Pushchair reviews

Silver Cross Surf 2 Pram and Travel System - overall rating 9.8/10

(From HelenRGransnet)

(2015) I received the Surf 2 travel system to review from Silver Cross, in Black. It comprises a chassis, newborn carrycot (for use up to 6 months) and a pushchair seat for use from 6 months +. You can also use the Simplicity Car Seat with the Surf 2 chassis, which I would thoroughly recommend.

Our baby is 4 months so we've only used the newborn carrycot so far, but we're hugely impressed with the Surf 2.

The chassis:

- Easy to fold up to put in the car - just one motion and one touch of a button and it collapses down flat and clips together so you can carry it easily in one hand.

- It's relatively lightweight for such a sturdy travel system.

- It's really easy to remove one or both wheels to make the chassis narrower for packing into a car. We found this really helpful at Christmas time when we were travelling around with the vast amount of stuff you seem to carry around with a newborn as well as Christmas pressies etc.

- You can adjust the handle to have it at 4 different heights, which is really useful as my husband is taller than me so likes to be able to extend it when he's in charge.

- The shopping basket is useful but is on the small side, and a bit tricky to access when you're using the carrycot, but it looks like it'll be easier when we move on to the 6 month+ seat.

- The suspension is fantastic - our local park is quite gravelly and it feels like the baby will get bounced around a lot at first but they don't because of the rugged back wheels and great suspension. We've also used the buggy off-road in muddy fields and in sandy playgrounds and it copes fantastically with both of those terrains.

- The handling is also great - the turning circle is tiny and it's so easy to steer. Great for use in town (have been into central London with it lots of times with no bother) and in the country.

- There's a wheel lock on the front wheels, which means you can set the wheels so they only go back and forth in one direction - useful when you're trying to rock the baby to sleep in the carrycot.

- The carrycot and Simplicity car seat both clip in and out of the chassis really easily.

The carrycot:

- Made of lovely fabric - hard-wearing on the outside and lovely and soft on the inside

- It's big enough to last until 6 months (I hope) - our baby is 4 months now and still has plenty of room to grow and she's a tall baby. Several of my friends with babies the same age are already growing out of their carrycots before they hit six months, so I think this one is on the larger side but without seeming too big.

- You can use the carrycot for sleeping in too, which we did a couple of times when we went away for weekends when the baby was very small. Saves you having to think about a carry cot or taking a Moses basket.

- The rain cover is easy and quick to fit and seems very waterproof. it also packs away very small into a little pouch that can go in the shopping basket which is handy.

- The only negative about the carry cot is that when the apron is on, it's not that easy to zip and unzip every time you want to get the baby in and out of the carry cot. That means you have it zipped up which makes it tricky to get the baby in and out, but it may be that we're not using it quite right! This won't be a problem with the pushchair seat.

We haven't used the pushchair unit yet but I'll come back and update this when we have.

Overall, an exceptionally high quality product where you can tell that every detail has really been thought about. I'd definitely recommend to anyone looking for a travel system that meets all your needs.

City, Baby Jogger - overall rating 9.8/10

(From nanamacatj)

(2011) My daughter has recently had twins and has purchased baby jogger twin. Many an afternoon was lost in baby stores to find the best purchase, baby jogger twin folds easily,steers one handed, is slim enough to fit through most doors and fits into a Fiesta boot without taking any bits off. Love it!!

(From nanapug)

(2011) This is an amazing three-wheeler buggy. It is very light to push and move and I can collapse it and lift it into the boot with one hand and a baby under the other!! Have never handled such an easy buggy. The optional small carry cot is well designed and easy to attach to the buggy, as are the car seat adaptors. Even I (at 62) can do it!!!

iCandy Strawberry pushchair - overall rating 9.5/10

(From LaraGransnet)

(2014) I’ve coveted the iCandy pushchairs for some time, so was delighted to be asked to review the Strawberry.

Aesthetically, this is a design conscious mum’s dream, with sleek aluminium finishes and rounded edges. But it’s not all show and no substance.

It took us minutes to assemble the pushchair and a bit more time to master the fold mechanism of the frame. However, once we’d got the hang of it, I was amazed by how simple it is. As promised in the marketing, it truly is possible to fold it one-handed (a must for parents with a baby in one arm). And as the frame is so lightweight (only 8kgs) it’s easy enough to lift into the boot one-handed too.

The Strawberry can be personalised with your choice of ‘flavour packs’ (for the carrycot this includes an interchangeable hood and carrycot apron, and for the seat unit it includes an interchangeable hood and seat pad.) These are currently available in Earl Grey (grey), Pomegranate (red), Elderberry (purple) and Assam (black). I cautiously went with the black which looks very smart but am tempted to order the Elderberry as well. As iCandys tend to last very well you could always buy a new ‘flavour pack’ for your second child to give it a new look.

