Joovy Caboose Ultralight - Long term reviews

Pushchair Review

FIRST IMPRESSIONS...

Long Term Reviewer: Jo, Social Media Editor, Pushchair Expert

The first time I had ever heard about the Joovy was at the Baby Show for Trade back in October. I met up with our editor and she told me that she's arranged for me to have this as a long-term test. I was presented with a picture of it and to be honest, first impressions were not great. It was not sleek and it was not aspirational as far as looks go. But then I went to see the Joovy stand and meet my new long term test friend in the flesh. My heart didn't miss a beat and I was not excited UNTIL I looked more closely that is. I spoke with the very enthusiastic Joovy representatives and realised that they were passionate about this product and the new concept it brings to the market place. So......a week later, Joovy becomes a member of our family!

I unpacked the pushchair and took stock of my initial thoughts (noted them down for good measure!). Looks - a little trolley-like but love the red and black colour scheme (with two boys I have come to love red pushchairs for some reason). Seating material seems durable and wipeable. Finish on seating pretty good. Straps are wide and adjustable so first impressions here are good. On a negative side I thought that the footrest appeared a little flimsy - I'd be concerned that if I had a heavy toddler who tried to stand on it, that it might not withstand the weight -I could be wrong and of course it is not designed to be stood on, but try telling that to a toddler. I also found the reclining of the front seat a bit tricky to master - would it need practice or was the design a little poor I wondered - time will tell! All in all if I am completely honest, I was still not sold on the idea.

The best way to find out about a pushchair is, of course, to use it and this one was met with total glee by my two children (much, I have to say, to my amazement!). My 4 year old (just) loved his back seat - and the fact he could slide it easily to give access to the pretty large basket, and of course he had the novelty value of being able to choose whether to sit or stand. He must have changed positions at least a dozen times during our short walk to town. My, almost, 23 month old loved being sat at the front (we had a side-by-side a while ago, but haven't used a double for over 12 months as we started to use a single with a buggy board). He loved the fact that he had a tray and somewhere to put his drink - again a novelty for him! I was concerned that he was sat very upright, but that didn't seem to bother him at all (tried to recline him...but he's so nosey and that was a definite no-no that day!) Suddenly, the idea of the concept was over-taking my initial opinions, based largely on looks (shallow I know!). This was something new on the British market, something which I hadn't yet seen on my travels and something which suddenly occurred to me may well fit a gap in the market. My long-term road test was now getting more interesting!

 To summarize then, as with all pushchairs there are plus points and negative points. My initial impressions were as follows....

Plus Points - great compromise between a traditional tandem and a single with a buggy board. LOVED the buggy board with the side bars to keep child safe and as it's part of the pushchair it felt very stable even when going up kerbs. Of course novelty value has to up there with the plus points - if my children like it, then it makes my life far easier!

 Negative points - it's looks. I have to get over this I am sure -it doesn't shout out at me 'look at me and buy me'. It has been likened to a trolley on a number of occasions. I also think that the build is not great BUT at a rrp of £299 I think it is probably comparable to other tandems at this price point.

The future - I have the Joovy for a few months and I intend to use and use it. I have yet to test out the raincover - in all honesty it's in the boot of my car and although unpacked, it hasn't been used in a downpour. When I'm feeling brave I'll pop on my wellies and go for a good stomp in the rain. My next report will focus on handling. Just how well does this pushchair really work with two children in it?

If you have any questions, please email me [email protected] and I'll try and include them in my forthcoming reports.

OK - What do you think? Feel free to be honest of course, let us know on our Facebook page. I am presuming that we don't want lots of essays....and I've tried to leave a number of areas to cover in forthcoming reports!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MONTH 1 WITH THE JOOVY ULTRA CABOOSE

Long term reviewer: Jo, Social Media Editor, Pushchair Expert

Joovy has been used and used - not only by myself, but by a friend who also took a shine to it - it was a God-send when her older son was poorly and need a helping-hand when being dragged around the shops. He is too old for a pushchair really and was too lethargic to stand on a traditional buggy board..and his Mum just had to get out of the house as she was going stir crazy!!! So the Joovy was ideal - he loved the sliding seat and so could alternate between sitting and standing safely. Definitely got the thumbs up there!

Despite the miles the Joovy has rolled, the wheels still look like new (and this is a pushchair carrying a fair amount of weight!). In fact the whole thing still looks great. To be fair, my children are pretty gentle with pushchairs, but the material is very wipe-able...so once the summer comes I am pretty sure the ice-cream dribbles will come off easily.

My niggle is still the design and how it looks, and this is a niggle I just cannot ignore. I am looking forward to the imminent launch of the Joovy Ergo as it looks on paper 100 times prettier. As a tandem it's not the easiest pushchair to get up the kerb (but are any tandems with an every-growing toddler in the front of them?).

The Joovy is now going to be lent out to a local childminder, who I see at least once a week  and I know she will be very honest. I look forward to reporting her views to you all too as she really does put this pushchair through it's paces with numerous school and playgroup runs with children of various ages.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Long Term Reviewer: Louise Garrard from Boston, Lincolnshire

Louise Garrard is a single Mum of two from Boston. She volunteered to put the Joovy Caboose Ultralight through it's paces in Ireland on a five day trip with her young family. She reports back on her findings....

I used this stroller for a couple of weeks. It was fantastic. I have a large 4 year old and a 2 year old. We used the stroller for a trip to Ireland and so it had to withstand manhandling from staff on a budget airline! The stroller came out totally unscathed from the flights; the chassis is very sturdy even though it is lightweight. It folded down quickly and without fuss (ideal when negotiating security).

From the children's point of view, the front seat for my daughter was comfortable and padded; she enjoyed having a tray table (something she'd not had before). The seat reclined sufficiently if she wanted to nap.  My son found that riding standing up on this stroller was hilarious; he felt very secure and loved the sliding seat also. He is tall and the canopy just fitted over his head. The lap belt was a little snug, but on a child of average size it would fit fine. We walked A LOT during this trip so the stroller was invaluable. No incidents with my tired son not wanting to move any further due to exhaustion.

From a mummy's perspective it was easy to push, even with almost 6 stone in weight of kids on board. Getting up and down pavements was no bother at all, which surprised me. I expected it to be more cumbersome, particularly as I had never used a tandem buggy before. In addition, the basket was huge; enough space for stuff needed for a typical day out.

Since using this stroller I would like to buy one. I think it will be ideal for the school run (my son will begin school in September), especially at the end of the day. We also spend a lot of time at our caravan at the seaside; so long walks back along the seafront at night will be easier. It will store easily too as it folds flat. If I were to buy one, I would invest in the parent organiser too. It was really handy having somewhere to put keys, ‘phone and purse so I could put my handbag in the basket.

In conclusion, a brilliant stroller!  I must admit, I am a bit of a pushchair "snob" only having used an Emmaljunga before and it lived up to my high expectations.