iCandy Orange pushchair review

British brand iCandy is synonymous with style. The iCandy Orange is a single-to-double buggy, which really is a thing of beauty and uses aeronautical technology to ensure a smooth ride for your little ones.

Retailing at £875 for the single (£1040 for the double and £1175 for the twin) it’s at the higher end of the price bracket when it comes to single-to-double buggies.

There’s quite a small age gap between my two little boys. Ellis is two-and-a-half- years-old and Theo is 14 months and not yet walking.

Finding the right double buggy to accommodate two children of different ages can be a challenge. This is where the iCandy Orange sets itself apart from other buggies. I wish this single-to-double buggy had been around when Ellis was born as it’s the only one we’d ever have needed.

The only downside is that it’s a lot to fork out if you’re not sure you’re going to have another child.

5 things you need to know about the iCandy Orange

The iCandy Orange has some cool features, including being able to fold the buggy down with the seat still attached, and the fact that the carrycot can be transformed into the seat - useful if you're using it as a single and don't want to be storing a carrycot once your baby has grown out of it.

Also, you can add seat extenders, which raise the level of the carrycot or seat and gave Theo a bird’s eye view of the world keeping him entertained. This also created extra space for Ellis when he was on the in-built buggy board, which he loves.

The seat unit has a removable padded insert, brilliant for younger babies as not only does it make them feel cosier it also means if they’re sick or spill something it only goes on the insert and not the buggy seat itself.

Theo also loved the leatherette bumper bar that, in another first for iCandy, rotates. I could pop it open in one side, which made it even easier to get Theo in and out of the seat. The height range of the handle on the buggy is also impressive and iCandy say it has the widest range of any handlebar currently available on the market.

The only gripe I have about the buggy is it doesn’t come with a second seat. You need to buy it separately. But to be fair this is the case with the Baby Jogger City Select and I’d imagine with all the other buggies in this price range.

You can buy the iCandy Orange from iCandy, Baby Planet

First impressions?

In a word, wow. This literally is an all-singing, all-dancing pushchair. The Orange is billed by iCandy as being ‘future proof’.

While this might sound like the brand just blowing its own trumpet it’s a fairly accurate description.

It feels like they really have thought of everything and comes with everything you need to use it with a baby and a toddler.

I’ve tried out quite a few buggies and with a whopping 30 different possible configurations this is easily the most adaptable one I’ve come across. It’s been built with growing families in mind.

Its chic design didn’t go unnoticed by my mum friends either with plenty of comments on my gorgeous new buggy, which has never happened to me before.

How does it compare to other single or tandem buggies you’ve used?

Design wise this buggy is in a league of its own. I’ve never been complimented so much, or in fact ever, on a buggy before.

All three of us, and dad too, were equally happy using it.

It’s so adaptable it can be used as a single, tandem or with a toddler standing on the back.

I’ve never used a buggy board before but friends have told me their little ones aren’t keen on using them. With standard buggy boards there tends not to be a huge amount of space for a toddler to stand on the back. But using the elevators on the iCandy Orange gave Ellis lots of extra room and he loved it.

I found it a dream to push with both boys on it, compared to the Baby Jogger City Select.

But I didn’t find it quite as easy to interact with both the boys together as I do with my Baby Jogger City Mini Double as Theo felt further away as he was facing outwards. But he seemed perfectly content to watch the world go by as the added height gives him a great view.

Weighing in at 12.5kg with the one seat, it is considerably heavier than my lightweight Baby Jogger City Mini, a mere 7.6kg.

But as this has to be able to take the weight of a second child I’d expect it to be heavier, although my Baby Jogger City Mini Double is still a bit lighter at 11.8kg. I’ve also never seen such a massive shopping basket on a buggy, either single or double before, the one on the iCandy Orange is huge.

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What do you think of the in-built buggy board?

This is definitely my toddler Ellis’s favourite feature. He absolutely loves it and was so excited he started telling his friends at nursery all about his new buggy the first time I dropped him off in it.

I was impressed that it can hold up to 20kg as one of the problems I have with using a double buggy is that each seat can usually only hold up to 15kg.

And with an age gap of only 15 months between my two I need a buggy that is going to last me for a while.