You can also buy car seat adaptors which enable you to use this as a travel system. These are clearly labeled and slot in very easily.

The basket is wide and roomy - I would have liked it to be a little bit deeper but even so it’s plenty big enough for two or three bags of shopping which is all any reasonable person should need.

The handle is very comfortable to grip and as both me and DH are quite tall we were happy to see that it extends to a decent height for both of us to use without banging our calves against the pram. It’s also so smooth to manoeuvre - front and rear wheel suspension. For a travel system I was really impressed that I could turn it around one handed with no problem. And I was very happy to see that it has no-puncture tyres - I haven’t been overly impressed with the pump-up versions in the past. The Strawberry has so far handled shopping centres, cobbled streets and our (rather waterlogged) local park with no problem.

I also absolutely love that the pram stands up on its own once collapsed. No need to find a chair or wall to rest it against as with other pushchairs, only to watch it topple over five minutes later.

The carrycot is just beautiful - my newborn is very happy cocooned in it and there is plenty of space for him to grow into it. As with all the attachments, the carrycot slots onto the frame easily and with a reassuringly audible click. Everything about this pushchair makes me think high quality. The hood on the carrycot gives excellent coverage and can be adjusted to various heights - my two year old loves this feature so I can honestly say it’s quite robust!

The seat unit is equally easy to pop in to the frame. The star feature of this is that the pushchair can collapse with the seat attached (most other pushchairs require you to remove it and store separately which can be a pain when you are carrying a baby in one arm, or are in a rush). As an added bonus there is a very useful storage pouch (iCandy have called it a ‘punnet’) under the seat where you can store valuables, rain covers or anything really. It’s the little things that make your life that much easier…

Everything about this pushchair is lovely. It looks and feels solid and expensive, it’s practical, and it’s lightweight enough for travelling, but robust enough to make you feel like your little one is well protected. I only wish I’d got this for my first child.

Symbio, Graco - overall rating 9.5/10

(From womblenz)

(2012) Great light but sturdy base. The carrycot and car seat both attach and detach easily and quickly. The unit is very maneuverable and looks good.

Volo, Maclaren - overall rating 9.5/10

(From jane50)

(2011) Very useful lightweight lightweight stroller suitable from 6 months to around 3-4 years. Genuinely can be folded one handed so great for taking on public transport or when travelling. Fits easily into boot of car.

Very easy to push and children find it comfortable. Comes with a rain cover that is easy to fit and keeps baby lovely and dry in the rain. Only slight drawback is it doesn't recline but this hasn't really been a massive problem for me.

So small when folded is ideal for spare buggy to be left at gran's house.

Mamas & Papas Zoom - overall rating 9.2/10

(From Libradi)

(2012) My daughter has recently purchased this pram/pushchair for my granddaughter. I was very impressed with it, lovely carrycot with a nice soft lining, easily removed and converted into a pushchair when baby is older. The pushchair is able to face either way which I love, so nice to be able to chat to baby while you are out for a walk. My daughter already had a Mamas & Papas car seat and by purchasing an adaptor, her car seat will also fit onto the chassis of the Zoom.

I gave it a test drive the other day and love pushing it. Very easy to manoeuvre even using one hand.

It is lightweight and folds easily and has a good size shopping basket. Great value for money!

Message deleted by Gransnet for breaking our forum guidelines. Replies may also be deleted.

Cameleon, Bugaboo - overall rating 8.9/10

(From Dillonsgranma)

(2011) I bought this pram/pushchair for my daughter when she was expecting her first baby. I am very impressed with it. It is lightweight and easy to collapse and put in the back of the car. Even the handle to push with is adjustable, to allow for the height of the person in charge of the pram! The carrycot bit can be altered when the baby is older, to become a pushchair, so that the baby is not lying flat any more. This really is a good bit of kit!

(From valdaree27)

(2011) I am really impressed with this pram, it is so easy to manoeuvre and to dismantle and has little touches that make absolute sense. I wish I had one 20 odd years ago when I had my sons and "tansads"

360, Out and About - overall rating 8.7/10

(From em)

(2011) Bought double version for DD when GS was 14 months and new GD arrived. It's a side by side - my niece had huge problems with a front and back one. This 360 is reasonably light, very manoeuvrable and seats go flat so ok for little babies. Decent space for bags and shopping and good raincover and footmuffs. Have recommended it to other mums and grans.

Revolution SE Duallie Stroller, BOB - overall rating 8.5/10

(From Neosha)

(2014) They have completely changed how the seats are designed. They are far more supportive and have these really nice cushion-like supports all over them. There’s even extra padding for a headrest.

I had brought a footmuff for baby jogger pushchair. It is really soft and fabricated to keep away moisture. t is comfortable for kids and also is machine washable.

there's also some great reviews here www.prams.net/advice/best-prams/