What we love
When it’s folded, the Bruin Zen Newborn Pushchair takes up relatively little space for storage. It’s too long to go into our car boot straight on, and has to go in diagonally, but this is the case with most lightweights.
It’s possible to collapse the buggy with one hand (and a foot!) with a bit of practice. You need to remember to fold up the hood and raise the back to upright, but otherwise it’s pretty simple to operate. The first few times I struggled a little as the tiny pedal you press with your foot to fold the chassis was a little stiff, but it just required a bit more brutality.
The Zen Newborn Pushchair stands out from the crowd due to its bold colour options. The Baby Love colourway is a ‘blinged-up’ version with fluffy pink liner/footmuff and diamante decoration on the hood and footmuff. If you prefer something more understated, the Retrospot is a plain black version.
The velour-lined footmuff (which can be unzipped for use just as a liner) is soft and cosy, and adds a more luxurious feel. This, and the raincover, are included in the price.
As you don’t need to fork out for any extras, the Zen Newborn Pushchair is a reasonably priced product. But do look out for special offers, as sometimes it’s on sale (I found it for £79.99), which makes it a really good deal.
What to watch out for
I wouldn’t particularly recommend the Bruin Zen Newborn Pushchair for newborns. The harness was too big for our fairly sizeable 10-week-old Maya, so the shoulder straps kept slipping off. The crotch strap is located towards the bottom end of the seat, so younger babies have to lie halfway down the seat and are barely sheltered at all by the hood. A parasol is an essential in sunny weather to provide some shade.
The Zen Newborn Pushchair shares many of the same limitations as most umbrella-fold lightweights. There’s little in the way of suspension, and together with the hard wheels this leads to a bumpy ride. It didn’t seem to bother baby Maya, who can fall asleep no matter how shaky the journey, though! And, as you’d expect with this type of buggy, it’s forward facing and not compatible with any car seats or carrycots.
There’s no way you can unfold the Bruin Zen Newborn Pushchair while holding onto your baby though – it definitely requires both hands. It’s also a bit annoying that altering the seat recline also takes two hands.
The Zen Newborn Pushchair loses out to the competition by lacking adjustable handles or leg support. Taller parents or older children might find it less comfortable because of this. A stiff harness buckle and brakes that can be difficult to apply are also a disadvantage.
Although the shopping basket is a decent size, you can’t get into it its back is fully reclined. So if you’re using this with a newborn, or your child is asleep, you’ll need to disturb him or her if you want to get anything in or out of the basket.
Who is the Bruin Zen Newborn Pushchair best for?
Car-free city-dwellers after a public transport friendly option.
If you can catch it on special offer, the Bruin Zen Newborn Pushchair is a bargain lightweight option for travelling or as a second buggy. With a bit of practise you can collapse this lightweight with one hand and foot, though it will require two hands to unfold again. While it’s touted as being suitable from birth, you could find it works better once your baby is a few months older.
