iCandy Peach Double Blossom Pushchair review

We've also reviewed the Peach as a single buggy here.

iCandy uses aeronautical technology in its products, and claims the standard of engineering is akin to a plane, rather than a pushchair.

This is the review of the 2017 version double iCandy Peach, if you're after a review of the 2018 Peach, we have it here.

You can still buy the 2017 iCandy Peach from iCandy.

This buggy is sold around its flexibility to convert into a double, how does the Blossom converter work?

This is genuinely one of the winning aspects of the Peach 3 for me – as the ease of converting it from a single to a double buggy is remarkable.

In the Blossom converter pack comes a second, lower seat and a pair of converters, which attach to the main frame.

These c-shaped converters clip into place facing either forwards or backwards, depending which way you want the children to travel.

A small sliding cover closes the gap on the converter/chassis and the seat has two ‘legs’ which then click into the converters and it’s ready to go.

Does the iCandy Peach buggy work better as a single or a double?

It works well as both a single and a double buggy, as it is so easy to change between the two!

It is obviously a lot heavier as a double – weighing 17.4kg compared to 14.2kg as a single, plus the weight of the children – and I definitely found it more difficult to push. It was a real workout going for long walks with both kids.

Saying that, the iCandy Peach Blossom 3 remains extremely manoeuvrable in double mode and it was a dream having the option to pop my older child in when he got tired of walking.

The iCandy Blossom has also won the gold award for best double buggy in the MadeForMums awards 2017.

So how is it when out and about?

The ride is very smooth, and the buggy generally feels light and manoeuvrable when on surfaces like pavements, roads and in shops.

I did find the iCandy Peach 3 struggled slightly to mount all but the smallest of kerbs, which meant I had a couple of incidents where I almost tipped it over.

I had to be quite careful to make sure I lifted the front wheels when we approached small kerbs, which I hadn’t been expecting given how sturdy the buggy is and it did start to feel heavy after doing this a few times with two children.

But on grass, and other off-road surfaces, it actually felt like much less heavy going than pushing a truly lighter buggy, because it is so sturdy and tackled the surfaces more easily.

What is it like taking the iCandy buggy on the bus?

I was a bit worried that the buggy might not fit down the aisle of a bus, because of the large, wide back wheels, but it was fine.

Being in the double mode meant that the pushchair protruded out of the buggy space on the bus. This means that if the buggy space has a bell pole in it, then it may be tricky to get the iCandy to fit, but luckily I travelled when it wasn’t too busy.

One thing I did notice is that if someone tries to help you onto a bus or train, there is actually not much for them to grab onto at the front. In terms of going up and down stairs, I definitely needed help carrying the buggy, even as a single, as I found it quite heavy.

How easy is it to push on all-terrain?

Incredibly easy! I absolutely loved this about the iCandy Peach 3. Having previously used a Bugaboo Bee with my son – which is definitely more geared up for city streets – I was so excited to be able to make short work of long grass, deep mud, and bumpy paths.

It felt fantastic to push as the buggy was doing most of the work, rather than me wearing myself out – I think a lot of that was down to the large rear wheels. There is also an easy one-click mechanism for fixing the front wheels into non-swivel mode, for when you really need to power over a challenging surface.

How sturdy is the iCandy pushchair?

This is the Land Rover of the buggy world: the iCandy Peach 3 is about as sturdy as they come. The chunky chassis would be virtually impossible to damage, while the fabric on the hood and seats is incredibly durable.

With a pair of oversized back wheels, and no fiddly little bits involved in the converters and elevators, it is certainly tough.

Is the iCandy Peach 3 comfortable for your little ones?

Yes, it is. The design and elements such as the adjustable footrest means that the kids get a really comfy ride in the pushchair.

The seats are not overly padded, but have a firmness to them – which I thought made them especially comfortable when the children were asleep as they were well supported.

The harness and buckle points also have very well-padded covers, which impressed me. Plus, the oversized tyres mean a smooth journey even when you’re pushing over bumpy ground.

The iCandy Peach 3 can be used for children up to 15kg, or about. I think my three-year-old was probably at the upper end of the scale in terms of the length of the seat, as he did look a little squashed in, but he said it was very comfortable nonetheless.

