iCandy Peach All Terrain Forest Double review

Tested by

Rachel lives in Kent and is mum to three-year-old Rowan and five-month-old Leo. They tested the iCandy Peach All-Terrain and the Pebble Plus car seat on trips into town on foot, by bus and car as well as into the local country park and used it in both the single and double mode.

How is the iCandy Peach All-Terrain Double different to the iCandy Peach double?

The main difference between the models is the fact the All-Terrain has multi-wheel functionality. However, in all, a massive 70 improvements have been made. These include an increased seat/carrycot size, puncture-proof tyres, swivel bumper bar, leatherette handlebar, extendable canopy and the addition of a canopy window and pocket. The seat and carrycot now also share the same frame so it’s easy to switch between the two.

How is it different to the iCandy Peach All-Terrain single?

The iCandy Peach All-Terrain single is the same as the All-Terrain Double but you can buy a converter kit and an additional carrycot or seat for the latter, meaning that it can accommodate two children. The double is priced at £1,245, meaning it isn’t cheap, but that does include the chassis, the carrycot, a seat and a converter kit to change from single to double buggy. And, another major plus point is the fact the double is super flexible in terms of configuration - there are a staggering 15 ways to arrange the seats if you include the use of a car seat too. You can also buy the pushchair as a double system outright.

What were your first impressions?

My first impressions of the buggy system when in double-mode was that it was BIG. With a toddler and a baby, I felt a bit like I was pushing a tank around. It did feel very robust though which was reassuring, especially as my youngest was stuck underneath his big brother when in the carrycot.

What do you think of the carrycot?

The carrycot is large, sturdy and really comfortable. It’s nicely padded and fits onto the chassis really easily. I was quite impressed by how the frame could be used to make a seat for an older child too as your baby grows (although you’ll need to buy additional fabric to turn it into an older baby’s seat). The ventilated padded mattress and luxury fleece lining made me feel very comfortable using it for overnight sleeping, which I did on a couple of occasions, and my baby seemed to have no problem using it too.

How comfortable is the seat unit on the iCandy Peach All-Terrain Double?

The seat unit is great quality, nicely padded and easy to clean. However, I did feel that the footrest’s ridge didn’t really allow my three-year-old son Rowan to stretch his legs out as much as he might do normally - if he extended his legs, a metal bar dug into his calves. Also, being a ‘bucket’ seat you couldn’t really flatten the seat out when you reclined it, which meant Rowan couldn’t really nap comfortably.

I was a bit disappointed by the height restriction too. Technically the seat can handle 22kg in three-wheel mode and 25kg in four-wheel mode, but I found that even though my son was well under that, his head was poking into the hood. Although he is perhaps a little taller than average, I would not be surprised if other parents found the seat didn’t accommodate their child’s height as they edged towards three-and-a-half. I liked the extra pocket on the back of the seat though and the mesh peekaboo panel at the back was also a nice touch as I could check in on Rowan.

Does the seat recline?

Yes, the seat reclines into four different positions very smoothly, although I wish it had a couple more options. The seat is recommended for babies aged six months upwards but I have on occasions tried to put my five-month old son Leo in it when he wasn’t in the mood to lie flat in his carrycot. On most occasions I found that if I put Leo in the ‘big boy’ seat it was either too flat or too upright for him to be very comfortable.

Is it reversible?

Yes, both the carrycot and the seat are easily reversible and can be put in a variety of arrangements to best suit your needs.

How easy to use is the seat harness on the iCandy Peach All-Terrain Double?

The harness and buckle on the seat unit are really simple to use. The straps are super easy to adjust and feel very secure. From past experience of other buggies, buckles can be unnecessarily fiddly, but this clicked together very easily and popped open with ease when I needed to get my son in or out. It also felt very secure – and I felt that if there was a sudden jolt, there was no risk of Rowan flying out. It was great to have a swivel bumper bar that could be opened as and when needed too.

How easy is it to manoeuvre when walking around town?

I really enjoyed using it as a single buggy around town. It was super sturdy, solid and could tackle almost any surface with ease - it really glided over tarmac and pavements. With a newborn I felt confident he wouldn’t be jiggled around too much thanks to the brilliant tyres. Rowan was easy to push despite being considerably heavier than Leo - and this went for use both in town and country. However, the pushchair lets itself down when used as a double. As a concept, the idea of a single buggy that transforms into a double is great, but in practise I just felt like I was pushing around a bit of a beast. Yes, it still glided well on tarmac, but I dreaded every kerb I came to. The wheels also had a habit of jamming with two children - I can only assume this was a result of the added weight.

How did the iCandy Peach All-Terrain Double push on challenging surfaces?

