Customer Reviews

Quinny Zapp 2009/2010 4 Wheel Stroller, Cobalt

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I bought the Zapp for an international trip. I wanted a smaller and more lightweight stroller that would be easier to travel with. The stroller did fine on that trip but I haven't used it at all in the months since because it's just not that functional. Overall I've been really disappointed with it and I'm probably going to sell it to buy a G-Luxe or Maclaren for my more general use.

What I don't like about the stroller:

1. It doesn't recline. In addition to the stroller not reclining, your baby sits very upright in this stroller, almost like sitting on a perch more than like sitting in a chair so it's very uncomfortable for your child to nap in it. This was a huge negative when trying to sightsee during nap time. If you're buying a stroller for use while travelling, seriously look into getting one that reclines.

2. It's heavy. So it folds down small enough to put in a duffle bag, but once it's in that duffle bag it is really heavy and really awkward and difficult to carry. Note you must remove the front wheels to get it into the bag. I thought it would be great that I could put it in the overhead compartment of the plane, but with everyone bringing all their baggage on the plane because of the new charges I wasn't even able to do that. Ironically, I might have been able to put an umbrella stroller in the first class jacket closet on the plane but my super compact stroller still needed to be gate checked.

3. It's awkward to open or close. It definitely takes one adult with both hands free and full freedom of motion to be able to open or close this, which means you must have two adults to use this because you can't physically attend to a child and open or close this at the same time. Huge negative in my book. And once it's closed it doesn't stay closed easily. One thing I found compelling about the stroller before I bought it was the picture of the woman on the Quinny website jauntily walking through a subway turnstile carrying her baby in one arm and the stroller with one hand. In practice this is ridiculous. First, I find it impossible to carry the stroller easily with one hand because it doesn't stay closed. Second, she must be super strong because she's carrying 20 pounds in each arm. You will need two hands to carry this if it isn't in the bag. If you're already a parent then you know what a deal breaker occupying both hands is.

4. It doesn't really fold that small. The fold is short, but not that small in total. The total size isn't that much smaller than a folded umbrella stroller although it is shorter. That doesn't end up being very useful unless you want to put the stroller in the overhead compartment of a plane, and like I mentioned before, the ability to do that is extremely limited now with the increased demand for overhead storage space. I could store unbrella stroller in my coat closet but this stroller is too bulky to do that.

5. The ride is really bumpy. I'm not sure this will be any better with any other lightweight stroller, but with the solid wheels combined with no shocks made the ride extremely bumpy. I noticed this more because we used it over uneven surfaces like brick sidewalks but it really struggled more than other strollers I've used over modestly uneven surfaces.

This stroller is stylish, easily pushed, and folds down for convenient packing. But these features are by no means exclusive to this stroller. I recommend that you keep in mind that *other* strollers offer these features. Having owned the Quinny Zapp for over two years--and having lived on both coasts and in the midwest as well as having travelled extensively--here's what I think parents should know.

Weather: This stroller performs horribly in poor weather. The stroller places the child in a remarkably upright position, which isn't itself a problem. Yet the Zapp leaves the child exposed to the elements. The cover that pulls out over your child is high and, for some reason, a bit small. This results in a cover that does not shield your child's eyes from the sun and does not shield his or her legs and torso from rain and snow. The cover, to be frank, is virtually useless. (Only the back of my daughter's head was protected from rain.) I suppose this is why the stroller comes with a transparent plastic weather shield which entirely incases the child. It rests on the stroller cover and attaches to the handles and base of the stroller by means of velcro strips. Two things to note about this weather shield. (Let's assume that your child is comfortable with being incased in a plastic bubble.) The velcro straps are miniscule. The velcro patches with which you secure the shield to the handlebars are literally the size of a fingernail. I consistently have trouble getting these things to hold together so that sometimes the weather shield sits loosely on top of the stroller and shifts in the wind. The velcro straps that you use to secure it to the base of the stroller are much bigger, but this, as it happens, is no help. These straps come undone almost every time and are easily loosened by your child's feet. While the stroller cover is a useless ornament, the weather shield was always aggravating. And, because of the child's upright position, unless you take the time to attach the weather shield, the entire length of your child's body will be exposed to wind (not to mention dust and debri). Lastly, you can purchase a winter cozy to go inside the Quinny Zapp, but Quinny does not make one specifically for this stroller, so you'll have to buy one that requires you to fidget with the straps to get it in just right.