How is interacting with your children when in the buggy?

The elevator adaptors can be used to lift the main seat higher, which means that when parent-facing it’s lovely to be a bit closer to your baby.

I found it really easy to reach down and adjust my baby’s blanket and talk to her, although I needed to lean round to speak to my son when he was in the lower seat.

When the seats are turned to the front, it’s more difficult to interact – but, I think my baby actually preferred that in some ways, as she had a more interesting view!

When I tested it with my six-month-old nephew, I found it was a great feature to use the elevator adapters to give the seat the height for him to sit at the table. I would definitely use this again with the seat in forward-facing mode to double up as a highchair.

Can you fold the Peach 3 with one hand as iCandy claims?

The iCandy Peach 3 is easy to fold with two hands, sadly I didn’t find folding the pushchair with one hand practical. However, we've got two videos below that show how it can fold with one hand or two, so you can judge for yourself if you'd use one or two hands.

I think most people will find it easier to fold with two hands as the seat unit needs to be removed first and to do this there are clips on both sides of the seat that have to be pushed. This can be done separately(one handed), but you'll probably end up using two hands to do it as it's quicker and easier.

But if your hands are full, the one hand folding system is ideal.

Once they’re off, you can use one hand to collapse the chassis as it works by firmly pushing the handle adjuster button until the handlebar drops to the ground.

A strap in the shopping basket is then pulled up to close the chassis, and it then fastens together using a clip on the side.

If you want to collapse it from double mode, the lower seat also needs to be removed, as well as the converters, so it’s definitely not a one-handed action.

How compact is it when folded?

When folded, the buggy is 70cm in length by 60cm in width and 28.5cm high. The buggy did fit in the boot of our VW Golf, but took up most of the space. I also found it quite annoying that it was necessary to put the seat on the ground while I put the folded chassis in the boot using both hands as there wasn’t space to put them side-by-side.

Because the chassis had to go in first, it meant there was always a point when the seat had to go on the ground – not ideal if you’re parked somewhere muddy, or if it’s raining.

Once I put it in the car boot, even with just one of the seats, I would have struggled to get a lot more in there.

It’s fine for a day out, but not if you wanted to load up the car for a weekend away with two kids.

How easy is it to store?

Despite not being especially compact, I liked that the buggy could be taken apart so easily and folded up, as it does make it easy to store.

We kept the iCandy Peach 3 unfolded in a fairly narrow corridor below our first floor flat, but when I did need to fold it to make space for other items a plus point was the fact that the folded chassis is freestanding, so can slot into a smaller space than if it had to lie down.

You can also buy a carry/storage bag for £80 if you need to store it away safely.

Is the hood noisy when folding and unfolding?

I noticed online the iCandy Peach 3 has been highlighted for the noisy folding and unfolding of the hood, so I was interested to see if this was true, particularly as my baby wakes up or startles at the slightest noise.

When I tested the buggy though, the hood unfolded and folded with barely any noise, which was a relief.

In fact, my sister-in-law actually commented unprompted on how smooth and quiet she thought the hood folded.

Tell us about the various parts adjustable parts.

I liked the fact the handle could be adjusted to four different positions ranging from 95-105cm using just one button in the middle of the handlebar.

However, I found that there was always still a tiny bit of movement up and down in the handle as I walked along, it wasn’t fully locked into place.

The Peach 3 has three adjustable positions for the main seat when it’s being used as a single, and two positions when used as a double. This is done by pressing a grey button on either side of the seat and rotating the seat into place.

I did find it trickier than I expected to adjust the seat, mainly because the grey buttons didn’t always press in smoothly.

You also need two free hands to press the buttons and rotate the seat simultaneously, which isn’t always possible when out and about with a child, so I would have preferred a one-handed adjustment mechanism.

Have a look at the frame, does the paint scratch easily?

Unfortunately I managed to scratch the frame in the first week of using the iCandy Peach 3, which I was disappointed about.

It isn’t a deal breaker for me, as the buggy is so sturdy generally, but I did feel sad to have scratched a brand new pushchair so easily.

