The Perfect Pushchair - iCandy Strawberry

Pushchair trader recently awarded iCandy's new stroller - the Strawberry - 5 stars, announcing "fans everywhere have been keen to see the arrival of the latest addition to the iCandy range ... and I don’t think anyone will be disappointed".
I am definitely a fan of iCandy - I've particularly loved the peach for years and now I guess something new will take the reigns of my affection and give me something to pester for. I visited my local mursery store and must have spent more time playing around with the Strawberry than I did in Tesco doing a weekly! Ok - slight exaggeration, but, I did give it a whirl on the shop floor - they've been taking orders for a long time now, and now they have one on display so after the hype I needed to give it a go.

Handing: It's not as heavy either - in fact it's very lightweight! it feels very fluid and easy to push, and with it having a short wheelbase, it becomes very smooth to manoeuvre. The rear wheels are puncture proof and the front have built-in suspension. The basket follows the curve of the bottom making it big enough for multiple shopping bags. Also the basket can be squished making it more compact when it comes to folding!

 "One of the most attractive features on the iCandy Strawberry are the curves that run throughout the design; a curve on the top of the basket, a curve in the frame of the seat and the rim of the carrycot. I don’t know why, but it just adds a little something extra and shows that the designer was not prepared to simply leave it straight. These curves also add some ergonomic shape to bring depth to the basket and body form to the seat – beautiful."

Folding the Strawberry is a lot more straightforward than some may think- with a demonstration from the sales assistant, it is actually very very easy:
"you press the button under the handle at the same time as squeezing the button on the handle then push the handle into the shafts of the frame keeping hold of the buttons as you do. Put your foot on the arched part of the frame and press down and it will flip the wheelbase up into the standing position. Close the frame lock to ensure it doesn’t come apart"

So, in brief. Hold both buttons and push. Then simply lever the chassis with your feet to pull it shut. Presto! - Oh, and did I mention, it folds with the seat unit on? No, well now I did. It's a real time-saver!

Speaking about time-saving, the Strawberry has a fantastic feature I've not seen on any other stroller - a memory feature which allows the seat to fold with the seat in whichever recline position, and then reopen to that same position! As other parents will know, if they've done the research that is, that most pushchairs that can fold with the seat unit attached insist on having the seat in the upright, forward facing position before they will collapse properly. WELL DONE STRAWBERRY! Top of the class ;) It goes above and beyond others in this compartment!

"One of the key complaints about iCandy seat units is that they are too small, this is not actually the case. Without the seat liner, the seat is roomy at 30cms wide and 23cms deep, the liner obviously decreases this size to 28cms wide by 22cms deep."

Good to know. What I would add about the seat lining is that the fabric used is incredible. It's beautiful and fleecey. Soft to touch and woolly, making it a perfect comfort for any sleeping infant. All iCandy fabrics are the best quality, but the Strawberry seems particularly beautiful

One other thing which I wish to praise is the "punnet" a unique storage space in the otherwise useless space beneath the seat. iCandy put this space to great use, with a zip pocket big enough for storing... well anything! I know it's only a small addition but in terms of utility and usefulness - it's perfect.

"What's in the box

• Strawberry stroller
• Raincover

The RRP of the iCandy Strawberry is £450

Accessories

• Carrycot RRP £95
• Flavour pack RRP £75
• Luxury fleece footmuff RRP £85
• Changing bag RRP £95
• Parasol RRP£25
• Car seat adaptors RRP £30
• Parasol/cupholder clamp RRP £5
• Cupholder RRP £15

Read pushchairtrader's full review here for more elaborate descriptions: http://www.pushchairtrader.co.uk/en/pushchair-reviews/icandy-strawberry/

Visit iCandy's website here and check out their list of stockists:  http://www.icandyworld.com/

5 stars indeed and well deserved.

Careful, it's my first time

Hello all in the blogosphere - I'm new to this blogging malarky, but I figured how hard could it be? At the end of it all anyway, I see it as a refuge for my thoughts. I mean, sometimes it's easier to get things out in the open, and even if no one wants to read them, at least I'd have expelled them from my mind and tried to make sense of them in some way...

Anyway, I'm Rosie, I'm a mother. Mollie is approaching 18 months and I'm planning on expanding the family - it is my aim to get pregnant again this year. Fear not, this won't be THAT kind of blog, but I guess i might update if I do find myself expecting :)

Anyways, I'm sat watching CBeebies - the ironing, hoovering, washing, dusting, bed-making, floor scrubbing and everything else to do is done. I have my three dogs - yes THREE - all in the room with me and I'm casually perusing the internet on a Friday afternoon. This is my life I guess, and with Loose Women having been and gone I find myself wanting Mollie to start indulging in conversation.One day at a time, eh?

Anyways, this is my hello and first blog ever. It's not interesting, but it's a start.