Venture Nebula pushchair review

It feels like a sturdy bit of kit, with reliable suspension and puncture-proof wheels that handle muddy tracks as skilfully as it does city pavements. The seat is comfortable and supportive for my 4-month-old and the Nebula certainly looks the part of a premium pushchair in an attractive palette of cool greys and blacks. The only real niggle is that it’s quite cumbersome and difficult to move about when folded, which makes travelling with the Nebula trickier than it could be.

Tested By

Jenny lives in East London and tested the Venture Nebula with her 4-month-old daughter in the city, around local parks and off-road in Sussex.

First impressions?

Straight out of the box, the Nebula feels like a high-quality product, with a reassuringly heavy aluminium frame, large, sturdy wheels and luxe-looking fabrics. Setting it up is very intuitive – it took me about an hour to assemble both the pushchair and carrycot and it’s clear from looking which parts zip to which.

I found the instruction booklet useful to start with, but the order is a little confusing – for example, it tells you how to open and fold the unit with the seat attached before telling you how to fit the seat. It also didn’t show how to attach the hood when it came as a separate part. This was easy enough to figure out, but the zips were tricky to attach, and I struggled to understand how it clipped to the frame and was wary of forcing anything in case it broke.

The shoulder straps for the seat were particularly difficult to adjust and it wasn’t clear how to access the back of the seat to rethread them. With a bit of fiddling, I managed it, and thankfully this isn’t something that needs to be adjusted regularly.
I would say it’s probably easier to assemble without the instructions and follow your instincts, however, a spokesperson for Venture informed me that there will be instructional videos available that should smooth out any problems.

What do you think of the Venture Nebula’s carrycot?

The carrycot is comfortable and sits at a good height for keeping a close eye on your newborn. It’s deep enough and with a large enough hood to completely shield your baby from the elements, while the mattress is thick and firm for safe sleeping, but to me, it didn’t feel like the most breathable. Having said that, it is both BS EN 1888-2017 and BS EN 1466:2014 safety compliant. One great feature is that the carrycot folds flat once you’ve moved on to the pushchair attachment, making it much easier to store.

The carrycot weighs 5kg and there’s plenty of room (it measures L83.5cmxW40cmxH60cm) but not so much that your tiny baby is lost in there and should last until your baby is 6 months, easily (the manufacturer advises up to 9kg), although as they start to get curious about the world around them you may prefer to switch to the seat sooner so they can see what’s going on. I personally preferred using the pushchair on a reclined setting in parent-facing mode once my daughter was 3-months-old, but if you prefer something entirely flat and a little more shielded from the elements then the carrycot is for you.

My only complaint is that the zip on the apron was quite stiff to undo and looked like it might not stand up to repeated usage – especially when you’re in a hurry with a small baby. Also, I found steering with the carrycot attached less smooth and kerbs a particular problem.

How easy is the Nebula carrycot to add on and take off the pushchair?

It’s super simple to attach – just flip out the clips on the underside of the carrycot, line up with the two slots on the frame and click into place. There are memory buttons so you can click out one side at a time and a safety bar to lift. The weight stays centred so it’s easy to lift on and off with your baby inside.

Is it easy to fold the Nebula pushchair?

Very! The Nebula is so straightforward to fold and unfold, and can be done with or without the seat attached. You simply lift the chrome handle to fold the chair forward so it’s all the way to the ground, then pull the two slides on either side of the handle and it easily collapses in half (the carry cot needs to be removed before folding).

A small clip automatically hooks over a metal stud on the chassis to keep it in place and you simply unclip this and raise the handle to unfold, then bring the seat round to an upright position. It’s not possible to do it one-handed, but it is quick.

How compact is the Venture Nebula when folded?

This is a large and heavy pushchair, weighing 12.6kg, similar to the UPPAbaby Cruz V2, so as you can imagine it’s not the most compact when folded.

The Nebulka’s dimensions when folded are H73cmxW61cmxD40cm, comparable with the Kinderkraft XMOOV 3-in-1. If a compact fold is really important to you, something like the Junior Jones J-Tourer or Inglesina Quid 2 may be more suitable.

Once folded, the Nebula is self-standing and feels relatively stable, but like most pushchairs of its size, it’s going to take up a bit of space in your hallway or need a large cupboard to house it. The Nebula took up more than half the boot space in my Ford Focus, but can be made smaller by removing the wheels first.

Is the Nebula easy to pick up and carry?

Not exactly; picking it up once folded is a bit of an issue. There is a square-edged handle built into the underside of the seat but the hard plastic edges dig into your hand, making it uncomfortable to carry for long. It would benefit from some padding here, or a smoother, rounded finish to make it more ergonomic, as lifting it into the boot of the car was a bit of a struggle – not ideal if you plan on lots of trips out and about. Alternatively, a shoulder strap would be helpful for transporting from the car into the house or carrying up stairs.

What is the Nebula like to push and steer?

I think it’s very smooth to push and simple to steer, requiring little effort. With the pushchair attachment it’s easy to lift up and down kerbs, but the weight is more forward with the carrycot and requires a fair push on the handlebar to raise the front wheels.

