Out 'n' About Nipper Sport V4 pushchair review

This model is also infant car seat compatible, so is suitable from newborn with this option, however you cannot run/jog with the car seat attached and it is advised you only run with children aged 6 months and over.

The Nipper Sport is available in four different colourways, a sporty pillarbox red, black and grey as well as a black/red combination.

Bronze winner of Best Sports Pushchair in our MadeForMums Awards 2022, it impressed our parent judges with its versatility as a running buggy and all-terrain pushchair. Coming in at £349, it’s significantly cheaper than the multi-sport Cybex Zeno, £719.90, and certainly more affordable than our Gold award winner, the Baby Jogger Summit x3, £489.99.

Tested by

Victoria McDermott is a mum of three with a 4 year old, a 3 year old and a 10 month old. She tested the Out ‘n’ About Nipper Sport with both her baby and toddler on walks around her village, on gravel, up kerbs, across fields, farmlands, parks, muddy tracks and on runs.

What were your first impressions?

Having never used a running buggy before I was surprised at just how big the Nipper Sport was, particularly the tyres, measuring in at 16 inches. They are also air-filled – somewhat different to my two other buggies, an iCandy Orange and Baby Jogger City Tour, with their much smaller, plastic wheels.

The bright ‘carnival red’ colour is certainly eye-catching, and I was pleased to see it had a shopping pouch, as I was keen to be able to use it aside from just exercising with.

Overall, I was impressed with its streamlined look, complete with padded seat for added comfort for my children.

How easy is the Out ‘n’ About Nipper Sport V4 pushchair to build?

It was remarkably quick to assemble and took less than 10 minutes from box to a fully built buggy.

It’s pretty much fully assembled in the box, you just need to pop the wheels on and you’re almost ready to go. The instructions were clear with simple wording and pictures to help. The only slightly fiddly bit was attaching the mud guard, which required a screwdriver, but even that only took all of two minutes.

How does the Out ‘n’ About Nipper Sport V4 compare to previous versions of the pushchair?

The Nipper Sport V4 is the latest version of Out ‘n’ About’s 3-wheeled running stroller. There are only a few changes from the previous model, one of which is the new auto-lock catch, which helps with easy storage and transportation.

This V4 also comes with an all-black chassis and matching black wheel rims, unlike its predecessor.

How easy is the Nipper Sport V4 pushchair to fold and unfold?

The buggy is very easy to fold, helped by the step-by-step instructions with images in the user manual.

To fold you need to unlock the latches from the lower frame, before releasing the red secondary locking catch on the side. Once this has been released it will automatically begin to fold. Turning the front wheel allows the buggy to be folded further, and you can make the folded buggy more compact by removing the quick-release wheels.

Unfolding it is super simple, despite being a two-handed job. You just need to grasp the handle with one hand and pull on the front end with the other hand. It then folds into the upright position, and you can then lock the plastic catches onto the lower frame.

How compact is the Nipper Sport V4 pushchair when folded?

In short, not very! The folded buggy is pretty bulky; removing the wheels can help with this, but it is not something you really feel like doing if they are caked in mud.

It fit comfortably in our car boot (a VW Passat estate) but with its dimensions coming in at 104cm (L) x 61.5cm (W) x103cm(H) with wheels on, and 90cm (L) x 48cm (W) x 29cm (H) without, it could be a bit of a squeeze in cars with a smaller boot.

This was something our MFM Editorial Award Judges also noted, with one adding: “The Nipper Sport folds quite easily, but it’s pretty big once folded – you’d have to take the wheel off to fit it in most cars and, even then, it might be too big.” So, if you plan on taking the Nipper Sport with you on car journeys, it’s definitely worth checking your boot size before you buy.

How heavy is the Out ‘n’ About Nipper Sport V4 pushchair?

Weighing 9.8kg, it’s relatively lightweight for an all-terrain/sports pushchair – the Thule Urban Glide 2 weighs 11.5kg, while the Phil & Teds Sport is 12.2kg. With its auto-lock latch it is easy enough to lift in and out of the boot without breaking too much of a sweat.

How easy is it to push and steer?

From deep gravel and rocky roads to muddy tracks and bumpy pavements, the Nipper Sport V4 is a dream to push. I used it in my day-to-day life on the school run, as well as while running and on family trips out to farms and parks, and it didn’t struggle once. It feels sturdy and dependable, and the rear suspension means it is a smooth ride no matter the terrain.

