Out 'n' About Nipper V5 Double buggy review

The brand has made it its mission to enable families who “love spending time outside journey anywhere together … embrace the great outdoors,” and this is definitely a pram to take off the beaten track rather than for a nip down the shops.

What were your first impressions of the buggy?

Alice: Despite the huge box it arrived in, the Out 'n’ About Nipper V5 Double was unfussy and quick to put together and I was ready to get out in it within 30 minutes. The gigantic pneumatic tyres first needed a few puffs of air (pumps are available to buy separately) but then offered the smoothest ride my kids have ever experienced; and despite its width, I could steer and push single handed if the mood took me. Devastatingly the buggy doesn’t go in and out of my front door thanks to our cat flap which takes away a few valuable centimetres, so I have to fold and unfold outside and shuffle it down the hallway.

Maria: It was pleasingly simple to set up with clear instructions and was incredibly light, which meant putting it together didn't require much muscle power (or space!) – you can literally do it one-handed. We didn't need tools either, which was a real bonus and meant it didn’t sit unopened for weeks. The only slight setback was the toggle controlling the seat recline function, which I quickly realised was twisted and made it difficult to recline one of the seats when setting it up – it took quite a bit of twisting and wriggling to finally free it so the seat could fully recline if and when needed for the babies. Overall, I really liked the design. It wasn’t overly fussy and looks sporty and durable.

How does the updated Out 'n' About Nipper V5 Double buggy compare to the older version?

Alice: The silhouette is unchanged and the weight remains an impressively light 12.8kg, but the new Nipper V5 Double has technical water resistant fabrics, extendable sun visors and UV visors, improved 5-point safety harnesses and magnetic peekaboo windows. The branding is more discreet and the v5 Nipper double also comes with a raincover and removable basket included.

How does it compare to other similar double buggies?

Alice: If you want the option to jog with a double buggy, there isn’t an awful lot that will come close to the Out ’n’ About Nipper V5 Double. Otherwise the Baby Jogger City Mini GT2 Double is over £100 more expensive at around £765 but it is compatible with car seats (creating a travel system). The Baby Jogger City Mini GT2 Double has 4 wheels to Nipper Double V5's 3 and has a hand operated break. The GT2 is also over 3kg heavier and at 77.5cm wide, trickier to get through doors. And it doesn’t come with a bumper bar included.

How did you find the Nipper V5 Double as an all-terrain buggy?

Alice: Out 'n' About really know what they’re doing in terms of making light work of tricky terrain. I took both kids to the forest on grotty muddy days which just wouldn’t have been possible in our regular buggy. With the Nipper V5 Double you can cruise through thick deep mud and over tree roots without pause. It’s genuinely a pleasure to get out and about with and has got me out of the house on days where I would previously have bundled us all up under duvets on the sofa all day.

Can you use a carrycot on the Out 'n' About Nipper V5 Double?

Alice: Yes, the buggy can be used with 1 or 2 carrycots; I used it with a single for my baby while my toddler sat in the seat. The carrycot is snug but there is plenty of room to grow for my 5th centile 3 month old. It’s suitable from birth up to 9kg which is approximately 6 months and, while I think we’ll get full use out of it, taller babies might get a bit tight in there.

It feels solid if a little heavy – adding 3kg to the weight of the whole buggy – and has a sturdy Velcro harness to hold babies in place and give piece of mind. The mattress is solid and passes the DIY breathability test, but it's not suitable for overnight sleeping. The sturdy hood needs two hands to open and close it which is pretty fiddly but otherwise does its job well, and when open it meets the hood from the buggy to give total shade or emergency wind/rain protection if you’re out without the raincover.

What do you think of the seats on the Out 'n' About Nipper V5 Double buggy?

Alice: The world-facing only seat units come with removable padded inserts which stay in place with Velcro. The seat is fairly narrow and seems pretty snug with winter coats on, but it’s deep and roomy enough for a snooze and the buggy has a great foot rest which keeps tired legs nice and clear of the ground. The seats recline via a toggle which you need 2 hands to sit the chair up straight. I’m used to a one-handed recline but this system does the job fine once you get the hang of it.

