Quinny Zapp Xtra Stroller (Rocking Black)

The Quinny Zapp Xtra came into my life in September this year, shortly after the birth of my second baby and this was the first Quinny that I had ever had the pleasure of owning so I was on a complete blank canvas with my thoughts of it.

Assembly

This was so easy to assemble that we didn't even need to take the instructions out of the box, it was that self-explanatory and to challenge ourselves that little bit further, I asked my 9 year old stepson to assemble it for me. He did it very quickly and you can view how he got on here.

Manoeuvrability

The Quinny Zapp Xtra is a three wheeler which is very light on the steering and has a great turning curve thanks to the lockable, front double wheel spinning through 360 degrees, perfect for getting in and out of cramped lifts. In shopping centres and on smooth surfaces the pushchair is a super smooth ride but on cobbles and paving stones the wheels can sound a little rattily. The brake is operated by pressing the button on the right wheel and released by pressing the button on the left wheel with your foot. Suspension on all wheels ensures a comfortable ride.

Safety

A 5 point safety harness gives you peace of mind that your little one is securely seated in the pushchair and the padded shoulder straps add to the comfort for the occupant.

Versatility

It has three forward facing recline positions and 2 rearward facing recline positions, you can change position with just one hand which is something I really like. The foot rest has two positions also. If you have the seat in the reclined position for a baby then you just push the footrest upwards to make a flat "platform" on which to rest their legs. If you have your child in the upright seated position then you push the footrest inwards to make space for their feet.

Features

My favourite feature is the hood, it pulls forward far enough to shade baby from bright lights and rain but should you be out on a super sunny day then there is a further flap which can be pulled down to extend the hood further. I also like the window around the edge of the hood which enables you to peek at your little one without having to peer around the side of the hood.
It is front and rear facing which I love. Its so nice to be able to have the choice as this isn't a common feature on many pushchairs.
Adaptors are included to enable you to attach a Maxi-Cosi infant Car seat.
Shopping basket underneath - though you won't get lots in it.
Chassis folds into a small rectangular shape which can be carried with one hand and will fit into any boot with great ease. The one piece seat will store easily alongside or on top.
Specifications

Zapp Xtra unfolded: 89x42x25cm
Zapp Xtra folded: 81x59x102cm
Zapp Xtra's weight: 8.7kg

Downside

I keep hitting my shins on the seat frame when in parent facing reclined position. I only do it a couple of times when I start walking before I correct my walk and then I'm fine but it hurts when you first do it!
You can't hang your changing bag on the handles and because of the design of the chassis there isn't much room to store it underneath either.

As you may know the Zapp Xtra was designed with feedback from Quinny Zapp users. Modifications include a forward or rear facing seat which also reclines and is suitable from birth. The Zapp Xtra is sold with car seat adapters for all Maxi-Cosi infant seats, a hood and rain cover and the (optional) Zapp basket.

My son loves the Quinny Zapp Xtra and finds it very comfortable and sleeps soundly in it. We always have the seat rear-facing but I like the option of having it forward-facing when he's older. Over the colder months we have found the foot muff an essential extra although it is pricey.

It's great for daily use although it's ability to carry much shopping is limited. Due to its lightweight nature you can't hang shopping from the handlebars and the shopping bag can only carry a maximum of 5kg. However it's a great stroller for use around town and on public transport. It comes in two parts and the chassis folds down well and is compact to fit in your car boot!

I used to own a quinny zapp and absolutely loved it for it size and manoverability, however it was disapointing that it did not recline but as my son was a toddler and did not sleep in the buggy much that was ok. Number 2 came along and I knew an infant could not go in a buggy that didn't recline so I upgraded to the zapp extra. Good buggy but loses much of the convenience of the zapp in terms of size and I bought it with travel in mind and the 2 pieces are really inconvenient.

My biggest bug bear is quinny aftercare, one of the brackets simply fell off the buggy when it was being carried folded (something that should not happen!) and was lost. On contacting Quinny it will cost me £25 plus postage (so all in nearly £30) to replace the bracket. Given to buy a whole xtra seat costs about £100 this to me seems to be taking the mick. They have made their profit out of me 2 times over and I now feel let down and like the company does not care.

So good buggy when up, easy to push etc, still takes up a lot of boot space and inconvenient in 2 pieces and just hope nothing goes wrong or it will cost you to fix!