Quinny Zapp Xtra Review

Company Description

Quinny is part of the Dorel group. Dorel is one of the largest juvenile products distributors in the world. Its products are well-recognized brands that have gained wide consumer acceptance for their high quality, safety and innovative designs that incorporate state-of-the-art features and up-to-date fashion.Quinny has established itself as a world leader in baby stroller design. It uses modern construction techniques combined with ingenious design to make stylish and practical baby strollers for demanding parents and babies. One of these is the Quinny Buzz Stroller.

Basics

This is a stylish and well designed stroller. Quinny have used the old Zapp frame for the Zapp Xtra but the seat is new. The seat is reversible and it will recline when facing forward or when facing back. The Zapp Xtra is a stroller designed for urban life and is fitted with four small wheels. This stroller can be used as a travel system when used with the appropriate car seat and this means that it can also be used with newborn babies. The seat can carry children weighing up to 50 lbs. It is easy to fold and can be folded with the seat still attached. It is available in four colors.

Pliko Switch Easy Drive Specification

Dimensions: OPEN 31″ x 23.5″ x 40.5″ High    FOLDED 35″ x 16″ x 10″ High
Weight: 19.5 lbs
Maximum Seat Load: 50 lbs

Easy Drive PROS

• Very compact fold
• Folds with seat attached
• Reversible seat
• Removable front wheels
• Large sun canopy
• Good brakes

Easy Drive CONS

• Folding process is tricky
• Handlebar is not adjustable
• The storage bag is very inaccessible

Included in Box

• Stroller frame
• Seat
• Underseat storage basket
• Sun canopy
• Car seat adapter for Maxi Cosi Mico and Maxi Cosi Prezi

Quinny Zapp Xtra Stroller Reviews and Features

Frame

Quinny have decided to use the old Zapp frame for the Xtra Stroller. It is constructed of aluminum and is of very high quality. This is a very stylish frame and it certainly stands out from the crowd and gets you noticed. The frame can accommodate car seat adapters (see “Accessories” below). It folds very compactly with the seat attached but with the seat removed, it takes up very little space. If you own an older Zapp model, there is a Quinny Zapp Xtra Multi-Model Car Seat Adapter now available that will allow you to fold your stroller without removing the seat. If you need even more space when folding, the front wheels are very easy to remove. In my opinion, the Mutsy Easyrider provides a more comfortable ride.

Maneuverability

The Quinny Zapp Xtra is not the easiest of stroller to push and steer. I found it difficult to steer with one hand.

Folding

When folded, the Quinny Xtra is very compact and removing the front wheels makes it even more compact. Older models require the seat to be removed before folding. But the folding process is done in two steps and cannot be achieved using only one hand. It is a tricky fold process that requires you to press a button with your foot but with a little practice you will get quick at it. If you do not intend to transport this stroller in a car or airplane then you will probably never need to fold it. But if you are stuck in the rain and need to get it folded to put in your car trunk, it can be a real pain. The problem is that occasionally it sticks and becomes difficult to fold and then you just want to drive over it. But for the most part, the folding operation worked well. There is no automatic locking when folded and you have to use a strap to hold the frame in the folded position.

Seat

The Quinny Zapp Xtra seat is great. It is well padded and it has a five point safety harness. It can be used in the totally reclined position for newborn babies. The safety harness buckle is easy for adults to use but difficult for children to use. There is no adjustable footrest. If you want to use a car seat then you need to use the car seat adapter (supplied) and attach a Maxi Cosi Mico (or Prezi) car seat (sold separately). This also allows you to carry newborn babies and also turns your stroller into a complete travel system. The Xtra car seat is rated to carry children weighing up to 50 lbs. The seat is available in 4 colors:

• Black
• Red
• Brown
• Pink

When the seat is facing forward, it has a 3 position recline and when facing back, it has a 2 position recline. When facing back, the seat cannot be put in the fully upright position. In the forward position, the seat can be reclined fully flat and so a bassinet is not essential for newborns. The recline is easy to do and only requires one hand. However the seat itself can be tricky to click into position when reversing or installing the seat on the frame.

Car Seat Adapter

The car seat adapter supplied with the Quinny Zapp Xtra will work with the Maxi Cosi Mico or the Maxi Cosi Prezi. There is also a Zapp Xtra Multi Model adapter available that can accommodate the following car seats:

Canopy

The canopy is large and is one of the better canopies that we have used on strollers. It has a clear plastic viewing window which is handy for keeping an eye on your baby.

Shopping Space

The storage bag is not very big and it is located underneath the seat. It is difficult to access.

Wheels

The wheels are 5.5″ in diameter and are synthetic. The Xtra is available in either a 3 wheel model or a 4 wheel model. Older models have 3 wheels. We tested the 4 wheel model. The 3 wheel model has only one set of small, double wheels at the front. There is no tube so the wheels will never go flat. Small wheels like these are great for urban environments but not so good over rougher terrain and this makes the Xtra an urban stroller. The rear wheels protrude wider than the front wheels and this caught me out occasionally when they caught on things that the front wheels had easily passed. The front wheels can be locked or they can be free to swivel. One big drawback with the wheels is that they occasionally caught in cracks on the pavement and this could be dangerous. Larger wheels would have been better.

Brakes

The brakes are foot operated and work well. There is a brake pedal located at each of the rear wheels and one will apply the brakes while the other releases the brakes. This is a really good design feature.

Summary

Overall, we like the Zapp Xtra. It is a quality stroller and it looks great. It maneuvers well but because it has two separate handles, it is difficult to push and steer with one hand. The fold is a little tricky initially but we soon got the hang of it. However it can stick occasionally and this can be frustrating. Older models require the seat to be removed before folding and this would be a real hassle but Quinny now have a seat conversion kit so that you no longer need to remove the seat. We had the occasional problem with the small front wheels getting caught in cracks in the pavement and this required care. We loved the seat and the ability of the seat to carry very large children. The seat padding was excellent. The foot operated brake system is one of my favorites. Overall this is a good stroller and it performs well.