A compact buggy that is going places
There is no doubting that when it comes to buggies and prams, we have more choice now than we ever had. Off-roaders, slim-fit, three-in-one transformers, you name it. But how about one that folds down to nothing – virtually? Well, it can slip into the overhead locker in a plane, that’s how small it is. Meet the YOYO buggy.
It hit the market last year, offering a sleek compact design, perfect for parents on the go, and promising to pop up and down with just one hand (while you hold baby in the other you see). Now there is a new version out, the YOYO 0+, that can be used from birth. On paper, it looks fantastic, but does it live up to the hype? I was sent one to find out.
The buggy arrives like a flat-pack piece of furniture, carefully stored away in several boxed sections accompanied by picture instructions on how to assemble. It is easy enough – everything slots easily into place, although a twisting part that was facing down and not up had us scratching our heads for quite some time and made what would otherwise have been a swift and simple task fairly stressful. To be fair, I think that was more our fault than the design. We found the part that makes up the back of the buggy which fits into a pocket of the liner was a really tight squeeze.
The end result is an extremely smart-looking and lightweight buggy that turns on a sixpence and, after several practice tries, really does open up and close down with one hand. It has a very useful strap so you can sling it over your shoulder and its compact size meant it disappeared inside my car’s boot leaving plenty of room for shopping and changing bags etc. To give you an idea, it measures 52 x 44 x 18 cm when folded and weighs 6kg.
The detachable footmuff and liner (all fabrics are removable for easy washing) made it very comfortable for my little one although I found the buckle on the five-point harness was in a rather strange position right between her legs – she didn’t seem to mind. The raincover was very easy to attach and detach and when pushed around the streets I found the handling stable and easy, even going up and down curbs. The marketing bumph boasts its “soft-drive” system that means there is no need to lock the front swivel wheel, even on rough terrain. There is a small amount of storage underneath which is useful but it is not huge, as you would expect from a product that sells itself on being small and compact. The seat lies back which is a real plus point if you want to give son or daughter a sleep while on the move.
It comes with a smart rear-facing newborn nest plus pop-up canopy that can be adjusted to three positions. There is a soft fleecy head support to make it cosier. Then when your little one grows, simply remove the nest and add the 6+ pack (the seat base and hood) and you have an outward-facing stroller.
There are five colours to choose from – pink, blue, grey, black and red (we had the latter – I loved it). The YOYO 0+ with newborn nest costs £375. To convert it into the YOYO 6+ by adding a seat base and 6+ colour pack costs £70.
If space is at a premium, or you are lucky enough to be a jet-setting parent, I would highly recommend the YOYO buggy. Check www.babyzen.com for nearest stockist.