I so wanted to like it, so looked forward to using it and I thought, assumed even, it was a given that the iCandy Rasberry would be superb…
It is marketed as an ‘urban stroller’ and living in London myself I thought it sounded ideal. The iCandy website conjures up a picture by saying the raspberry is for ‘Hopping on and off buses, from cafés to cabs, up curbs and through the city, with its agile chassis, ease of fold and innovative, spacious storage capsule, this quick and easy stroller is the smart choice for urban adventures with your newborn or toddler’… But… I don’t like it. Not only do I not like it but I absolutely hate it and I can’t think of a WORSE place to use it than London. Perhaps their idea of urban and mine don’t match but as far as I’m concerned it is NOT for anyone living in a City like the capital.
I have used buggies which are truly fantastic for London living, the Bugaboo Bee for one is superb and as the iCandy Raspberry looks so very similar in design I simply couldn’t imagine it would be anything other than the luxury push I first expected it to be. Oh how wrong I was, it feels like the designers thought they would make it LOOK as much like a Bugaboo Bee as possible (which is good) but then nobody bothered to use it for a trial, or if they did then certainly not in a London and urban like setting!
Now I have to point out that this is just my opinion, as a London dweller and regular public transport user in the capital. I have read posts and reports from other bloggers and even seen it receive awards with some publications so I know not everyone feels as I do but I have to be honest and say if I were you I would never, ever buy this buggy! Not only do I not like how it works (or doesn’t as the case may be) but I find it wholly unsafe when in use and have had more than one or two incidents which have left my heart fluttering. I have been pushing buggies in London for nearly five years and no other buggy has made me fearful in the way this one does. It has some good points but the mistakes are, in my opinion, very grave and need immediate attention. So… Here goes, the good (like I said there’s a bit) and the bad (unfortunately, quite a considerable amount).
Let’s start with the positives shall we:
- The Raspberry is very attractive looking which might not seem important to some but to me, it is.
- It has a big under storage basket with a separate compartment to store important things and the rain cover which when wet can be kept away from anything else in the basket.
- The handlebar is easy to extend which is a great feature for tube travel as with the touch of a button it can be lowered to make more space.
- Without the footmuff it folds up nice and tightly so that it will stand up out of the way.
- The footmuff is excellent (for a smaller baby) and the hood and hand pockets on it are inspired (if only it were bigger).
- The swivel bit at bottom of each strap means they don’t get as tangled as quickly which is always great with a reluctant passenger.
- It has a GREAT recline which is easy to use and very seamless.
- The canopy is a brilliant shape (but please see below for why this simply isn’t enough).
I’m not wildly familiar with iCandy as a brand and the Raspberry is only the second product I have worked with them on. Prior to this I reviewed their Verity changing bag which I love. I absolutely cannot find any faults with it at all as my review shows but this Raspberry, well, here I’ll explain why it really is a raspberry as far as I’m concerned. I’m going to be 100% honest in my opinion, I think very often bloggers are accused of not being quite so open and having a little colour to the truth but I’m not like that I’m afraid and when it comes to the best part of £500 (more with all the accessories you need) then I simply cannot do anything other than highly unrecommend it.
So, onto the bad and I’ve split it into two categories because firstly there are many general problems I have found and secondly, if this is an ‘urban stroller’ then it needs to deal well with public transport and it certainly does not. It is on public transport that I have found a dangerous side to using it also and I have to strongly advise you not to take it on a tube if you can possibly help it (not so easy when living in urban London I know)! I have other buggies (including the Bee) I am confident to use at stations like ‘Bank’ with a strong wind that comes down the tunnels but they are all in storage at my Mum’s house and I can’t get to them until Christmas yet it feels so unsafe at certain stations for me that I have been and bought a new Ergo baby carrier (I couldn’t find my old one and had no time to waste looking in the loft for it further as I needed it urgently) because I HAVE to use public transport and there is no way I feel I can trust the Raspberry for most of my journeys.
So here are my general problems with the iCandy Raspberry:
- The canopy is not water resistant despite saying it is. The slightest drop of rain makes it wet on the inside and this is not practical as getting the rain cover in and out is simply not possible all the time for light showers. Much like a tent, the slightest knock makes the water come through immediately as soon as then tension is broken yet because it is so flimsy and light all Jimmy wants to do is pull it down over him and bend it about. It is, without doubt, the most thoughtlessly designed canopy I have ever seen and it’s such a shame because the shape is SO good and it could have been SO much better – if ONLY they’d actually USED it themselves to see!
