Pushchair reviews, pram reviews and buggy reviews
£820.00
Claire Hughes 'Living With' the iCandy Peach Jogger
The Hughes/Gunn Family consists of Mummy Claire who is a snap happy, roast dinner loving sock collector. Daddy who is a snow loving, DIY master (so he thinks). Hannah aged 3 who loves jumping in muddy puddles, baking lovely treats and painting herself, and baby Faye nearly 8 months, a milk gobbling, water lover who is in danger of growing fins. Daddy works away from home and as Claire can’t drive she walks A LOT. Claire is competing in her first ever 10K race in May and is looking forward to using Peach Jogger during some upcoming training sessions.
Living With Review
Jump to a Month: April 2012 | May 2012 | June 2012 | June Summary
August 2012 | September 2012 | October 2012 | November 2012 | December 2012 | January 2013 | February 2013 | March 2013 | Final Summary 2013 |
April the 6th 2012.As Faye naps in her pushchair, the first and most important test we had for the Peach Jogger was a comfort test. It passed with flying colours.
April the 9th 2012.
Yesterday while playing with the peach jogger I unzipped the hood. I found it a little fiddly to zip it back together but I got there in the end.
April the 12th 2012.
Size/Fit - I decided at the weekend that it would be a nice idea to take a photo once a month to document how much room for growth is left in the jogger. Photos taken on the 9th of April - Faye aged 9 Months old.
April the 12th 2012.
The rain eased enough today for me to risk taking the jogger out on it's first outside excursion, I probably shouldn't have because a mile and a half from home It started to bucket down with rain and I had to take shelter in a friends camper van, I was amazed by how easily I managed to lift the jogger, containing a sleeping Faye in to, and out of, the back of the van.
April the 15th 2012.
We have had a lot of rain lately and even paths that you can normally rely on to be solid have been turned in to muddy bogs. Our last trip out saw me clinging to our Peach Jogger for dear life as my feet slipped and slided below me. The jogger struggled at times with the mud when I was pushing it forward but was fantastic when I pulled it backwards. The mud was so deep at one point that I had visions of me walking home resembling a mud wresteller, thankfully I make it back unscathed, but with very dirty shoes.
April the 21st 2012.
On Tuesday nursery resumed following the Easter break, as it was raining I was forced to my dismay to take my back-up pushchair (a Maclaren Techno XLR) On the gravel drive that leads up to the nursery entrance it really struggled, later in the week when I managed to take the Peach Jogger instead I noticed how easy it was to push in comparison.
April the 26th 2012.
I have been noticing that from stationary the front wheel of the jogger really grips the pavement and trying to turn it is much more difficult than when you are already on the move. This has been annoying me somewhat as I start to walk but the jogger doesn't move, or doesn't go where I want it to.
April the 27th 2012.
We ran out of a few essentials and had to quickly run to the shop, we bought bread, a four pack of toilet roll, some cheese and a bar of galaxy. We already had a magnetic sketch pad, a pair of tiny shoes and a minky nappy in the basket which happily accommodated our shopping as well. The picture doesn't show it quite so well but we could of easily fitted in the 4 litres of milk and carton of apple juice that I forgot to buy.
April the 29th 2012.
The weather seems to be brightening up at last so we took the jogger for a nice walk down to the river. Although it coped well on the grass I find the steering quite heavy at times even on flat pavements. Although it is possibly to push the jogger with just one hand I do not find it possible to steer it single handed.
In the boot of my Mums 2004 Toyota Avensis there is still LOADS of space for all of my recycling and my shopping :) Happy Days.
May the 5th 2012.
May the 17th 2012
I had some returns for the post office today. Unfortunately one of them was a box and as the basket of the jogger is fairly narrow it would not fit underneath, and in the end I was forced to balance it on top. This is the first time I have needed to transport something of this size since having the jogger and it made me miss my Mothercare Xtremme a little.
