Joolz Day+ pushchair review

What is worth noting about Joolz is that it’s a brand that wears its sustainability on its sleeve. For example, it plants a tree in Colombia for every pushchair sold, and its packaging is designed to be turned into fun cardboard toys – you can convert the Day+’s packaging into a sailboat for example, very cute! It also offers a lifetime warranty on some of its pushchairs, which is very reassuring.

Tested by

Jennifer tested the Joolz Day+ with 9-week-old Olive in and around Dundee. The pushchair was put through its paces on the bus, city streets and country walks.

What were your first impressions of the Joolz Day+?

I was really excited to receive this pushchair after hearing great things about the Joolz brand. On opening the huge box, I wasn’t disappointed as I could immediately see the quality of the product. Each compartment and attachment was neatly stored away waiting to be connected. The next thought was, how will I manage to piece this together?

How easy is it to build?

It took my husband around 20 minutes to piece together the Day+ with the carrycot. He was pleasantly surprised, having struggled with other pushchairs in the past.

The chassis came as one with the 4 wheels and the carrycot the only parts needed to be clipped together. The Ikea-style picture instructions were simple to follow and added to the ease of assembly.

How does it compare to similar pushchairs?

With an RRP of £929, it is comparable to products by similarly premium brands.

The Bugaboo Fox2 is slightly more expensive at £1029 but has similar features such as a 2-in-1 carrycot and seat and ability to fold with the seat attached. But it's around 3.4kg lighter, weighing 9.9kg compared to the Day+'s 13.3kg.

The Silver Cross Wave (£995 on Amazon) also features similar luxe fabrics and excellent handling, although has the ability to turn into a double pushchair. Similarly the popular iCandy Peach (available on Amazon) costs £999, but can also be converted into a double.

How does the Joolz Day+ compare to its previous model?

The Joolz Day+ is the latest in the Day range of strollers and boasts a number of new features such as one-handed seat recline, upgraded suspension and even LED lights on its extra large mesh basket to allow for greater visibility in the dark.

The feature which really makes this pushchair great to use is the improved handling allowing you full control with ease. Perfect for mums who have another little hand to hold while walking.

What age is the Joolz Day+ suitable for?

The Day+ is suitable from birth as it has a fantastic carrycot, and takes a child up to 22kg, which is approximately 4 to 5 years.

How comfortable is the carrycot for your baby?

The spacious carrycot makes me wish I could be a baby again, snuggled up inside. The Day+ has improved its carrycot from previous versions. It has a ventilated base and hypoallergenic mattress and head cushion.

We received the pushchair when baby Olive was just 2 weeks old and she looked tiny wrapped up inside. Two months later, although Olive has grown she looks like she will have a good few more months left in the carrycot.

She seemed to enjoy cosying inside and fell asleep almost instantly. It’s the perfect place on a cold winter’s walk. If it gets a bit toasty, the Day+ has a ventilated base and a peekaboo window to let air flow, while the extendable sun hood with UPF 50+ visor ensures your child is protected in warmer months.

As well as protecting against the sun, I really like how much shelter the hood provides against the wind. When the hood is fully extended, the baby is almost completely enclosed from the wind.

A nice little feature for me is the little pouch on the top of the carrycot cover. It perfectly holds a purse or mobile phone and saves having to rummage about your bag.

The sleek design makes pushing this pram around a pleasure, however its pursuit of style has led to one functional issue. The carrycot cover is quite tricky to zip open and close with one hand. The zipper is tucked away and, although aesthetically pleasing, is not easy to get to - not ideal when you are holding your wriggly baby in your other arm.

How easy is the carrycot to add on/take off the pushchair?

This is one area which could be improved. The carrycot connects to the chassis through plastic clips. To take the carrycot off, you have to simultaneously press in the two clips at either side of the pram and then lift off the carrycot. Similar pushchairs, like the Bugaboo Fox2, have memory buttons which would be easier to use.

This is tricky enough to do with a fairly heavy carrycot at the best of times, but I found that the clips did not come off smoothly and sometimes jammed or did not come away easily.

We used the carrycot the majority of the time and didn’t take it off a lot, so it wasn’t a massive issue, but for someone who regularly removes the carrycot I could see this being a great source of frustration.

The carrycot is convertible into the toddler seat, using the same frame. How easy was this?

The seat is suitable for babies aged 6 months and over. As Olive is only 9 weeks old, we mainly tested the Day+ with the carrycot. To see how it looked, we had a go at converting the carrycot into the seat, and the instruction manual definitely came in handy – it was a bit more complex than thought!

The seat looks very comfortable with easy to tighten and loosen straps. I really like how each strap clips into the harness individually, rather than having to piece two clips together which can be a challenge with a toddler.

You can also recline the seat one-handed, which is an improvement from the Day3 where our reviewer found the two-handed recline slightly awkward.

How do you fold the Joolz Day+?

• First you lock the wheels (you handily do this by stepping on the pads on top of them, so no dirty fingers)
• Then you pull back the frame lock levers on both side of the handlebar – this collapses the handlebar down
• Pull up the handlebar triggers, whilst pressing the white safety button on one of the triggers
• Push the handlebar down and pull up the buggy from the centre bar to bring the front wheels towards you, so you get a freestanding fold

In principle, it is simple to fold and store. However, it was not often plain sailing in practice. The carrycot has to be removed before pulling 2 handlebar triggers, and I found that the triggers sometimes don’t activate the folding mechanism immediately.

Otherwise, it’s very simple, and if you’re using the toddler seat, you can fold it with the seat attached – although it needs to be world-facing to do so. To do this follow the same steps up to collapsing the handlebar down, then:

• Pull back the hood and pull the footrest up to its first position
• Recline the seat back
• Pull up the handlebar triggers, whilst pressing the white safety button on one of the triggers and bring the handlebar down towards you
• Pull up the centre bar to bring the front wheels towards you, to get a freestanding fold

How compact is the Joolz Day+ when folded?

