in its forward or rear-facing position when you fold the stroller up; you don’t have to make sure it’s in the traditional forward-facing position for a fold. When folded, it’s 30″ long, 22″ wide, and 10″ high, which is definitely on the smaller end for a reversible stroller. You can make it even smaller by popping off the wheels. And at 20 pounds, it won’t take too much effort to get on a bus or in the back of a car.

Optional travel systems and pram conversion. As with most high end strollers, you can form a travel system by switching out the regular seat and inserting an infant car seat and an adapter. Mike has reviewed a ton of car seats compatible with the Armadillo Flip, including the Cybex Aton 2 and Chicco KeyFit 30. The Cybex and Maxi-Cosi adapter is available here while the Chicco adapter is available here. You can also convert the Flip into a pram through the optional Mamas & Papas bassinet (which they call a Carrycot). These are commonly used throughout Europe because they allow you to see your baby all the time while keeping him or her completely reclined, which is the best position for a newborn. The bassinet is usable from birth until your child weighs 20 pounds, and is available with free shipping here.

Cons of the 2015 Mamas & Papas Armadillo Flip stroller

Fixed handle bar. This is an understandable omission for a light weight stroller, but I still miss it.

Small wheels. You shouldn’t plan on doing off-roading in this stroller; save that for a true all-terrain stroller like the Bumbleride Indie, my favorite single stroller.

Lack of a bumper bar or child tray.  I’m not sure why this isn’t included, as many kids like to eat when they’re on the go, especially on long trips to the zoo or to the park. Oh well. This is part of what keeps the weight down, I know.

Specifications of and Warranty for the 2015 Mamas & Papas Armadillo Flip stroller

The Flip weighs 20 pounds and can be used with children from birth until they weigh 50 pounds. When folded, it is 30″ long, 22″ wide, and 10″ high. The handle bar is fixed at 40″ in height while the seat height is 24.” The front tires are 6″ in diameter while the rear tires are 7.5″ in diameter. It is 22″ wide and 36″ long when in use.

A 2-year warranty is available from Mamas & Papas; the clock starts ticking from the day you purchase the Flip. You can read more about the warranty here.

Where to buy the 2015 Mamas & Papas Armadillo Flip stroller

Whenever possible, I buy my strollers, car seats, and other baby goodies on Amazon, since their prices tend to be the lowest I come across. They also sweeten the pot with free shipping and free returns, and you typically don’t pay sales tax with them unless you’re in a state that charges it.

When it comes to high-end single seat reversible strollers, the Mamas & Papas Armadillo Flip is a good choice. You can buy it here in Teal Tide, Coral Pop, Sand Dune, and Black Jack. You can buy the carrycot bassinet in Teal Tide, Sand Dune, and Black Jack here. Canadians can buy the Armadillo Flip, car seat adapters, and the carrycot bassinet here.

—

If you find the information on car safety, recommended car seats, and car seat reviews on this car seat blog helpful, you can shop through this Amazon link for any purchases, car seat-related or not. Canadians can shop through this link for Canadian purchases.