- The Raspberry simply isn’t big enough and neither is the footmuff. Jimmy is a small child of 2 and a half and he wears age 12-18 month clothes which shows how tiny he is yet the Raspberry seat is almost too small for him. With the footmuff he definitely does not have any room to grow in this stroller yet I would like to think a buggy should take an averagely sized child to 3 and a half – this is WELL off the mark! Most babies weigh what Jimmy does at around a year old (he weighs 25lb) yet I can’t see how it would comfortably take a child much further than this weight which should be a big factor when choosing your wheels. The straps are fine (although almost impossible to do up even on the loosest setting when the footmuff is in place) but the seat is just too small and the footmuff needs to be made longer. I love the peaked cap on it and the way they can pop their hands in the pockets but it NEEDS to take an older child (of say 2 and a half – 3 and a half), it just does otherwise what’s the point?!
- The rain cover itself has a rather bad fit, is very thin and doesn’t really do much to ward off strong showers, bit of a pain really.
- The paintwork and material in the middle of the handlebars wears off too easily making it look cheap and old very quickly. Everyone knows you’re not supposed to hang bag clips on buggies but EVERYONE does because let’s face it, we NEED to but it seriously ruins the surface material and within a few uses the foam on the handlebars had cracked on mine too. If I had bought it I would have been very upset by this, I was anyway as I hate things to look untidy but at least I didn’t part with any money for it!
- The cup holder (IF I have the right clip which it does say so on the box) only fits the chassis on the thickest part of it meaning it is too low down to actually be of any use and either sticks out to the side bumping into things (the slightest knock makes it ping off) or if placed on the inside (which feels more comfortable) you simply cannot recline the chair. It is such a simple thing to have overlooked on design but they absolutely have. I just keep wanting to shout at them ‘USE THIS BUGGY AND THEN YOU’LL SEE!’
- Now they market the Raspberry as a ‘stroller’ and it is absolutely no more than that as it has zero suspension making it incredibly difficult to get up and down kerbs (NOT great when in the road)! This goes against everything THEY say but believe me, I have used it and it is a NIGHTMARE, the back wheels get stuck on the tiniest dip in the road and then it won’t push forwards at all. I avoid kerbs wherever possible and dips in the road and cracks… This is NOT easy in London!
- Back to the footmuff again and When it is in the buggy it does not fold down tightly and you can no longer leave it standing up in the most space economic way meaning you have to lay it on its side. On its side it seems to just fall open even more and ends up taking up so much space you may as well leave it up fully. I was so excited about it standing up on its own when folded (the Bugaboo Bee does not do this and has to lie on its side – although it then does not fall open and stays compact which I’d rather) that I feel really miffed it fails with the footmuff inside it.
- The break is so sharp on the underside that it scratches your shoes when you flick it up to unlock it. I now have to remember to bend down and do it so as not to damage the leather on my shoes any more… Such a shame!
- It feels very flimsy and rickety and is very unnerving the way the canopy shakes as you walk. It SCREAMS cheap stroller for a holiday and NOT expensive buggy for every day use…
- With a child in the buggy (a light and small child as I explained) it somehow is very heavy feeling when lifting, Something to do with the weight distribution I think but after years of lifting buggies up and down stairs (even when 8 months pregnant) with lots of ease, I kind of feel awkward knowing whereabouts to grab this one and it just feels like a bit of a heavy lump when I do.
And here are my problems when using the iCandy on public transport:
- Although light weight it is NOT easy to carry, either on your own (the awkward shape) or with help. You have to rely on people helping you on the tube, up and down stairs etc. It’s embarrassing then to watch them wince as their hands get dug into by the sharp underside of the middle where they naturally want to grab hold of to help. I have started saying now ‘Sorry, it really will hurt your hands so if you could grab the sides instead’ but people are in a rush and this annoys them, you see a flicker of irritation cross their brows as they think ‘I’ve offered to help not have a lecture’!
