Design
The swift is a compact three wheel off road style pram with an aluminum chassis and a sling style seat.
It comes in lime, chilli, flint and occasional limited edition prints.
The swift is an extremely solid pram with well designed, quality components.
Features
The swift has lots of features including; unlimited recline positions including flat (for newborn), a 5 point safety harness, grab bar, multi-adjustable padded handle and bottle holder.
The hood is a great size and very strong. It features a peek-a-boo flap and a flick out mesh sun visor to give a little extra protection while still allowing your child to see out.
The swift has a reasonably sized under-seat basket which is accessible from the side when the seat is reclined. There's a good distance between the seat and the basket so you can fit bulkier items in it. The basket also has extra zipped and elasticised pockets which are useful if you're off to the park.
Performance
The Mountain Buggy swift is a very smooth ride, probably the best on the market for a compact sized stroller. The inflatable wheels are unique on a pram of this size and provide comfort for both you and your baby.
Steering with one hand is easy over long distances. You will have no problems pushing the swift down the road while holding a child's hand or an umbrella.
Unlike many off-road style prams the swift is compact, most particularly with its narrower rear wheel base. You'll have no problems maneuvering this pram in tight spaces, particularly around shops. It's a little longer than the average compact pram but one of the features I love about the whole Mountain Buggy range is the way the handle bar adjusts. You can easily tuck it away when you need to park the pram in tight spaces.
The fold is quite easy. It's three steeps including positioning the front wheel is in the right position. The fold motion is quite smooth and easier to control when the bumper bar is on the pram. The pram folds flat and you need to secure it manually with a little clip then lift it into your car. It's 9.5kg so it's a little on the heavier side for a compact stroller.
The swift can stand on its own when folded and you can wheel it around on its rear wheels. The fold size is medium so make sure it fits into the boot of your car, either flat or standing (in some larger SUVs).
The swift's seat size is reasonable considering it's a compact pram. We squeezed a 4 year old into it but squeeze is the word (although he still seems comfortable in it). Mountain Buggy say it can accommodate a child up to 5 years because it can carry up to 35kgs which is pretty impressive. I'd say you can reasonably expect to fit a child up to 3.5 years with ease, after that it will depend on the size and personality of your child (they may not like confined spaces).
The brake on the swift is a long wire one. It's a little bit tricky to get your foot between the brake and the chassis to flip it on but it does becomes easier over time. The bigger Mountain Buggies just pass the sandals and thongs test, but not the swift. It's just too tight a space in there so I'd keep unprotected toes out.
As mentioned above the swift's handle easily adjusts to multiple levels and you can tuck it under the pram to park it in smaller spaces. At the highest level I find the handle at a comfortable height, if you're a taller parent you might find it a little low. I'd give it a test run if you think this might be a problem for you. (you'll find the urban jungle handle higher and the terrain higher again, it all depends on the wheel size).
I've recently become a convert to sling style seats. I've always been keen on a more supportive ergonomic style seat, however, it's become obvious that babies and toddlers find these seats comfortable for long periods of time and sleep well in them. The seat recline is a pulley type mechanism which is easy and safe to use while your baby is in the pram.
The seat cover is fully removable and machine washable. I love the way you can remove and replace the seat in 5 minutes. It's the simplest I've used.
The swift is well designed for off road activities like the park and long distance walking. Like the larger Mountain Buggies the front wheel is lockable for jogging and other off-road activities but if you're serious about jogging or off road walking I'd recommend the other Mountain Buggy urban jungle or terrain over the swift.
The brake on the swift is set back into the pram allowing for a long stride and the harness clip, although fiddly, is child proof.
The swift is very sturdy and strong and Mountain Buggies have a reputation for never dying. Now that the freerider toddler board is available, the Mountain Buggy is one of the few brands I'd recommend to parents planing to have a succession of babies (and toddlers) over a period of time.
An important note; Mountain Buggies are made to go. It's a smart idea to get into the habit of putting on the brakes whenever you stop or take your hands off the handle. Also use the wrist strap whenever you are off road, near large bodies of water, waiting on the side of the road or on train stations. It's conveniently located on the handle for easy access.
Drawbacks
The inflatable tyres are the key to the great maneuverability of the swift but there are reasons why other compact prams don't have them. They need regular maintenance and can puncture. It can be seriously annoying to get stuck with a flat out and about and, of course, it's inconvenient and costly to replace a tyre. Having said that we've had quite a few Mountain Buggies at Best Buys HQ now and the only problems we've had is when a over zealous Best Buys' dad over inflated the tyres (read the instructions dad!).
The swift does not come with a rain cover which I find surprising for a brand designed for outdoor use. At least for your $40 you get a well designed and sturdy cover your child can’t put its foot through.
I always find the Mountain Buggy bumper bars fiddly to take on and off and never use them. I've never found a bumper bar necessary anyway but if you like them you might want to take this into consideration.
Conclusion
We are fans of Mountain Buggy here at Best Buys, mainly because they are very functional & comfortable prams.
The swift is a good compromise between functionality, comfort and size. It's the pram I most frequently recommend to parents that are after a mid priced pram with lots of oomph.
About Mountain Buggy
Mountain Buggy is a New Zealand company that designed the original all-terrain three wheeled pram. They specialise in designing prams for outdoor activity.
