Joolz Hub review

What were your first impressions of the Joolz Hub?

With its black matt frame, matching fabrics and wheels, the Hub looks sleek, but it felt heavier than I expected. It’s worth mentioning that it comes ready-assembled in the box which speaks volumes for its compact fold.

Who would the Hub be most useful for?

This pram would suit parents who love to pound the pavement on long or short walks. I don’t think it’s that nifty for parents who use public transport daily though.

What is your favourite feature of the Joolz Hub?

The 4-wheel suspension on the Hub really stands out for me. It makes the ride for your baby smooth and the push for you effortless. The sizable, springed top-load basket deserves a mention too.

What age is it suitable for?

The Hub can be used from birth with the traditional carrycot or a soft cocoon. You get more for your money with the cocoon as it can be used up to 18 months – that’s 9 months more use than the carrycot. I’d say it is best suited for newborns and toddlers up to 2 years old as the seat unit is quite small.

Is the Hub easy to fold?

You can fold the Hub when it is either parent or world facing and when you are using either the seat or the cocoon, but it’s a two-handed fold.

It is easy to collapse providing you follow a number of steps before folding. The brakes should be on, handlebar fully lowered, seat upright and wheels on fixed, not swivel mode. You then simply click and pull two release latches either side of the frame, grab the carry handle and the Hub instinctively folds in half and flattens.

Although folding it away is simple, unfolding the Hub feels less instinctive and much more clumsy in my opinion.

Just how compact is the pram?

The Hub has a fairly compact fold and is great for storing upright as it self-stands. Lying flat it only folds with one flush side so that does limit what you can store on top. The three-wheeler Baby Jogger Mini GT folds flatter as does the Bugaboo Bee 5. If space is the challenge, strollers like the Babyzen Yoyo, Joie Pact and gb Pockit and the Cybex Eezy S Twist are good starts for an all-round, more compact fold.

Does it fit in the boot of your car?

Yes, but it can only lie flat. In my generously-sized 4x4 boot there was lots of spare room for my twins’ football and school paraphernalia alongside the Hub and I think there would still be ample room in a standard hatchback boot.

How lightweight is the Hub?

It’s not as lightweight as I would like. The Hub is one of the heavier buggies I’ve used in the compact, urban category. Weighing in at 11.5kg, it is within range of some bigger travel system buggies like the Silver Cross Wayfarer, Uppababy Cruz and Vista. The Baby Yen Yoyo, iCandy Raspberry and Joie Pact are just some of the many lighter compact offerings.

How easy is it to push?

It’s very pleasant pushing the Hub and with its quality 4-wheel suspension it feels sturdy on all surfaces. It glides on city walks, maneuvers well on uneven surfaces and mounts the kerb easily. In addition to streets and shops, I tried the Hub out in parks, on graveled riverside paths and old-cobbled streets in central London. As you’d imagine the cobbled streets proved to be a bumpy ride but pushing was effortless.

Is it easy to build the Joolz Hub?

Luckily, the buggy comes ready assembled, which is just as well as the Hub instruction book is minimalist and basic. The images are clear enough but it’s light on text.

Can the Hub be used with a car seat to create a travel system?

Yes - almost any car seat will fit onto the Joolz Hub. Some of the compatible seats include: the Joolz iZi Go Modular by BeSafe, the BeSafe iZi Go Modular, the BeSafe iZi Go X1, the Maxi Cosi CabrioFix, the Maxi Cosi Pebble, the Maxi Cosi Pebble Plus, the Maxi Cosi Mico 30, the Maxi Cosi Rock, the Kiddy Evolution Pro 2, the Kiddy Evoluna i-size, the Cybex Cloud Q (plus), the Cybex Aton Q i-size, the Cybex Aton and the Nuna Pipa (lite).
All car seat adapters have to be bought separately.

How easily can you access the Joolz Hub's basket and is it big enough to store everything you need?

I love the Hub basket. It’s a shopaholic’s dream and well-designed. It’s deeper than your average basket and thanks to the spring toploader feature it’s super easy to access. You can get all those bulky items in without squashing, breaking, damaging or fighting with the underside of your buggy.

How do you rate the wheels?

The larger 10-inch back wheels help make the Hub a smooth ride for babies. I like the fact the wheels are puncture-free and the wheel base is narrow enough to fit in tight spaces like between parked cars.

Is the Joolz Hub's frame durable?

Yes, the frame is sturdy and strong and it has the stability to stand up to all of the school run abuse. I ended up hanging all sorts on the handlebar – coats, book bags and kit bags - and it was still good to go.

Can you adjust the height of the Joolz Hub handlebar?

The matt, leatherette handlebar is slim, grippy and soft to touch, as well as easily adjustable. The handle height is 96.5-106cm so it’s comfortable for both me at 5’6” and my 6’3” husband.

