Britax are a household name and one of the world's leading manufacturers of travel solutions for
children, from the likes of car seats, baby carriers, prams and travel systems.
When the time came to purchase Leo's new car seat
at 9 months old, I was adamant that it would be a Britax. Britax and
their reputation of producing safe, quality car seats proceeded them and there
was no question in what make I would be purchasing.
Britax are always
looking to create and improve their ranges and even look to parents such as
myself for honest feedback in order to develop for the future. They
have a team of parents who independently
test Britax products and share their feedback through reviews. These parents
are known as Britax Mumbassadors, and I am very pleased and excited to share
that Leo and I have been invited into the fold!
I am really pleased to be working so closely with Britax as they are a brand that I have personally used long before this exciting opportunity. Over the coming months I will be sharing upcoming news from Britax and bringing you exclusive reviews of their latest and greatest products!
Leo and I have had a team chat and we are ready to take on our new role by storm!
I hope you enjoy coming along for the ride and learning a little more about Britax and what they stand for.
I have to admit when it comes to pushchairs, I have a weakness.
An infalliable lust that keeps me wanting to see what each and every one of them can do, where they can go and the different adventures that can be shaped.
This light weight stroller is one of a kind on the design front, I have never seen a stroller like it.
Why is it so different?
Well! it is an umbrella fold combined with a reversible seat allowing this stroller to be parent facing or outward facing! The beauty of it is that unlike other strollers that boast parent facing (my favourite feature in a pushchair) you can alter the position of the seat unit without removing it from the chassis.
I have always loved having Leo face me while we are out and about, over recent months he has been facing out into the wonderous wide world but when the Bubble arirved I could not resist taking Leo out in the parent facing mode. We walked around Tesco grabbing the essentials having a lovely little chit chat and Leo used the words that he knew to chatter back to me, very content facing me all the while.
The seat positioning is operated by a handle at the top of the unit and you will find that it is the same handle that reclines and inclines the seat. In both parent and rear facing positions you can lie the seat flat, so that when the little rugrats fall asleep you can cosy them up and give them their full sleep out.
Assemblying the Bubble
In the box:
- Instruction Manual
- Chassis
- Wheels
- Head hugger
- Rain Cover
Putting the Bubble together is simple as all you need to do is attach the front wheels by popping them into place and attach the hood.
At first I found the hood a little fiddly but once I got it lined up with the runners correctly I realised how easy it really was. With all four wheels now in place and the hood attached, that completes the assembly process for the Njoy Bubble.
Simplicity at it’s best.
With the Bubble now completed in front of me I looked it up and down forming my initial impressions.
So what did I think?
The ice white of the aluminium frame looks great against the black material of the hood and side panels, and the electric purple seat unit adds a welcome splash of colour to the stroller. At first I wasn’t too sure if I had fitted the hood correctly as it felt a little wobbly, but as the hood is made entirely out of Nylon fabric and moves with the positioning of the seat it does need the leeway. I have found that due to this the hood does not feel as supported and sturdy as on other strollers I have tried but it is a generous size offering shelter from the elements.
The seat unit offers the passenger lots of room to stretch out and enjoy the ride, and with the included head hugger it is possible to use this stroller from newborn. What I especially liked about the seat was that you can sit it upright with the incline, with some strollers I have found that leo can never sit completely upright as the incline doesn’t go that far forward. Leo likes to sit up and see everything as we go around, and we often have a struggle if I dare recline him before he falls asleep! So for us this is fantastic, and I know if Leo could he would give it a big thumbs up!
When out and about with Leo I do still tend to have a changing bag with me, especially if I am out for a rather long day, if I have Leo in parent facing mode then there is not really anywhere that I can hang my changing bag, and I do worry that if I do hang anything off the handles that I risk tipping the stroller as it is very light. There is a shopping basket based underneath the Bubble but due to the seat design it is rather fiddly to get to. Petite Star have compensated by adding a zip on either side of the basket so that you can have better access but the space available is still rather tight and realistictally you probably wont get anything in there other than the raincover.
Now I have already mentioned that this is a light weight stroller, but I don’t feel that this gives it the justice that the Bubble deserves. The entire stroller is incredibly light, even with my 18 month old in the seat, it is effortless to push and goes up curbs like a dream. As babies grow into bigger babies, and then into little people it gets harder to cruise them around with their weight becoming more apparent they often weigh down the stroller… So the Bubble is a great choice for those of us who have older babies who still need a pushchair.
Leo is far off being able to walk for the duration we are out and we do still need a stroller. This pushchair is light enough for me to push one handed, so while I have Leo on the reignes I can still keep up with him and control where the pushchair goes! And when Leo’s little legs get too tired, he can go straight back into the Bubble for a rest.
