Quinny Moodd pushchair review

Quinny burst onto the urban stroller market more than 10 years ago with the Buzz. At the heart of the brand is a bold, modern look and that’s certainly continued with the Moodd. Launched in 2012 and updated in 2015, the Moodd is designed to navigate city streets in style. But it’s functional too, with features including an automatic unfold system. Although aimed squarely at the metropolitan market, it’s robust enough to handle countryside conditions and comes with a lifetime guarantee.

Competitor pushchairs at around the Quinny Moodd’s £600 price tag include the Mutsy Igo (£680), Mamas & Papas Ocarro (£699), and the Britax Affinity 2 (£535).

Buy the Quinny Moodd from Quinny and Kiddies Kingdom.

First impressions

The first thing that struck me about the Moodd is the design. It comes in six different colour combinations: Black Devotion, Black Irony, Grey Gravel, Red Rumour, Blue Base and Rachel Zoe. We were testing Black Irony, featuring a gorgeous glossy white frame.

The futuristic look – almost space age – is clearly aimed at chic city dwellers. We live in a remote part of Scotland and stylish sophistication is way down our list of priorities.

More importantly, would it cope with the bumpy tracks and muddy paths that we have to navigate? We needn’t have worried. The Moodd tackled our gravelly byways just superbly. It’s not too bumpy a ride for little Tess, it’s easy to steer and light enough to push uphill without too much effort. It just looks a bit out of place; you would expect to see the Moodd gliding through a designer shop rather than bumping its way along a beach.

How does it compare to other 3- and 4-wheeler pushchairs you have used?

The Moodds’s remarkable appearance certainly gets noticed! I’ve never had so many comments about my pushchair. So if you want to make a bold statement and you enjoy standing out from the crowd, then the Moodd could be for you.

It’s a bit wider than other strollers I’ve used at 66cm. Although it is designed to navigate city streets, I found it a little too wide for cafés and busy shops. Its manoeuvrability really stands out though; on smooth surfaces it glides with the lightest of touches.

How comfortable does it feel for your little one?

I tested out the Moodd with my seven-month old daughter Tess. As far as I could tell she loved it! The seat is essentially a plastic ‘nest shaped’ frame with soft padding of the seat around the front, sides and back.

The seat is spacious (49cm high, 23cm deep and 35cm wide).

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I love the fact that the seat can be forward- or parent-facing, and it’s simple to change between the two with a click of a button. I could even do it while we were out and about, although the seat itself is quite heavy.

The chunky tyres create a smooth ride, even across bumpy terrain. The Baby Cocoon that comes with the Moodd is an absolute delight, allowing you to use the seat unit in the lay-flat position from birth. It’s beautifully soft, cosy and supportive. Tess outgrew it at about four months old.

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What age child is the Quinny Moodd suitable for?

The Moodd is designed to grow with your child and is suitable from birth to 15kg (around three and half years old). The seat lies flat with the Baby Cocoon resting on top of it for newborns. This is great if you don’t want to use a separate carrycot. A foldable carrycot is available to buy, but we didn’t test it out. As your baby becomes a toddler, there’s a T-bar that clicks into the front of the seat.

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

I generally had the seat parent-facing so I could see Tess clearly. The seat itself is set higher than other buggies I’ve used, which is great for interaction as you feel more at the same level. When the seat is forward facing, you can’t interact. I would have liked a ‘peek-a-boo’ window in the canopy to check on Tess.

Is it affordable for what it is?

Although not at the very top end of the market, at £600 the Quinny Moodd is quite an investment. However, this is a well-made piece of kit with fantastic features and an eye-catching design. Plus, it comes with the added bonus of a lifetime guarantee, which speaks volumes about the manufacturer’s confidence in the product.

What’s in the box?

• Chassis
• Wheels
• Seat Unit
• Shopping Basket
• Parasol Clip
• Adapters
• Sun Canopy
• Baby Cocoon
• Raincover
• T-bar

It was all pretty straightforward to put together and we were up and running in about 15 minutes. It took a bit more time to fit the Baby Cocoon to the seat, but we got there in the end!

Does it recline? How many recline positions are there?

The Moodd reclines when it’s forward- and parent-facing and there are three recline positions, including fully flat. You change the recline by simply lifting the button at the back of the seat. It’s simple to do with one hand.

What do you think of the height of the buggy?

I love it. The seat sits quite a bit higher than other buggies I’ve used, which means that Tess gets a good view out to the world. She seemed to enjoy this elevated position!

