Quinny Buzz 3 Review

Admittedly I was never really bothered about prams and whilst pregnant had the “any pram will do” attitude.  I never thought about what features I would need or practicality, a pram was a pram. What I didn’t realise was quite how wrong I was.

When Isabelle arrived it soon became clear that a pram wasn’t just a pram at all. I would rely on it more than I thought I would.  I would soon become obsessed with every part of a pram and its functionality.

My list of wants grew and grew as I made my way through a multitude of prams each one better than the last but still not reaching my expectations. This came as a shock to me since a few short months prior I couldn’t even name 10 prams. Now my list of requirements was endless and I was getting fussier with each pram that I bought.

On writing this I was reminded by a close friend that I used to Scoff at her for being a “Pram Whore”  and it’s very true. When I was pram shopping whilst pregnant I wanted the Mothecare My3…..why? Because the lady in the shop showed it to me and told me to buy it, in fact I hadn’t even looked at any other prams whilst in there; I was simply naive and asked “what would you recommend?”

In the end I didn’t get the My3 but I am glad about that. If I did I am sure that I would still have the same pram today. Not because that was the perfect pram for me (it wasn’t) but because in not getting the My3 I was able to research and look around at other prams. This introduced me to the wonderful world of prams.

Before I go on I should probably mention my main requirements:

The pram had to be forward AND rear facing
It had to be able to fit in the boot of my car
It had to be car seat compatible
It had to be simple to use

My pram adventure brought me to the Quinny Buzz 3 and for once I am happy. I purchased the Quinny in June this year and haven’t looked back since.

I purchased the Buzz in the Capri colour without the Dreami Carry Cot as Isabelle was a little too big but if she was younger and we had this pram from her birth then I would have purchased the Dreami Carry Cot to. I love the bright colour of the Capri; it made a lovely change to the prams that I have previously owned which were all black or black with a colour feature. I have had people comment on the colour of my pram.

The Buzz is a three wheel based pram but you have the option of purchasing a 4 wheel attachment for the front.

It is great as a Travel system that is suitable from birth with the option of the previously mentioned Dreami Carry Cot and also the separate purchase of the Maxicosi Cabrio or Pebble car seat and adapters.

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We have a small car so we were limited in what would fit into the boot but this is fine it is a little bulky but I can still get it in and out of my Renault Clio without problems. It’s not the lightest of prams but I have owned heavier and weight isn’t really an issue for me since I won’t be needed to carry/lift it all that often except putting it in the boot of the car. It is easy to disassemble and put together again saving time and frustration. It has a very sturdy chassis but have found the seat rocks a little in both forward and rear facing.

The multi position seat can be positioned front-facing and rear-facing s with 3 recline positions in forward-facing mode and 2 recline positions in rearward-facing mode so there is always a seating position to suit your child’s needs.  It is very simple to switch between positions with the aid of two lever buttons, one either side of the seat. When both pressed you can tilt the seat to the desired position and using the same two lever buttons to remove the seat. It has lots of adjust-ability to ensure baby can sleep almost flat, which is great for sleeping babies. I have heard people say that you cannot adjust the seat whilst the child is in there but so far I have had no problems in doing so and have smoothly been able to change the position from sitting to lying when Isabelle has fallen asleep.  I wouldn’t recommend doing this in case there are reasons (that I do not know of) why you shouldn’t.

Adjustable Leg Rest

To add to the comfort of the padded seat you can also fully adjust the leg rest. I found that Isabelle preferred the leg rest up when she was younger but now prefers to have it down as she grows.

5 Point Harness

The seat also benefits from a 5 point safety harness with added pads to ensure that your child is comfortable.

Strap Buttons

The straps can be modified to the required length using the buckle and you can also change the positioning so as your child grows you can change it.

Straps

The straps unclasp easily and the buckle is conveniently hidden behind the shoulder pads that are secured in place by a button. You don’t have to have them buttoned in place but I quite like this feature.

I have the older version of the Buzz 3  which comes with two seats, I found this idea a little daunting at first but soon realised that I would only ever have to use one seat at one time and only having to change when Isabelle had outgrown the first seat size (which goes up to 18 months) . Isabelle is 11 months old now and still sits comfortably in the smaller padded seat so I am yet to change to the larger seat. Once I do I shall update this with my views on the large seat. I love that the seat material can be removed easily once you know how to be washed. Having a very mucky child means that I am constantly washing the pram seat so being able to take it off to wash to a great feature for me. I put it on a standard wash and it dries looking as good as new. I did have to look for a video on how to remove the seat material, there were a few of these that I found so now I have no problems.

Front Swivel Wheel

The pram features lockable, double front swivel wheels and large rear wheels with pneumatic tyres. All wheels are quick release and the braking system is great.