Steering, however, took a bit of getting used to as the front wheel is fixed – a necessity for stability, but feels a little strange if you’ve not used a buggy with this wheel before. In order to turn you have to push down on the handlebar and raise the front wheel off the ground and then pivot. It took a couple of trips for me to get used to this way of steering. MFM parent tester Kelsey agreed, commenting, “Yes, the steering is more difficult due to the fixed front wheel, but all is forgiven as my baby looked cosy, safe and snug – so I was still happy to use the Nipper Sport for run after run.”

What’s the chassis like?

The aluminium frame appears strong and durable, and despite getting poked by brambles, splattered by mud and then power washed at home, it still looks brand new.

How do you rate the buggy handle on the Out ‘n’ About Nipper Sport V4?

The soft foam handle is adjustable and can be rotated by pressing the buttons on the inside of the handle hinge.

At 5ft 2in tall, I was amazed at how comfortable it was holding onto the handle whilst running and found it a perfect height at around the middle setting. My husband (6ft 2in) also used it and found it very comfortable at a slightly higher level.

Helpfully there is a hand loop attached to the handle, useful in ensuring you don’t lose control of the buggy if your hands lose grip of the handle. The central handlebar mounted brake lever is also handy when you’re on the move; “it’s great for running down hills or in busy areas,” adds MFM parent tester, Kelsey.

What do you think of the Nipper Sport V4 pushchair’s seat unit?

Both our 10-month-old baby and 3 year old were very comfortable in the padded seat and the I felt the 5-point harness straps were easy enough to adjust to fit both. However, it’s worth noting our MFM parent tester, Kelsey commented, “although the harness feels safe and secure, it was very tedious to actually do up, as the parts have to interlock before clicking into a buckle. Once in, however, my baby looked very comfortable in the huge, deep seas, with plenty of soft padding.”

The unit is nice and roomy, providing ample space for my 3 year old, and, with a maximum weight load of 22kg, we should definitely be able to use it for at least another year with her.

The hinged padded bumper bar provides extra reassurance that your child is safe (especially when running), although I found the movement of this quite restrictive as you can’t rotate it all the way around when you open it. This meant it was a little in the way when I was lifting my children out of it.

Does the Out ‘n’ About Nipper Sport V4 pushchair’s seat recline?

It does, but it’s not the easiest to work. It’s quite difficult to adjust into the upright position with your child in it, and even without a child the clasp was quite stiff to squeeze. With a child in the seat, I ended up using my elbow to try and push the back of the seat and then squeeze the clasp and slide it with my two hands.

I felt that lowering the seat was much easier, however our MFM parent tester, Kelsey, felt the opposite, explaining: “The recline is good, but very faffy. It requires both hands and while it’s easy to pull back up, it’s a bit hard to actually lay your baby down.” I think we can both agree the recline isn’t the most intuitive, but there are a range of different angles, from totally horizontal to very upright.

What’s the hood like?

The Out ‘n’ About Nipper Sport V4’s large hood is fully retractable, providing excellent coverage from the sun, although a little noisy to extend – our MFM Editorial Award Judge, Helen, agreed it made a “real racket when you extend it!”. It has a Velcro peek-a-boo window , which ensures you can check on your baby or child easily and there are large storage pockets either side of the hood, perfect for stashing your keys and phone when out. The fabric is easy to wipe clean, too.

What are the wheels like on the Nipper Sport V4 pushchair?

The three chunky and robust 16-inch wheels are probably the biggest selling point for me. They are air-filled and provide the buggy with an incredibly smooth ride no matter the terrain. MFM parent tester, Kelsey, commented, “Off road, the huge wheels are a dream, go over anything and everything – puddles, mud, bumps and gravel – without any bother and my baby looked as comfy as possible.”

Obviously one disadvantage to having air-filled tyres is you need to maintain them, keeping them pumped up and checked regularly for punctures. Out ‘n’ About does however sell a puncture repair kit for £4 and a mini tyre pump for £11, which could be useful to have on standby.

How good are the Out ‘n’ About Nipper Sport V4 pushchair’s brakes?

The bright red foot brake is firm, providing a strong hold when it’s on. It’s centrally located in a perfect position, so you are not kicking the brake when pushing the pushchair.

There is also a hand brake on the handle, which provides extra control when on the move. You can squeeze it slightly in order to slow down a little, or pull it more firmly to come to a stop.

How do you rate the storage basket on the Nipper Sport V4 pushchair?

