Red Kite Push Me Cube stroller review

British brand Red Kite prides itself on making well-designed, affordable and no-fuss parenting essentials. The Push Me Cube is the latest – and priciest – addition to their bargain lightweight stroller range, promising to be the perfect travelling buggy thanks to a compact Z-fold that is cabin baggage compliant.

Unlike many lightweights, it is also safe to use from newborn and lasts up to 15kg. It comes in black with three colourway options for the hood, strap covers and sidebars – steel, hot pink or jaffa – making for a smart, attractive design.

The Push Me Cube follows the trend started by the Mountain Buggy Nano (£249) and Babyzen Yoyo+ (from £309) for Z-fold travel strollers but is a good deal cheaper at £135. The Ickle Bubba Aurora (£130) is the other budget version on the market.

Buy the Red Kite Push Me Cube direct from Red Kite, or from Kiddies Kingdom or Amazon.

Watch 5 things we love about the Red Kite Push Me Cube

The Red Kite Push Me Cube is sold on fitting into an airline locker - how compact is it?

The Red Kite Push Me Cube fold is 53 x 46 x 32cm. Right away, I was impressed with the size of the fold. Our main buggy, a Stokke Scoot, is pretty bulky when folded and can be a little tricky to get down some buses aisles, while our existing umbrella-fold lightweight, a Summer Infant UME Lite, is too long for the boot of our Seat Ibiza.

While the other two need to be stored outside the front door of our ‘cosy’ second floor flat, the Push Me Cube fit discreetly into the hallway without being a nuisance and could easily slip into the closet if I cleared it of rubbish…

10 of the most compact folding buggies

How light is it?

The 6.7kg weight was a relief. I struggle to carry the folded Scoot up and down two flights of stairs on my own and certainly not with my hefty son on my hip too. This means I rely on my husband to take the buggy downstairs before he goes to work and on some days he forgets. It’s hard to lift into the car boot too.

The Push Me Cube was a revelation – I could use the carry strap to pop it over my shoulder, with Ralph on the other side and a bag too. Lifting it up and down flights of stairs at train stations with him still strapped in was totally do-able.

• Buyer's guide to lightweight buggies
• 10 of the best lightweight buggies under 6kg

What’s in the box?

• Red Kite Push Me Cube buggy with basket and canopy
• Shoulder strap
• Cover bag
• Rain cover
• Instruction manual

How quick and easy is it to assemble?

It’s ready to go straight from the box, apart from removing a few bits of packaging. Music to the ears of anybody who has nightmares about Ikea flat packs.

However, it took a few goes to unfold the buggy as the instruction label on the handle doesn’t mention the catch on the side that locks it in place. Cue much ribbing from my husband as he stepped in and got it first time.

Once up, we discovered the full manual hidden inside the basket. It’s only eight sides but has very clear idiot-proof diagrams and text.

How does it handle?

Given how light the Push Me Cube is, I was feeling dubious about how well it would handle on our first outing – a 25-minute walk to the baby weigh-in clinic in torrential rain so bad that the pavement was a sea of standing water.

Thankfully the rain cover was a cinch to put on, with a simple Velcro fastening around the handle and two Velcro straps at the bottom. It looked a little short but Ralph stayed perfectly dry, although an older child may end up with wet feet.

Beforehand, I’d been worried the rubber wheels were rather flimsy but first impressions can be deceiving. The ride was smooth as we dodged puddles and whizzed over uneven bits of tarmac. It had a great ‘kerb pop’ too – no bumping, heaving or getting stuck halfway.

Best of all, I could confidently push and turn one-handed with very little force required, meaning I could carry a coffee or a supermarket shopping basket without the buggy veering off in a different direction.

While the swivel wheels at the front do not have a lock option, they are very stable thanks to some solid looking suspension.

This made lifting the pushchair up through a train door from the platform very smooth and stress-free. The wheels on other buggies are prone to spinning sideways and stopping you pushing forward.

This ease of use was replicated when we took the Push Me Cube to our local woods. It performed brilliantly on bumpy slopes and paths covered in stones and twigs, so much so that Ralph fell asleep!

Cobbles were fairly negotiable too, as was grass. The only times we got stuck or struggled a little were going down some very wild cobbled paths and over storm grates on holiday in Skiathos, and on sand. But not many buggies manage to navigate a beach anyway.

How comfortable is the seat?

Ralph loves to nap on the go and I rely on my pushchair for daytime sleeps. The Push Me Cube has a close to flat recline, whereas our Summer Infant only goes back about two thirds of the way.