Quick Release Wheels

Instead of the usual bar that you have to the rear of the pram to apply the break you have two pedals. One red pedal to apply the brake and one grey pedal to release the break. Both can be applied easily with little pressure. Not too sensitive that they can be accidentally caught and applied but easy enough to do without a struggle. I often found the bar type breaks an issue when using public transport, particularly buses when I had to press the stop button and quickly release my brake as not to hold people up. I’d always find myself stumbling and panicking when trying to get off the bus easy but with the Buzz 3 it makes it simple.

Getting up curbs is a breeze, sometimes I don’t even have to tilt the front wheel at all. It simply rolls up them depending on the height of the curb. Due to the inflatable rear wheel I have noticed that it is a smoother ride which again is useful when going up curbs and doesn’t cause the pram to bounce, jolt or change direction in any way. I found this great for when Isabelle was sleeping. I used to dread going up and down curbs when she was asleep in case I woke her up I have found the wheels to be great on most terrains and fairly good in rural settings with the lockable swivel wheels and all round suspension. If you do struggle with the front wheel off roads then you can always purchase an all-terrain front wheel direct from Quinny. The wheels do come off instantly with little resistance with the push of a button if you need to save more room. I have had no punctures, despite lots of off road usage in my rear tyres and have only needed to pump up the tyres once (and that was a couple of weeks ago!)

Handle Adjustment

It’s easy to push around and can even be pushed with one finger if you wish and spins round easily. I have had no problems steering this pram. The handle bar has an adjustable height which is great for me and my partner. I’m shorter than my partner so require the handlebar to be lower. It can be adjusted with ease by pushing the button in the centre of the handlebar and simply sliding the handlebar to the required height. This is a quick process that can be completed in a matter of seconds.

Collapse Button

 The Buzz 3 is instant to fold down with the push of two buttons and has a quick release with unique gas springs so opens itself out. No more messing around holding a baby whilst trying to set up your pram.

Quick Release

I found this so useful when out shopping, I could simply pull the pram out of the boot and pull the release tab and voila it would open automatically for me whilst holding the baby. It didn’t spring open with force, but smoothly opened for me to pop Isabelle in, I have to admit I was rather smug with this feature. I didn’t even have to check that the pram had opened properly as it clicks into place.

Hood Viewing Panel

Then there is the sun shade, at first I was little disappointed with the hood as it didn’t really block out the. I soon realised that this was my own stupidity as I did not realise that I could adjust the hight and therefore alter the amount of coverage. This was done by sliding the attachments to the required height on the chassis. The sun shade also benefits from a viewing panel behind a small velcro section.

Buzz Box

The buzz comes with a handy clip on bag named the Buzz Box, this contains the rain cover but not really much room for anything else. I also keep pump for the tyres and a puncture repair kit in mine just in case. I do find that I often kick the bag when walking but I have spoken to others that do not have this problem, so I’m guessing I cannot really say that it is a design issue.

Raincover

The rain cover included is great and fits perfectly over the pram with the added bonus of having a zip up section to allow you to take the child out of the pram or pass them things without removing the rain cover.

The matching cosytoes (which was purchased separately) is very snug and warm with a fleecy lining but also lightweight. Incredibly cosy, I have found this to be a little on the large size as it still drowns Isabelle, which I love because she is all covered bar her face so I know she is warm. The hooded part of the cosytoes is adjustable with drawstrings so great for keeping out winds and drafts. It has zips down either side which I have found very easy to get Isabelle in an out of as I don’t always have to be on the same side of the pram to put her in.

Bumper Bar

What I have also found is that the padded bumper bar can be unclipped one end at a time meaning you don’t have to take it off completely when putting your child in the pram.

Now for the cons

One of my biggest bug bears is that you have to remove the seat unit to fold it unless it is in forward facing position and since I hardly ever seat her forward facing I have to unclip the seat and swap it around every time I put it in or take it out of the boot.

There are only two rear-facing positions, the most upright of which is not very upright. Isabelle has no problem with this position though and since I prefer to have her parent facing (I like to see her) then I can’t really complain about that.

Shopping Basket

The shopping basket really isn’t very big at all, I can never get more than a bag or two (at a push) of shopping in there but again that isn’t really a big issue for me as I never really have to cart a lot of shopping myself.

The rear wheel base is quite wide, wider than it looks.  I’ve only had difficulties getting around in a few shops in-between rails and down some local shop aisles but I have just been a little more cautious with my manoeuvring and also watching that I do not clip the wheels as I go through doors.  I do understand that some people have had issues getting the Buzz 3 on buses but I have never experienced any of this yet.

Specifications

Handle height: 101-109.5cm
Folded: L87.5 x W65 x H31cm
Assembled size: L86 x W65 x H103
Weight: 12.8kg

Overall I love the colour, design, durability and also the fact my daughter can face me or away. The Buzz is attractive and even now Isabelle is 11 months old and often has daily use, it’s still as sturdy as the day I got it.  Even with its little niggles I am more than happy with my Quinny Buzz 3. I know that it will be suitable when we have our second child so would be happy to carry on using it.