In the boot of a Citreon C4
May the 25th 2012
In a bit of an unexpected change from our plans for this year, we were given the rather last minute opportunity to go to Australia courtesy of Daddy's work. Hooray... although before you get TOO jealous, it is Winter in Oz at the moment. After a bit of umming and ahhing, and some gentle persuasion from my sister who has been living down under for the past four years, I decided to pack some bags and off we set. (Okay it wasn't quite that simple)
I was determined to take the Peach Jogger with us on our great adventure and so I bought the iCandy Peach travel bag however upon arrival I really struggled to pack the Jogger in to it, and could not manage to zip it closed. Unable to find a guide online I was forced to send it back and instead purchased a larger pushchair travel bag, this bag was far from ideal but with a bit of help from the girls I was able to get it closed. At Heathrow I was able to take the buggy right up to the boarding gate and pack it in to the bag there. I also managed to fit in Fayes Rain Cover, Cosy Toes and Blanket. If I had a parasol then I'm pretty sure I could of squeezed that in too. The extra space was definitely handy as we simply would not of been able to fit anything else in to our hold luggage, however I preferred the look of the iCandy bag and the fact that it had wheels.
June the 11th 2012 (Australia!)
On Saturday we went to the beach. The jogger coped reasonably well on the compact sand but we found it easier to pull it backwards on the softer sand at the top of the beach.
June the 14th 2012
We are now gently settling in to life in Australia, it is a lot like Scotland - We have already had storms and flooding so we feel right at home. The Jogger is loving the beaches and forest tracks, but more of that to come in our next update.
June the 17th 2012
Another trip to the beach and something that I had been really taking for granted with the Peach Jogger suddenly dawned on me - the hood, combined with having the chair tilted upright makes for fantastic shade cover from the sun.
My Uncle asked me last month, "Is that an all terrain pushchair?" to which I replied without really thinking "It's a city pushchair made to look like an all terrain." I wasn't really sure why I said that, and it was out of my mouth before I even thought, which has since made me wonder if that is my true belief. So I think this update is more about me trying to figure things out in my own head.
Firstly. I love the Peach Jogger. There is no getting away from it. It is without question the most stylish pushchair I have ever owned. It has received numerous compliments from strangers when I have been out and about. I love the way it looks. I love the colour, the feel of the fabric, the forward/rearward facing options. I love that it is a 2 piece and so you can fit in in spaces you might not otherwise. I love that it can get more places than some other pushchairs that I have owned. I love that Faye loves it and is happy and comfortable.
However, it can't cope with everything that I would like it to. Maybe I am asking for too much. I've been trying to work out what is on the market that I would "prefer" and I have come to the conclusion that it is all about compromise. My "ideal/dream pushchair" it would seem is still in the planning stages of someones mind. It would be something like this - As sleek and stylish as the Peach Jogger, it would have a basket to rival Mary Poppins bag. It would still have the same soft to touch, light coloured fabric but it would be easier to clean (in fact, self cleaning in this fantasy of mine). Whilst it would still be a 2 piece fold, there would be a way of putting it in the boot when it has dirty wheels that doesn't end up making the seat unit dirty also. It would go EVERYWHERE, it would have amazing suspension and the raincover wouldn't drip water on to the contents of the basket.
I have seen some more "practical" pushchairs that tick some of the boxes that the Peach Jogger doesn't, unfortunately they miss out a bunch of the boxes that it does tick. I think as an all rounder the Peach Jogger is fantastic. If you want a pushchair for serious or daily off the beaten track use, then you will probably find something that is better suited, but if you need something for occasional off road/field/beach adventures with some shopping/girly coffee and cake dates and some summer weddings then the Peach Jogger is a real winner.
July the 4th 2012
This was in Fort William in May. We went camping for a couple of days and while some of the rest of our party climbed Ben Nevis, we took the Peach Jogger in the Gondala up Aonach Mor, the eighth highest mountain in Britain. In situations like this the extendable handle is fab. I'm always surprised were the Peach Jogger will fit when the handle isn't extended. The jogger was also fantastic for nipping around on the rough ground at the campsite, and when we popped in to town it became the talk of FatFace after being "buggy spotted" by a MALE member of staff!
July the 17th 2012
Anytime I say something negative about the Jogger it surprises me and leaves me wondering why. I'm beginning to wonder if my expectations are too high.
The problem with using a good pushchair over an extended period is that you forget how poorly a bad pushchair performs. I am trying to make a video this week. I would love to take part in a group test of say... A Phil & Teds Navigator, A TFK twist, a Jane Slalom R, alongside the Peach Jogger because at times I think I may be mistakenly convincing myself that some of these may perform better than the jogger - when realistically the truth is probably that I am trying to take the jogger places that no pushchair could cope with in the way that I hope.
July the 21st 2012
Hopefully the video demonstrates the type of terrain that the Peach Jogger will cover, and the level of ease - keeping in mind, that a lot of it is one handed pushing while I attempt to film at the same time.
