iCandy Orange pushchair 2021 review

For a double buggy, it has a pretty compact footprint, meaning you’ll still be able to get on buses and through doorways. It also copes well with rough ground. As you'd expect from this premium brand, it's not cheap, especially if you only have 1 child. But its versatile range of configurations means it will come into its own if you have a second.

Tested by

Catherine tested the updated 2021 version of the iCandy Orange with her 2-year-old and newborn. They live in a big city, so need a double buggy moves easily in and out of shops and onto public transport, and through an awkward front door. With a toddler to entertain, they also tested the Orange by tramping through woodland and over fields.

First impressions of the iCandy Orange

The iCandy Orange is a really versatile buggy with lots of features and accessories. It’s a complete travel system. And, depending on which package you buy, there’s a lot included in the box, from carrycots to footmuffs, rain covers and matching changing bags.

Having previously had a small, city-friendly Bugaboo Bee, this buggy seemed enormous and very heavy. However, its footprint is a good deal smaller than many other single-to-double buggies, such as the Uppababy Vista, and it’s roughly the same weight. It’s the same size or even smaller than many of the larger single buggies on the market.

And, obviously, it’s got a smaller footprint than a side-by-side double buggy. Friends were very complimentary about my smart, new buggy.

How easy is it to build?

It is quite complicated to assemble and takes a while to get everything in place. This is partly because there are so many bits and they’re not labelled – even in the instruction manual, there’s a visual guide to what’s in the box but it doesn’t name those items.

So I found myself staring at pieces of black plastic wondering if it was an elevator or a car set adapter and where either was supposed to go.

The instruction manual uses photos and very few words (as seems to be standard nowadays), so if you can’t identify what you’re looking at from the photo, there’s not much else to help you.

It also uses poppers to attach various bits of fabric to frames – for the carrycot and sunshades/hoods, for example – these feel sturdy but are really stiff and fiddly to get in place. Luckily you don’t have to assemble the buggy too often!

How does the 2021 iCandy Orange compare to the previous version?

This version of the iCandy Orange was released in 2021. In this latest version, the manoeuvrability of the wheels and the suspension have been improved, which makes it easier to bump up and down curbs, giving your little one a smoother ride.

The wheels have also been made more durable with better grip. The wheels don’t look very rugged but they bounce over bumps and rough ground surprisingly easily, and the suspension definitely provided a good amount of cushioning.

There have also been some tweaks to the styling of the chassis and fabrics to create a more premium look. The fabrics now have a diamond pattern stitched in, which looks smart and provides a little extra cushioning, but it can be tricky to get crumbs and dirt out of the grooves. The fabrics now come in a range of stylishly muted tones and, ironically, not in orange.

iCandy has also tried to make the unfold lock (a small grey clip sitting on the basket) easier to locate by making it a lighter shade of grey than the previous iCandy Orange. It still took me ages to find it, as it’s not obvious from the instruction manual.

It’s also awkward to reach at the same time as holding the handlebars. I would happily sacrifice a little of the iCandy’s minimalist grey styling in exchange for an unfold mechanism that was easier to use and identify.

Can a baby sleep in the iCandy Orange carrycot?

Yes. The iCandy comes with a full-size carrycot, which is certified suitable for overnight sleeping by the manufacturer.

It has a removable mattress, so you can put a sheet on it as you would a moses basket, which is useful for overnight sleeping or if your baby is sick or has a nappy leak. I found sheets the right size for it online fairly easily.

The mattress feels a little on the soft side and not terribly breathable, so I wouldn’t use it as a permanent replacement for a moses basket, but it’s ideal for naps when out and about and would work as an occasional travel cot.

Handily, the fabric on the carrycot is machine washable at 30°C.

How comfortable is the carrycot for your baby?

The carrycot is suitable for babies up to 9kg (8-9 months old) or until they can sit up, and it’s certainly large enough that they won’t outgrow it before then.