Maria: Both of my babies felt supported and safe in their seats and I particularly liked the straps which had a nice amount of padding and felt more comfortable than others we'd tried, with no digging in or chafing. There was plenty of growing room for them both in there, too – this is definitely a buggy you can comfortably use for a long time.

We struggled with the toggle recline, which was twisted on arrival, but when we did finally manage to recline the seats fully, the pram was worryingly easy to tip up accidentally. I found out the hard way by gently pushing the pram back and forth to lull them to sleep and a couple of times, it nearly went flying when very slight pressure was put on the handlebar to push them.

Is the harness on the Out 'n' About Nipper V5 Double buggy easy to use?

Alice: Yes. The harness is one of the best things about the seats – the clips are brightly coloured, so easy to find and clip in quickly in all lighting, and the large central button is super easy to release with one hand. The straps are nice and easy to adjust as well.

How effective is the pushchair hood?

Maria: The hoods covered the seats nicely and stayed in place well (they went further down than others I'd tried) which mean babies are thoroughly covered if it starts raining, even before putting the raincover on. However, they did make a noticeable snapping noise and jolted the pram when pulling them down, which isn’t ideal if trying to quietly pull them over a sleeping baby! When pushing the pram, you can't see much through the little visibility plastic 'windows' (basically a glimpse of the top of the babies' heads) so that function felt a little silly, too.

How easy is it to fold the Out 'n' About Nipper V5 Double buggy?

Maria: The buggy is simple to fold with one hand, making it perfect to tuck away in the front porch out of the way or put in the boot of the car with ease. You just unclip the locking catches on each side of the frame and pull the strap in the base of the seat unit to fold it (you can also remove the quick-release wheels if you need more space).

Alice: The handlebar makes a lot of contact with the ground during folding and once folded, and I think that foam won’t stay pristine for long as a result. As is the case with a lot of double buggies, the fold is sort of ‘inside out’ – so the seats are exposed to the elements once it’s folded.

How compact is the pushchair when folded?

Maria: When folded it’s relatively compact at L90cm x W72cm x H32cm, very similar to the brand's GT Double, and light to pick up compared to other twin buggies. We have a Volvo XC40 and it fitted nicely in the boot with plenty of room to spare – although I know Alice couldn't fit it in her Renault Clio.

Despite it being one of the most narrow double buggies on the market, our front door is especially slimline, so it didn't fit through ours (we've only found one buggy that does – the Mountain Buggy Duet). It went in fine through every other front door we visited, so I'd advise checking this carefully if you have twins.

How lightweight is the pushchair?

Alice: Considering its size and that it holds 2 children, the Out 'n' About Nipper V5 Double is incredibly lightweight, at just 12.8kg. It can hold up to 22kg per seat and I used it with my 15kg toddler and 5kg baby and never broke sweat.

What is the Out 'n' About Nipper V5 Double like to push and steer?

Alice: This buggy is an absolute delight to push and steer on any surface. It’s incredibly sturdy and glides over bumpy, uneven ground pretty effortlessly. I’ve even pushed one-handedly in the forest. Pavements and kerbs are no trouble at all – I tend to use both hands on kerbs to make sure the single front wheel has landed firmly. It has a tight turning circle and feels really steady , plus it’s completely silent and the pneumatic tyres haven’t needed any upkeep as yet.

Maria: Pushing the buggy was a doddle – steering is incredibly light and easy compared to our regular pram. The suspension meant it performed really well in the city while shopping (one-handed pushing is easy) and in the countryside when we took it on a Boxing Day walk down quite muddy, uneven country paths and over tree roots – the babies stayed asleep, which was a miracle. My partner and I were both able to get it on and off several London buses without waking the twins from nap-time, which was brilliant. We also took it on a train with no issues.

What do you think of the handlebar?

Maria: If I had to really nit-pick, I'd say the handlebar felt slightly cheap (it's foam, without any cover on it) and because it lacked a cover, I'd imagine it could get damaged quite easily if lifting carabiner clips on/off for shopping etc on a regular basis. Having said that, it adjusted nicely for both myself and my fiancé at different heights and was super simple to do and felt very comfortable to push.

