We don’t normally collect modern strollers at The Pram Museum, but admit to a real attraction to the more interesting contemporary models. To us, “More interesting” means “cool engineering”. So when The Right Start finally went under last month, we bought a lonely Quinny Zapp that had been left stranded in a near-empty store.
It’s a lovely machine. The fold is pure genius, and it’s so small when folded that getting it in and out of even my over-stuffed subcompact car trunk is incredibly easy. You can hardly find it in the SUV. I love the baby-preying-mantis look of the fold, and the marvelous way it fits into the (included) carry bag.
Yes, it steers like a dream. Only one hand free? No problem! You wouldn’t want to take this baby over cobblestones — the wheels are hard, and there’s no suspension to speak of — but for quick trips on planes, trains and automobiles, you couldn’t do much better than this for your over-six-month-old. (Younger babies could ride in a car seat, using the included adapters, but your Curator hates the US American habit of hauling babies around in plastic shells all day long, so I’m not endorsing that here. So there.)
Expect a bit of a learning curve first few times you do the fold. It works perfectly, but patience while you learn it will pay off — it’s not an intuitive fold, and nearly everyone will need to practice initially, especially if you’re used to conventional folds. The fourth time around, I was a pro, and now it’s second nature.
The seat is very tall, and much wider than it looks. The basket isn’t truly accessible, but just fine for small stuff (which won’t fall out, due to high walls) and for sweaters and jackets. A canopy (with side windows for baby), rain shield, and the carry bag are all included, along with the car seat adapters (for the Maxi-Cosi).
Ours came with a rattle in one wheel. A quick email exchange with Quinny/Dorel was all it took to get the wheel replaced, and it arrived within days. In fact, that was the most amazing demonstration of positive customer support that I’ve seen in years — very impressive. No argument, no fuss, no bother at all. Wow!
Baby Gizmo has a great review and demo on YouTube.
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