Quinny Zapp Xtra

I feel like I should admit from the beginning that my husband’s car is parked in the driveway a good portion of the year because his half of the garage is sheltering two … I mean three … OK, fine, there are four strollers out there. I can’t help it. I’ve yet to find the end all, be all stroller, and I’d bet that if you’re really honest with yourself, you haven’t found it either. I won’t bore you with the list of my strollers, but let me say, they all serve their purpose well and equally share a place in my trunk, I mean heart. So given the chance to take the new Quinny Zapp Xtra for a scoot, I jumped on the opportunity.
The Quinny Zapp Xtra is one super slick stroller. My husband and I put it together in under 30 minutes with two children climbing all over us. The only tricky part seemed to be the seat installation, which had to fit in place just right. The good news: This model, unlike its predecessors, folds with the seat installed, so I don’t foresee removing the seat very often. The options for seat positioning are pretty awesome, two positions facing back (reclined and lying flat) and three facing forward (sitting up, reclined and lying flat). My almost 1-year-old loves to see the world, so we’ll keep it facing forward. However, I wish I had this seat when he was an infant and I was constantly craning my neck to check his position. The five-point harness is also a must-have in my book and was easy enough for me to snap, but not so easy that he can escape.
On our first outing with the stroller, I’ll share that I was flustered trying to get the stroller open. It took me a good four to five minutes, even after having practiced at home to get the stroller up and moving. Luckily we had the time, but I’ll say it’s not the easiest stroller to open and close on the run. Still the compact fit makes up for the technicalities. I have never seen a stroller fold up as compact as the Quinny Zapp Xtra does. We can even fit the stroller behind the passenger seat in our SUV in a pinch. Though we haven’t flown with this stroller, my bet would be it would fit an overhead compartment. Surprising, at around 20 pounds, it’s not as light as some of my other strollers.

The stroller cruises best on smooth surfaces. It was perfect for the mall as we sped through holiday crowds and narrow aisles with ease. The front two wheels rotate 360 degrees and I found no corner I couldn’t conquer. My diaper bag fit in the underneath storage fine and my purse hung on the handle without the stroller so much as rocking. As my son eventually surrendered to his afternoon nap, I easily reclined his seat and he slept comfortably in the most reclined setting. This stroller is also a great fit and height for a stand-in high chair. It fits right up to tables and takes no more space than your average chair.
The stroller boasts a 50-pound weight limit, so I had to give my tall, and nearly 45 -pound daughter a quick ride just to see how it handled. Even with the higher weight, it still pushed with ease on smooth surfaces and she fit without hunching. I’ll note there isn’t much of a footrest, which isn’t a problem for my little guy, but my daughter struggled a bit to settle her long legs comfortably.
My fair skinned children appreciate the large sun shade the Quinny offers and while there’s no peek-a-boo window on top, there is an area of the sunshade you can see through to check on the baby. As for other extras: A weathershield, footmuff and cup holder are all sold separately. Honestly, we missed the cup holder and for the price point, I thought it could have been included.
Overall I have enjoyed the Quinny immensely. We’ll keep it in the trunk this winter for our museum visits and quick stops. I adore how stylish it is (maybe it will make up for the Mommy pony tail I’m sporting?), and I just don’t think you can find another stroller of this quality material and drive that will fold so compactly. It’s especially perfect for city folks who rarely “off road” and the family that travels frequently.
Price: $349
To buy: quinny.com