- It does not manoeuvre well when getting on and off the tube where you need to be quick. Firstly it does not spin round easily meaning coming off backwards (the easiest and safest way when coming down from a train step) it is awkward, gets in people’s way and is also dangerous. Getting ON the train is no easier as it has a problem when you lift the front up to push it up the step on to the train carriage and the back wheels, just like they do in dips in the road, find it hard to go over the little ridges by the yellow line. It actually gets stuck and unless you’re quick the doors close before you manage to get on. The other day they closed with the buggy (and Jimmy) half on and half off with me on the platform which was terrifying. I had to rely on the kindness of the person on the train to help prize the doors open again which thankfully he managed.
- Lots of stations have high winds whooshing down the tunnells before and after a train comes into the platform and the Raspberry is too flimsy for being on a tube platform like this without a wrist strap. I feel very unsafe doing so and grip on while I stand as close to the wall as possible but it still gets caught in the wind and physically pulls me along with it sometimes. Obviously the break needs to be engaged too but I have had problems with that not working as well… Not having a wrist strap alone makes me think it is NOT suitable for tube travel under any circumstances. I know not every buggy company does have one as standard but this model is, in my opinion, dangerous without.
- Now just as with hanging buggy clips on a buggy handlebar, we all know going on an escalator is not recommended with a buggy, however everyone in London also knows that sometimes is is flipping impossible not to! With the Raspberry it feels very dangerous indeed though and my usual confidence disappears as you never know if when you get to the end it might get stuck on the back wheels and not push off it. I am obviously always very careful when using an escalator with a buggy but the Raspberry I just find very worrying and wish I didn’t have to.
- Another problem happened the other day when I was getting off the tube. I went to push it towards the door after taking the break off and it somehow just randomly put itself into fold down mode. Every time I pushed forward it tried to collapse WITH Jimmy inside it. Luckily again people helped me and we managed to exit the train but it was another very scary experience.
Now, there are other little things I have found annoying too, the break broke on my Raspberry within a couple of weeks and would sometimes work and sometimes not. Again this just made it feel very unsafe. iCandy were, it has to be said, very good about it and they sent me another buggy immediately. I think they thought perhaps I had a rogue bad one and that with the new one I would find I loved it. I love the fact the break now seems to be in working order but all of the rest, sorry to say, is the same. I think this would be an ideal buggy for someone with a tiny baby not wanting it to be used for long in a city where they have smooth pavements and they intend to just nip around the shopping mall with it then return it to the boot of their car. It IS a stroller but it is priced as a high end every day buggy. In my opinion it is absolutely not worth the dough and compared to the Bugaboo Bee which it looks so uncannily like it simply cannot be compared.
The Bee is the best urban buggy I have ever used, the Raspberry is the worst and it’s as plain and simple as that. They need to rethink so many things but I just hope the designers actually take it out and use it in a City, hopping on and off buses and in and out of cafes to see that it’s actually REALLY hard work and that if you’d parted with the best part of a monkey you’d want something considerably safer, more stable and easier to use…
Like I say, this is just my opinion and you don’t have to like it, take it or even read it at all but if there’s one thing I know then it’s how to use a buggy in an urban setting and the Raspberry just doesn’t cut the jam!
I was sent the iCandy Raspberry for the purpose of an honest review.
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Nice and refreshing to see a well documented and totally honest review. I really hope they take what you’ve said on board and make a few changes. This “could” be a good buggy, but it’s clearly not for the people it’s marketed at.
Well Kelly, I thought they would to be honest. The PR girl, whe asked how she would like me to proceed after I had sent her bullet points documenting all of the problems told me to go ahead and write the review. I didn’t know if perhaps they would have preferred me to not write anything at all as obviously I couldn’t write glowingly when I don’t feel it. I was really rather respecting that she’d said that and I actually thought wow, they care about my opinion and are taking it all on board. However… She has sent me an email tonight to say she wants to send a courier to pick up the buggy AND the bag due to my lack of professionalism! I, have politely declined this offer as I received the buggy and the bag (separately and I love that as mentioned in this review) in return for an honest review. I have pointed out to her that I have been 100% professional. I emailed her with all the problems, asked her f she still wanted me to publish the review AND the bottom line is I have been honest? What did they expect when they knew exactly how I feel about it? If I’d said anything other than the things I have said above then THAT would be unprofessional but she has been very rude indeed. The buggy is going to someone who really needs a buggy and doesn’t use public transport and the bag is great so I’m keeping it. Thanks for your comment. 🙂
You got permission to write the review and yet their asking for a product that wasn’t on loan to be returned and even pettily adding the bag you love to that return request. So first we have raspberries and now we have sour grapes. Dear God! They’ve dug a hole into a valley!!!! Good on Ruthless for being truthful xxx
What a wonderful way to put it! 🙂
Gah I meant they’re….