While the seat is not heavily padded, he seemed very content in it for long periods, both awake and asleep, even pulling an hour and 45 minute nap on our first outing. With the rain lashing down, I had to retreat to a café to wait it out. There I discovered another benefit of its slimline, 46cm wide frame – squeezing into narrow spaces between tables and chairs when eating out.

The mechanism to drop the seat back is a simple clip on a strap, which can be done one-handed and allows you to recline to it any height you choose. It’s pretty tricky to return to upright with your child in though. You need two hands to adjust it the clip against their weight but another hand to hold the seat up. I found this the most poorly designed element of the Push Me Cube.

The restraint straps have a lot of room in them and are easy to adjust, meaning you aren’t wedging your child into a too tight set because altering them would take too long.

The only fiddly element is the five point harness – you have to slide the clip at the end of the shoulder straps into the clip on the waist straps before clicking into the lock. These often came loose and needed redoing.

The T-shaped bumper bar was an unusual feature. It was no good for attaching toys to but Ralph found his own use – a makeshift foot rest.

I think it would be handy for restraining a wriggly toddler and it can be fully removed if you’d rather, or want to use a soft bag.

Is the brake easy to use?

Very. There’s one small pedal in the middle of the back wheels and it is very secure. It’s quite low to the ground but is operated for both locking and opening by placing your foot on top, meaning no squashed toes when wearing sandals and no dirty marks on the tops of your shoes.

Is it suitable from newborn – and what age would it last until?

The Push Me Cube is marketed as suitable from birth. I’m a fan of lie-flat buggies that don’t need a carry cot and this one certainly has a deep recline.

Why your newborn needs a lie-flat pushchair

However, I’d find it a little open to the elements, especially in winter, even if you bought a soft cosytoes.

Nor does it offer a rearward-facing or car seat adaptor option. Depending on how big your baby is, I’d say 4-6 months onwards would be fine.

In terms of longevity, it will go up to 15kg, which is about 3 years for an average child. My above average 10-month-old is more than 10kg and very long - he was able to stretch out and wriggle while sleeping in it. There was plenty of space beside his hips too.

What’s the basket like?

It’s long and easy to access from both ends, even when the seat is at full recline. However, the lip at the back is very small, meaning items are vulnerable to falling out, particularly going up steps or kerbs.

There’s also a metal bar running across the middle which means pushing a full bag of shopping in is tricky and my Pacapod changing rucksack would not fit underneath.

The other problem is that it’s very low to the ground, meaning water pooled in the bottom during heavy rain and sand collected in it on holiday. It bumps on some steps as you go up them as well, knocking things out.

There are no additional storage pockets in the hood or seat unfortunately. That would be a helpful addition.

What about the handle?

It’s well-padded and comfortable to push for long periods, standing at 103cm tall. The height doesn’t adjust and it was fine for me and my husband at 5ft 4ins and 5ft 8ins respectively.

Tell us about the fold

After a couple of goes, it’s incredibly easy – and there’s a handy reminder on the handlebar in case you get brain freeze.

1. Using one hand, you push in one button at the back of the handle with your thumb,
2. Flick in a catch at the front and push another with your finger
3. Push forward and downwards, folding the buggy into a Z shape.
4. To open, you push the same buttons and pull upwards, although you need to unlock the catch on the left side.

Initially I struggled to do this one-handed, but soon realised a foot could be used to loosen the catch.

It was so light, smooth and quick, I could hold Ralph at the same time. A genuine one-handed buggy fold is a rare thing and this is the best I’ve seen.

What do you think of the hood?

It offered good coverage for his upper body in the sun, especially when sleeping, without compromising on his visibility. The viewing panel at the back was also very clear and well placed.

The downsides were that the fabric does not offer SPF protection and it is not lined. We had the steel colourway and it let quite a lot of light through in bright sunshine.

How does it travel?

The USP of the Push Me Cube is its convenience for travel. At 56 x 43 x 32cm folded, it passes for hand luggage with most airlines, so you can put it in a cabin locker and don’t have to wait for it to come off the luggage carousel at the other end. In theory…

At 6kg, it was unfortunately too heavy to take on board our charter flight to Skiathos, which has a 5kg restriction.

Weight-wise, it would have been eligible Easyjet and Ryanair, along with bigger airlines like Virgin who fly long haul routes, but not necessarily compliant dimension-wise!

Buggies for holiday goers

Another issue is that we had one piece of hand luggage per person so would have had to sacrifice a bag to take the stroller into the cabin, whereas putting it into the hold at the gate is in addition to your checked bags. To be fair, this is the same for all cabin baggage compliant lightweights and I think these products might be trying to solve a problem that parents don’t really need fixing.