We had some issues on the beach in some parts, yet on other parts it handled the sand without an issue. I think our biggest problem - and this would be with any pushchair is that I want to go EVERYWHERE and I hate being restricted but in all honesty I'm not sure if any other pushchair would handle the terrain I have in mind any better than the Jogger does.
September the 10th 2012
While I love how snuggly the raincover fits, it is becoming slightly infuriating at times that because the seat unit is so small neither it or the raincover offer any protection to the basket. I also desperately wish that there was a pocket under the seat unit that I could slip the raincover in whilst it is not in use so that I can utilise the basket. On a number of occasions we have been caught in the rain because I haven't had the cover with me and I feel that this would prevent such situations.
September the 12th 2012
A trip out to the bush for a BBQ wasn't an issue with the Jogger, making me very thankful that we had taken it rather than a stroller.
September the 27th 2012Faye is 15 months now and even though she is a lot smaller than her sister was at this age I am really beginning to notice how mush she fills up the seat unit.
In a couple more weeks I will of had the Peach Jogger for 6 months so I feel that now is a good time to asses it's condition. The jogger is a functioning piece of equipment and I treat it as such, although as it is not mine I probably am a bit more careful with it than I would be if it where my own. If you look at the pictures you will see that there is some damage to the handle - I did this whilst leaving my parents house, the front wheel slipped away and the handle (luckily) caught on to a small ledge, it damaged the handle but prevented the pushchair from tipping completely. The scratches across the metal on the underside of the seat unit have mainly been caused by taxi drivers taking the seat unit out of the boot and putting it straight down onto the pavement, rather than leaving it in the boot until the chassis is up and placing it directly in.
I
have had pushchairs for much longer than this which remain in better
condition. Saying that, even though the jogger is loosing it's shine, I
do still love it. Daddy on the other hand is not a fan of the two piece
fold and whilst I am quite happy with it, I am forced to agree with him
that with previous one fold pushchairs we have owned, the chassis has
offered protection to the seat unit whilst in it's folded down state.
As
the weather is worsening, it is becoming more apparent to me that the
jogger is more of a fair weather pushchair. It can be tippy at times and
it really struggles in strong winds which is a huge disappointment. I
am being forced to use one of my other pushchairs which has a lower
center of gravity. I have found that the colour has suited me well
through the seasons and I see this continuing through to winter too, I
find that quite a lot of dirt blends in even with the fabric being a relatively light colour.
October the 24th 2012
We are currently planning our next trip away and having already taken the Jogger to the other side of the world and back I have no hesitations about taking it on our next trip. On our last adventure we flew with budget Airlines (EasyJet and FLyBe) as well as British Airways, Qantus and Qatar. Having a two piece fold system wasn't a problem for any of them and we were able to take the pushchair right up to the gate with each airline and then pack it in to the bag.
October the 26th 2012
Today we were hit with hail storms so I have had to fish out my cosy toes, they aren't the iCandy ones but they seem to fit fine with the straps and holes all being in the correct places.
Faye is still crazy about resting her leg up like this, and happily sleeps this way.
November the 4th 2012
Last night we wrapped up warm and went out to see a fireworks display.
It's not often that we are out and about after dark but with winter
coming and the days getting so much shorter it is something that we are
going to have to get used to. I found that the Peach Jogger faded in to
the night quite a bit and I was just thankful that I have a silver frame
rather than a black one. I think I may have a look for some sort of
reflectors for it.
November the 12th 2012
Faye is a real copycat at the moment and if the handle of the jogger is at it's lowest she can just reach to push it herself, which makes her very happy.
I can see her filling it with dolls and teddies in the near future.
November the 26th 2012
I wonder if maybe I kept Faye parent facing for too long (around 14
months) as when she is in her buggy she tries to wriggle round to see
me. Sometimes I feel it would be nice to have a little parent/baby
viewing window.
Between the weather being too windy to safely walk around outside for
fear of blowing away, and the girls being ill for the past few weeks, we
haven't ventured out much. As Faye is asserting her independence more
and likes to walk when she is allowed I thought that a ToddlerTug might
come in useful as without it I would be unable to push the buggy and
hold both of their hands. Today we went to choose our Christmas tree,
and Hannah gave it a whirl. I like how the Jogger has a very long,
unbroken handle as this means that the ToddleTug can slide up and down
it without restriction and if I want it to change sides I do not have to
remove it either. At it's lowest point it is a very good height for
Faye and Hannah happily slid it around depending on where she wished to
walk.