Nice to see an honest review and it is phrased constructively and professionally. I haven’t tried the I-Candy but agree that the Bee is awesome around town. I use it on escalators all the time and always feel safe. (god bless Bank station!).
We just bought a Phil & Ted Navigator as we’ve had a second and it is super nippy but I fear won’t fare well on the tube 🙁
I’ve not actually used a P&T on the tube but they’re certainly a lot more difficult to spin around when used to a Bugaboo although I only used a P&T’s once for one walk so could hardly make an informed opinion! I actually think despite its side by side nature, the Bugaboo Donkey is pretty good on the tube (IF you can bear the people wanting to rush down to the left getting impatient as they have to wait 30 seconds…) Good luck with the P&T, I’d be interested to know how it does do on public transport. With regards to the honesty, I always would be otherwise what IS the point in reviewing something? Thing I don’t understand is that I asked them how they wanted me to proceed, to publish or to just leave it entirely and they said go ahead, of course! There’s no new information in the review compared to the list I sent them a couple of weeks ago so I’m very confused as to their rude reply calling me unprofessional… Ah well, sour grapes it must be!
Forget any of the other points that you’ve made, the size of that seat is ridiculous! The Boy had an iCandy Cherry which I adored (and is in the loft desperately awaiting a second child) and I was initially disappointed to see you didn’t like this. However the photo of your boy in it is crazy, it shows how small it is. The Boy has always been big, 10 lbs 5oz born, and he lasted in his until he was 3. How ridiculous that this doesn’t follow suit.
I know! And the thing is it doesn’t HAVE to be so small and could still be light and nippy as proved with other buggies. Jimmy is tiny, seriously tiny. He’s so small that people stop us wherever we go to exclaim how advanced he is at talking etc and then look thoroughly disappointed when I say hes a year older than they think he is. Even Jimmy says ‘I don’t like this buggy’ and cries when I put him in it! Thank goodness for my Ergo! I promise I’ve not written a bad review for the sake of writing a bad review and I know iCandy fans are very against me saying anything bad but I feel it’s so important to be honest and this is me being that 100%. I know other buggies in their ‘fleet’ are probably very different but this one just isn’t the buggy they market it to be… (In my opinion of course!) 🙂 I REALLY hope you get to fill that Cherry again sometime soon. xxxx
well don’t for being true to yourself as al ata I know this was a second chance you gave it and it still was not good and that you’d wanted and expected to like/love it the first time but good for you for telling it as it is of you don’t like it you just don’t!
Firstly, iCandy or rather their PR need to grow up! They asked for a review, you gave them the chance to address the issues, she clearly didn’t read what you said and now her boss is obviously breathing down her neck.
Secondly, the attitude displayed says more about the belief of brands/PRs (not all but a few) that giving a “freebie” (as they see it) guarantees a sparkling review. This is as much a problem with the attitude of what constitutes a freebie- when we still go out and test the item to the fullest in the same way a traditional consumer review team like Which?- its hardly “free”. It also sheds light on what has been an issue again with a percentage who just give out great reviews of everything purely to stay “in” with brands. I have fallen foul of brands before with my constructive criticism, but if you want to be professional and have readers who trust you, you must be transparent in what your view is. You could’ve produced a review which would have kept the PR and brand happy, yet someone taking your advice would have been very angry at wasting £500 on something worth nowhere near that- not only that there seems to be serious safety lapses here which need addressing.
What really concerns me as a consumer is that iCandy clearly do not care about their customers- current or otherwise- or the safety and well being of their children. They seem far more interested in using their pushchairs to effectively “buy” good reviews automatically. They could have addressed the issues and your review would have reflected that and they would look much better. They are acting in an appalling manner!
well this is a very honest review and you gone into great detail about what problems you have had whilst using. Its refreshing to see a review like this because if i would be looking for a Buggy i want to know the good AND the bad points and not just some sugarcoating.