The Day+ is a solid full-sized pram, so I wouldn’t class it as ‘compact’. Its folded dimensions are L94cm x W59.5cm x H35cm – with seat attached.

Our car has an average sized boot and if it wasn’t for the removable rear wheels, we would not be able to fit the pushchair in the car. Add the carrycot on top of the chassis and you do not have much room left for anything else.

When not stored in the car, the pushchair can self-stand when folded and is stable enough to be tucked away in the corner of a room.

How easy is it to push and steer?

This is where the Day+ is a class above other prams I’ve used. Steering this pram was a joy as you can easily use one hand to push it over different terrains.

We tested this pram out on pavements, cobbled streets and woodland walks and had no issues, it was so smooth, and Olive did not seem to notice the different surfaces.

The Day+ handled kerbs with ease and the front wheels could easily help steer the pram out of tight spaces. Some prams I’ve used have literally squeaked under pressure or needed to be dragged into position – but not this pram.

How well does it work on public transport?

I had no problem taking the Day+ on the bus. At 58cm in width, there was plenty of room to manoeuvre down the narrow aisle and it didn’t take up too much room within the designated pushchair spaces.

This pram could also be racked away on a train with relative ease, if the seat is connected. However, it does weigh a significant 13.3kg (with toddler seat, 14.2kg with carrycot), so it’s not that easy to lift – it’s certainly not a lightweight runaround.

How sturdy is the chassis on the Joolz Day+?

The frame is very sturdy and thick making the pram durable and able to handle anything thrown at it. Although the stunning matte black chassis seemed to scratch fairly easily when bumped, I think you’d struggle to do any real damage to the frame.

How adjustable is the handlebar?

The handlebar is another one of my favourite features of the Day+. It seems silly to think that something so simple can be such a highlight, but this handle really adds to the comfort of using the pushchair.

Unlike other prams, where the height adjuster can get in the way in the centre of the handlebar, the adjusters on the Day+ are at the side. However, you do need both hands to lower or raise the handlebar. The bar also has a great grip and is not too thick so you can hold on without straining your hands.

Does the Day+’s hood provide adequate protection?

The hood really protects against all weathers and offers decent shelter in the carrycot. The pushchair comes with a detached segment which can be zipped on to create an extra large hood cover. The hood itself has UPF 50+ to protect against UV rays.

There is also a mesh peephole which allows air to circulate on warm days – and to check on your child when world-facing.

The included rain cover is a bit disappointing. It feels very hard and stiff and I struggle to fit the cover over the hood. When finished with, it is also extremely difficult to fold back to its original packed size.

How do the wheels perform on the Joolz Day+?

The anti-puncture rubber wheels really bring a lot to this pushchair. At 12-inches, the rear wheels are big enough to handle difficult terrain without being in the way. The front wheels measure 7-inches but are able to navigate the pushchair out of tight spaces.

The front wheels also easily lock with a really simple foot tap – this is much more practical than with other buggies where you have to operate the wheel lock by hand, often getting muddy fingers.

How easy are the brakes to use?

The brake pad is easily found between the 2 rear wheels and is simple to press down and apply. The brake is also ‘flip flop friendly’ so you do not have to put your foot underneath to disengage. I found that the brake had no issue holding the pram to a stop.

How does the Joolz Day+’s basket compare to the previous model?

Users of the previous Day3 model often complained about the inadequate size of its basket – it was one of the few downsides in our MFM review at the time.

Luckily, Joolz seems to have taken note. The Day+ now has a basket which spans the whole of the chassis. The mesh basket can hold all essentials and has a flexible frame for added convenience when storing awkward items.

There are even two LED lights at the front and rear of the basket, which Joolz boasts as a new ‘feature’ – batteries are not included. However, I don’t feel the lights provide any real benefit to the pushchair as they do not emit enough light to see inside the basket in the dark.

What’s in the box?

• Chassis & basket
• Cot/seat frame
• Cot fabric
• Mattress
• Cot cover
• Cot tensioner
• Sun hood & extended sun hood
• Bumper bar
• Wheels
• Fabric & footrest

What are the additional accessories that you can buy?

From a cup holder to nappy changing bags, the additional Joolz accessories are seemingly endless. However, like the cost of the pushchair don’t expect them to come cheaply.

• Footmuff (£84.95)
• Car seat adaptors (£39.95)
• Joolz XL shopping bag (£39.95)

Is the Joolz Day+ car seat compatible?

Yes, the Day+ is car seat compatible, for example you can get the Joolz x Maxi Cosi i-Size regulated infant carrier to complete your travel system (£219). You will have to buy additional car seat adaptors though, for £40.

Now you’ve tested it, what would you have wanted to know before using the pushchair?

That changing the carrycot into the seat unit is a little bit time consuming and fiddly, as both share the same frame. The cot and seat are not easily interchangeable so set aside a bit of time and have the instructions close by when converting.

Does the Joolz Day+ offer good value for money?

At £929, this is not a cheap pushchair. Take away the price tag and you’d still know that this is not a cheap pushchair. There are a few essential accessories that need to be purchased, but for the quality and durability of the product, I’d say the Day+ is well worth the investment.

Where can I buy the Joolz Day+?

It's available from Joolz, Pramworld and Boots.

MadeForMums verdict:

Its price tag may put some people off, but the Joolz Day+ is worth every penny. It’s durable, easy to handle and above all, stylish. It is a pleasure to use and is of superior quality. However, it might not be the best for those with small cars or little storage space.

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