QUINNY VS. BABYWEARING: THE TEST DRIVE
I’m a confirmed baby wearer, for a myriad of reasons – and despite being bought the most beautiful pram when Jensen Indiana was born, I just never got used to using one. I cringed when I caught people’s ankles, got frustrated when people on foot cut in front of me and I huffed and puffed lifting it in and out of the car every journey. It was not fun for me. Jensen just plain hated being in it, and so when Lyoto arrived I automatically invested in a new sling instead of a new pram.
Things changed slightly when we visited Florida in 2013 – we bought a huge double jogging pram to see us through our month in Disney World, and we loved it. Still, when Hero was born in 2014, I wore him from birth in my carrier, knowing he couldn’t be in the jogging stroller until he was 6 months at least.
Imagine my complete surprise when I arrived at London Excel to visit the Baby Show, [after 4 and a half hours in very frustrating traffic, burning out my clutch and randomly grasping at my AA card] wearing Hero in Baby Hawk, and was asked if I wanted to try out the Quinny Moodd! As soon as I spotted the Novel Nile colour, I was in love.
Hero was seated in the Moodd by the lovely ladies at Quinny, and off we set. My sister and I counted nine parties of people who stopped us to ask about it – we had so many compliments, we started to feel like royalty on wheels. We cruised the carpeted hall, and Hero smiled and cooed the whole way around the show, even falling asleep in it whilst we visited friends on the stands.
You can read all about the Moodd here on the Quinny website.We’ve spent a month now having fun with the Quinny in a variety of situations – school runs, weekend walks, running errands – and here’s what we’ve found…
We Love…
The design. This is a beautiful, gorgeous stroller that’s eye-catching. It actually turns heads. If I didn’t have one and I saw one, I know I would want one.
`The wide and sturdy back wheels, filled with foam – which is brilliant because I am notorious for gaining punctures. The front wheel can swivel which is the only way I can push it. I am hopeless with a locked front wheel.
The assembly. The Quinny Moodd is so easy to put together. I even managed it without instructions, under pressure with five minutes to go on the school run – which is saying something if you know me [I am horrible at assembling items].
That the parts used for unfolding and folding the stroller are grey for easy identification.
How unfolding the stroller is so easy, and the pneumatic opening system is so cool. I love that “swoosh” sound as the frame comes to life.
There is a detachable T bar for Hero to play with. Not only does he think he’s driving, it can be used to hook toys around.
I can change Hero from rear to forward facing in two clicks – it’s so simple.
I can wash the seat cover! Hooray.
Finally – there is a lifetime guarantee on the Moodd. I love when a brand stands behind its own products, especially when they are expensive goods.
The adjustable handlebar – one central button [again, in grey!} means that whenever I need to hand the stroller to my husband, we can adjust the height of the handle within two seconds.
We Wish…
The fabric [polyester] was less easy to catch and pucker. It’s a gorgeous pushchair but I do worry that more frequent use will result in me yelling at my husband every time he dares to place the seat unit on anything that might snag or stain the fabric.
That the seat had more reclining angles.
It was easier to snap the seatbelt on whilst the t-bar is in place – having to recline Hero whilst not in the seatbelt securely means that he tries to squiggle free whilst he protests at being laid on his back awake.
That the straps were detachable. Hero always manages to get food on the straps and scrubbing them is not so fun whilst attached the the stroller. I also didn’t find that the fabric repelled his food stains on the lapels as the site maintains.
Points other people have raised…
The sunshade – yes, at the moment Hero is a little too short to benefit from the sunshade, but if it’s that sunny outside, he’ll be wearing a hat so that he can still see what’s going on. It blocks harsh direct sunlight from above and we’re happy with that.
The weight – you can’t have everything. I find the Moodd easy to handle – it’s about 15kg – but then I have three boys that I currently wheel to and from school in a hefty double jogger. This is a breeze and even if it wasn’t, I’d rather lift a heavy stroller in and out of the car a couple of times a day and have great suspension when rolling.