I have to say i am a big iCandy fan and have owned our apple travel system for the last 4 years and was very exited to hear that they will bring out a lightweight stroller. I loved the look of it and the push but then i only used it for 5 minutes at the baby show so cant really judge on that. The hood fabric issue is a big shock especially with how the english weather is it would be nice to have a water resistant hood for the occasional shower downpoors.
I hope iCandy will take your points on board and improve the Raspberry!
It doesn’t sound that great and I bet it was very expensive! But I LOVE all your photos! x
An honest review. Good for you Ruth!
I am a HUGE icandy fan, I have a very expensive double travel system and I adore it. But perhaps icandy need to listen here to the issues, rather than highlighting the bad press. Any item can have design faults, surely that’s the point of the review. Otherwise, it’s just advertising isn’t it?!!
No I would not buy this pram, as it sounds like it’s not fit for it’s claims-but, it wouldn’t put me off icandy.
Thanks for the honesty Ruth, I for one appreciate it.
Michelle xx
Thanks Michelle, it’s definitely NOT that I am not an iCandy fan, I love my Verity bag which is the only other product I’ve used and I’m sure they have buggies I would think are good too but this is marketed as an urban buggy and I tested it as such. I absolutely gave them the opportunity to not write a review at all after sending them all of these bullet points minus the point about the rain cover (hadn’t found that out then) and the collapsing off the tube point but I did Tweet them about that and they ignored it. After that they asked me, in writing, to go ahead and write the review, said they welcome ALL feedback, good or bad. They finished with how they were looking forward to reading my review so I’m a bit confused as to how they have reacted so badly. The buggy is, as I stated in my review, fine for a quick trip round the shops but on public transport which they even use as an example for its merits on their website, I found it to be all that I have said. HOW could I review in any other way? And also, although they say they want the buggy back for testing they have the first one they sent me so can test that because it’s not a case of it being a problem with JUST my buggy but with the actual design as far as I’m concerned. They’ve also asked me to remove my glowing bag review and return that to them… I feel very disappointed with them as I spent SUCH a long time writing this review after carefully using it in every way I could in London to do so. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
They’ve asked you to return the changing bag? How very childish and petulant! That’s awful!!!!!
I wish there was a like button for this comment xx
It’s great to see an honest and thorough review. I had an iCandy cherry for my youngest and I loved it, so much so I’ve kept it despite having absolutely no use for it (grandchildren maybe?). When I compare my cherry (which is at the ‘budget’ end of iCandy products) to the raspberry it is obvious at a glance that it much sturdier with bigger seat, foot etc. The raspberry doesn’t look much stronger than the cheap stroller we got from Mothercare for on holiday.
Your honesty is refreshing an iCandy should use it to examine the changes they could make.
Thank you Louisa, I would only ever be honest and I did tell them that when I sent them the list of problems and asked how I should proceed with the review. They asked me to write it and they welcomed good and bad feedback. I don’t know why they changed on that but not being a mind reader I took them at their written word and wrote one because I was given the buggy in return for an honest review so how could I not when they specifically asked me to even though they knew I didn’t like it? I think I’ve done a very thorough and thoughtful review but I guess it doesn’t say what they wanted it to so they are unhappy…
This is a really well written and considered review from where I’m sitting.
Have they addressed the issue with it folding when you were getting off the train? That really shouldn’t happen. It’s a safety feature (and UK pushchair standard) that pushchairs have a two-point folding mechanism so that they don’t accidentally fold.