Travel: This stroller does fold down into a medium-sized shoulder bag, and this is indeed convenient. But folding it down takes some effort. Even my best experiences with this required a kick to jar the legs loose. Apparently, they are supposed to pull free. This never happened. And you're kicking a hard piece of plastic, which isn't easy on your foot. (Seriously, if you plan to travel a lot--throwing this in the trunk or backseat, gate-checking it before a flight, or taking it on a train--you're going to be breaking it down every time.) Also, the brakelines, as you can see in the picture, extend out from the stroller. A brakeline was clipped even though it was packed in the shoulder bag during our very first flight. (The brake didn't work after this.) During the time in which the brakes worked properly, it still took quite a stomp to turn the brakes on and off.

Daily use: Part of breaking the stroller down into the shoulder bag involves taking the front wheels off. After a few weeks of owning this stroller we had a problem with one of the wheels falling off at unexpected times: like while on a sidewalk or even while crossing the street. This eventually went away, as I learned to be especially firm when snapping the wheels back on. A few months later one of the wheels began to lock up. This has not changed in the years that I've owned it and after repeatedly trying to fix it. We've simply learned to live with it. But this can be dangerous. In addition to the inconvenience of locking up on a regular basis and jolting to a halt, I narrowly avoided falling over the front of the stroller as it locked up unexpectedly--while holding my child.

Even if I had not had problems with the brake or with the wheels, the stroller cover and weather shield are enough for me to recommend that you not buy this stroller. Of course, if you don't have inclement weather where you live or do not need sun protection, then this will not count against it.

This stroller functions well. We like how lightweight it is, yet how solid the construction. It rolls and functions well. It is a breeze to push, even with one hand. It fits perfectly in the trunk. It was confusing when we first started using it, but after reading the instructions this quickly became a breeze to fold.

The tipping problem isn't serious--just don't hang anything from the handles. The problem is not when he's in the seat, it's once you get him out of the seat the balance goes away and it's wheel's up pretty quick. But there's a storage bin underneath the seat that's average size. We don't carry a lot of stuff with us so this isn't an issue.

The one thing I wish this did was recline. There is no reclining option. But my child loves how comfortable the seat is. When we have it unfolded in the house, he's constantly going over and sitting in it and laughs.

We haven't had any problems on flights. We never take our strollers onto the plane anyway. We always complain of those parents who do because any stroller takes up too much room on a plane. Not to mention we just chuckle when they ram their kids into the seats and knees of other passengers as they make way down the super narrow isles. I don't want to stand behind a parent in the isle of a plane while I wait for them to get the kid out, placed into a seat, get all the bag out and up in the bin, then finally fold the stroller and spend a couple minutes trying to force it into a bin. Check it at the door of the plane and carry your kid the 100 or so feet to your seat. Come on, folks.

No matter where you are, folks notice the Quinny's bold color, and cool and unique design.

We like ours and are happy with the $190 we spent.

Let's start with the good points.

It's fairly lightweight (13lbs), it is probably the most compact stroller on the market, it's easy to steer and it's comfortable for mom and baby.

Then there's the downside. You can safely put a couple of things in the basket under the stroller, but if you have a diaper bag or anything else to carry...you have to keep right on carrying. The stroller will flip if you try to hang anything on the handlebars. Also, while it's folds up to a nice size, the carrying handle is very awkward to use. It's fine for lifting, but if you have to carry it any distance you're going end up with some bruises.

The sunshade is inadequate, and the stroller has a really tough time even dealing with cracks on a sidewalk. It's built for indoor use, for sure. I find myself having to lift it over uneven patches quite a bit. Thank goodness it isn't any heavier.

The biggest issue for me is the folding. You need the use of two hands and a foot to shut the stroller down, and sometimes it just locks up and you have to set it all the way back up and start over. Setting it up is no snap, either. I end up squatting, holding my son between my knees while I try to wrestle the stroller up or down.

I got this stroller as a gift. I'm so glad I didn't sink any money into it. I'm in the market for a Maclaren Triumph now.

The compact fold of the stroller caught my eye because I travel a lot with my daughter. I got the stroller today, and after spent half hour with it, i am already covered in sweat. It's pretty to look at with sturdy frames, bright fabric, but it's not that easy to fold and unfold, especially when I tried to put it into the carrying bag came with it. It's a bit heavy for me to carry as well. Compare to my Bugaboo Bee, it doesn't have that much of advantage. I think I will hold up the security line at the airport just try to get it through the x-ray machine. I believe the Maclaren will do a better job.