What’s great about the design of this in-built buggy board is that using it with the extenders created a lot more space for Ellis to stand so he wasn’t squashed.

It even meant I could have Theo facing towards us when Ellis was standing on it so we could all chat and interact together. I was slightly concerned they might fight but they were having too much fun.

Watch how to use the iCandy Orange in-built buggy board

The iCandy Orange has a possible 30 different configurations, is this a useful feature?

Definitely as it means there’s something to suit everyone, whatever age your children.

They have literally thought if everything and you can interchange positions with the carrycot, seat, car seat, have the facing towards you, away from you, using the extenders, without – you name it.

It would have been so lovely to use it from birth as I’d have been able to see Ellis or Theo up close with the extenders and facing forwards.

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Is the iCandy Orange travel system compatible?

Yes, you can use a car seat with the iCandy Orange in several different variations. It’s compatible with the Maxi-Cosi Cabrio Fix, Maxi-Cosi Pebble, Maxi-Cosi Pebble Plus, BeSafe iZiGo, BeSafe iZiGo Modular, Kiddy Evo Lunafix, Kiddy Evolution Pro2, Cybex Aton Q, cybex Cloud 2, Joie iGemm, Nuna Pipa, Recaro Privia and the Evoluna i-size.

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How easy is it to push when loaded up with both children?

I was surprised by how easy it was to push the iCandy Orange with both of my boys in it. I’ve struggled in the past when using the Baby Jogger City Select Double buggy.

Ellis and Theo are quite close in age and size, meaning I’ve had to practically run at kerbs to try and get the momentum to get the buggy over them. Because of this I find side-by-side buggies have worked better for us as their weight is more evenly distributed.

When we were out and about with the iCandy Orange it still required a bit of effort for me to get the buggy over anything other than small kerbs with Ellis standing on the in-built buggy board on the back and Theo sat in the seat in front.

But it was nowhere near like the strain of using the Baby Jogger City Select. Although I don’t know whether it would have been a different story if they were both in seats in the iCandy Orange.

How does it ride on different surfaces?

What was really noticeable was how smooth it was to push the buggy on pretty much all surfaces, even cobbles.

It felt sturdy, smooth and easy to manoeuvre. I did have to take my time, and make sure Ellis was holding on tightly, when it came to mounting kerbs.

And anything other than the smallest of kerbs was a bit of an effort to get the buggy over. But if you’ve got two little ones in a tandem buggy it’s going to be heavy. And I’ve yet to try a tandem buggy that hasn’t had some weight to it when trying to mount the pavement.

How is it on public transport?

Getting on and off the bus with the iCandy Orange with Theo was hassle-free. On the rare occasions we were on the bus without any other buggies there was plenty of space for it to fit.

But I did find it a bit of a squeeze a couple of times when there was a buggy next to us. This was predominantly down to the size of the back wheels as they were too large for me to be able to fit the buggy in side on as I couldn’t get them past the bar.

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What do you think of the wheels?

There are two small wheels at the front and two larger wheels at the back, all of which are quick release to ensure you can turn the buggy smoothly. And it is definitely easy to steer.

The only time I found they were an issue was when I tried to fit it next to another buggy on the bus as the size of the back wheels meant they were too large for me to manoeuvre the buggy sideways.

How compact is the iCandy Orange – how does it fare when out in shops/travelling around town?

The buggy is 60cm wide so fits through most standard doors in public places. We regularly go to playgroups where it’s a tight squeeze for me to get the Baby Jogger City Mini Double through the door, it has to be opened at exactly the right angle. Taking the boys in the iCandy Orange instead made life easier. I also had plenty of space getting down the aisles in the supermarket.

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How easy is it to store?

Really easy. We live in a first floor flat so I need to take the buggy down every time I use it.

It folds down to L70cm x W60cm x H28.5cm freestanding so is fairly compact, although it takes up a bit more room if you keep the seat attached.

I removed the seat with the extenders still on and had it freestanding separately in our hallway, taking up about the same amount of space as a carrycot.

Is it affordable for what it is?