The carrycot weighs 4.3kg, which is similar to the weight of a baby car seat, making it a reasonable weight to carry even before you put a baby in it.

The carrycot sunshade/hood and cover are attached with the same poppers used throughout the buggy and they’re fiendishly difficult to do up. That’s fine for the sunshade, which you’ll rarely remove but it’s a nuisance for the cover.

I found myself trying to manoeuvre the baby into the carrycot with the cover still in place, rather than having the hassle of trying to do the poppers up or leaving the cover undone and flapping about. The carrycot also has a bumper bar, which isn’t essential to use, but makes it easier to put on or take off the buggy.

However, the bumper bar makes it trickier to get your baby in, especially if the carrycot is attached to the buggy in double mode. Unclipping one side of the bumper bar, unfastening the cover and then wiggling your baby past the handlebars (in double mode) to get it into the carrycot, then doing everything up again, is a bit of a palaver. Getting your baby into the carrycot when the buggy is in single mode is much easier, as the handlebars don’t get in your way.

The sunshade/hood on the carrycot comes up to just beyond perpendicular. I’d prefer a sunshade on the carrycot that came all the way over to meet the foot cover, like you get on the Uppababy Vista, as I feel this might also help with getting the baby to sleep.

If you buy the ‘Complete bundle’, you get a parasol and a mesh sun screen included – the screen can be popped over the seat or the carrycot to give SPF 50 from head to toe. Both of these can be bought as separate accessories and, especially if you’re having a summer baby, I’d recommend buying the screen as a much more reliable way of keeping the sun off than fiddling around with a parasol.

The same frame is used for the carrycot and seat, so there’s less to store when one or the other is not in use.

How do you attach the iCandy Orange carrycot to the buggy?

With the bumper bar in place, it’s incredibly easy to put the carrycot onto the pushchair, as it simply slots into place.

To take the carrycot off the pushchair:

• There’s a button on each side that has to be pressed to release the carrycot
• These aren't memory buttons, so first press one and pull the carrycot out of the clip on that side
• Then switch hands and repeat the same on the other side

It’s slightly awkward as it can’t be done one-handed, so you have to unclip it while holding the carrycot steady enough to not disturb your baby.

Are the iCandy Orange pushchair's seats comfortable for toddlers?

The moulded seats seem comfortable – my toddler has fallen asleep in the pushchair. And the iCandy Orange can be fitted with 2 identical seats, which is not the case for a lot of double buggies. This should reduce squabbling over seats if you have 2 toddlers or twins.

The fabric looks plush, although it can’t be machine washed, only sponge cleaned, so it may not stay looking smart for that long. It comes in a small range of muted colours.

There’s a handy little zippable pocked in the back of the seat, which I found was perfect for my wallet when I was just nipping out quickly.

What is the weight limit for the iCandy Orange 2021 seats?

The seats are suitable up to a maximum weight of 25kg (roughly six years old) when the buggy is used as a single, but only up to 15kg when the buggy is used as a double – and that includes using it with just 1 seat and a child on the buggy board.

This is a generous weight limit, but the seats aren’t huge. My little boy was only just turning 2 when we got it - he’s average height and his feet were on the foot board and his head was brushing the hood, so I expect him to outgrow the seat well before he turns 6.

Do the seats recline?

The seat has 3 reclining positions – upright, horizontal or halfway between, and it’s easy to adjust the position, one-handed, with your child in the seat.

How do you remove the seats?

The seat is really lightweight, making it easy to lift on and off. Removing the seat is very easy, although it does require 2 hands. As with the carrycot, you press in the buttons on either side of the seat and then lift it off – although they’re not memory buttons, so you do have to lift while the buttons are depressed.

The seat comes with a bumper bar, which is useful when you’re trying to wrestle a struggling toddler into the seat. The bumper bar can also be unclipped and swivelled out of the way without having to be removed, which makes for easy access.

