In terms of pushing, it has a 360° swivel front wheel, which can be locked for off-road use. The deluxe 12ins wheels are air filled with stainless steel ball bearings, which, along with the adjustable suspension, makes for a very smooth ride.
The chassis, made of aluminium, is lightweight, and easily folds down in two steps: flick red switch up and hold in two clips on the handle, secure with the safety catch and you’re done. Folded, it just about fitted into the boot of our medium-size car.
The brake – with an automatic safety locking system and double locking brake system – is easily to use and engages with a reassuring clunk. It’s good to see it’s got a height adjustable handle bar so that both you and your partner can have it at the right height, and it also has a wrist strap for complete control.
What we love
The Sky’s overall quality, chunkiness and visible suspension made it an instant hit with my partner. He was eager to scrutinise every feature; he loved the adjustable suspension and handle, the sturdy brake, the ease of folding and unfolding, the roomy seat and good quality harness. When I mentioned its drawbacks, he dismissed them as trivial. For me, however, what I loved was that it’s so easy to push, even through fairly small aisles in supermarkets. I ‘rode’ it through parks, woods, on cobbles, stones and through long grass, and it handled them all beautifully.
Elsie, my daughter, also seemed to love it; she often climbed aboard herself and was happy to be strapped in, so we didn’t experience any meltdowns. The seat is larger then average with a safe and secure five-point harness, which has removable padding on the straps.
This year a third, smaller position has been added to the harness to accommodate small babies, and the new seat fabric is ribbed to give extra ventilation. It also has removable back fabric for additional airflow; all of the fabric can be removed and washed.
There are lots of useful features: a sun hood with a peek-a-boo window that now incorporates a pull-down UV sunshade, and an extra wide footrest. Storage is also good. It can take up to 7kgs in its removable mesh shopping basket underneath and extra storage pockets on the back of the seat. It can be used with a co-ordinating carrycot and a Maxi-Cosi CabrioFix car seat, making an all-round fabulous travel system.
What to watch out for
There are four reclining positions, which are adjusted with releasable zips down the side, but these took quite a bit of getting used to. The zips are pretty stiff and the frame gets in the way. Also, unclipping the buckle for the first position, then using the zips to go through the other two means it’s fairly laborious and fiddly to fully recline.
Once the seat is fully reclined it’s hard to reach the shopping, but one of this year’s design tweaks includes zips on the storage basket for easy access. My other minor niggle is the amount of space it took up in the boot of the car. You need a good sized space to fit it in.
Who is the EasyWalker Sky best for?
Modern urban parents who also love the great outdoors.
Stylish, sturdy and effortless to push, the Sky is an excellent all-rounder. The zip mechanism for reclining the seat takes a bit of getting used to, but its multitude of well-thought out practical features more than make up for this niggle.
