We’ve always used Maxi-Cosi car seats. I was recommended one before I had Florence and then when we moved her up into her big seat it was a natural progression to choose the same brand. We’ve always been very pleased with our choices and the children have always felt comfortable and happy in their seats. My Maxi-Cosi CabrioFix, which is the infant seat we chose for Florence and have subsequently used for Jimmy too, has been brilliant and it even fits on my buggies despite them not being the same brand. When I think car seat, I do just assume Maxi-Cosi if I’m honest. I haven’t, until now, really paid attention to the fact that they actually make other products including their own buggies too – Maxi-Cosi do so much more than car seats it seems! I was delighted to be asked if I would like to try a buggy out for my blog!
The new Loola is an improved version of one of their much loved buggy styles and getting the chance to trial one before anyone else was just up my street; being able to use it before it’s even on general sale – lucky me! It will be officially launched at the Birmingham Baby Show this coming weekend and available to buy from mid June. I love buggies, anyone who reads my blog will know that, but I’m a bit of a buggy snob it has to be said – so what did I make of the new style Loola? Well… Actually, we’ve been rather impressed over all! To sum it up before my review I have to say that I think it’s excellent value for money, is a complete package with not much else to consider and does everything you would want it to do! It’s perfect from birth right up to around age 3 (15kg) and has some fab benefits that I will go into! I will write this review in two parts; this initial first impressions post, which is about how we first found it and the assembly including our very first experiences and then in my second post I will write about how we have found using the buggy. Enjoy the reviews and do know, we highly recommend this buggy on many levels!
Loola arrival and we had to have a play in the box!
As soon as it arrived I could tell it was compact. Buggies usually come in terrifically large boxes and often with 3 or four smaller boxes containing all the extra bits like the canopy. Although this box is large enough for Florence to climb in and I have kept it to make a bus out of – seriously, that’s the request – you can see from the middle picture that everything is wrapped up rather neatly so it was an indication that it would be easy to store!
Buggy assembly is something I usually leave to Jonny but he was at work and I wanted to play with the buggy so I gave it a go. Half an hour later and it was up, I knew how to fold it, change the seat position, use it with my Maxi-Cosi CabrioFix car seat, apply the rain cover… Basically I knew how to use it… I used the manual but not really very much as it was quite self explanatory which is always a bonus. Using common sense I pretty much worked it out on my own -it helped that the majority of it was together anyway! There were no wheels to screw in place or anything like that, just a few clicks and we were done!
Assembly was straight forward and showed me how to put the buggy up and down as well as how to use all the other features like the recline! It’s very easy to use!Attaching the hood with the zip is simple and it feels very secure, not at all like some umbrella folds I’ve used which sometimes use a similar method for hood attachment!The hood has two really great features, one, a zip which can be undone to release an extra section of hood making it longer and two, the plastic section which enables you to peek in at the baby. Having a longer hood which will cover more of the baby is excellent for when in a completely reclined position or for protecting against the elements!Having used many buggies I can say that I prefer ones with a bar. It gives the baby something to hold on to as well as providing a little extra protection and this one is a very good one! Not only does it click on and off very easily from one or both sides which makes it easy to get in and out of but the middle area is rather like one of those toy snakes which move so it’s not rigid and when folded it can be folded in on itself too. I also like the fact that the material can’t be bitten into and broken!The package I was sent included a baby nest which although I probably won’t use with my children much as they’re a little older, I can see it’s very good quality. It’s soft and very padded and it fits round the baby in a wrap with Velcro. I like the design of it. This is intended for use with a newborn and then you can buy a separate footmuff for an older child but I think Jimmy, at one, would still fit into it! I will try!Some fab features like the wheel lock which is operated on the chassis by the clever nozzle you can screw a sun shade into and means you don’t have to bend down, the carry handle is easily adjustable at the touch of a button as is moving the seat unit from parent to forward facing!I also really like the recline mechanism which can be done one handed and all the way from sitting up to fully reclined with many options in between! The five point harness is very easy to use and super secure while padding protects the baby!Other nice features are the fact that the back cover unzips and the straps can be adjusted by pushing them through different holes, the under storage basket is very large and the break is used by pushing a pedal down to both lock and unlock it – red on the right locks and white on the left unlocks!The recline is good both forward and parent facing!I’m impressed with the rain cover and usually I’m not with these things! They can often be fiddly to use, not very good quality and take up loads of room in the shopping basket. This one slips over the frame easily with elastic, has air holes and takes up very little room! This picture also shows that my three and a half year old fits in the buggy rather well!The really good news is that you can turn the Loola into a travel system and it comes with car seat adaptors for Maxi-Cosi infant seats like the one we use! I found it very easy to attach them and then pop the car seat on and what’s really great is that you can have the car seat parent or forward facing too!Folding and unfolding the buggy is done by putting the handle in the downward position, pushing the frame upwards with your foot and pushing down on two buttons either side of the handle bar. Very simple and quick and pops back up just as easily. I like the way it stands upright with everything tucked in, very handy for small spaces!Folded without the seat and with the seat in both forward and parent facing mode and you can see it’s really small because of the telescopic fold!
So far so good! I’ve also been impressed with using it too and I have one more day of trialing before I write up how we’ve got on! I’ve been using it on all forms of London transport and in all modes so do pop back to read part two of my review!
I have not been paid to write the Maxi-Cosi Loola review but I was given the product for the purpose of review.
Hi. Thanks for the detailed review. I’d like to ask you…is it easy to move the buggy one handed? I’m having my second baby soon and I’d like to be able to push buggy with one hand and hold my older boy with my other hand. Would that be possible you think?
Thanks!!
It is a great buggy but it doesn’t spin easily using only one hand i’m afraid, you’d need a higher end model for this kind of feature I’m afraid. This is mid range and definitely a good buy though. R
Follow
Hi. Thanks for the detailed review. I’d like to ask you…is it easy to move the buggy one handed? I’m having my second baby soon and I’d like to be able to push buggy with one hand and hold my older boy with my other hand. Would that be possible you think?
Thanks!!
It is a great buggy but it doesn’t spin easily using only one hand i’m afraid, you’d need a higher end model for this kind of feature I’m afraid. This is mid range and definitely a good buy though. R