Nipper Out n About 360

Out'n'About Nipper Double 360 Pushchair

Smug. Now that's not a word I used to spend much time thinking about as a young man but as I grow older it is something that appears more and more. I blame Bridget Jones and its effect on my wife's generation. I think it was here that the term 'smug marrieds' first came to prominence and how the eponymous singleton would shrink under the pitying gaze of married friends. In fact 'smug married' ...
...15kg, cost £200 or the Nipper 360 - weight 9kg, cost £300.

The Aria is incredibly light for a double buggy, but this probably accounts for its quite flimsy feel. It just doesn't feel like it can take the wear and tear that buggies go through. It looks a little old fashioned and the caster wheels can give a bumpy ride.

The Maclaren is a good option, a reliable brand that offers good value for money. On the plus side it ... more

Out'n'About Nipper Double 360 Pushchair

Smug. Now that's not a word I used to spend much time thinking about as a young man but as I grow older it is something that appears more and more. I blame Bridget Jones and its effect on my wife's generation. I think it was here that the term 'smug marrieds' first came to prominence and how the eponymous singleton would shrink under the pitying gaze of married friends. In fact 'smug married' is only one of several circles of smugness that appear on life's journey. It starts with 'smug couples' looking down on their single friends, moves on to 'smug couples living together' through 'smug married' and into 'smug parents'. Each looks down on the previous with a knowing gaze, nodding sagely and saying 'don't worry, your time will come'.

I have now travelled through several rungs of this smugness ladder and I find myself a 'smug parent plus'. That is I'm the proud owner of a fully populated double buggy. You know you've seen them, those smug parents pushing their double buggies around the streets and shopping malls ignoring all around them yet virtually challenging you to worship them at the altar of their fertility. Well that's me, at least until the novelty wears off anyway.

So how did I come to being the smug owner of a double buggy pushchair, let me take you through the process.

The buying decision ~
With the arrival of child number two looming we were presented with the question of whether we needed to buy a double buggy or stick with our single ones. As child # 1 is approaching three years old she is an infrequent user of her buggy. For short trips we rarely even take it out as she is not keen on using it, preferring to walk (or dawdle as is usually the case) but for longer trips we wouldn't be without it. This is partly because her little legs do get tired after a while but also because buggies are very useful for carrying bags, picnics, coats and so on. Another point is that no matter how unattached she is to the buggy and how easy going she (sometimes) is, sure as eggs is eggs if she sees anyone else sitting in HER buggy she'll want to sit in it as well. That was pretty much the clincher, we could spend the next year explaining to her that she is to old for her buggy and the baby needs it or go for an easier life and get the double buggy so that everyone gets a seat. Decision made - let's go buy a double buggy.

The choice ~
As with single buggies the choice for doubles is large with options for most budgets and circumstances. Doubles come in two basic configurations, each with their own pros and cons. Firstly there are side-by-sides. This is the traditional set-up with two buggies effectively stuck together where the two children sit next to each other. The second configuration is the tandem where one will sit behind the other. In fact, there is a third option; Phil 'n' Ted have a model called 'Explorer' where the children sit in tandem but the rearmost child sits virtually underneath the other. This is exacerbated if the second child is a newborn because then they are kept in a glorified parcel tray almost completely out of sight. This seems bizarre to me as one of the joys of having a newborn is being able to show them off and have all the little old ladies come up cooing. That model was never an option, although for some reason it is very popular. There are also decisions to be made about wheels - three or four, big or small and handles, do you want two handles or a bar across the width of the buggy? Each point raises different pros and cons so let's look at those.

Pros & Cons ~
The biggest issue with doubles is, not surprisingly, size. Whatever the style they tend to be bigger and heavier than singles and this causes problems with handling, storage, transportation and manoeuvrability.

Wheels: Three or four? I'm not entirely sure what the differences are between the two beyond styling. Three-wheelers are certainly more modern looking but I don't think they are always easier to handle. They do tend to have bigger, pneumatic wheels and this does make a difference. With the bigger wheels the ride is a lot smoother and many of the lumps and bumps are cushioned out providing a more comfortable journey for the child and an easier job for the pusher. The trade off is that bigger wheels make the buggy much more bulky and will not store anything like as compactly as those with smaller, caster-type wheels. One problem I've noticed with tandems, particularly three-wheeler ones, is that if the older child is in front, which bearing in mind that they will be jumping in and out is quite likely, in many models their legs will be in contact with the front wheel which could be uncomfortable and possibly dangerous.

Handle: Buggies with two handles can be folded a lot smaller as they can be concertinaed quite well. On the other hand buggies with a single bar are a lot easier to handle as they can be pushed and steered with one hand, an important factor when you have a toddler and a newborn.

Tandem: The advantage of tandem buggies is that they are as narrow as a single buggy so therefore easier to get through doorways and so on. They are, however, quite long and this presents its own handling problems as you need that much more room for turning corners. Another thing to think about is the social aspect, with one child behind the other there is no chance for them to interact. It might be that you want to keep the two of them separate but I think it is a shame that there is no chance of contact. There may also be arguments over who sits in front.

