Joolz Geo 2 review

Describing itself as a 'premium' brand, Dutch company Joolz is at the forefront of design and technology, and prides itself on award-winning models. But, despite being sold in 30 countries, it remains relatively unknown in the UK. If the Geo 2 is anything to go by, we're not sure it will be a secret for much longer...

Our review

When a friend offered us her double buggy, I could sense the desperation in her voice. Although they can be super-useful with two kids in tow, they also hoover up space in your home and are quite bulky.

I didn't take her up on her kind offer. Side-by-side doubles always seemed cumbersome to me and we were already tight for storage with one child.

But then I had a re-think.

With two boys under three, I was worried about how we would travel safely together on days when Dad wasn't about. We live on a main road in a busy, hilly part of London and use public transport a lot. My toddler, Alex, likes to walk - but not too far. He also loves his scooter, but I wasn't happy with the idea of letting him loose on wheels while I was busy pushing a pram.

A buggy board seemed like a good option for short trips but I quite often take the boys further afield to see family and friends. That's when I began to take an interest in single-footprint double buggies. Enter the Joolz Geo 2.

Will your 'life be filled with wows'?

More cynical readers might roll their eyes at the mission statement that greets you on Joolz’ stylish website but trust me, the Geo2 will inspire admiration and envy wherever you choose to take it.

My dad always marvels at the number of strangers that chat to him when he’s looking after my toddler – but it turns out a buggy can be a real icebreaker. I wish as many people had complimented me on my baby as they did on the Joolz Geo2 pram they encountered him in. Random mums stopped to ask me where the buggy was from, my midwife, who has seen a lot of prams over the years, said it was the smartest she’d come across and even non-parents took an interest in the design.

What's in the box?

The buggy has seven possible configurations, all of which can be built from two boxes. One box has all you need for a stand-alone pram or buggy (£849), and the second will convert it to a double transport system for twins or two children of different ages (additional £250).

Box 1

• Chassis
• Upper cot with mattress and cover
• Upper seat
• Bumper bar
• Rear and front wheels
• Sun hood with extension for pram or upper seat
• XXL Basket

Box 2: Expandable Lower Set

• Lower cot with mattress and cover
• Lower seat
• Sunhood

You can buy the Joolz Geo 2 from Pramworld or Joolz

Is it easy to assemble?

I left the pram-building to my husband (well I was nine months pregnant at the time) and it took him around half an hour. But when it came to converting the Joolz Geo 2 into a double buggy I was determined to go it alone. I’m not naturally gifted at assembling ‘stuff’ and I found that I needed around an hour. You need to transfer the frame and sun hood on the pram to the upper seat and build a lower cot from scratch, rather than simply add a seat to the existing pram. It would have been a lot quicker had I built the pram in the first place, as then I would have known what was what.

The instructions were sometimes ambiguous. Whilst the picture-only approach looked stylish and minimalist in the manual, I felt it needed further explanation in places as it wasn't always clear which fittings and fixtures were pictured.

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

The fact that there is no storage space for the double buggy. I found myself wearing a jam-packed rucksack for day journeys with the boys.

Joolz do have a solution, which is the Joolz Duo sidepack at £45, which you can attach on either side of the buggy. There’s a compartment for a tablet and it can also be slung over your shoulder and used as a shopper bag – all very smart but for me this was no substitute for the brilliant XXL basket supplied with the pram. Surely you need more storage space for two children not less?

Also, although this isn't specific to the Joolz Geo 2, it's worth noting that it's very difficult to see your feet when boarding buses and trains with a double buggy. I tripped and went flying across a carriage on an early outing. Thankfully no children were injured in the incident. They were quite safely ensconced in their seats.

Who would the product be most useful for?

Anyone with two children under four, whatever their age gap. Alex and Eddie are big for their age but both were comfortable – and I could easily push them about within a few weeks of having a C-section birth, thanks to the lightweight frame and easy steering. I would also recommend the roomy, robust pram for first-time mums, although you may want to move on to a buggy with more compact wheels when your little one hits 6 months if you only have one child.

Is the product value for money?