Well, once they changed tack and decided they wanted the buggy back not for being unprofessional as they had first said, they now want it back to do tests on it as they believe it to be unsafe. My point is that it is no more safe or unsafe than any other Raspberry as the reason it collapsed is due to how the handle is designed and when it is down it can easily click into the position it needs to be in for folding down. This is not exclusive to my Raspberry but also all the raspberries I have seen to date. Their first reaction was to tell me they wanted it and the bag back because I had been unprofessional and I have that email to prove it. They changed tack once I didn’t agree. They also say I have been unprofessional because I didn’t tell them about the folding down on the tube prior to writing the review even though I had told them everything else. The only thing is that on the 27th November I Tweeted them immediately after it happened because that is the quickest most effective way of getting hold of someone. They say they are very concerned now, concerned enough to want it back for testing yet on the 27th no body replied to my Tweet from their account. They say they are sorry for this. They also say I am unprofessional for calling their PR girl a PR girl and that I have broken the data protection act by doing so because now their PR girl is easily identifiable – let’s face it, every company has a PR girl or could do so anyone could say any company’s PR Girl did X, Y and Z, would they be breaking the data pritection act? I think not. Thing is I fail to see how I have broken the data protection act as I have not made her identifiable because I haven’t named her or shared any of her personal details with anyone either on my blog or outside of it so I find that accusation both insulting and incorrect. Funnily enough no mention has been made of it since I pointed this out. Yesterday afternoon they said they had sought legal advice and would get back to me today then last night they emailed me again with no mention of the legal advice outcome and so far today have not contacted me at all. I have written to the CEO of the company to explain step by step what has happened here and await a response. We shall see. To be clear, I am very happy to send them back the buggy which they say they need for testing but only when they provide me with either another buggy in advance or the financial value of it. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
I’m sorry you’re having problems with the company after writing this review. It makes a refreshing change to see so much honesty and really they should be grateful for all the pointers. I agree with TheBoyandMe, I loved my iCandy Cherry one of my favourite pushchairs so it is disappointing to see that their standards seem to have dropped rather than improved. xx
wow… I can understand why you have now ditched this stroller…. How small is that seat.. And yes I would be worried about it collapsing with a child inside too…those poor tiny fingers…
How bad of the company wanting the bag back now as well…. That is petty and unproffesional!!
I thought that this was a very balanced review, it was certainly very professional.
But I don’t like the look of the pram – it looks like an icandy copy, it’s just not as pretty as their usual style. And to ask for the bag back (when that was published 6 weeks previously) is churlish.
I was out with Ruth whilst she was using the iCandy and was positively shocked by it’s weight when trying to help her on the tube. This is a joke in itself as usually we each carry our own Bees but luckily I didn’t have mine that day. It is almost impossible to find anywhere to hold under the foot rest where you’d expect it the bit where you’d normally lift any other buggy cuts deep into your hands and holding the sides makes for a slower more awkward carry.
The idea it is pulled by the wind and sticks on escalators terrifies me – I regularly travel on public transport with all 4 children and have used a number of buggy and never experienced a fault like this which could have put us in danger.
Having seen what Ruth is explaining I feel it’s incredibly important she report these flaws in her review both for the sake of morality and safety – iCandy should take her criticisms on board to fix the safety issues and improve the design.
So so so very glad that Emily was there to witness the buggy’s defects. So glad also that she has commented to state them all. iCandy need to focus on the buggy’s weaknesses and stop digging themselves further holes, by treating you so so badly. Asking for the BAG bag, in my view is retaliatory action, which really shows them in a poor light. No doubt the same person who authorised your publishing of the review is the same person who demanded that. They need some PR and Customer Service Training with a bit of Damage Limitation and Crisis Management thrown in.
Liska
@NewMumOnline
xx
I love reading a properly honest review. I am clueless when it comes to buggy buying and would hate to waste my money so thank you for this. I live in a busy city (Belfast) and neither myself nor my partner drive so I’m glad that you’ve gone through the ins and outs of using public transport! This buggy was actually on my list for my 3 month old!
Loving this honest review Ruth. I have to say I’m saddened to hear iCandy seem to have made some errors on this ‘urban’ model and hope that by reading such an indepth and honest post they will tke these points back to the drawing board. Personally I’ve never had an iCandy and won’t now as my baby days are over but reading such a review would certainly make my decision easier should I have gone on to have another! Well done.
I don’t know why so many people are reluctant to write a less than perfect review. Not everyone will like everything – simple! But it appears to be taboo in blogging. Thank you for providing an honest frank review with info to back it up xx
It looks beautiful, but I am so glad I saw your honest review. It is very thorough and highlights good and bad points. Thank you so much for sharing such a detailed review x
Well done for writing such an honest, well-considered and PROFESSIONAL review. None of us sets out to write a bad review and it is always very disappointing when a product turns out not to be as good as you expected. In the past I have had companies change and improve products based on review feedback – if only this company would be mature enough to do so.