What are the wheels on the Out 'n' About Nipper V5 Double buggy like?

Maria: The buggy feels quite sporty compared to others I've used – probably due to its light weight and air-filled tyres and suspension (it’s a popular buggy to jog with). So far, we've experienced no punctures on the air-filled tyres, which was a major fear of mine! They give a nice amount of ‘bounce’ on both pavement and off-road.

Do the brakes feel effective?

Alice: The Nipper V5 Double's brake is controlled by a single kick mechanism which is solid and holds well, but I find myself having to extend my leg quite far under the buggy to engage it – something to bear in mind for shorter parents.

How big is the Out 'n' About Nipper V5 Double shopping basket, and is it easy to access?

Alice: The basket is a fairly good size and is in addition to storage pouches behind each seat and zipped pockets in each side of each hood, however the basket is hard to access, especially if one or both seats are reclined. When the buggy is folded it’s not really possible to retrieve anything from it without unfolding again. I tend to use a bag for shopping when using this buggy.

Maria: It could definitely be roomier. The basket for storage underneath the pram lacked space (which, as a twin parent, you really do need!) and our dog missed hitching a ride underneath the buggy, which it does in our usual pram. I really missed space to put shopping in (putting very light items on the handlebar would work fine but much more and it would tip the buggy over).

Who is the Out 'n' About Nipper V5 Double most suitable for?

Alice: This buggy is perfect for those with twins, or growing families who enjoy easy access to the outdoors. You’ll need a decent sized car boot if heading further afield; and do double check the measurements of your front door and hallway, as although 72cm is amazingly slim for a double, little bits of door furniture (or cat flaps) can make the difference between being able to roll the buggy into the house and having to fold outside.

What’s in the box?

We tested the buggy with an additional newborn insert, carrycot and carrycot adapter, which can all be bought separately.

The basic Out’n’About Nipper V5 Double consists of:

• Chassis
• Basket
• Raincover
• 3 x pneumatic wheels
• Bumper bar

Are there any additional extras that you need to or can buy?

• Footmuff, £75
• Bottle holder, £12.99
• Handmuffs, £33
• Carrycot raincover, £42
• UV double cover for £62.50.
• Carry bag, £96

What is the packaging like?

Alice: The packaging was surprisingly minimal (while being sturdy and protective) and though the majority was cardboard, there were a number of plastic elements which I felt could have been reduced/swapped for something more easily recyclable.

Do Out 'n' About offer any repair options?

Alice: There is a really comprehensive collection of spare parts available for purchase as well as maintenance and repair tips on the website. The company also offers an engineer service, so you can return your buggy to them for 3 tiers of repair, from refresh to rebuild which costs between £65 and £185. There isn’t currently a recycling programme.

Is the Out 'n' About Nipper V5 Double buggy good value?

Alice: This is an excellent pushchair which would well last from birth to 4 years and I don’t doubt it would have a long life beyond that too. Considering how rugged, sturdy and well made it is, I think it’s priced really well and is worth the money you’ll spend on it.

Maria: The reasonable price point of this buggy definitely makes it worth the money in my opinion – our 'regular' twin pram cost a great deal more and if you're on a budget, this ticks most boxes. It's a great 'all-rounder' option for people who live in cities or the countryside and handles all terrain surprisingly well. The quality feels robust and durable despite its light frame and is relatively low cost for a twin pram.

Where can I buy the Out 'n' About Nipper Double v5?

It is available from Amazon, Kiddies Kingdom and Out 'n' About.

MadeForMums verdict

Alice: The Out 'n' About Nipper V5 Double is an incredibly fun to use buggy and definitely lets big families enjoy the outdoors, though it might leave you wanting a bigger hallway and larger car boot.

Maria: I really enjoyed using this side-by-side pram and I’d definitely recommend it to other twin parents, with the caveat to be careful when fully reclined and not to put shopping on the handlebars. It’s spacious for growing babies – so a great investment – and light enough to take on trips or lift into the car without worrying. My final piece of advice would be to double – no triple – check the width. For us, it sadly was too wide for our front door, which was a real shame — we should have read the small print.