When used as a single, the seat is fairly high up the frame, meaning you don’t have to bend down too far. It’s also a good height if you need to feed your child in the buggy while sitting at a table.

Does the hood offer good coverage?

The hood looks robust and is SPF 50. It has a little peephole in the back, so you can check on your toddler in world-facing mode. The hood comes down to almost horizontal when the seat is upright, but that means that when the seat is fully reclined, the hood is only just beyond perpendicular – the same as the carrycot. If your toddler falls asleep in the buggy and you recline the seat, it means they’re much less shaded from the sun. I’d like a hood that comes down further and with breathable panels.

You can buy a sun screen, which is compatible with all iCandy buggies and is included in the ‘Complete bundle’, to give better sun protection.

How secure is the seat buckle?

We found the seat buckle is easy for a toddler to undo – the very first time I put my only-just 2-year-old in the seat, he undid the buckle by accident. The buckle is big and shiny and we found it to be very tempting for little fingers, as it can be undone with a single press. If you have a toddler who likes to escape, I'm not confident this buckle will keep them in.

How well does the iCandy Orange work as a double buggy?

The iCandy Orange’s big selling point is its versatility while maintaining the footprint of a single buggy, with a possible 30 different configurations.

Both seats and carrycots can be arranged in parent- or world-facing mode, even when configured as a double buggy. This level of flexibility is unusual in a compact double buggy and makes it really adaptable as your family grows.

• You can start out with a single carrycot facing you, then as your baby gets older you can turn their seat round so they can see where they’re going
• When baby 2 arrives, you still have loads of options and can have the older child facing outward, while the carrycot or second seat face you. This versatility is great for keeping parents and children happy
• When you have it configured with 2 seats facing the same way, the one at the back doesn’t get much of a view, but that’s very common for a double buggy – and it's more spacious than many other double buggies

In some of the double configurations, it can be difficult to pull the sun shade up or put the rain cover on the carrycot. This pushchair can also take 2 car seats, making it a great option for twins.

However, in many of the double configurations, the size of the basket is reduced or almost non-existent.

How useful is the buggy board on the iCandy Orange?

The built-in buggy board (for 2 years up to about 4 years old), is a basic but really handy feature. It doesn’t get in your way when walking, unlike when you attach a separate buggy board to many other buggies.

There’s no seat on the buggy board and not much for your toddler to hold on to. However, updates to the wheels in this 2021 version has created softer suspension to the ride-on-board.

The buggy board can only be used when the buggy is in single mode (so it’s no good for 3 kids) and the seat or carrycot is raised up using the elevators. My little boy had just turned 2 when we got the buggy and he wouldn’t stay on the buggy board for more than a few minutes. However, he also doesn’t like riding on a scooter. If you have a slightly older toddler, or one who’s already confident on a scooter, the buggy board will work well for tired legs on short trips.

How easy is it to fold the iCandy Orange?

Yes, it is a simple – if not single-handed – fold. If you’re using the buggy as a single, with the seat in world-facing mode, the buggy can be folded with the seat in place. However, if you’re using the carrycot or the seat in parent-facing mode, these have to be removed before you can fold the buggy.

To fold the buggy:

• Put your hands on the clips, which are on either side of the handlebars near the top
• Then press the button on the underside of both clips at the same time and slide the clips up towards you
• Apply a little downwards pressure to the handlebar and the buggy folds down.

Once it is fully folded, it locks in that position, to make it easier for you to move or lift in and out of a car boot. The front of the buggy does get very scuffed though if you fold the buggy on pavement.

I find unfolding the buggy is much trickier than folding it. The catch you press on the 2021 iCandy Orange has been made easier to use - the clip is a lighter shade of grey, it’s bigger and you can press it from both inside and outside the basket. However, it still took me ages to find it and even longer to get the hang of using it.

To release the buggy so you can unfold it, you have to:

• Press a small, light grey clip, which is located on the basket when the buggy is upright
• Simultaneously press that clip while pulling upwards on either the handlebars or seat’s bumper bar.