Its great to see such an honest review, I can’t remember ever seeing a critical review of a pushchair, and we all know that some of the ones on the market are terrible. Thanks for being so refreshing in your comments.x
Great honest review Ruth!
Ive always been interested in the iCandy… Head down to Lakeside and everyone’s got one. Always thought I was missing out on something!
I think I will stick to Britax & Quinny after the whole folding thing, glad noone was hurt.
Love the photos of Jimmy so flipping cute, can you imagine Hayden in that seat he would look like a monster LOL
Lotte xo
Ah Thanks Lottie! HOW has it been so long since I’ve seen you?! xxxx
It’s good to see such an honest review! There aren’t many of these about as many bloggers tend to right a positive review to stay in the organisation’s good books. I’m a massive fan of icandy and have the raspberry but thank god I haven’t experienced these problems! Maybe yours was from a different batch? I’m surprised they haven’t offered to help you or fix this for you. I know when my friend had problems with the cherry they fixed it straight away! It’s a shame the raspberry hasn’t turned out the way you had hoped because it’s been fantastic for our trips to france to visit the family and little Lou adores it!
Really glad I found this review as I find the straps far too tight on my 17 month old and icandy have said that they can’t make the straps any longer due to safety regs incase baby falls out? ! It’s like a straight jacket on him and I really regret buying it. Icandy don’t seem to be interested in what their customers have to say. All I have heard is ‘oh we’ve never had anyone with that before’. Same was said about the dodgy front wheel issue before they sent me two replacements and finally then admitted that there was a fault with it! So disappointed. Wish I had read this review before I decided to fork out on one 🙁
Oh dear, I really feel for you. What a shame. The straps are so very short and I’m not sure why they would say they can’t be any longer as obviously other buggies are. I’m sorry you bought one and are so unhappy with it. If I had bought mine I too would be very unhappy. Poor you. 🙁
I don’t normally comment on blogs such as this but I felt I needed to make an exception here. Thank you for such an open, honest review! I am expecting my first baby in a few months and after extensive research I have been tossing up between the iCandy Raspberry and the Bugaboo Bee – You have helped make my decision much easier and I think I’ve now settled on the Bee. It’s very refreshing to read your thoughts in such detail, it’s allowed me to make a much more informed choice! Keep up the great work 🙂
Thank you for your comment Lonnie and I’m sure that you won’t regret the Bee. The first buggy I bought was an Original and we since have reviewed a Bee Plus. I still use them both and I have seen the Bee 3 at the launch party and it has everything that is great about its predecessors as well as a darling bassinet that was quite honestly all it had previously been missing although not in a terribly missed way as the cucoon did a marvellous job. I advise buying a universal Bugaboo footmuff as they are huge and last a child well past the age it will be in a buggy so well worth the money as well as being super warm for them. I really do appreciate the comment and congratulations on your impending arrival! 🙂
Hi, once again I would like to say thank you for such an honest review. I just wish I had read this only 6 or 7 weeks ago as I would not have purchased this pushchair. I went to Deal and Sandwich last weekend and on a few occasions nearly fell on top of the pushchair. The pushchair allegedly does not have lockable front wheels allowing it to go over all surfaces but in quaint towns and London as you rightly say, this pushchair is a complete nightmare and again, very dangerous. Both myself and my partner have nearly been run over due to the wheels not going over the uneven paving or bricked paths after going up a kerb.
Bearing in mind I have not had mine for very long, do you think the large department store I bought it from would give me my money back seeing as the buggy is not “fit for purpose!?”
Hi Charlotte, Thanks for your comment and I’m so sorry you have spent so much money and don’t like the buggy. I have no idea what the returns policy would be but if it were me I’d be putting up an almighty fight about getting my money back as I really don’t think this buggy is worth a fraction of the price. Good luck and just be completely honest and tell them all the problems. 🙂
Thank you, I shall give it a good try!
Thanks for the honest review. I saw the stroller in the shop today for a first time. I already bought the bee3 but haven’t used it as I’m still pregnant. I had many prams with my other kids lots of them top brands but this time I wanted something convenient and not bulky. When I saw the raspberry today on display I was curious about it and had a good look and push. I did like the look of it but I wasn’t sold on the canopy material, it’s way too thin. Also the wheels looked too plastic and compared to the bee3 not much of suspension. I didnt like how narrow the seat is, compare to the bee3. It’s may too small! The only think I liked was the quick recline and handle bar button. To be honest I got annoyed as I feel Icandy has 0 identity all they seem to do is copy bugaboo prams. I would rather buy a pram that’s different and unique rather than a cheaper version with few superficial and cosmetic improvements.