Over the last 15 months I have had the pleasure of trying various different strollers, and one thing I find very important is the ease of putting it up and down. After all this is something that you will be doing on a very regular basis and you don’t want to be faffing with fiddly elements. So I am pleased to report that this umbrella fold stroller is very simple to put up and down. It is very similar to other umbrella fold pushchairs that I have used and simply has a push up button in the middle of the back frame, and a push down switch on the right hand side. Then by pushing the stroller forward it collapses and automatically locks with the clasp on the side.
You can fold the stroller in both seat positions and don’t have to fiddle around to alter the seat before collapsing it, and the collapsed stroller is the perfect size to fit easily in the boot of my 206!
Putting the stroller back up is just as simple, by firstly releasing the clasp and pushing down on the middle pedal at the back of the stroller to re-tension the frame.
It really is that simple!
When I first touched the EVA foam wheels I will admit that I wasn’t to sure of them, you could maybe even say I didn’t like them. However after giving this stroller a real test run I have been forced to change my mind. The wheels run smoothly providing you with great control!
The raincover fits the pushchair securely in either parent facing mode or outward facing. When the raincover is on it gives Leo plenty of room to manuever and stays out of his way. I have been storing the raincover in the basket so that it is always there if we suddenly need it, which with the British weather is always a possibilty!
Over all I think this is a fab little stroller with big capability. I know a lot of parents want the oppurtunity to be face to face with their baby while out and about so this feature is a big attraction.
Petite Star really have done themselves proud with this nifty little number, by providing a stroller that can be used in both parent facing and outward facing positions without the need to remove the seat from the chassis and it is bound to be a big success!
With the added head hugger you can use this stroller from birth and realistically you will only need one pushchair. For £199.00 RRP this is a very attractive price for a pushchair that has the potential to carry your little one through to a time when you no longer need a pushchair.
Disclaimer:I was sent the Petite Star Njoy Bubble for the purpose of this review, however all opinions expressed are completely honest and my own.
WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT Thank you all for taking part in this giveaway, but in the end there can only be one winner. On this occasion the winner of the Cosatto Yo! Pear Drop Stroller is.... Heather! Heather has been notified by email with the good news just in case she does not see it here first! Congratulations!
Last week I told you all about how fantastic, Leo and I found the new Cosatto Yo! Pear Drop.
This week?
Well I am giving you the chance to win one for yourself!
That's right!
One very lucky reader is going to be the very proud owner of the Pear Drop. So if you missed my glowing review of this very fruity stroller, make sure you have a read after you enter this fantastic giveaway!
What's in the winners box!?
The winner of this giveaway will be very impressed with all of the goodies that come as standard with this little number!
In the box you will find:
- Footmuff.
- Raincover.
- Shopping basket.
- Detachable hood.
- Chest pads.
- Head hugger.
- Aluminium chassis.
So by now I am sure you are just itching to enter and get your hands on the Pear Drop Yo! So without further adieu...
How you can enter...
Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. If you have not yet signed in to the new Rafflecopter forms, use either your Facebook account or your name/email address to sign in (you don’t need a Rafflecopter account, and you don’t HAVE to log in using Facebook–you can simply use your name/email address). Then click “Do It” and complete the mandatory entry. Then, if you want to, submit any or all of the extra entries. The more entries you submit, the better odds you have of winning!
To enter the competition you can do all of the below entry methods or just pick a few!
- Like Cosatto on Facebook
- Follow @Cosatto_Tweets on Twitter
- Follow my blog Via Google Friend Connect (Right hand Tab)
- Leave a blog post comment below, telling me what you love most about the fruity Pear Drop!
- Follow Lovelyleosmummy on Twitter
- Like The Life and Times of The Working Mum on Facebook
- Tweet about the giveaway "I want to win a fruity @Cosatto_Tweets Yo! Pear Drop with @lovelyleosmummy at www.thelifeandtimesoftheworkingmum.com'
You can enter each day while the competition is running to boost your chance of winning!
The competition closes on Thursday 16th August 2012.
Good luck all!
Restrictions: Please only enter if you are a resident of the United Kingdom. The winner will be picked at random and notified via email. If we do not hear back from you within 24 hours another winner will be picked at random. <a href="http://www.theprizefinder.com" title="ThePrizeFinder.com - home of competitions and prize winning" target="_blank">ThePrizeFinder - UK Competitions</a>
With my return to work appearing on the not so distant horizon, the thought into Leo's transportation comes into question while he is under the watchful eye of his Grandma. Of course we have my Quinny Zapp Xtra, but with Granny's arthritis she finds it a very painful experience putting it up and down.
