If you’ve been watching my Instagram Stories over the past few weeks then you’ll have seen us out and about with our new set of wheels, the new Quantum Classic from Diono. This is an all in one travel system buggy which comes with practically everything you need all in one purchase. So often with buggies now and you only get the mere basics, while the extras (I’m not just talking the cup holder here but the bassinet, an integral part as far as I’m concerned), being an added purchase and indeed cost but not so with the Quantum Classic. The only things that I didn’t get in the box were the car seat (it does come with the adaptors though) and the footmuff (this costs £70 on top of the £675 price tag for the buggy) and I’m not sure that you could say fairer than that!

So… I feel it important right now to tell you that I won’t be just repeating what the manufacturers say on their website. I don’t read blurbs about buggies before I use them (I barely even read the manuals) and what I do instead is show you what I personally have discovered about the buggy. I will give you basic information like ‘this buggy comes with XYZ’ but if you want to read what Diono have to say about it please see their site here where all the information they provide (and it’s extensive) is there for you to read. If you’d like to know what I think of the buggy then please read on… Or shall we start, actually, with a very quick time lapse video I made of myself trying it all out and taking it through seat, pram and car seat modes as well as using the rain cover, seat liner and that extra added foot muff. Please do note everything you see aside from the car seat and foot muff DO come in the box and that even includes the coffee holder! I LIKE that very much!

There’s lots to like about this number including the fact that the bassinet is so roomy and though there are some disadvantages (I will come on to that) I would say for an all rounder with a great price tag it’s a winner.

The bassinet isn’t the only roomy part of this buggy which also has a fabulously sized under storage basket and when in seat mode (the bassinet turns into the seat with the click of some clasps), it’s pretty sizeable too. I have never had huge children, on the contrary, and my kids have managed to stay in known to be small seats like the Bugaboo Bee original and Bee Plus until the age of four so with this one I can imagine Raffie won’t grow out of it in his size at any point just in need. I think even a very tall child would find it hard to outgrow the Quantum purely on their height.

Some other clever features are the fact that the baby can be world or parent facing in any mode, even with the car seat and the carry cot. I’ve not come across that before and though I wouldn’t personally put a bassinet forward facing it’s nice to know it can be done if wanted. The bumper bar which goes across the seat/carrycot is easy to release ad swivels around so that you can easily put a child in and when in the seat unit, it has a clever five point harness which would be incredibly difficult to trap a child’s fingers in (not that I’ve ever done that in any of my other buggies – cough, cough, just don’t ask Jimmy that question ok…)!

And the hood is quite remarkable really. It comes practically all the way over the seat if you want it to and even has an extra heat visor which can be unfolded out. They call it a heat visor but if you’re like me and prone to leaving important things like rain covers at home then it would also fend off the rain and other elements quite well. The material is sturdy and hard wearing so rain wouldn’t easily get inside. The hood also has air flow and peek-a-boo panels at the back and on the top!

I mentioned that it came with a cup holder (really annoys me when they don’t and charge an extra £25 for one but this is most usually the case) but it also comes with a wrist strap – something I think is very important! A wrist strap is legally required in Australia but not in the UK and lots of brands don’t provide one when I think they should. If you’ve ever used a buggy on the tube and stood on a platform with wind gusting down it then you’ll understand why. It’s simple but a great touch!

It pushes well too which for a bigger and more on the heavy side buggy is quite something. This is not a light weight throw in the boot of your small car jobby. It’t not HUGE but it’s certainly bugger than a lot so that’s to be born in mind if size is part of your choice criteria. I do like the sturdy feel to it though and that’s bought with the design being on the larger and heavier side of course. I can easily push it and spin it one handed thanks to the front wheels which can be locked if necessary (I’m not sure why anyone ever needs front wheels to lock in place at all if I’m honest, I never use that function on any buggy but I’m sure some do so I won’t confuse the situation by taking away from it – the function is there if you want it!

Here are a few plus points on top of the things I have mentioned above:

• Great break which turns on and off with a push down in the centre at the back using the sole of your foot. Lots have to be flicked off with your toe which causes shoes to be scuffed so it is absolutely a plus!
• The rain cover fits SUPER snuggly and goes on with ease – I’ve wrestled with many a rain cover in my time and this one needs no such thought!
• The seat liner makes it very cosy for a tiny one and is easy to thread the straps through (largely down to the harness pads which pop on and off)!
• The under storage basket comes with sections to keep the car seat adaptors (it fits with lots of seats so please check the website but mine is a Maxi Cosi Cabriofix), pump for the back wheels and with a folded rain cover there is still ample room inside it!

There are a couple of things which could be niggly though:

• I’m not keen on the inside material of the buggy being white – it screams looking grubby fast to me!
• The under storage basket is tricky to get things in and out of when in bassinet mode (not impossible but it’s a but fiddly).
• The cup holder can only be used on the outside which is, in all honesty, probably better for the baby in case hot coffee spills but I tend to knock into things and when I have the choice I put it on the inside!
• Pneumatic wheels, though excellent for all terrains, can of course puncture like a bicycle. They provide a pump but punctures are something to consider as I was once in Westfield Stratford City with my Bugaboo Donkey and had to walk 3 miles with a flat tyre to find a bicycle repair shop. It won’t happen often but it will happen so be prepared!

Now… Before I leave you with saying that the buggy folds efficiently and can be done one handed (you might need to do this) and that it will fit in the boot of my 3 door Corsa in all modes but is snug, I want to show you the foot muff which of course is an add on!

So… All in all I think it’s a great buy with a lot of plus points and few minors. No buggy is perfect for everything and this one wouldn’t be my choice for city living but it does exceptionally well in the countryside and for its price tag it’s exceptional value!

The Diono Quantum Classic is suitable from birth and retails at £675 for the chassis with wheels, rain cover, cup holder, seat liner, wrist strap, wheel pump, car seat adaptors, canopy, and seat/carry cot fabrics with mattress for the carry cot.

This is a collaboration with Diono with all thoughts and observations my own.