The grey clip doesn’t look like it would have anything to do with unfolding the buggy, it’s not very easy to find when the buggy is folded and it’s very stiff. Also when pulling upwards to unfold, it means you are reaching across the buggy awkwardly.

So, despite the updates to the unfolding catch on the 2021 version of the buggy, I’d have sacrificed a little of the minimalist style in exchange for an unlocking clip that was much easier to find and use.

How big is the iCandy Orange when folded?

The frame (including wheels) is 85cm x 61cm x 60cm when folded, and a little over 1m long when folded with the seat attached. With the seat attached, it takes up most of the sizeable boot in our big, family car.

However, if you remove the seat before folding the buggy, it can be fitted into a car boot much more easily. The wheels are also quick and easy to remove, which makes it smaller still.

The buggy will self-stand when folded and is fairly stable.

How good is the iCandy Orange 2021 to push and steer?

The updated version has been made more manoeuvrable, with lighter wheels and smaller back wheels. The wheel forks have been updated to improve the suspension and the ease of going up and down curbs.

I find the buggy is very easy to steer and glides around tight corners. I can just about push it one-handed – the large, central button to extend the handlebars hampers this a little. I did, however, find that when pushing the buggy along the pavement with no child in, if I walked very quickly, the front wheels would shake, forcing me to slow down.

The buggy is significantly harder to get up large curbs when used as a double, but this is the case for all single-to-double buggies as this configuration shifts the centre of gravity forward. In some set-ups, you can put your foot on the built-in buggy board, to give you extra leverage when lifting the buggy up a big step.

Is the iCandy Orange an all-terrain pushchair?

The iCandy Orange copes very well with rough and uneven ground. It bounces over small curbs and bumps, sails over grass and mud and even managed to cope with a sandy bridleway. The tyre treads are good on muddy, uneven ground.

Does the chassis feel sturdy?

The frame looks smart and expensive, and it feels very sturdy. It has shiny, dark tubes and matte mouldings. However, the front of the frame gets really scuffed every time you fold the buggy on pavement, which is a shame.

Can you extend the iCandy Orange buggy handle?

The handle is comfortable to hold and easy to adjust to a wide range of heights, one-handed. My husband is 6ft 1in and I’m 5ft 5in, and we both found it comfortable to push.

The button to extend the handle is located in the centre of the handle, which means you can extend or retract it as you’re walking along, although it does get in the way a bit if you’re trying to push with one hand.

Are the wheels on the iCandy Orange suitable for different terrains?

The back wheels have been made smaller in this 2021 update, which makes it easier to squeeze the buggy through narrow doorways and into shops and onto public transport. Despite this reduction in size, they’re surprisingly good at coping with rough ground and both the front and rear wheels feel sturdy with chunky tyre treads.

The wheels are solid rather than air-filled, so you won’t get punctures. The wheels don’t have mudguards, which I prefer as, in my experience, they have a tendency to get clogged up with mud and leaves, stopping the wheels from turning.

The wheels are also really quick and easy to remove.

How effective are the brakes?

The brake is easy to find and use when the buggy is in single mode. However, quite a few of the double configurations obscure the brake, making it harder to access and meaning you can’t see it at all. It holds well and doesn’t get in the way when you’re pushing the buggy.

How big is the basket on the iCandy Orange?

The basket is enormous, with a 64-litre capacity, when the buggy is in single mode. It feels strong and can hold up to 10kg, and it’s easy to access. However, because the basket is quite low at the back, due to the built-in buggy board, there is a tendency for things to fall out of the back of the basket.

The basket capacity is significantly reduced in double mode, and in some configurations, pretty much non-existent – which is how the Orange manages to fit 2 babies into such a compact footprint.

What’s in the box?