I bought this pushchair in December 14 and i am very disappointed. I tried to return it to mothercare but they wouldn’t have it.
It truley is awful, it’s feels flimsy and unsafe the wheels get caught on every single dip and every kerb and it sounds like a shopping trolley on the path. My baby gets thrown around in the seat on every single floor surface unless it’s silky smooth.. The basket is hard to access and already having problems with the breaks jamming too. Such a shame and such a waste of money. It might look good but it is complete rubbish!!!!! Avoid
Hi, I had to make a comment on this thread as I’ve had a really good experience with my iCandy Raspberry and only came across this site after I had made my purchase. In my opinion, I believe that a few of these points have been exaggerated and that some of the post’s maybe come across as a little biased. Apart from the look of the Raspberry, I initially viewed the pushchair based on price. Budget was an issue for me so I had to look at how many features my limited funds would get me. Big features for me on this pushchair versus a lot of the other lightweight strollers out there were storage, ease of changing the seat unit, freestanding and ease of fold. Most of these points of have been touched on but points such as freestanding have been disregarded or criticised when the Bee doesn’t even have that capability!Being on public transport, I needed a pushchair that could freestand so that I could hold my child in one arm and not have to bend over to pick up pushchair, and on this the Raspberry does but the Bee does not. I also needed it to stay upright as I have a small apartment where space is an issue so couldn’t have a pushchair taking up a lot of space. The Bee simply does not stand! I don’t know if the company has made changes from earlier models to my model but I have no issue with my breaks, suspension or any other accessories, I just wished they had made more colour options…
It’s brilliant that you like your Raspberry and I agree, it does stand up when folded unlike the Bee but unfortunately, with the footmuff which is too small for most children over the age of one anyway, it does not and this makes things very tricky. I’m not sure I know what you mean by freestanding on public transport while you hold your child in one hand and say you can’t do this with a Bee? I can absolutely assure you this post was not in any way biased and I wonder how you think it might have been? I was sent the Raspberry for free in return for an honest review, under these circumstances I could understand why someone might accuse me of being biased if I had written a glowing report with no negativity but in actual fact this review is mainly negative (although I did say about the few things that I did like) so I find it hard to see where I might have been biased in anyway and towards anyone in particular? I’d like to point out that I am not on the payroll for Bugaboo if that’s what you might have assumed? I again have received a Bugaboo Bee in return for my opinion but this is no different to receiving the Raspberry. I just think the Bee is by far a more superior buggy, better value and so much more superior in every way. I’m pleased you like your model but I wouldn’t be surprised if when you’ve used it a little bit more that you change your mind. The only people I know who have defended it to the hilt after extensive use have been other bloggers who have been gifted the Raspberry. I can only assume this is because they don’t want to rock the iCandy boat and risk missing out on other gifts in the future as every consumer I have spoken to and I am emailed frequently by readers of this blog post, have been thoroughly disappointed after a while. This is one of my highest hitting posts ever and gets masses of hits every day so people are Googling the Raspberry frequently.
Hello, I have been using the iCandy Raspberry since my son was 5 months old, he’s now 2yrs. I can say this is a very honest review. I have had the same experience with everything you mentioned such as the brake not working twice (original stroller- i bought myself, and the replacement stroller, since the one i bought was still under warranty). The seatbelts are too tight on my 5-month old with winter clothes, and he is also a tiny baby. I bought the cupholder separately and it is very big it gets in the way. The buggy does stand but it does not lock. It’s very difficult to carry as I needed to use both hands to lift it because it opens as it does not have a locking mechanism. To fold, you’ll need both hands as well. I find it easier to use a baby carrier around london since it does get stuck in the smallest dip on the road. I really like how it looks, and because it is lightweight, the main reason I bought it. It is very easy to maneuver but only on smooth floors such as inside the mall or airport.
I got the raspberry it’s rubbish I feel sick how much I payed I’ve gone back to my peach 2