New Pushchair? Ohhhhh Yezz Please!

As you know, I do some writing and reviews for the lovely folks over at Pushchair Trader, and on my recent holiday to Orkney I was lucky enough to be allowed to borrow the bosses Quinny Yezz pushchair. As you might know, I am a total off-road nut, and really big bad beasty pushchairs are usually the only things that ‘float my boat’. So, when I asked to borrow the Yezz (which I was yet to see in real life) it was more for the practicalities of getting two under twos on and off an overnight ferry crossing than a desire to actually have a go with one. Unfortunately my all – terrain pushchair loving has been shaken to its very core by the Quinny Yezz... I LOVED it. Not only did I love it, both my 7 month old and my 19 month old loved it too. So here’s what we think.

Perfect for nipping round the chintz shops

Oscar Thinks:

Feeling manly in the Yezz with my flower...

Mummy thought I was a bit small to go in it, and she found that because the straps only have one place to adjust them the adjustment slider sometimes went past where the clips should sit because I’m so little. Mummy thought there wasn’t enough support for me to sit in the Yezz comfortably, even though I have been able to sit up by myself for ages now but she was wrong because I liked sitting in it very much. I love the fact I can drum my heels really hard on the bouncy fabric footrest of the Yezz and I can sit up and see what my older brother is up to. I’m quite low down in the Yezz but I liked this as it meant I was level with Isaac and I’m always interested in what he’s up to. I tend to be a bit moany in the pushchair usually, but not so in the Yezz, I am as happy as a happy little bumble bee in it.

 Isaac Thinks:

I don’t like pushchairs really, I know this makes mummy sad as she thinks they are her ‘thing’ but I don’t care, we live in the countryside and I much prefer to run around by myself splashing in puddles. I took my first steps when I was 9 months so I find it a bit patronising to be pinned down in a pushchair still at my ages (I am 19 months now doctcha know). I like the Yezz though, I mostly like it because I like climbing, and I can get in and out of the Yezz myself, I also like that it goes really fast round corners in the supermarket and I can shout ‘wweeeeeee’ really loud and mummy doesn’t  mind because she knows I’m happy. I do not like it when mummy puts her keys and hard things in the pocket at the back because they sometimes slide right down and poke me in the back. I love toy cars and trains and I sometimes think the Yezz is one of my toys and push it around, the wheels are really interesting to me because they look squidgy but they’re not?! I also like being able to hold Oscars hand (or poke him in the eye depending upon how the mood takes me) because he is at my level when he is in it, although I don’t like him going in it because I think it’s all mine. 

Anyone fancy a cuppa?

 Mummy Thinks:

I love the Yezz, it pains me to say it but it’s true. The things I love most about the Quinny Yezz are: 

Fits under the highchair in crowded cafe

a)      The fold: when you fold it, it folds really small, and it’s really easy to pick it up, even with one hand. When it is folded only the wheels are touching the ground – not the fabrics or the handle bar. You can stand it up too, so it fits neatly out of the way, and when it’s standing up still the handle bar doesn’t touch the dirty floor!

b)      The handle height is great for me – I’m tall and I find it perfect, and because it’s an arch shape you can hold it in different places, I did find I sometimes caught my toe on the central ummmm ‘shaft’ of the chassis that hangs down at the back.

c)       It’s very very very very easy and light to push. I can’t even tell Oscar is in it, and with Isaac in it it will basically push itself (so hold tight downhill!). The wheels turn really easy and its uber easy to steer. This something you only come to appreciate when you spend most of your time pushing with one hand whilst carrying a baby with the other hand or holding an errant toddlers hand if they’re the other way round.

d)      It looks cool. Okay, so this one is a bit silly, and I didn’t realise how important it was until I got the Yezz, but I LOVE pushing it around because I think it looks good. It’s unusual and funky and I feel proud to be pushing something that looks unusual. I often catch grannies staring (although they may well just be staring at my crazy children).

e)      You can fold and unfold it with one hand. I have a toddler and a baby, I only have two hands, every little helps.

f)       It goes well over smooth ground, okay over bumpy ground, not well over stony ground. I was surprised how well it went over grass, we used it lots over grass like what you’d find in a park or a garden and it was fine really. It doesn’t like stones though, as soon as you hit a bit of chunky gravel the front wheel stops dead and you come to a sudden and abrupt halt (always make sure your little one is firmly strapped in!!). But I guess it’s not really meant for that, was just annoying as our driveway is stony hardcore and I wanted to push out straight from front door it wouldn’t go. Usually solved this by turning it round and dragging it backwards so not too bad.

Even Granny Jan can push the Yezz over grass

Things that would make me love the Yezz even more:

a)      If it had a recline. I know I know, it’s not supposed to, it’s for older children and nipping out. I would just be a little more comfortable putting my littlest in it if it had a recline. As it was he was rarely in it for longer than 10 – 15 minutes (we have a great big double pushchair for longer trips) so it didn’t matter too much.

b)      If it were narrower. I know it’s not narrower because it needs the stability of the wheels set far apart at the back. But it was mighty embarrassing to be using it to nip in and out of the pokey holiday tat shops and find that it actually didn’t fit through the door. I was mortified when I got stuck halfway in and halfway out, and the man that came to my rescue helped me out and then quite happily pushed his dodgy old Maclaren stroller straight through with room to spare.

c)       If it had a front swivel wheel lock. See comments above about it going well over most surfaces except loose stones and in fact it also wasn’t great over cobbles. When the front wheel hits an obstruction it swivels 90 degrees and stops dead. A simple lock would keep the wheel straight and you would probably be able to push it over things without even noticing.

Basically though, I love the Yezz and want to marry it. But now I have to send it back as it’s not mine anyway. Boooo hiss.

The Yezz also makes good rainy day dens!