What are the additional extras?
Carrycot, car seat adaptors, changing bag, travel bag, superfleece footmuff, core seat snuggle, sun parasol, sun shade, cup holder, clip for parasol/cup holder. Being an iCandy, the accessories are pricey, but are also high quality.
Is it easy to fold?
It’s a two-fold system – you need to take the seat off in order to fold. This will suit some parents but not all. The folding process is really simple - using a button in the middle of the handle and one on the underside - but does take a couple of attempts to perfect. Once I got the hang of it I could do it one handed, and unfold it with one hand too. When it’s folded, the pushchair is free-standing and sturdy, a feature that I love as it makes it easier to store upright in a cupboard or behind a door. It’s not umbrella fold, but it is pretty compact when folded, so you’re not going to have a problem getting it into most car boots – although like so many pushchairs, there won’t be a lot of spare room.
How easy is it to push?
Great to push. The handle is one single bar, which makes the buggy easy to push, but has the downside that you can’t hang your shopping from it. Let’s face it, it’s something that most of us do, despite the fact that all buggy manufacturers tell us not to! The Cherry also doesn’t have the big, air-filled rear tyres of iCandy’s popular Apple, but it still has decent-sized wheels, which makes it handle fairly well on grass and gravel. However, it’s not an all-terrain pushchair, and other mums on the web have talked about how they’ve had problems pushing it on uneven ground.
How lightweight is it?
It’s very light and manoeuvrable, so you’re getting all the advantages of a high-quality pushchair without the bulk or weight of say, the Quinny Buzz or iCandy Apple. It’s light enough to use as light around-town buggy, yet it’s travel-system compatible. One thing to watch out for - it’s marketed as weighing only 6.2kg but this is just the chassis, wheels and basket and doesn’t include the seat, which weighs a further 3.6kg or the carrycot, which weighs 5.3kg. You’re not going to be pushing the chassis without the seat, so the realistic weight is either 9.8kg or 11.5kg (with carrycot). Still it does feel light to push.
What the iCandy Cherry does best
• Seat that faces forwards or backwards – so you can push it with your baby looking at you, and when he’s older turn the seat around so he’s facing outwards
• The brake is excellent – easy to use and very secure – although quite big
• The hood is easy to attach and detach
• You get a very sturdy, good-quality raincover
• Really deep shopping basket, which is easy to access when the seat is forward-facing or you’re using the carrycot, although it’s a little trickier to get at if you have the seat facing backwards
• A small, handy zip pocket in the back of the seat for your phone and keys
Is it travel-system compatible?
Yes, you need to buy a Maxi-Cosi Cabrio-Fix or Pebble car seat, plus adaptors, which together will cost you around an additional £130.
What about style?
Definitely stylish. The Cherry logo on the back and lining of the seat looks really cute, and also appears on the coordinating accessories (a lovely, thick superfleece footmuff and the hood which comes with the carrycot).
And comfort?
The seat is roomy (and other mums on the web have comfortably carried around their three year olds in it) but it’s also comfy for babies over 6 months, especially with its padded straps. The additional carrycot is roomy and snug and really sturdy, so great for using as an in-home carrycot as well as on the buggy.
What to watch out for…
• The handle is not height-adjustable (one of the compromises compared with the Apple). This means that tall parents may find they’re kicking the rear axle with their feet, or have to walk with feet wide apart!
• It’s not suitable from birth, so if you want the Cherry for your newborn, you’ll need to buy the carrycot and/or the Maxi-Cosi car seat
• It’s an entry-level iCandy pushchair, so doesn’t quite match the quality of some of the more expensive models, yet doesn’t have their price tag either
• Although the chassis is a lightweight 6.2kg, you’re always going to be pushing it with either a seat, carrycot or car seat attached – so the real weight is at least 9.8kg plus the weight of your baby
Who’s the Cherry best for?
Families who want a good-quality pushchair that’s light to push, sturdy, easy-to-fold and store but doesn’t come at a premium price
MadeforMums verdict
This is a great choice if you would rather have a buggy that’s light and folds compactly than one with luxury features. The one thing it doesn’t sacrifice is your baby’s comfort, so it’s a great ‘middle way’ between a luxury pushchair and a lightweight buggy. But don’t use it on difficult terrains.
Great for
Flexibility – light but sturdy, dual-facing, good value yet good quality.
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