Aside from its award-winning car seat collection, Joie also produces a series of buggies, highchairs, travel cots and bouncers.
A part of its increasing collection, the Chrome is a versatile parent and world-facing travel system. Suitable from birth, when used with the separate carrycot, it is one of the cheapest in the lightweight buggies on the market.
The Chrome is sold on being lightweight, but how light is it?
The first thing you should know about the Joie Chrome is that while it’s small in stature, at 9.58kg it isn’t as lightweight as others in its category.
I take public transport a lot. And tube stations without step-free access means I have to rely on the kindness of strangers to help me get this buggy down onto the platform.
I can’t carry it on my own up and down the stairs.
So how small is it?
Size-wise, it’s quite compact. It certainly folds down small (80.8 (L) x 56.5 (W) x 26 (H) cm) in fact it folds to about the same size as my Bugaboo Bee, and takes up just over half of our boot when folded.
Tell us more about the folding.
The folding system happens to be one of my favourite features, as it’s really quick!
I can quickly put it down in restaurants to make more space. And, when I get home, putting it away in the cupboard isn’t an annoying hassle. It’s really easy!
That’s why I wouldn’t mind taking it on a flight with me. It folds down really small and would fit in most car boots easily.
How does it push?
It manoeuvres quite well on all surfaces; the pavements of my neighbourhood are narrow and populated with other mums and their buggies.
This means that any pushchair I have has to handle really well, be reactive and maneuverable and this buggy isn’t too bad, but it’s not excellent.
It isn’t a wonderfully smooth ride, but it’s not clunky and awkward either.
The Chrome has a swivel wheel lock feature that I honestly couldn’t think of a time when I’d need it. But the brake is great as it’s easy to get to and feels sturdy.
How comfortable does it feel?
It is nice and comfortable. My son prefers the upright position as he likes to see everything that’s happening and the hood is big enough to cover his eyes from the sun.
The footmuff makes it cosy for him, as do the padded back rest. When he falls asleep in it, the lie-flat position is great.
Is the Joie Chrome good value for money?
Yes, at £250 for a complete travel system with carrycot and Gemm car seat (sold separately) it is competitively cheap.
You’ll probably want to buy a colour pack to go with it – which contains the hood, footmuff and cosy covers for the straps and costs £49.99.
But it still works out to be the same price as the Mothercare Xpedior travel system and other lower-end travel systems from Graco, Bebe Confort and Mamas & Papas.
What’s in the box?
- Chassis
- Seat unit
- Raincovers
- Wheels
Any additional extras?
The colour pack - £50:
- Hood
- Seat Liner
- Footmuff Apron
- 2 Chest Pads
- Buckle Pad
Was it easy to build?
Yes, it’s incredibly easy to build. I didn’t even have to look at the instructions. The wheels just slotted on, as did the safety bar. The colour pack, which was the hood and foot-muff, were very easy to put on.
MadeForMums verdict?
The Chrome is a great value product that performs as well as, if not better, than many of its more expensive competitors. It is suitable from birth to around 19kilos and, after you’re finished with it, has a decent resale value on eBay.
If you have more than one child, the Mothercare buggy-board will also fit on the system, meaning your toddler can hop on for the ride.
It may not be as manoeuvrable as the Bugaboo Bee, mostly because of its larger wheels, but it’s a little more sturdy over kerbs and ruts for the same reason. And, of course, it’s less than half the price.
