Founded in the US in 2006, their mission is to make intuitively designed products that are sleek and stylish, featuring functions that parents want, and the G-Luxe certainly fits the brief. Celebrity fans of their UPPAbaby Cruz and Vista buggies include the likes of Emily Blunt, Adele and Lily Allen, while Claire Danes and Natalie Portman own one of their strollers.
What’s in the box?
The box contains the stroller, plus a removable SPF 50+hood and sunshade, which easily clicks on and a separate rain cover. The shopping basket is fixed in position and it is a good size – perfect for all those bits and bibs when out shopping.
The canopy doesn’t look big but it has a hidden sun visor that goes all the way down, so is perfect on those sunny days when you don’t want to be indoors.
The front wheels need to be popped in (very simple) and then it can be opened and is ready to go in five minutes flat.
The instructions come with excellent diagrams, so there was no need to call on my husband for assistance! It also comes with a removable cup holder, which also clips on and fits a coffee cup or bottle of water.
Is it as lightweight as you’d expect?
Yes, it is. At 6.1kg it is one of the lightest strollers on the market and can easily be lifted with one hand.
It isn’t as light as the UPPAbaby G-Lite, but the pay off is that it has great stability. It also has a carry strap, so you can carry it over your shoulder – a useful addition for when you are going away and in an airport or going up and down stairs, for example.
It means you can put the stroller over your shoulder and have two hands free to carry your child. At my local train station, there is stairs and a bridge over the platform, so I loved this feature. It also fitted handily in the back of our five-door Golf.
How does the UPPAbbaby G-Luxe push?
Really easily, I tested the stroller around the local pavements, mounting kerbs and across muddy terrain and it felt very sturdy.
With high performance wheels and all-wheel suspension, my little one had a very smooth ride and I was impressed.
The front wheels are swivel ones but can be locked for extra stability. I would consider this to be more suitable for city-dwelling parents but can be used on various terrains.
The break is a single action one at the back. At 42 inches high, the handlebars are great for both shorter and taller parents to push the stroller – they are not adjustable but can be held in different ways, depending on your height.
How comfortable is the stroller?
Very, the seat is padded and the fabric is stain and water-resistant. It is also removable and machine washable, which is ideal – it is attached by Velcro, so after a spillage, all you have to do is pull it off.
The pushchair has a one-hand 3-position recline seat, which is adjusted with a lever at the back of the seat. This is an improvement on the toggle mechanism on the older models that was said to be fiddly.
However, it does not go completely flat, which is why it is not recommended for newborns but the three positions offer a lot of flexibility.
The 5-point harness with a centre release button is very secure but I found it quite stiff at first.
Another excellent feature is the adjustable footrest, this was ideal for my youngest daughter who could stretch out while she was asleep.
Is it easy to open and close?
Yes, umbrella strollers can sometimes be fiddly to open and close but the G-Luxe is easy.
You do need both hands as the fold is activated by two finger trigger located either sides of the frame, but there’s no foot action required.
It took a while to familiarise myself but once I did it was simple and quick. It does stand up while folded (I think this is a unique selling point) but to me, it didn’t look particularly steady and seemed better leaning up against something or lying down on the ground.
Saying that, it has a handy lock to keep it in the closed position on the side.
Is it good value for money?
Priced at £194.99, it is towards the more expensive end of the market with top stroller brands like Maclaren and Quinny.
While a downside to this stroller is that it is not suitable from birth and there is no travel system option, I personally think strollers are most useful for toddlers, once they have outgrown their pushchairs.
So I think it is definitely worth the money and is the kind of product you will definitely use again and again, especially if you use it for more then one child.
I was able to use it for my six-month-old and three-year-old. The stroller is suitable for children up to 55lbs, which is the average weight of a four-year-old.
An added financial benefit to the UPPAbaby G-Luxe is that it comes with a free two-year guarantee simply by registering the product online within three months of purchase.
Make sure you keep your proof of purchase too to validate the warranty.
The G-Luxe is currently being sold at John Lewis and other retailers.
A sleek, stylish and sturdy lightweight stroller that had a whole host of brilliant features,but has been replaced with by the lightweight Minu stroller.
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