Pushchair Reviews

Cosatto started in 2003 is a major designer and manufacturer of pushchairs, highchairs, prams, nursery equipment and maternity goods. Acquired by the Supercover Group, Cosatto pushchairs are cool and funky designed for today’s moms and dads, with due consideration for quality, money and safety. If the Cosatto Swift Lite Supa Pushchair is a great little nip around buggy, then the new, improved i-Spin Stroller is designed for your baby to make a simple trip into a military style operation. This stroller can help make trips out with your baby completely trouble free. The following review on this stroller will be all about its design and technical features with details on some of the accessories that come alongside the product.

Design features:

The Cosatto i-Spin Stroller has a smart, modern look with sleek brushed aluminium profiles and nicely tailored durable upholstery finished with flock printing and contrasting embroidery and is built with a satin harness. The Cosatto i-Spin is a cool, comfortable buggy designed for urban families and no doubt will let your child travel in absolute comfort, making for a much more pleasurable journey. Weighing around 9kg, this stroller is suitable for birth and can accommodate up to 18kg of weight or until the child turns 4 years old. The Cosatto i-Spin is built with an aluminium chassis. This means that the frame is lightweight for certain which will ensure it is great for manoeuvring easily.

Available colours:

The i-Spin Stroller stroller is available in two finishes namely ‘24-7 colourway’ and ‘Smile’. The 24-7 colourway which has impressed us the most is grey lime and green in colour. The washable fabric is quite funky and hip whilst not being over the top. If you think lime green is very bright, fear not as it is mostly an accent colour. The interior of the canopy of the pushchair is light green. The other option on hand, ‘Smile’ comes in a combo of light grey and pink shades.

Seat features:

The Cosatto i-Spin stroller comes with an extremely stylish, extra wide seat which offers generous space and accounts for increased comfort of your baby. The seat sits very upright which your baby will love as he or she could see all around. The seat faces in the forward direction and the stroller does seem to recline very smoothly. With a new, simple one-hand recline adjustment mechanism, the Cosatto stroller is always in position ready for the next logical step. This stroller has ultra padded seats that recline to 6 positions which by the way will recline right down in order, so that there is no need for drowsy heads to slouch uncomfortably. The stroller has an adjustable deal with, so mom and dad of any height can comfortably manoeuvre it along, courtesy the adjustable leg rests that can accommodate any placement your baby would want to sit in. There is also an adjustable calf rest that allows you to tilt back the seat when your baby is sound asleep during a long walk. The  i-Spin Cosatto arrives with chest pads, intended for preserving your baby safe, but without any chest pads, it is not extremely comfortable either.

Folding information:

We really love the way the stroller folds down and if you are someone who lives in an upstairs flat, it will go into your cupboard with no hassle at all.  The stroller has a quick fold action and features a compact, 2 hand umbrella fold mechanism. For sunny days, you can use the stroller jointly with your choice of umbrella to safeguard your infant against the sun. But perhaps, you may find the folded length fairly large (109cm) for smaller car boots which is a drawback. Said that the stroller comes with an auto frame lock and carry handle that makes taking this stroller on the bus or wherever you go a breeze. All said and done, the stroller can fold down in a matter of seconds and the automatic lock on the side will safely lock it in place. Besides, the handles of the Cosatto i-spin Stroller are satisfactorily padded and quite comfortable. This means you will have no problem pushing the Cosatto around the streets and on pavements without your hands getting tired throughout a long day. The carry strap really does sling over your shoulder and so with your baby strapped in, you can pick it up and carry it without any problem. But a few customers have complained of the straps to have become twisted around the waist over a period of use, therefore you will have to make periodic adjustments, but the shoulder strap features nice padding which helps. Overall, the stroller is great for taking it into the bus and getting out of cramped space.

Safety harness:

As an optimal safety feature, the easy to set up stroller has 5 point safety harness that goes around your baby’s waist, between the legs and over both his/her shoulders, just to make sure your baby does not slip out at any point of your strip. But as a slight disappointment, the safety harness is pretty loose on the closest fitting on the baby.