The basket – Yes, it’s small, but it’s perfect for me – probably because I’ve been used to carrying everything on my person instead. I managed to fit two pairs of wellies, a camera bag, change of baby clothes and nappies, wipes and snacks all under there this weekend as you can see in the photos above. I bought a clip for the handle for if I am out shopping.
The Brakes – I can see why people feel that the brakes are difficult to depress – there isn’t much of a click when they are applied and I do like to know I’ve applied the brake with a good click. The step [although I do love that each side is colour co-ordinated with a red part for applying the brake] could have a little more depth to it when being applied.
Our Overall Opinion
We love this stroller. It’s a very attractive vehicle which is fantastically designed with a highly tailored look to it, unlike any we’ve seen on the street. The seating unit and frame work together perfectly and neither draws away from the other – the seat is perfectly proportioned and balances out the solid chassis wheels preventing the baby perching on top of a huge transformer-like frame look. The Quinny Moodd can be assembled in less than a minute with no pinched fingers and actually glides beautifully across most surfaces with ease.
After testing on a multitude of terrains, any initial resistance from the front wheel of the Quinny was overpowered by the momentum of the back wheels once they met their new substrate.
This is a perfect Summer stroller. Its open sides mean that there will be no sweaty squishing into a seat, and Hero’s little arms can stretch every which way as he enjoys the breeze on our walks. He can see clearly both ways and when he’s tired of seeing me, I can reverse the chair and he can watch the world go by. It’s the quintessential stroller for trips to the seaside, walks in the countryside and weekend fun.
We’re absolutely delighted to have been converted and we would [and do] highly recommend this stroller to anyone with an under 3.
We loved the Quinny Moood as well! It was such a great design and really did look comfy, as there were never any protest to be seated in it I think the little ones agreed. Glad you've got an alternative to your baby sling, it always makes life more fun to have choices!
Oh I adore the colour! Great review, with some really informative points. I have always thought Quinny pushchairs were too bulky, but looks like I might have been wrong! Thanks for linking up with #TriedTested
i love this stroller! it is sooo pretty!!! i love baby wearing too though and having her close by!!
xo,
Sandy
Sandy a la Mode
The color is gorgeous and I actually really like this Quinny. I'm usually a baby wearer but this looks like something I would actually use. I like that baby could look at you.
That looks like a really heavy duty stroller. It also has a large compartment to stuff your things.
Your photos are gorgeous! I really miss using the stroller; my daughter prefers to walk now rather than sit in it.
That Quinny's design is very sleek! I really like it. Great review! I'll pass this along to a family friend who is currently in the market for a new stroller <3
One of my children I had to wear while the other was in a stroller most of the time. That stroller sounds pretty awesome.
First of all, I loved reading the wording in this post (i could totally hear your accent shine through) with the useage of pram's and your kids names are ADORABLE.
I bet it's hard picking out a baby carriage. I wouldn't know where to start! We're workin' on the baby process first though 🙂
That is an awesome stroller. I love the design of it. It seems modern.
That story looks SUPER cool! I really love looking at the strollers they come up with these days!
I am not a parent but this looks like a great pram! I will certainly try and keep it in mind for when I am! Great post.
The baby definitely looks adorable in this stroller. Great choice in a carriage.
My kids loved being able to see the world when they were in strollers! This looks like a great stroller!
I've heard about Quinny but ended up buying something else which I regret now. I love reading reviews, it really helps in making the right decision.
I never heard about Quinny but this is something I would love to invest if ever I have another child. The color you pick stands out and I love it.
That's a great looking stroller! It looks more like the one's I've seen in Germany and not as much in the U.S. I love the blue and black colors too 🙂
I'd love to be able to switch my stroller from rear to forward without any hassle. Ours isn't that fancy.
It looks like the baby can just flip out of there, but reading the review, it seems pretty sturdy! I have never heard of the Quinny!
That is one fancy stroller. I have to admit I never liked umbrella strollers but they were easy to assemble. Love the color.
That stroller looks amazing! I love the features and man have strollers have come a long way.