At £875 for the single, £1040 for the double and £1,175 for the twin, this certainly isn’t the cheapest buggy on the market. But in this case you get what you pay for, a quality, durable, stylish buggy built to last you years.

And when you take into account it also comes with a carrycot, raincovers, bumper bars and car seat adaptors it’s actually a lot more reasonably priced than you might expect. It’s just a lot of money to spend initially.

Is the frame strong, durable?

The nimbus grey frame is surprisingly light but sturdy and capable of holding the weight of two children. The chassis is 60cm wide, fractionally narrower by 1cm than my Baby Jogger City Mini single buggy.

Do you think it works better as a single or a double pushchair?

With so many different configurations to choose from it works equally well as both, it really depends on your needs. As a single it can take up to 25kg in weight and as a double, 15kg per seat.

Or you can use it as a single and have your toddler standing on the in-built buggy board that holds up to 20kg.

If you use the extenders there’s plenty of room for two seats and they’re not on top of each other, unlike on other buggies, such as the Phil and Ted’s Dot where the child at the bottom can seem a bit squashed.

What do you think of the fold system?

The fold system is a doddle to use.

1. You slide the levers up on both sides of the chassis and it folds in on itself.
2. There’s an automatic lock on the side.
3. You can fold it with the seat still on facing outwards, or you can take the seat off, whichever you prefer.

The only snag is that I couldn’t fold it down with one hand. But being able to take Theo off while still in the seat compensated for this as I could leave him sitting securely while I took down the frame. If you’re using a carrycot you need to remove it before folding but the carrycot can be folded flat for transport.

To unfold it you pull open the lock on the side and pull it up with the handlebar.

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Is it compact when folded?

It folds down to L70cm x W60cm x H28.5cm the same size as my Baby Jogger City Mini Double when you take the seat off. And if you have the seat unit freestanding it takes up about the same amount of space as a carrycot.

What do you think of handle?

The adjustable leatherette handlebar is another great feature on the iCandy Orange as it offers such a wide range of height options it’s suitable for parents of all sizes. There’s a button in the centre of it that you press to change the height. The brand claims the height options are ‘taller at their highest and lower at their lowest than the nearest competitor’, making it suitable for me at 5ft 6inches or my other half at 6ft 1inch.

What do you think of the size of the seat units?

This is the largest seat of any iCandy pushchair. Unlike the iCandy Peach both seats for the iCandy Orange are the same size so both children have the same amount of room, perfect for twins or two toddlers like mine with a small age gap. Theo’s a big 14 month old and even with the seat liner in it he has plenty of room so it should last him a couple of years yet.

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How many recline positions are there?

There are three recline positions and you can recline the seat with the lever on the hood using one hand. Theo’s favourite is when he’s sitting totally upright as it allows him to see everything that’s going on.

How comfortable does it feel for your little ones?

The five-point harness is height adjustable and the seats come with a padded liner that is soft and well-made. The straps are also padded so they don’t dig in to Ellis or Theo making them more comfortable.

So much so that Theo, who has lately been refusing to nap, fell asleep on our first outing in this buggy. Leatherette bumper bars are included and these handily unclip on either side.

Again this is a useful touch as it means I don’t need to remove it from the seat unit if I want to take the boys out.

How is interacting with your little ones when in the buggy?

This totally depends on which of the configurations you use. When Ellis is on the buggy board and Theo is in the seat facing forwards I can chat away to Ellis.

And it’s much easier for me to have a conversation with him than when he’s in our Baby Jogger City Mini Double, as if the hood is up it can sometimes be difficult to hear what he’s saying.

But if I have the handle fully extended on the iCandy Orange in this position it feels like Theo’s really far away from me and a bit left out. Although, this would be the case with any tandem buggy if you have the top seat facing forwards.

The totally brilliant thing about this buggy is because it has so many possible configurations I can also have Theo facing towards me when Ellis is on the buggy board. This means the boys can chat, or fight, with each other and I can talk to both of them too. And when it’s just the two of us I can also have Theo facing towards me, so again we can have lots of eye contact and interaction.

Do the extenders for ‘cinema-style’ seating make a difference?

The elevators make a massive difference when I have Theo in the seat and Ellis on the buggy board. It gives Ellis so much more room to stand up. Theo absolutely loved it when I used the extenders and he was sitting upright facing outwards in the seat.