Rough ground isn’t a problem – it fared as well over muddy, gravelly tracks and grass as it did on the pavement and the front wheels can be locked in position to make manoeuvering over uneven ground a lot easier. Pushing one-handed is fine on a straight path but it’s a little heavy if you need to turn. And despite its size (61cm at its widest) it fits well through narrow spaces.

What’s the chassis like?

The sleek, black aluminium frame is strong and well-built – this is a pushchair that should stand the test of time. The colourway that I tried has a slightly matt black finish with the Nebula logo in chrome. It looks very stylish although it has already picked up a couple of minor scratches after a few weeks’ use. The handles are quick to locate and often in chrome, so you don’t have to go searching for them when you’re in a hurry.

How do you rate the Nebula’s handle?

A comfortable handle is a must with a pushchair and the Nebula’s faux leather handle is thick and well-padded, with neat stitching on the underside. It easily adjusts to three different heights by pressing the large chrome button in the centre and I found the middle height option the most comfortable to ensure I wasn’t likely to step on the brakes below. As quite a heavy pushchair, it would benefit from perhaps a wrist strap for added security when going down hills.

What is the seat unit like?

I only have a baby so can’t comment on how comfortable this is for a toddler, but the seat unit certainly looks big enough to be comfy for a child up to school age – according to the manufacturer it can take a toddler up to 22kg.

The seat itself is thickly padded and soft, as are the shoulder straps, and the curved edges of the seat cocooned my daughter nicely. The seat attachment reclines to almost flat – about 160 degrees – and is suitable for newborns, while there are three height positions for the shoulder straps to adjust as your child grows.

To adjust the angle of the seat you simply pull the chrome handle at the top of the unit and lower or raise the seat – easily doable one-handed. In the parent-facing position, my daughter is at a good height to be able to interact, while also able to take in her surroundings. She was very happy and chatty with the seat at the middle incline setting, while adequately supported.

What’s the Venture Nebula’s hood like?

The hood is very large and so easy to adjust – it’s a case of pull it down and it clicks into different positions. Using the zip-open extendable section with UV 50+ protection and the flip-out sun visor, I was able to completely shield my baby’s face from the sun – a real bonus for helping her to sleep – and there’s a zippable mesh window for ventilation and to keep an eye on your child when they are forward-facing.

What kind of wheels does the Nebula have?

The wheels are solid plastic with puncture-proof EVA tyres and feel very sturdy. They pop on and off in seconds and there is a twist function for the front wheels to lock them in place. This makes pushing the buggy over rough terrain such as muddy farm tracks or cobbles a breeze, as you’re not thrown in a different direction every time you hit a bump.

How good are the brakes?

The brake pedal is large and obvious, in the centre of the frame just in front of your feet. I found having the handlebar on the middle setting meant I was less likely to knock it while walking. To apply you step on it with a fair bit of pressure and it holds well, even on hills.

What’s the storage basket like on the Nebula?

The basket is easiest to access from the front, which can be a bit of a pain if you need to grab a muslin or snack quickly, but it’s large enough to hold a couple of bags of shopping with either the seat or carrycot attached. It’s got a good dip and there’s an angled edge at the rear to ensure nothing falls out while you’re on the move.

What’s in the box?

• 1 x chassis
• 1 x seat unit
• 1 x hood
• 4 x wheels
• 1 x raincover
• 1 x bumper bar

If purchasing the carrycot as well, you get:

• 1 x carrycot with hood
• 1 x mattress
• 1 x apron for carrycot
• 1 x bumper bar
• 1 x raincover

What are the additional accessories that you can buy?

• Car seat adapters, £24.99

What would you have wanted to know before purchasing the Venture Nebula?

That the handle for carrying the pram when folded is not very comfortable and it bangs against your legs making it difficult to move about. Also, that the pushchair is quite heavy and will take up a sizeable portion of your car boot when making trips out and about.

Who would the Nebula be most useful for?

A well-built pushchair that handles well on different terrains, the Nebula is a brilliant all-rounder that is best suited to parents who want a buggy that performs as well on grass and stony tracks as it does in town. As a fairly heavy pushchair, it’s not well suited if you live in a flat or have to carry it up multiple steps to get to your front door, and you’ll need a sizeable cupboard or hallway to store it when not in use.

Is the Nebula pushchair worth the money?

For the price, this is an excellent quality pushchair – particularly if you’re happy to bypass the additional carrycot and use the full-recline seat from the off. Aside from a few glitches with zips, it feels well-built and sturdy, so it should happily see you from newborn to school-age.

How does the Nebula pushchair compare to similar pushchairs?

Where can I buy the Venture Nebula pushchair?

Available at Venture and Amazon.

MadeForMums verdict:

For the brand’s first pushchair, Venture’s Nebula is a stylish and sturdy product, which feels secure and looks more expensive than it is. If Venture can iron out the few kinks – a better handle or strap for carrying, sturdier zips, easier shoulder strap adjustment – then the Nebula could be a real contender for the mid-priced pushchair market. I found it quite cumbersome to move around and lift in and out of the car when folded, which poses problems if you’re going to be out and about on a daily basis, so I would recommend it if you don’t have to take it far or are happy to compromise on comfort of carrying for the bonus of a well put-together, good-looking pushchair.