Pros: I find that this stroller is very easy to push with one hand (which is great) as long as you are indoors (like at the mall.) We have received many compliments on it, it really looks so modern, which is a plus.
My daughter loves to ride in it- we used it with the Maxi Cosi car seat until she was about 9 months old. It folds up pretty small and doesn't take up a lot of space in the trunk.
Cons: Unfortunately, it tips backwards really easily which is dangerous. You really can't hang anything on the handles. The bag on the bottom is very hard to access and too small to really fit anything into it. I also wish it had some kind of tray or bar that goes across it, there is nowhere to hang a toy or put a snack. I tried purchasing a cup holder that was supposed to fit on any stroller, but- surprise! it didn't fit. The aluminum frame is more square than round so most stroller accessories are not compatible with it. Folding and opening can also be tough- the first time I ever used it my daughter was about 6 weeks old. I got her in the car, she was screaming, I was stressed, then I couldn't get the stroller to close. I had to throw the whole thing, fully opened, into the back seat of my Acura because it would not fold. Luckily I've gotten better at it but it still seems to "stick" sometimes when I try to collapse it.
I would purchase it again but I think the company still has some glitches to work through to make it better. I have a cheaper umbrella stroller that has never tipped over and even came with a cupholder- if that company can figure it out I don't see why this one can't!

I love the Quinny's looks. The folding process is very difficult with it's 3 buttons you have to press it in order for it to close. The wheels are not made well at all. They are very noisy. They need to develop a nice rubber made wheel that can hold up to concrete and other travels. Even on smooth mall surface floors it sounds very noisy like an old shopping cart at the grocery store. It does flip over easily. Do not plan on putting anything on the handles of the Quinny, it will throw it off balance and your kid will flip over. I would not buy this stoller again. I bought it for the looks and small size and ended up disappointed for the two years I had it. I would also buy something else that maybe had a slight reclining position to it. As far as the basket on the bottom, useless. I had to carry my purse or the diaper bag on my shoulder while pushing the Quinny. All the the same time being aggravated as my purse kept flopping off my shoulder and I couldn't even hand it on the handle or put it in the basket. I was close to buying a fanny pack! Quinny... work on the architecture a bit more and build some quality wheels... After all we did spend close to $200 bucks on your product.

We purchased this stroller with a [...] As I am 6 ft tall I needed a stroller where I did not have to hunch over when pushing it. That is one of the two good about this stroller the other is that it pivots really well.

The key issues with the stroller are as follows:

1) If you put 2 small grocery bags on the back handles, the stroller will tip over backwards if you are not holding the handles.
2) If you are going up or down a hill it tends to fall over.
3) The weels will occasionally pop off.
4) The handles are hollow, flimsy and to big. So you cannot get a good grip on them and when you do hold them they feel like they are going to break.
5) If the child throws a tantrum and leans back hard, the stroller falls.
6) The storage underneath the stroller, is to small and hard to access.
7) There are no cup holders.
8) The carrying bag it comes with is impossible to put the stroller in.

Purchased this stroller for international travel with an infant (10 mos.) Absolutely fabulous for a lightweight stroller!! It fit in the overhead bin. The wheels were extremely sturdy, very easy to maneuver. Our resort was so big we had to take golf carts from one end to the other and we would leave her in the stroller and put it on- very safe, very quick. We also only had to fold the top down when having to store it in a car/bus. It doesn't recline, BUT if she fell asleep... we simply pushed the break(very easy also) and safely leaned it against something. It also doesn't have a parent tray or large basket(it's adequate)....yet I didn't miss either because I am a fan of minimal travel. I have five kids... have tried many a stroller and by far this is my favorite!

I purchased this item in order to use it as a travel system with the Maxi Cosi Car Seat. The item can be used as a Car Seat base, but it has to ungo son time-consuming and complicated adjustments to the stroller itself. You have to remove the entire lining that makes the stroller a 'pushchair' itself, before attaching the car seat. YOu cannot just 'snap' and 'go'. Also, it does not have a cargo basket, nor does it have a parent nor child tray for when you DO use it as a normal stroller (push chair). It serves more as an 'umbrella stroller', not a full-blown one.

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