You can buy different packages, including just 1 seat and carrycot, 2 seats, 2 carrycots, and a complete bundle, which comes with a whole host of accessories, so do check which package you’re buying to make sure it’s right for you.

The single pushchair and carrycot package includes:

• Chassis and wheels
• Carrycot
• Carrycot mattress
• Fabric to convert carrycot frame into a toddler seat
• Hood (sunshade), which is used for both carrycot and seat
• Duo Pod (foot muff)
• Changing bag
• Car seat adaptors (check to see which car seats are compatible with the iCandy Orange)
• Rain cover
• Elevators (for converting to double mode and to allow a child to use the buggy board)

What additional accessories can you buy?

• Additional seat
• Additional carrycot
• Mesh sunscreen
• Parasol
• Cup holder

If you want the buggy to take you from single baby to 2 toddlers, or you’re having twins, you will need to buy a package that includes more from the outset or buy an extra seat or carrycot and extra rain cover.

However, if you buy the double or twin package from the outset, you’ll have everything you need to last you years.

How do you fit the rain cover on the iCandy Orange?

The rain cover is elasticated around the outside and fits onto the carrycot and seat like a fitted sheet onto a mattress. It’s really quick and easy to fit, with no fiddly straps, just a simple piece of Velcro on either side, which fastens under the big side buttons, if you need to keep it more securely in place.

It folds up so small that I was convinced it wouldn’t be big enough to use, but it’s great and much simpler to attach than other rain covers I’ve used. There are no annoying openings in it, which have always leaked on other buggies, just some small ventilation holes at the sides.

Is the changing bag big enough?

The iCandy Orange comes with a matching changing bag. It’s a smallish bag, with a changing mat and lots of pockets – although no pocket for the mat. There’s no way of attaching the bag to the buggy handles, so you either have to carry it or put it in the basket.

I’ve always favoured enormous handbags that I can keep everything in all the time and I take the same approach to changing bags, so this bag was a bit small for me.

If you’re more organised and only take out what you need for that day, you’d be fine. However, if you need to carry nappies and changes of clothes for a baby and toddler, you’ll find it quite small.

Who would this pushchair be most useful for?

The iCandy Orange is ideal if you’re about to have your first baby, plan to have a second child in the not-too-distant future and want a buggy that will grow with your family, while still remaining compact enough to get out and about.

It’s also a really good option if you’re about to have your second baby and your first child is still young enough to need a buggy.

I contemplated trying to manage with just a single buggy for the newborn and adding a buggy board to it for my 2-year-old, but that would only be feasible for really short trips and sometimes you need to be able to strap your 2-year-old in so you can get where you’re going! This buggy would also work really well for twins.

The iCandy Orange is a good hybrid in terms of terrain too, it’s compact enough to use around town but robust enough to cope with country walks.

Is the iCandy Orange worth the money?

If you’re buying it for your first baby and want to have a second child fairly soon, or are having twins, then this buggy is a good investment. It’s expensive, but it should be the only buggy you need to take you from parent of 1 newborn to 2 children. It’s similarly priced to other premium single-to-double buggies on the market and includes items like a footmuff (which iCandy call a Duo pod), car seat adapters and a changing bag, which are often extra on other buggies.

It feels really sturdy and comes with a 5-year manufacturer warranty for the hard components of the pushchair. The wheels are covered by a 3-year warranty, fabrics by a 2-year warranty and accessories by a 1-year warranty.

If you are only going to have 1 child, it’s a lot to spend. But it has a lot to offer growing families, and the prestigious brand means there's a decent resale value when you've finished using it.

Where can I buy the iCandy Orange 2021?

It is available from iCandy, Pramworld and Online4Baby

MadeForMums verdict

If you are looking for a buggy that will convert from single to double, that will remain compact enough to get in and out of shops and tight spaces, and yet be robust enough to cope off-road, the iCandy Orange is a really great option.

It’s not cheap, but its versatility and durable frame, plus the potential resale value, make it an appealing option for growing families.