Amazing TFK Mono 2 – What’s All the Fuss?

Just as before, it’s always important to first understand a little about the company, because when you buy the TFK Mono 2 you also need to buy into their values and beliefs.

About TFK

Launching in 1997, TFK is still a family company, based in Germany. Creating strollers which had a sporty and active lifestyle in mind such as jogging or out on hike trails. The idea was that even though you had a baby, you could still do the things you did before. Your baby didn’t inhibit your lifestyle, they just joined you in it instead.

From this TFK boomed in popularity, creating not only the Mono 2 as their single stroller but also the Duo 2, as the name suggests, a double pushchair and the Velo 2, a very interesting trailer pram you attach to the back of your bike and cycle with.

The TFK Mono 2

The Wheels

The most prominent feature of this pram is that it is a 3 wheeler. By only having 1 wheel at the front, it is much easier to push compared to standard 4 wheel prams because there’s 1 less wheel that needs to turn. There’s 1 less wheel that has friction with the ground and 1 less ball bearing that needs to turn.

The ease of push makes it ideal for parents with active lifestyles. Say you have big dogs and go on long walks, or live near a horse farm, or go out jogging. All of these situations are perfect for a 3 wheeler because the terrain you’re taking your baby along is not smooth and flat. A traditional stroller will find these types of terrain significantly more difficult, not only to turn but also in keeping all the wheels on the ground at the same time, ensuring baby stays safe.

Staying on topic with wheels, there’s a choice of wheels with the pram. You can either have the Air wheels or the Air Chamber choice. The names are a bit confusing, but essentially the Air Chamber is the puncture proof version. Air wheels have fallen from popularity recently in the UK. This is mainly due to reduction in costs to produce puncture proof wheels.

There is a fear of air wheels puncturing or going flat when out on a walk with baby, but it’s normally the inner tubing which needs pumping and when pushed on a flat damages and tears. It’s basically just like a bicycle wheel. The benefit to the air wheel is that it is lighter because it is hollow rather than solid. It also offers greater suspension.

It’s important to note that TFK wheels are made by Schawlbe, another German brand. If you’re a cyclist, you know that these are the real deal. Recognised around the world as the tyre brand that produces the best, offering the optimal push experience.

You don’t need to get an air wheel. It’s just that there are situations where it can be better and that’s normally in parks and forests, which the TFK Mono 2 is built for. However, if you don’t want to maintain the wheels, you can just get the puncture proof Air Chamber version instead.

The Brakes

There’s also the interesting brake mechanism. The TFK Mono 2 instead uses a hand brake compared to a traditional foot brake. Partnering with Weber, another German company again, these are super high quality. There’s a few benefits to this type of braking system. Firstly it’s much easier to access. It isn’t inhibited if you use a buggyboard. Your toes won’t be hurt on the hard plastic.

It also has the added benefit that the brake can be applied on levels rather than only on or off. Say you’re going down a hill, by squeezing the brake you don’t need to pull the pram backwards to as you go down, just like a bike.  

The Nuts and Bolts

TFK is a German brand, which means that all of their products are manufactured with excellent German engineering. Just as we trust high end German cars – Mercedes, BMW, Audi – so can we do the same with German nursery brands. Take a look at Cybex for instance, another amazing company which prides itself on it’s ingenuity and is also German.

This German engineering really shines through with the TFK Mono 2. If you take a look at the chassis, you’ll notice that there are no rivets. Everything is instead kept together with screws and bolts, which are superior in quality.

The problem with rivets is that they’re single use, hollow and typically made from cheaper metals. Compared to screws and bolts which can be tightened or loosened, are solid and made from stronger materials which are typically coated. Say for instance your pram starts to creak. Well with the TFK Mono 2 you can tighten the nearby screws and this will probably fix the issue. Compared to a traditional rivet stroller, apart from lubricating the area there’s not really much you can do at all.

In short, this pram is built to last and can be repaired from home if anything goes wrong.

If you want to take a look at the 3d animation of the pram, you can do so from the official TFK website.

The Carrycot and Seat Unit

Finally we have the choice of units on the pram. The Combi Unit or the Stroller Seat.

The Combi Unit makes it pramette, which means the carrycot converts into the seat unit letting you use the unit from birth to approx. 4 years. The benefit is you only have 1 unit to worry about. So you don’t have an additional unit to store a carrycot when baby outgrows at 6 months. In fact, changing from the carrycot to the seat unit of the TFK Mono 2 es extremely easy and can be done in 3 steps in about 30 seconds. Normally this takes a long time to do with lots of complicated zips and such. The easiness of the TFK Mono 2, really stands out.

However, if your baby needs to use the stroller for an extended amount of time because they have additional needs, you can use the stroller unit instead. Though it’s only forward facing, the seat is massive, very comfortably letting an adult like myself literally sit inside. The weight limit is upped significantly to 34 kg instead, which is approximately 6 years of age. It also has the added benefit that when you fold the stroller, you don’t need to remove the seat.

All in all, the TFK Mono 2 is a brilliant stroller if you want something that caters to your active lifestyle. The 3 wheel design, the refusal to use rivets and the genius Combi Unit/Stroller Seat just make it the best of its kind. If you require more information about the TFK Mono 2, we have a product page dedicated to it.