There is no storage basket underneath the seat on this buggy. There is still room to store a few essentials in the shopping pouch at the rear of the seat unit, however it wouldn’t fit a large changing bag.

When out jogging you’re unlikely to want to store much more than a bottle of water and perhaps an emergency nappy (for the baby and hopefully not you!). However, I managed to squeeze in a lunch box, water bottles, a book bag and a pair of shoes on the school run so, although it isn’t the largest storage, it isn’t miniscule by any means.

There is also a drawstring on this compartment meaning that your belongings shouldn’t fall out as you move, which MFM parent tester Kelsey really rated: “the tie-up feature is brilliant for keeping everything safe and clean when running over muddy and bumpy paths.”

Additionally, there are zipper compartments on either side of the hood, which would be perfect for storing your phone and purse – something I felt was a really lovely addition. If you do require extra storage, you can buy an additional storage basket from the Out ‘n’ About website for £30.

How well does the Nipper Sport V4 pushchair perform in urban areas?

Kerbs, large, small or uneven, are no problem at all with these wheels and it made no difference whether our baby or slightly heavier toddler were in it. Our 3-year-old is known to thrash around and try to climb out of buggies at times, but even this didn’t throw the Nipper Sport off course; its stability is second to none.

Being as bulky as it is, however, meant that any narrow pavements or doorways were a little trickier to navigate. The Nipper Sport is definitely better suited to the great outdoors.

How easy is the pushchair to clean?

The seat unit and hood can all be cleaned using a cloth and warm, soapy water. They are not suitable for machine washing. Removing the wheels makes them extremely easy to clean, which we did several times with a hose after some particularly mud-filled walks.

What’s in the box?

• Frame with seat, canopy, footplate and wrist strap
• Wheels
• Seat liner
• Bumper Bar
• Raincover

What are the additional accessories that you can buy?

• Storage basket, £30
• UV cover, £46
• Footmuff, £59.95
• Newborn support, £39.95
• Pushchair carry bag, £78
• Mini tyre pump, £11
• Puncture Patch repair Kit, £5

Now you’ve tested it, what would you have wanted to know before purchasing the Out ‘n’ About Nipper Sport V4 pushchair?

My only surprise with this was the fixed front wheel, so I think that would be the main thing I would want to have known before buying. However, those seasoned buggy runners will probably already be in the know about this feature, as it isn’t unusual on similar products.

Who would the Out ‘n’ About Nipper Sport V4 pushchair be most useful for?

This pushchair would be perfect for those who want to go off the beaten track or are keen to take their children with them whilst jogging. It would definitely be more suited to countryside living than inner-city streets, with its large frame, giant wheels and fixed front wheel providing great stability for all terrains, but not a great choice for nipping around shops or squeezing through narrow doorways and on and off public transport.

Is the Out ‘n’ About Nipper Sport V4 pushchair worth the money?

In my opinion, at £349, it is pretty good value for money. It feels very well made and sturdy, good over various terrains and it’s so smooth that my 10 month old (who never naps in the buggy), slept while I was out for a run. In comparison to a lot of similar sports pushchairs, it’s a more affordable option.

The only thing I would say is that for people looking for a buggy to suit all aspects of their day-to-day life, going shopping, school runs, etc, it might not be so worth the investment. There isn’t a huge shopping pouch, as it is primarily designed for running, and the fixed front wheel would make it difficult to negotiate tight spaces.

How does it compare to similar pushchairs?

Where can I buy the Out ‘n’ About Nipper Sport V4?

Available from Amazon, Winstanleys Pramworld and Kiddies Kingdom.

MadeForMums verdict:

If you’re looking for a pushchair that can tackle even the roughest of terrains, whilst giving your child the smoothest ride possible, then the Nipper Sport V4 is the one for you.

Its air-filled tyres and rear wheel suspension make it a dream to push, easily taking on deep gravel tracks and unwieldy fields. It also solves the dilemma of childcare when exercising – another great plus point.

Whilst this model is one of the lightest sports buggies on the market (9.8kg), it is still a big bulky buggy, even when collapsed down, so before buying you would want to measure your car boot size to ensure it fits if you plan on driving with it.

Those looking for a buggy they can use every day might want to think again, as the fixed front wheel makes it difficult to manoeuvre in compact spaces and the small-ish shopping pouch means you can’t carry everything you might need for a full day out. But if you can afford to buy a pushchair solely for running and off-road walking, then the Nipper Sport should be top of the list.