First things first, before I even continue with this review, I have to say already that I just LOVE my Out ‘n’ About Nipper V4. Now I don’t usually start my reviews in this order, pretty much in reverse with the result first but it’s true, it does everything it says on the box and some. However, as always. especially in the motorhoming/campervanning world, there are some downsides to having this specific pushchair, so here’s the Travel As They Grow review.
*N.B. This is a personal review, and we have not been given this pushchair as a trial/for review purposes.
What are the features?
The buggy itself comes with a bumper bar, rain cover and seat liner. Pretty basic outside the box necessities. The rain cover is especially important as it fits just perfectly due to its long shape and of course necessary for those rainy days! You can purchase additional accessories and I will go into some of these later.
The frame is made of aluminium and has a sleek, stylish look. It’s lightweight and extremely easy to push. You can even push this buggy one handed, leaving you another hand free for coffee, or your phone! The tyres are air and the suspension is fantastic with a real bounce effect so the whole buggy is super smooth to move around.
The adjustable buggy handle comes with a support strap for your wrist so you are doubly protected from any oops moments going downhill! The handle is also covered in foam and can be adjusted easily by pressing the buttons on both sides so it’s great for me and my much taller husband to use. He has also taken the buggy running with him and found the strap to be invaluable.
Is it easy to put up and down?
It takes a few attempts before you fully get into the swing of getting this pushchair from ready to rock to bye bye time, but once you have it, it’s easy. You need to stand behind it, its usually easier to adjust the handle into its most tucked in position, then unclip the latches from the sides which are halfway down the frame and easily spotted. Then lift the red lock hook on the right-hand side and push the pushchair towards the floor with the handle so it collapses in on itself. kind of like folding it together. You’ll know you’ve done it right as it’ll click together on the safety auto lock on the side. To put it back up, simply unclip the safety auto-lock latch, then the handles and up it goes by unfolding it again! I always find it useful to put the brake on before trying to collapse the pushchair too, so when you put it back up, it stays in position.
When it is collapsed, it doesn’t fully stand alone, needs a little something to lean on and certainly prefers to be lying down.
The great thing is the wheels are easy/quick release and, if you buy another extra, are easily stored away with the pushchair. We took our pushchair motorhoming in Europe and so really needed a pushchair that stored away easily, so purchased an extra rugged, big zipped, specific to this model, bag to store it along with the wheels. This makes handling the pushchair when collapsed extra easy as it has big carrying handles too.
What’s the storage like?
There are two main options for storage on the V4 and two smaller side pouches by the canopy. You have a drawstring bag under the back of the seat which has a great capacity for food/clothes/nappies! You also have a shopping basket for underneath (although you may have to purchase this separately). This is great for extra storage for your rain cover for example, although is quite low down so we removed it for off roading.
The side pouches are both zip closed and although we found the zips to always work, they could definitely do with being bigger and more sturdy. They tend to hold a few smaller items each, like your keys or a pouch of drink for baby.
It doesn’t have ample amounts of storage, but enough to put some last minute food shopping, or enough for a picnic in the park.
How about the wheels?
The large wheels are fantastic for off roading, and for general day to day use. They give you a really smooth ride, and can even be locked into position to give you, even more, capability when off-road. It has all round suspension, so this helps the wheels and tyres when on any terrain. Even just going up the curb requires hardly any effort. We’ve taken our V4 on grass, cobbles, potholed roads, off road, dirt tracks, even up small mountains!
Does it have a good brake?
Brakes are of course one of the most important considerations when buying a pushchair, and we’ve been really impressed by the V4. It holds very steady even on hills, and is super easy when a simple push down with your foot. The brake is centred as well so doesnt get in the way when you are walking. Its a big red paddle that you can easily use with one foot.
Is your baby comfortable in the seat?
The padded seat is fully adjustable. They can sit up tall, or lie flat when sleeping. The seat has some great and easy to connect/disconnect, adjustable straps which have some extra padding so they work out very comfortable, so we’re sure this pushchair will work great for us for some time. The padded liner can also be removed and washed, which is a big bonus for messy kids! So far we’ve been using this pushchair for our baby for the last 6 months.
One of the extras you can buy is the Footmuff which is especially great in the winter. It fits perfectly around the seat with velcro and a strap so it never slips down or falls off, like other footmuffs. Great addition!
And what about sun shade?
This was so important to me in my decision making when purchasing my pushchair as I started with a Quinny which had just exceptional sun shading abilities. Unfortunately for us, the V4 doesn’t have the greatest shading, as the hood doesn’t fully cover their face on sunny days due to its design/style. We get around this by using a sun shade cover over the pushchair. The particular shade also has 2 zip pockets either side of the hood which is great for phones, keys etc, and there’s a great peek-a-boo window to check on your little bubba during your ride!
Does it recline easily?
Now, to be honest, I would have to say yes and no. It reclines very easily with a simply push on the squeeze toggle slider at the back of the seat. This is great as it gives you the option of any reclining position. However, one difficulty I have is getting it back up from a reclined position. It takes an elbow and two hands, and possibly even an empty buggy to get it fully back to upright position. Once you get the hang of it, it becomes easier, and again the biggest bonus of this is the ability to recline at any position so that’s enough to compensate. Again top tip is to put the brakes on first!
Will it fit in my car/camper or motorhome?
The pushchair itself usually seems to be bigger than other simple out ‘around the town’ buggy’s we see, but it fits in most cars, especially as you can remove the wheels if needs be. It fits in the storage box on the back of our motorhome but it would be too big to store anywhere else in our motorhome.
Travel As They Grow verdict: 8/10 – As much as I love this pushchair, it’s sleek, stylish and the big chunky wheels make for an easy ride, it does have a few flaws that we would say could be easily tweaked in a new version. I really love its ability to be versatile in all terrains, and how smooth it is to push. You never need to put much effort in to get from A to B, and that’s exactly what you need as a parent!