I had the black-framed version, and did use the buggy heavily, so I thought perhaps the chrome chassis is a better option for heavy users. However, I did notice a few chrome iCandys out and about which were also scratched.

Look at the basket, what do you think of it?

I liked the basket because it was very open, making it accessible from both the front and back of the buggy. It seemed very strong, and can take up to 5kg, or 26 litres, according to iCandy.

In real life, this translated to two cake tins, a BabyBjorn sling, a compact changing bag, and the raincover.

Do you have to use the basket differently when being used as a single or double?

I found it a lot more tricky to access the basket when I had the second seat attached, because the footrest of the lower seat comes down over the basket. I certainly wouldn’t have been able to get much shopping in there, but I was still able to slot in softer items like the sling, coats and a small carrier bag.

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

The main seat is not recommended for babies younger than six months, so iCandy recommends you buy the carrycot (£195) as well.

However, as well as trying out the seat with my six-month-old nephew, I tested the seat unit with my two-month-old and felt happy using it myself. This was because you can lie it flat, and the harness can be adjusted to a small enough size.

But, that is not advised so it’s definitely worth bearing in mind that if you want to use it from newborn then you need to spend the extra money on a carrycot.

Is the iCandy Peach 3 value for money?

Yes and no, the iCandy Peach 3 is at the top end of the buggy market – but I think it’s a good investment as it is built to last.

With the possibility of using it from birth until about three, if you took it out daily then it works out at less than 80p a day. Plus there’s the added bonus of being able to transform it into a double buggy which, for me, adds value.

However, if you compare it to similar single buggies such as the Silver Cross Surf 3 (£700), Pioneer (£600), UppaBaby Vista (£849.99) or Bugaboo Chameleon 3 (£933.95), it is a pricier option at £780, as rivals do include the carrycot in the bundle.

Meanwhile, comparing it to a double such as the Phil & Teds Verve, which is £439 including both seats, it is a lot more expensive, but is a good few hundred pounds cheaper than the Bugaboo Donkey Duo (£1,099).

Can it be used as a travel system?

Yes, the iCandy Peach 3 can be used with Maxi Cosi Pebble and Cabrio car seats in its single and double modes, as well as the BeSafe iZiGo as a single.

I didn’t try it as a travel system but, if you want to, then adapters are available for £30, which looked like they followed the same simple, chunky design as the Peach 3’s other converters.

How is the Peach 3 to assemble?

The 66-page instruction manual was a little daunting at first as it’s laid out in six languages and in a grid format along each page.

But once you get your head around that the iCandy Peach 3 is actually very simple to put together and took me around 20 minutes.

The hardest part was attaching the lower seat converters to the chassis, as they are a little tough to rotate around the frame and you need to make sure they are fixed the correct way depending whether you want the seat facing forwards or backwards.

However, overall, the assembly was really easy and I was pleasantly surprised how simple it was to add and remove the second seat.

What’s in the box?

• iCandy Peach 3 chassis
• Wheels
• Main seat unit
• Hood
• Buffer bar
• Raincover
• Seat elevator
• Peach Blossom 3 converter – lower seat unit and hood, converters, raincover

What extra accessories can you buy?

• Peach 3 carrycot - £195
• Peach Blossom 3 carrycot - £160
• Footmuff - £90
• Sunshade - £35
• Carry bag - £80
• Cup holder - £15 and cup holder/parasol clamp - £5
• Car seat adaptors - £30
• Organic cotton mattress - £40

MadeForMums verdict:

The iCandy Peach 3 and its double version – the Peach Blossom 3 – may be pricey, but the distinctive design, ease of use and high resale value means it is well worth the investment.

It feels safe and comfortable, and is a great option for families who need a double or twin buggy that has plenty of choice in uses from newborn twins to baby and older toddler.

I would recommend it, especially for outdoors-lovers, as it is incredibly robust while remaining easy to steer and push over rough terrain.

Looking for more convertible or tandem buggies? Have a look at these...

• Compare the iCandy Peach 3 with the Babystyle Egg convertible pushchair
• These are the best convertible buggies on the market
• Compare the iCandy Peach 3 with the Bugaboo Donkey