Side-by-side: The biggest problem with side-by-sides is obviously the width which can make negotiating doorways and narrow passages or footpaths a problem. To overcome this some manufacturers will make the individual seats narrower but this presents its own problems for older children. On the plus side there can be no arguments or decisions about seating, both will be able to see everything going on around and they can happily interact with each other and share toys etc.

The Decision ~
Despite being tempted by some tandem machines there always seemed to be a negative that put us off so we looked at the choice of side-by-sides. We narrowed it down to three choices: The Mamas and Papas Aria - weight 7kg, cost £200; the Maclaren Twin Techno - weight 15kg, cost £200 or the Nipper 360 - weight 9kg, cost £300.

The Aria is incredibly light for a double buggy, but this probably accounts for its quite flimsy feel. It just doesn't feel like it can take the wear and tear that buggies go through. It looks a little old fashioned and the caster wheels can give a bumpy ride.

The Maclaren is a good option, a reliable brand that offers good value for money. On the plus side it folds quite small making it easy to store and transport. The trade off is in weight, this buggy feels every one of its 15kg. Having separate handles also means it is hard to manoeuvre with one hand.

The Nipper 360 is light but sturdy, the big wheels make it very easy to move around and provide a comfortable ride. Narrow enough to fit through most single doorways with a bar handle to allow steering with one hand, it looks great as well. The trade off is that it doesn't fold very small and is in fact quite bulky, although the wheels can be removed (each requiring a one click operation) and this makes a significant difference. It is also the most expensive of the three, partly because this is a brand new model although it should be noted that it is selling at a 10% discount to summer prices and may get cheaper.

Although budget is important it shouldn't be the over-riding factor when buying a buggy. It is very important to get the right buggy for you because you'll be using it so much. Skimping here is a false economy and you don't want to be replacing an inappropriate model after only a couple of months.

Taking all the above into account we went for the Nipper 360, bought from our local baby goods supplier for £300 including parcel rack. They must do price checking because every seller I've seen sell at the same price.

What you get ~
The Out 'n' About Nipper 360 comes in a single box roughly three foot square by 6 inches deep. In the box is the body of the buggy, the three wheels, the parcel rack, rain cover and two seat cushions. There is some assembly to be done but this is limited to attaching the wheels and parcel rack. As the wheels are designed to be taken on and off easily assembly is very quick and can be completed in around ten minutes. The rain cover is slightly trickier to attach as it uses several Velcro straps rather than a zip and takes some interpretation first time round as the instructions are a bit vague. The instructions for the rest of the unit are clear and well laid out.

In use ~
The Nipper 360 is one of the easiest to use buggies I've ever come across, the ride and handling are incredibly smooth and this is thanks to the big wheels. The front wheel swivels full circle (hence being called the 360) which makes it very easy to manoeuvre and the pneumatic tyres smooth out most urban lumps and bumps. The rear wheels also have sprung suspension which probably helps but I'm not convinced how useful this really is.
At 76cm wide this will fit through most doorways but some care is needed. The two seats are of a good size; easily accessible for a newborn and providing plenty of room for an older toddler, each features a five point harness.
Seats can be reclined by adjusting a sliding strap that can be unclipped for a newborn to lie flat. Adjusting the seats is quite fiddly with the sliding strap; in theory there are an infinite number of settings as the strap is fed through but practically you have the selected upright position when clipped and flat when unclipped.
The parcel rack is full width and therefore quite big but it is shallow and when either seat is flat down access can be limited. It is also low to the ground with a low rear lip so bags have a tendency to slip out if not pushed in far enough. There are no clips for hanging bags onto which is a bit of a pain.
The sun canopy is a good size and offers good protection from the sun or showers and the rain cover can be quickly attached and will provide all round protection. The canopy has large pockets on either side which have proved very useful.

The buggy is held open by three clips. There are two plastic clips, one on either side, that need to be secured manually and a third metal safety catch that will fasten on opening. As the plastic clips can be reached by inquisitive little hands they can be secured with metal brackets if needed. To fold the buggy the two plastic clips are loosened and the safety catch held open so that it can be folded in half. When folded the buggy is quite bulky and will be a squeeze in most boots. To make things easier all wheels can be removed quickly, the rear wheels slide into the axle and are secured by a sprung clip. The front wheel is held in place like a racing bike's wheel and releasing a catch will free it. To fit in my boot (Toyota Rav4) I need to remove one rear wheel but this isn't as much trouble as it sounds and removing all three can be done in seconds.

The buggy is suitable from birth and there is plenty of room for our three year old so it should see her through until she doesn't need a buggy at all.

Opinion ~
So far we are very happy with this buggy, it's been very comfortable both for us and the children and I haven't unearthed any shortcomings since buying. While not the cheapest it's certainly not the most expensive and I think the benefits justify the extra cost. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this and if you can cope with the bulkiness I don't think you'll be disappointed.

++Update April 2008++
After 18 months of happy use I have just sold this on ebay for £250 plus postage which means I have virtually recouped the original purchase price. This makes this exceptional value even at £300 new and just goes to show that it pays to spend a little bit more for something that is popular and of good quality. 

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