That aside, the Push Me Cube was perfect for navigating the airport hurdles of security and transfer buses as we could fold it and carry it so easily. Ditto with taxis, a very small hire car and local buses - we never felt stressed putting it up and down.

Does it fit into the boot of your car?

The big advantage of the Push Me Cube is space on long journeys or going away. Our two-door Seat Ibiza is tiny and most buggies dominate the boot (sometimes necessitating the removal of the parcel shelf). Or they need parts removing or just don’t fit at all.

Going to the airport, we packed our boot with two big cases and our hand luggage, then slipped the folded Push Me Cube behind the driver’s seat.

Its weight also meant it was easy to take in and out of the boot – a Godsend for anyone who, like me, gets back trouble. Plus it allowed for shopping bags and a buggy on supermarket trips.

How does it fare on public transport?

For me, the stroller came into its own travelling around London itself. I walk most places or take trains, tubes and buses. It was easy to hop on and off, and squeeze into narrow gaps, as well as navigate stairs without help if lifts weren’t available.

I’m petrified of escalators with my Scoot as it’s hard to hold it steady, especially as other commuters push past, but I felt confident using this. It made the city far more accessible as I didn’t need to scour maps to find a station with lifts – I could go where I pleased.

Best buggies for cities

If trains or buses were busy, it was feasible to fold it down for the journey and then alight with it over my shoulder. I found it was too small for the overhead luggage rack on Southern trains but I think they are not very accommodating for bags anyway!

Having travelled with the Scoot on a Eurostar and TGV, I wouldn’t hesitate to take the Push Me Cube on a long train journey. You’d be able to push the buggy and pull a case at the same time, too.

Is it built to last?

The Push Me Cube feels solid and good quality, although it’s hard to tell how much the wheels would wear with daily use. Despite being light it is sturdy and robust.

My one concern would be the fabric. After a week’s holiday where it was on the beach, used as makeshift cot and highchair, and plastered in sun cream, the seat and hood were looking a bit grubby.

Unfortunately, it’s not machine washable so I had to make do with a spot clean. It’s a small issue but after a poo explosion leaked onto my other buggy recently, I’d like a machine cleaning option, especially for hygiene.

How does it compare to the Babyzen Yoyo?

The obvious difference is the price – it’s much cheaper – but the Push Me Cube doesn’t fold up quite as small as the Yoyo (52 x 44 x 18cm) and weighs 0.3kg more.

The Yoyo has a wider chose of accessories, albeit at extra cost, and the fabrics are machine washable. It is also car seat adaptable and a genuine ‘from birth’ buggy, with a buggy board option as your family grows. These are excellent features but you pay for them.

While the Push Me Cube may not have the style and finesse of its competitor, nor the comfort for a newborn, it’s brilliant value and would be a better buy of the two if you want a second, lightweight or next stage buggy.

The Ickle Bubba Aurora is a similar budget option but while this has a better basket, a friend with one says the canopy is very small and the brake is tricky to use. Another friend with a Yoyo also finds the brake difficult on that. It seems they all have slight compromises on design.

What could be improved?

An easier mechanism to return the seat to upright and a bigger lip on the back of the basket are two small tweaks that would improve this pushchair no end, along with a pocket in the hood for a phone, keys and travel card.

A more protective carry bag would be nice for travel too – ours got a little scuffed the first time we flew – and better fabrics that give easier cleaning and accredited sun protection.

Is it value for money?

Absolutely. The compact fold, ease of pushing and deep recline make it a cut above umbrella fold lightweights under the £100 mark – it’s worth the extra investment. Also, a Silver Cross Zest is £145 so it isn’t a ridiculous price.

MadeForMums verdict

I wanted a second buggy that would take the stress out of travelling and I was not disappointed by the Push Me Cube, which also offered superb ease of use and was the perfect choice for our space-poor city life. I’d be reluctant to return to an umbrella fold lightweight now.

Families living in flats, lacking storage, who have a small car or use public transport regularly would find this an especially wise purchase. It might not have the whistles and bells of a Babyzen Yoyo but it gets the basics absolutely right at an affordable price.

We’ve got lots more baby products for you here…

• 14 of the best new buggies for 2017
• 20 of the best travel systems
• The best car seats from 9 months
• 10 of the best buggies – as rated by you!

MadeForMums product reviews are independent, honest and provide advice you can have confidence in. Sometimes, we earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links. However we never allow this to influence our coverage. Our reviews and articles are written by parents who are professional journalists, and we also include feedback from our parent community and industry experts.