Is the frame strong, durable?

It certainly feels it, and the lifetime guarantee would suggest that Quinny has confidence in the engineering. When I first saw the glossy white chassis I thought it would scratch easily, but that hasn’t been the case.

What is the weight of the buggy like?

The chassis and seat weigh in at 14.9kg. Because it’s designed so well, the Moodd is effortless to push and doesn’t feel heavy at all, even up hill. It’s a different story when you have to lift it into the boot of car. It’s quite a weight and there’s no way that granny would manage it!

What do you think of the fold system?

This is one of the stand-out design features of the Moodd.

To fold and unfold:

1. Move the grey tab to the side and pull the triggers on the handle back
2. Reach to the folded down position
3. The catch will go on.
4. And now for the unfold, which I absolutely loved.
5. Release the lock and, thanks to the gas spring in the chassis, watch as the pushchair automatically unfolds.

Just one thing – you can only fold the pushchair when the seat is forward-facing. It took me a while to work that out!

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Is it compact when folded?

Not particularly. It’s quite bulky, even with the wheels removed. It fits fine in our big car boot, but you would struggle to fit it into a small car and it takes up a lot of space in our cottage.

If you live in a small flat or drive a small car, there are probably better options for you.

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What do you think of handle?

The handlebar is covered with soft foam and was comfortable to use. The height can be easily adjusted. I found the Moodd easy to manoeuvre with one hand in most situations.

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

What a let down! I was unimpressed with the sun canopy. The material is UPF 50+, but it’s too small and really doesn’t provide enough coverage.

On top of that the material feels flimsy and flaps around revealing gaps at the side when there’s a strong wind. The raincover is a nice neat fit though.

What are the basket and storage pockets like?

The storage basket is way too small (a maximum capacity of 5kg) and the bar from the chassis goes straight down the middle of the basket making it almost impossible to get a bag of shopping into it. I did find the zipped pocket on the inside of the basket handy.

How easy is it to push, does the 3-wheeler outline make a difference?

It’s a doddle to push. The configuration of two large rear wheels and twin, smaller front wheels which swivel together and can be locked in the straight ahead position if desired, seems to work beautifully. So while in profile it looks like a three wheeler, there are actually four wheels. I couldn’t tell what laws of physics make this set-up work so well, all I can say is that it is the easiest-pushing buggy I’ve yet to come across.

How does it ride on different surfaces?

The Moodd coped with pretty much every surface I tried it on, and it’s this flexibility that appealed to me. It’s most at home gliding around supermarkets and shops, but we took it to the beach, across fields and down bumpy tracks with no problems.

You can lock the front wheel for rougher terrain. The Moodd is clearly targeted at the urban market, but it’s actually quite a good option for the countryside too.

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What do you think of the suspension – does it make pushing easier?

There is no suspension in the sense that a car has springs and shock absorbers. The solid, non-inflatable wheels are not so solid that you feel every pebble, while the frame itself with its various arch-shaped sections seems to flex and to absorb the bumps and prevent too many jolts getting through to your child.

What do you think of the wheels?

The wheels are foam-filled and puncture proof. They feel robust and are great for covering rougher ground. The two smaller front wheels swivel in tandem, which makes it easier to move around in small spaces.

Tell us about the brakes.

There are two brake pedals: the right pedal is red and puts the break on while the left pedal is grey and disengages it. You need to press quite firmly on the pedals but they give a satisfying click letting you know the brakes are definitely on.

Is it travel system compatible?

Yes, the Moodd comes with car seat adapters and is compatible with Maxi-Cosi seats. And if you really do have an eye for design, then you’ll love the fact that Maxi-Cosi have a special range of Pebble car seats designed to match the Quinny range.

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Are there additional accessories?

There are a few extras you can buy for the Moodd. If you prefer a traditional carrycot for your newborn, there’s a Foldable Carrycot (£180).The parasol (£29) would be useful given the size of the sun canopy. If you prefer a four-wheel to a two-wheel pram, you can buy a front two-wheel unit (£50). And I’ll be investing in the footmuff (£69) and cup holder (£9.99).

MadeForMums verdict:

This is a striking, design-led pushchair that will turn heads where ever you go. Flexible and adaptable, it’s easy to use with user friendly design features. It’s perfect for parents who live in the country, but not ideal for urban, city dwellers. The small basket and flimsy sun canopy let down what is otherwise a fabulous design.

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