Wheel system:

Coming to the wheel system of the stroller, the Instant SHOP MODE feature is brilliant as it makes manoeuvring the stroller around the shopping centre really easy. The Cosatto i-spin Pushchair is integrated with lockable, swivel wheels on the front and the rear.  Manoeuvring the stroller is a doodle, particularly with the rear wheels which can be locked to spin them. Thanks to the simple pull on a lever on the handle and the back wheels which will swivel and help you turn sharply in an instant. This feature will come in really handy when negotiating tight corners and shops. Nevertheless, we have received a few comments from customers citing that the 4 wheel spin feature is not as simple to control as one is led to believe and that it is a bit like trying to control a trolley. The Dual wheel suspension is incorporated for easy steering offering your baby the smoothest ride possible. Adding another layer of safety are the lined parking brakes that are foot operated for any emergency stops that may occur.

Speakers (with MP3 player adaptor) in the hood:

The most unique selling point of the Cosatto stroller is that it provides you the option to hook up your Ipod or MP3 player to built-in speakers  in the buggy’s hood and pop your mobile phone or MP3 player at the back near the handle. From the nursery rhymes to audio stories to the latest tunes, whatever keeps your infant or toddler amused or soothed, while you do the shopping, school run and errands. Though the stroller has the unique feature of the built-in speakers for the MP3 player, we are not truly satisfied in terms of expected audio performance and in fact the sound quality coming out of the speakers is not amazing. In order to check the speaker volume, you have to stick your head inside the canopy without disturbing your child inside. This is not an issue, though this may seem to be a bit inconvenient. The integrated sound is suffice to entertain even the crankiest toddler. Having said that, the speakers are a fabulous idea for restless toddlers who throw tantrums and will keep them entertained for sometime while you go about your work.  So, just plug in your MP3 player, adjust its volume level and off you go rocking to your favourite tunes.

Accessories:

Now let us proceed on toward things that make lifestyle easier for parents. The small pocket on the back of the stroller helps you store your MP3 player or ipod securely and quite discretely. Like all Cosatto buggies, the storage basket at the bottom of the i-Spin is quite generous in size and is also covered by the fabric on the stroller. We all know that babies require a lot of things even to the smallest of travel, so the inclusion of a larger basket makes a lot of sense.  The shopping basket can be easily accessed through zips on either side of the buggy or through the front or back of the stroller. And mind you, it is always nice to know that all your belongings are safe and easily accessible. There is an included detachable sun/rain hood which is great for keeping things dry and comfortable. The free rain cover fits pretty neatly over the stroller to provide your little one a clear view whilst keeping them dry and warm on the road. A package deal of matching add-ons is also available including cosy toes, changing bag, sunshade/mosquito net. But a disappointment here is that the accessory pack is being sold separately. The fact that you are not provided with travel essentials like car seat, footmuff, cup holder etc can lead to surprises, given the high price of the pushchair. The stroller lacks a reversible seat too.

Dimensions:

The folded dimension of the pushchair is 38cm (H) x 40cm (W) x 109cm (D) and on unfolding, the i-Spin measures 106cm (H) x 55cm (W) x 82cm (D) in size.

Manufacturer warranty:

The product is covered under a manufacturer warranty of 4 years (UK & Ireland only) against manufacturing faults from the original date of purchase.

Summary:

If you spend a good amount of time walking your child in the stroller, the ability to play you or your child’s music to while away the time could prove a real sanity saver. The Cosatto i-spin Stroller is not a lightweight buggy and the length of it is also considerable, therefore if you have got a small car boot, ensure you do double check the size as it could be a touch long once folded.  The price of the stroller is around the £150 – £200 price tag, which may be tad high for some budgets. However with the included feature of the built-in speakers, the price is certainly worth it.  So here is our verdict in terms of the pros and cons:

Pros: Stylish, smooth ride, enclosed storage basket, easy to set up and manoeuvre, wide seat with leg rest, well-padded handles, speakers in hood, swivel front & rear wheels.
Cons: Fairly long when folded, few features, accessory package is a separate purchase.

Product update:

Here is a quick update; the Cosatto i-Spin Stroller has been shortlisted in the ‘Best pushchair’ category at the ‘Mother & Baby Awards 2010’.

Cosatto i-Spin Stroller/Pushchair – Technical Specification Table