Over Christmas I was forced to leave the Peach Jogger at a friends house
and borrow a double to push both of the girls home in - A task and a
half to say the least. Following that I reverted back to using a 4 wheel
single for a few days until I picked the jogger back up. I found it a
lot harder to push but it felt so much more stable when mounting the
kerbs. I know the two are not directly comparable, so I have been
considering taking my old 3 wheeler down from the loft when Daddy is
next home and seeing how it faces off against the jogger.
January the 20th 2013
Had the jogger out in some light snow recently and it is handling it well. Looking forward to taking it out in some deeper stuff tomorrow.
January the 24th 2013
In this light snow the joggers performance was no different to it's normal performance on tarmac.However, I found myself pleasantly surprised by the Joggers performance in the
snow as it got heavier. I felt that copes with snow so much better than it does with sand,
even when it started to get a bit deeper towards the end of the week,
taking it off road in the snow wasn't an issue at all, leaving me
feeling pretty smug as we enjoyed a day out with Faye wrapped up nice
and warm.
I have just seen the new colours that the Peach Jogger is going to be released in. LOVE. Love love love. Just when I thought it couldn't look any nicer.
February the 25th 2013
On a Scotrail train the iCandy is too wide to be pushed through the corridor past the toilets, however it tucks nicely in between 2 seats so you do not need to hope for space on the luggage rack for it. My Maclaren always poked out that little bit too far and the refreshment trolley couldn't get past so although it may not seem like a travel pushchair the two piece fold comes in really useful in situations like this.
In order to recline the seat unit I have always had to use my knee to push the seat up slightly in order to fully release the catches with my hands at the same time. As Faye is getting heavier this is getting harder and I am being forced to remove her from the seat in order to recline it, not very handy when she falls asleep sitting up.
March the 21st 2013
I had been finding the jogger a bit difficult to push for a few weeks. Thinking it was simply that Faye had put on weight I just got on with it... However on Daddy's return from work he promptly informed me that the tyres where flat. They have now been pumped up for the first time since we have had it, and it is once again much nicer to push.
March the 29th 2013
We just had a week in Poland and took the jogger with us on the flight, as the wheels hadn't been removed for 6 months we had a bit of bother getting them off at the airport, they seem ok again now that they have been on and off a couple more times.
On our recent trip to Krakow the jogger was a god send on the cobbled streets, and received quite a few stares and comments in Polish that I am completely unable to translate.
April the 18th 2013
Last week we took the Jogger to Spain where we rented a car...
Unfortunately we hadn't thought this through and when we arrived we
realised that we couldn't fit the jogger and our cases in the boot, had
we taken a stroller this would not of been an issue, however later in
the holiday when we where exploring I was grateful that we had the
Jogger with us.
It is hard to believe
that a year has passed already. I can still remember how excited I was the day
that the Jogger arrived. Since then it has come to the top of a mountain,
travelled to Australia, Poland and Spain, endured tests of sand, snow and boggy
fields. It has taken my little girl up woodland paths, around city streets,
over cobbles, in shopping centres, on a boat, trains and buses. Together we
have had a lot of adventures. Sometimes I have wanted to change things about
it, at other times I have wanted those exact same things to remain the same.
I have enjoyed the
various compliments that it has received. I have adored having a forward and
parent facing option. It has been a breeze to travel with and it is easily one
of the best pushchairs I have owned. It looks very comfortable, and the choice
of colours that are available are fantastic, I love that these are updated
regularly. I would happily recommend the iCandy brand, and I would award the
Peach Jogger a 4 out of 5, let down mainly by the fold mechanism being in the
centre of the handle – making it uncomfortable to hold it there to push one
handed, the fact that there is not a place to keep the rain cover – I still
think a little zippable compartment under the seat (a kind of false bottom)
would be a solution. The chassis scratches rather easily and the pushchair has
a habit of veering to the left if you are pushing it on even the slightest
gradient.
Pro’s
Reasonably compact for an all terrain pushchair making it convenient to travel with.
The fabrics come in a great choice of colours that look and feel great.
My baby looks very comfortable.
Parent facing option.
Con’s
It has a habit of veering to the left.
There is no storage for the raincover when it is not in use.
Chassis scratches easily.