Definitely. At £849 this is towards the upper end of the double buggy market, but the pricetag is justified. The design is of the highest quality in terms of looks and function: the buggy is intuitive to use and every adjustment is met with a reassuring click so your child’s safety is never in doubt.

Is there anything unique about the Joolz Geo 2?

The designer looks. Details like the leatherette trimming and an embossed logo really set it apart from the competition, as do its environmental credentials. A tree is planted in a Columbian rainforest for every buggy purchased, while the cardboard boxes the buggies come in double as a cut-out-and-keep craft project for little ones - a lovely touch that feels like the company care about their customers. Our box was swiftly converted into a ‘build-your-own birdhouse’

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Do you have to buy a lot of additional extras, or is everything included?

Storage isn’t supplied for the double buggy so you’ll have to fork out £45 on a matching ‘sidepack’ or rough it with a rucksack. The Geo2 also doesn’t come with a rain cover either, but for £35 you can buy a stylish silver-grey one that scrunches into nothing. All buggies and prams I’ve previously used came with coarser heavier plastic covers but the Joolz one feels as light as a feather.

How does the Joolz Geo 2 differ from the original Joolz Geo?

As well as refreshing the design with a sleeker chassis, leather-look handles and fastenings, the tyres are now puncture-proof and there’s an extended sun hood with see-through ventilation so you can spy on your little one when they’re facing forwards. The Upper Seat has been updated for extra comfort and now has a magnetic buckle making the five-way harness less fiddly.

What's the pram basket like?

With a 10kg allowance you’re spoilt for storage space – I could comfortably fit several days shopping in there. The basket even has a drop-down side for easy access so you don’t have to go rifling blindly through the its contents or force items out of the gap between the wheels and the pram – a problem I always had with my Bugaboo Frog’s small semi-circular basket.

Is it a one-hand fold?

No, but pulling adjacent levers simultaneously with both hands will cause it to collapse in one fluid motion.

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How does it ride in parks, over tree roots, up hills, and how is the suspension?

I live in a particularly hilly part of South London but the buggy glides well over the patchwork pavements with little juddering. For me the Joolz Geo2 is a world away from my noisy McClaren Techno XLR buggy, which always seemed to clatter loudly over cracks and ridges.The four-wheel suspension and large, thick back wheels of the Geo2 definitely make a difference. Off-road it was a bit more animated but not so bumpy that my baby would wake. The buggy was also far easier to push uphill than I expected.

How does it work as a city buggy, on public transport - or in shopping aisles?

Both as a pram and double buggy the Geo2 always fits well into the designated spaces on buses and trains. And, its sleek frame and condensed size (see below) are also great for shopping. With my bulkier Bugaboo Frog and Silver Cross Wave I found myself forever bumping into displays and apologising to fellow customers, but the Geo2 fits neatly through doors, down aisles and round corners.

How compact is it?

With a sleek and curvy chassis, the buggy is higher, but shorter than other single-footprint buggies like the Silver Cross Wave. As the seat and cot are backward facing they don’t jut out in front.

How easy is it to store?

We’re really pushed for space in our house but the Joolz Geo2 is sufficiently sleek that we didn't really need to dismantle the buggy indoors. It fitted neatly in a corner of our living room, and thanks to its elegant design, it looked rather nice too. Collapsed and upended it occupies even less space but you do have to remove the basket or lower cot and store them separately.

What do you think of the seat size?

My three year old is very tall for his age with a long back and long legs (he grew out of our Bugaboo Bee well over a year ago) so I was worried that the Upper Seat might be too small for him. Actually, it accommodates him perfectly – albeit with the straps fixed at their longest setting. Admittedly there’s not much wriggle room when I’m fastening the straps, and I have to ask him to sit back in the seat so that the magnetic fixtures don’t pop open before they’re secured, but once he’s in he’s very comfortable and frequently falls asleep.

What do you think of the height of the buggy?

The upper seat of the Joolz Geo2 is table-height which I found a real bonus for several reasons:

It doubles as a high chair so no more waiting around for spare chairs when you’re out and about

Its elevated height also means you won’t be bending awkwardly over the buggy while you’re tending to your toddler – and you don’t need to lift them into the seat; the frame above the front wheels doubles as a sturdy step so Alex could climb up himself.