Generally, it travelled well on grass, dirt track and gravel. I also used it on cobbles and it didn’t feel like the children were being jiggled too much. It was also very effective on the bumpy terrain in our local country park, but it did jam occasionally when there were large bumps in the ground or muddier patches in the grass.

However, it was harder to push in double-mode and at times difficult on challenging terrain. The wheels were particularly prone to jamming and it did feel pretty hefty when trying to turn sharp corners. Overall I did find that my experience of the pushchair was less enjoyable when in double-mode.

How easy is it to convert from a three-wheeled buggy to a four-wheeler?

Changing the number of wheels was surprisingly easy, although I did tend to stick to four-wheel mode as I was more often than not out with both my sons, and you can’t use the buggy in double-mode with three wheels. It’s great that the option is there - some of my friends have a real preference towards three-wheelers as they are often easier to manoeuvre and they are also great if you’re going out for a jog.

What do you think of the wheels?

The wheels are large, sturdy, super easy to fit and made using the buggy as a single a real pleasure. This is probably thanks to the hard-wearing PU outer and EVA inner, which give the ride of an air tyre without the risk of a puncture. I definitely felt they coped with rougher terrains as well as cobbles in town, and I think they bore the brunt of any big bumps, leaving my baby blissfully unaware of the ride he was on when sleeping. However, I did occasionally worry the wheels would give way when they jammed - especially when you have the weight of a double buggy suddenly grinding to a halt behind them.

Do the brakes on the iCandy Peach All-Terrain Double feel effective?

The brake does feel very strong but I had two issues with it. Firstly, the pedal is on the right-hand side of the pushchair, which is a pain if you’re on a bus, for example, and can’t access the right-hand side of the chair. Equally, my husband is left-handed/footed and commented that he preferred a centrally placed brake so it was accessible from all sides. iCandy has probably designed it this way however, because when using a carrycot in double-mode you could never reach a brake that was centrally placed as it slots in so low.

The second issue I had was that when the pushchair was in double-mode it was virtually impossible to brake without stopping and searching for the pedal as it was pretty much invisible.

How is interacting with your children when they’re in the buggy?

In single-mode, interacting was easy and pleasurable. The carrycot was at a really nice height for me to check-in with the baby when he was awake. When my toddler used the chair he and I were able to chat easily and I didn’t have to crouch too low to get him out. The extendable handlebar - which extends from 97-117cm – allowed both my husband and I to enjoy the same experience of closeness.

However, in double-mode I really didn’t like how the carrycot was positioned. I wanted to be able to check on Leo when he was awake and asleep, but he was either facing outwards and really low or facing towards me and impossible to get in and out of the cot. This could at times be stressful as I constantly felt I didn’t really know how he was. That said, Rowan enjoyed being so high off the ground in double-mode, although I didn’t really like having to lift him in and out of the seat at this height.

Tell us about the weight of the iCandy Peach All-Terrain Double.

The pushchair alone weighs in at a hefty 19.5kg when in double mode with the individual items weighing the following: 3-wheel chassis: 9.3kg, 4-wheel chassis: 11.5kg, Frame with no wheels: 6kg, seat unit: 3.4kg and carrycot: 4.5kg.

Add a baby and a child into the mix (and a bag if you can fit it in the basket) and you’re looking at a lot of weight to push up a hill. I can’t imagine what it might be like pushing two toddlers. The heavier the pushchair got, the more I felt the front wheels couldn’t quite cope with the terrain it was marketed for.

How easy is it to lift?

When in double-mode the pushchair is pretty difficult to pick up and manoeuvre. However, it must be said that when the seats are taken off and the chassis collapsed, it is quite easy to carry around. The carry strap is really useful for this.

How does the pushchair fold?

The seat doesn’t fold with the seats still attached - either in single or double-mode - making storage a bit of an issue in a small house or when travelling on public transport. When the chassis is collapsed it measures 73x62x43cm, and the wheels easily detach which isn’t too bad, but you do need to find a home for the seats or carrycots too.

How useful is the hood?

The SPF50 hood is quiet and glides up and down with ease. There is also an extendable sun visor and an aeromesh panel to boost ventilation which is really good for very sunny, hot days. It also stays put which is handy as I’ve often found hoods ping back as you ride over bumpy terrain. The only flaw I noticed is that it is pretty low on the seat which means my son’s head is pushed into it when he’s in the toddler seat.

How big is the basket on the iCandy Peach All-Terrain Double?