Does the seat unit seem comfortable?

The seat feels quite narrow and with thick winter clothing on, there’s little wriggle-room for a toddler, let alone preschooler. I don’t think my baby would be comfortable by the age of 3. The adjustable footrest pivots to 3 positions but it would be better extending length-wise. It’s great you can have the seat facing either way, but you can’t switch it with your little one sitting in the seat like some buggies.

What do you think of the Joolz Hub harness?

The harness is nice when you finally manage to clip it together but in my opinion the 5-point harness is the biggest bugbear about the Hub. On paper, the magnetic catch that connects the shoulder strap to the waist strap sounds ingenious, but in reality the pull on the magnet isn’t strong. So when you’re in a hurry and the straps unclip for the umpteenth time, it’s not clever. To be fair I imagine it’s easier with an agreeable newborn than a terrible toddler. Once fixed the harness is sturdy, the shoulder straps are well-padded and it’s quickly adjustable.

How many recline positions are there?

Joolz says the Hub has 6 recline positions. But this means 3 positions each way - parent and world facing.

How comfortable does it feel for your child?

The Hub is made for urban strolls so the ride on uneven surfaces can be a little bumpy but it’s not uncomfortable and switching the wheels off swivel mode can improve the journey. The seat unit is a snug fit for a toddler and the reinforced fabric footrest – though adjustable – comes up short for my 22-month old. Her legs dangle down over the footrest which has 3 positions but none of which seems to fit comfortably. A newborn up until 18 months would be well-supported and equally, I reckon a 3-year old would be comfortable using the footrest. It’s the in-between stage that Hub design seems to have neglected.

Is the Joolz Hub easy to use on public transport?

The Hub is great bobbing and weaving on city streets and navigating through tight spots but it’s not so dreamy using it on public transport. Carrying 11.5kg in one hand and a baby or toddler in the other is hard going and the carry strap doesn’t make much of a difference.
There’s also with no single central point to hold the front-end of the Hub while maneuvering the buggy up and down stairs. Couple that with the fact you need two hands to fold and unfold the buggy and the harness can be fiddly, and you’ve got a stress-filled journey. The Hub is great for one-off trips but not if you’re always on and off buses and trains.

How is interacting with your baby when in the buggy?

It’s great that you can have the Hub world facing and parent facing. The seat unit is of mid-height so you can still easily reach a hand out to your baby. There’s no peep window on the hood but when unzipped, you can see through the ventilation panel when world facing.

What do you think of the hood?

The three-panel hood provides good coverage but you can’t get a full shield from the sun and wind. It’s SPF+50 though and for hot summer days there’s a hidden ventilation panel you can unzip.

How effective are the Joolz Hub brakes?

The click on, click off brakes are located in the middle of the frame between the back wheels. They’re easy to use and effective and I have no complaints.

What different colours are available?

The Hub is available in three collections: Nero (black), Earth (blue) and Hippo (grey). All of them are sophisticated and understated, although I wish there was one standout ‘statement’ colour to complete the collections.

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

There are three things I would have liked to know about the Hub before buying. Firstly, the raincover isn’t included in the package. Secondly, you can fold the Hub parent and world facing but it is a two-hand fold. Thirdly, the harness is not that user-friendly.

Is the Hub worth the price?

The Hub costs quite a hefty amount and you still have fork out more money for the raincover. The lifetime warranty, 4-wheel suspension, quality fabric and gorgeous styling all go some way to justify a higher price-tag but for a similar price you could opt for some of the bigger pushchairs like Uppababy Cruz (£599), iCandy Raspberry (£550), Baby Jogger City Select or the Ickle Bubba Stomp V4 which has a whole travel system included. If saving money is the priority then you can’t ignore fellow urban buggies like the Baby Jogger City Mini GT and Luv Tour, Babyzen Yoyo, Nuna Mixx which are cheaper than the Hub.

What’s included in the box?

Chassis

Seat unit

Wheels x4

Integrated shopping basket

Bumper bar

Hood

Carry handle

Instruction booklet

What accessories are available?

Raincover £35

Car seat adapters £36

Cot £195-215

Footmuff £85-90

Cocoon £110-120

Nursery bag £85-90

Footboard £70

Mosquito net £24

Parasol £35

Cup holder £15

Travel bag £115

Nest £65

Cocoon fitted sheet £17

Cot fitted sheet £12

MadeForMums Verdict:

The Joolz Hub oozes class and style. At £549, it isn’t the world’s most expensive buggy but it does sit at the higher end of the compact, urban category. When you pay more, you expect more and the quality suspension, generous basket, two-way seat/fold and lifetime warranty all deliver on that. It’s disappointing the raincover isn’t included in the package, and the seat unit falls a little short. You might not get the longevity from the Joolz Hub but the good resale value for this stylish ride will last.

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