The added height gives him a great vantage point so he can see everything that’s going on when we’re out and about. And there’s enough space when using the extenders to have him facing towards Ellis, and me, so we can all chat.

If you use the extenders with two seats, the way the seats are staggered allows you to make eye contact with both of your little ones if they’re facing towards you, another first for the brand.

What do you think of the hood?

The hood can be used on both the carrycot and the seat unit. And the coverage the extendable hood gives is amazing, it reaches down past the bumper bar.

It has four modes: extended, visor, sleep and, new for iCandy, it has a ventilation window using black mesh that allows me to see what Theo’s up to.

The only thing that let the hood down for me is that the section at the very front isn’t rigid. As a result Theo delighted in continually trying to pull it up so we had a constant battle on sunny days, with me trying to pull it back down again to make sure he was in the maximum shade.

Tell us about the brakes

The brake is located at the back near the right hand wheel. You just flip it up with your foot to take it off and press it down to engage it. Even with Ellis standing on the back it was easy to access.

Does it fit in the boot of your car?

We have a Volvo XC60, a family car with a large boot so fitting the buggy into it wasn’t a problem and we had plenty of space to spare.

What age children is it best for?

I’d say this is a buggy for children of all ages under 5 years. Whether you’ve got a newborn, toddler, or a little person in-between this buggy is so versatile they’d all love it.

How easily can you access the basket when the tandem seat is attached?

I didn’t test it out with a second seat but as the shopping basket is so huge I’d imagine it would be easy to access it, even with a second seat on. There’s no bar across the back of it so there’s nothing to stop you from getting in to it.

Which is precisely what Ellis tried to do, my biggest problem was trying to stop him from climbing into the shopping basket and I was worried he’d break it.

What’s in the box?

• Chassis
• 1 seat
• 1 carry cot
• 1 carry cot apron, liner and mattress
• 1 padded liner
• 2 elevators
• 2 bumper bars
• 2 canopies
• 2 raincovers
• 2 car seat adaptors

Is it easy/hard to build the product?

The instructions were simple to follow but fairly basic, mainly relying on pictures. It took around 20 minutes to build the buggy and 10 minutes to assemble the carrycot.

The instructions were useful for setting up the buggy but they didn’t convey some of the cool features it has, such as being able to fold it down with the seat attached or using the extenders to have the seat freestanding.

I had to watch various videos on YouTube to find these things out.

What would you have wanted to know before you purchased the item?

You need to buy the second seat to convert it into a tandem. And while the name implies this buggy is orange it actually comes in eight different colours including flame. We tested it out in carbon.

Who would the product be most useful for?

Style-conscious, new parents with cash to splash who have, or plan on having, more than one child after a quality, functional, buggy built to last.

Is there anything unique about this product?

Where to start? This new iCandy buggy has lots of unique nifty features. My favourite is the integrated buggy board that can hold up to 20kg in weight. The shopping basket is a massive 64 litres and holds 10kg. The leatherette bumper bar swivels so you can unclip it while you take your little one in and out of the buggy. The handle has a huge height range, bigger than any other buggy on the market. And of course the iCandy Orange has 30, yes 30, different possible configurations.

What is the price? Is this good value for money? Do you have to buy a lot of additional extras, which all add up or is everything included?

Initially the price tag of the iCandy Orange seems eye-wateringly expensive. But once you break it down it’s actually quite good value for money, especially as it’s probably the only buggy you’ll ever buy.

It also includes a carrycot, bumper bars, raincovers and car seat adaptors so the only real extra you need to buy is an additional seat, or a second carrycot if you have twins. To put it in perspective, our Baby Jogger City Mini single buggy set us back around £300, and we splashed out on a pricey deluxe carrycot to go with it that was £200.

Add on to this the cost of a raincover and car seat adaptors and you’re looking at a total of over £550 for our single buggy with accessories, and that’s without a bumper bar or ride-on board.

MadeForMums verdict:

If you can afford the initial outlay then this super stylish buggy, purpose-built for more than one child, really is the only pushchair you’ll ever need, unless you have triplets.

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