The basket is pretty generous when used in single-mode and can hold a small shop, but I wish the walls went up a little higher as I lost an item of shopping on one trip because it is too shallow. Technically it can hold up to 10kg when in four-wheel mode which is pretty sizeable. However, in double-mode with a carrycot and chair, the basket becomes entirely useless as you can’t get much between that and the cot. I find this very frustrating as I can’t use it to take both kids out to the supermarket.

What was it like to use Maxi Cosi Pebble Plus Car Seat with the system?

I am a big fan of this Maxi Cosi seat and it’s ideal when used with this pushchair system. The car seat adaptors enabled me to click in the car seat with real ease and it’s super comfy and supportive. The included car seat adaptors are also compatible with a number of other car seat brands including Cybex and Nuna. The other great benefit to the car seat is the fact it makes the basket much more accessible – in fact, the only way I could do a decent shop with both of the children was if my youngest was in the car seat.

Does the paint on the frame scratch easily?

The frame does not scratch easily - in fact it has survived quite a few scrapes on forest jaunts, so it’s pretty resilient.

What do you think of the raincover?

You receive two raincovers with this double pushchair, and these are easy to put on both the seat and carrycot. It was nice to be able to have just one child protected from the rain if the other refused to use the cover – other double buggy users I know are often trying to referee whether the cover is on or off with two willful young children!

What was the buggy like on public transport?

The buggy was easy to use on public transport when in single-mode and I didn’t need help to mount a double decker bus that had quite a big gap between the bus and pavement. The same can’t be said for the double configuration though. In fact, getting it on the bus was really difficult - even with help. I ended up insisting my son got out of the buggy to walk onto the bus so I could pivot the wheel to raise it onto the bus.

Does the iCandy Peach All-Terrain Double fit in the boot of your car?

Yes, the system does fit inside the car but it doesn’t leave space for a lot else. We have a pretty spacious boot in our Renault Kadjar – it has a volume of 472 litres – but we wouldn’t have been able to fit a substantial supermarket shop in if I’d popped out to pick up groceries.

Do you have to buy a lot of additional extra?

No, all the essentials are included. This includes the chassis, two seat units, carrycot fabric, apron, mattress, bumper bars, converter base, two hoods, a shopping basket, two raincovers and car seat adaptors. The carrycot can convert into another seat if you buy seat fabric separately. In terms of additional items you can also purchase a footmuff/apron, changing bag, cup holder, mosquito net/sun protector and parasol.

Is it easy to assemble the product?

I was pretty daunted when I got all the pieces out of the boxes - it looked like a real jigsaw. But it was actually pretty simple to construct and took me no more than 30 minutes to put it together. Making the carrycot was a bit fiddly and I did fine-tune what I’d constructed a day or two later, but it wasn’t the IKEA flat-pack nightmare I thought it’d be.

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

I’d have liked to have known how heavy the pushchair is as a double. As much as it’s sturdy, flexible and stylish, I do find pushing round such a bulky vehicle and having it take up so much space a real turn-off.

What do you think of the style and look of the iCandy Peach All-Terrain Double?

It’s a clever piece of engineering, and a very attractive pushchair. But for me it was just too big and chunky. I felt very conspicuous pushing both children around when it was in double-mode. It’s currently available on a satin chassis with fabric colour named ‘Forest’ which is a khaki green colourway.

Who would it be most useful for?

I think this pushchair is probably most useful for people who live in the countryside and need a heavy-duty pushchair, have large houses where storage isn’t an issue, and have probably had two children within a short-ish space of time - that way the weight/height is kept to a minimum. Obviously if someone bought the single version of pushchair with their first child, it makes sense to just buy the converter kit and a carrycot rather than buying an entirely new travel system too.

Is the pushchair value for money?

There’s no getting away from the fact that this is an expensive pushchair. While I do have some issues with its usability in certain scenarios, there’s no doubt that it boasts beautiful design, is robust and made of top quality materials. It is also highly adaptable which cannot be underestimated as your children grow and evolve in their needs.

Where can I buy the iCandy Peach All Terrain Double?

It's available from iCandy.

MadeForMums verdict

The iCandy peach All Terrain Double is great piece of kit but I’m not sure it was the double pushchair solution for me. Once the novelty of being able to push two kids around at the same time wore off, the flaws of the system became increasingly obvious to me. It is clearly stylish, well-made, resilient, and pretty easy to push and steer when used as a single buggy. But in the two-child set-up with one older toddler and one baby, it was quite heavy and difficult to get up steps or kerbs. It’s also not the most compact item to store if you have limited space in your house or car. Overall, I’d advise any would-be buyers to ensure they really need a heavy-duty pushchair before they run out and buy this - it’s beautiful but it’s hefty.

Read More...

• The best buggies for 2019
• The best convertible (single to double) pushchairs
• The best buggies suitable for a newborn