It’s also great for sightseeing. If you’ve got a curious toddler (aren’t they all?) they’ll love travelling in their ‘high seat’. It gave Alex a great vantage point to survey the world and distant views that would otherwise have been lost on him. On train and bus trips he actually preferred staying in his seat to sitting next to Mummy or Daddy. Previously I’ve been wary of letting him loose on public transport, but now he’s safely – and willingly - contained, we're all happy.

The greater height of the buggy also means the gap between the seat and lower cot is more than sufficient to bundle baby in safely.

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Is the frame strong and durable?

Yes. The buggy has a curved chrome frame and protective ‘cushion’ attachment for your baby’s head, so I always felt my children were safe. The chassis is noticeably sleek and streamlined but not at all flimsy.

What did you think of the handle?

Someone at Joolz HQ has really thought about the design of this. A thin leatherette handle, it’s certainly ergonomic. In fact, it’s the sleekest I’ve come across, and feels very comfortable to hold. Even the plush padded handle of a Silver Cross Wave pram will feel bulky and unnatural after you’ve tried the Joolz Geo2. You can also adjust the height of the handle to suit your build.

How comfortable does it feel for your little ones?

Alex told me it was 'really cosy and not bumpy', while his baby brother frequently fell - and stayed - asleep in his lower cot and pram. This is surely the ultimate litmus test for a comfortable ride.

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

With both fixtures facing forwards in double mode, the Geo2 isn’t the best buggy to foster sibling relations. This isn’t a problem with a newborn and a toddler, but it might be an issue for parents of twins or children closer together in age. Personally I’m more than happy for my two to catch up on sleep or enjoy sightseeing when we’re out and about. However, sometimes on busier roads I couldn't always hear what Alex was saying so I had to stop to listen.

What do you think of the hood? Can it be used as sun protection?

Yes. With the new improved, extended sunhood, you do get really good coverage and it's UPF 50+. But you may want to protect their legs, which do remain exposed.

What do you think of the tyres?

The tyres are puncture-proof so you’ll never have to blow them up or replace them (as we did with our Bugaboo Frog). This certainly saves on time and cost, but does it mean skimping on quality? Personally, I didn’t think so. I was very happy with the way the wheels worked, gliding over small kerbs and pavements and cushioning bumps on parkland. Off-road junkies might notice the difference though; one of my more outdoorsy friends swears by her Phil and Ted Sport, which has traditional air-filled wheels for a smoother ride in parks and woodland.

Tell us about the brakes?

The Geo2 has a pedal brake which is very intuitive. You don’t need to look down to operate it, which is just as well because you can’t see the brake when the lower cot is attached. This is because the cot juts out over the back wheel bar, restricting your view. The pedal is a simple flick-up-and-down mechanism, with the added security measure of having to wheel the buggy back a little way before you can move forward. This is great if your toddler likes to play with the brake while baby’s inside. Alex is forever fiddling with ours but he still hasn’t figured out how to unlock it!

Does it fit in the boot of your car?

We have a Vauxhall Meriva with a small boot, and the Joolz Geo2 takes up around two thirds of it, which is fine for day trips, but not ideal for holidays. With a more family-friendly car you would have space to spare.

What age child is it best for?

The pram is suitable from birth up to 6 months, while the seats will take up to 15kg. The pram for mono mode is nice and deep, although the lower cot for the double buggy looked a little shallow to me the first time we used it. Eddie, now four months, and more like six months in size, still fits comfortably inside though.

MFM's verdict

Without a doubt the best double buggy I’ve tested to date. A joy to manoeuvre, the Geo2 feels as good as it looks. It’s as close to effortless as a double buggy gets in my experience. It’s expensive but worth it for the stress-free steering, compact size and robust but sophisticated design – and it’s an investment. The buggy has a high resale value on Ebay and Gumtree, and its Bugaboo equivalent, the Donkey Duo, currently costs around £300 more all in. I was really impressed with the XXL basket that comes with the pram but would have liked storage supplied with the double buggy too. Other doubles such as the Donkey, iCandy Orange and some Maclaren models manage to offer under-seat storage but this would arguably affect the manoeuvrability of an otherwise nifty, lightweight and very impressive buggy.

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