This put us back into the big and exciting world of buying a stroller. The world where there is so much choice and variety. Of course as you know this is a task I highly enjoy and I seem to get a bigger buzz each time I make that all important purchase. It is like buying a shiny new car, that you just cannot wait to take out for a test drive.
Granny and I searched high and low for the perfect stroller for the task at hand. We needed one that is easy to put up and down, to make sure Granny's arthritis is not stirred, it must be purchased on a budget, that wont shake to many branches on the money tree. Of course I am pretty set in my ways, I like the luxury of having a attractive pushchair, that Leo enjoys riding in as much as I love pushing around.
After searching all over the place, and scouring the Internet for reviews, we came across the Cosatto Yipi. It seemed to tick every box we had thrown in it's way:
- Good reviews
- Easy to put up and down
- Attractive design
- Good price
The Cosatto Yipi retails at around £199.00 but at the time of purchase we managed to find it half price, making it a even more attractive deal.
The Yipi has a sporty design in a lovely Red. The stroller comes with front and rear suspension which is pretty essential as our family our big walkers. We like to break the mould and take the pushchair on pretty much all terrains. The frame is very Sturdy and lightweight, and it even has self-aligning front swivel wheels.
What is in the box?
In the box you are provided a very generous amount of items, more often than not you do have to purchase extras such as the coseytoes at additional cost to yourself. Cosatto however have really covered their base on this front, and this is what you will receive inside your box:
Footmuff.
Rain cover.
Shopping basket.
Bumper bar.
Detachable hood.
Chest pads.
Head hugger.
Changing bag.
Steel chassis.
For a pushchair on a budget, all the extras that they include such as the coseytoes and changing bag make this an ideal second pushchair that you could happily keep at Grandma's without breaking the bank.
The Cosatto Yipi Features
- 5 point harness.
- 4 wheeler.
- Swivel and lock wheels - front wheels only.
- Handle height 104cm.
- Dual wheel suspension.
- Linked brakes.
- Adjustable leg rest.
The Yipi is suitable from birth due to the multi recline positions and head hugger. It can be used for the child right up to 15kg, approximately 4 years old. The recline adjustment is very simple to use and can be done with just one hand while on the move. So when baby falls asleep it is just a case of adjusting the strap to loosen the back of the seat.
The Yipi is first and for most a forward facing seat with no option of parent facing. For me parent facing is a important feature and something I always look for when buying a pushchair. In this case, as Leo is now growing up it is not as important as it was in the early days. Leo has so far loved being able to look out into the hustle and bustle of the world around him.
I found the Yipi very easy to push around, light and breezy in fact. I had no trouble pushing it around One handed, which is actually a very important feature when you receive that all important phone call while on your travels, or wanting to send that sneaky text while baby is happily bobbing along in the stroller.
The biggest flaw for me was actually the shopping basket, being a little bit of a crazed woman when it comes to hitting the high street, I like to know I have a decent sized shopping basket with easy access. Cosatto have taken care of the size of the basket at hand with no worries at all, access on the other hand is not that great. The access points are not wide enough in my opinion to get things in and out. This did dampen my shopping spirit when I realised I would be forced to carry my goodies around...
My Views: Yipi Pros:
- It is a light weight stroller to get from A to B.
- Portable.
- Easy to put up and down (Accomplished by Granny with her Arthritis).
- Compact.
- Convenient for Granny's every day needs.
- A very sturdy design.
- Attractive design and colour.
- Fits in the smallest boot.
- Great range of accessories.
Yipi Con's
- It has proven tricky to access the shopping trolley, as the gaps to reach in and out are not very substantial.
- It does not have a very large seat, so as the child get's older it may not be as comfortable as it would be for a smaller child.
What do we think?
The Yipi is not a stroller I would have chosen myself for Leo, but each individual has their own unique needs. This is a stroller that will be used by Granny for Leo due to her arthritus. It does exactly what she needs it too and has a great specification. Leo travels very comfortably in it and that is the most important thing.
It is priced very reasonably and I am very impressed with everything that comes in the box, from the raincover to the coseytoes. I feel that the Yipi is great value for money. It is a very generous amount they provide you with and the changing bag is a lovely touch, as now Granny has her very own bag for Leo.
I think this is a great addition if you are in the market for a second pushchair maybe for Granny's house or even to take abroad with you on holiday.
When the time came to purchase Leo's new car seat
at 9 months old, I was adamant that it would be a Britax. Britax and
their reputation of producing safe, quality car seats proceeded them and there
was no question in what make I would be purchasing.
