Quinny Yezz Review

Quick Summary: If you live in a City and use public transport on a regular basis, are looking for a lightweight travel pushchair or just want to try something different for your toddler, give the Yezz a go. You may have to compromise a tiny bit and it may cost a little more than you intended to spend, but I bet you don't look back! Oh and enjoy those admiring glances!

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If you have read my ‘travel review' of the Yezz, you will understand that it is a very focused pushchair. There is no doubt that the Yezz is aimed squarely at people who travel on public transport on a regular basis or who are looking for a holiday pushchair. The Yezz divides opinion like no other product we have seen with people either loving or openly lambasting it.

Here is the review that gets under the skin of the product to tell you if the Yezz really is all it's cracked up to be. Is it for you, is it any good? Read on to find out.

Chassis and Seat

Design is where the Yezz really gets interesting and sets itself apart from regular strollers. Usually we would split out the Chassis and Seat elements in a review, but the seat is an intrinsic part of the Yezz's construction so it makes sense to combine the two.

The Chassis without the seat in place looks like a skeletal insect. It is made almost entirely from injection moulded composite glass fibre called IXEF. Construction from this material means Quinny has been able to keep the weight of the frame to only 4.3kg. When the seat is added, it only increases the weight by 0.7kg. The weight of the entire pushchair is only 5kg.

The seat material is similar to parachute material. It is very light and extremely strong. The seat is an intrinsic part of the pushchair becoming part of the frame when fitted. Quinny have cleverly used climbing rope (capable of withstanding 200kgs) to hold the seat to the frame. It sounds impossible, I know, but it really works.

The wheels are made from polyurethane as used to make rollerblade or skateboard wheels. Polyurethane is extremely tough but ever so slightly forgiving. Because of its strength, designers can produce smaller and therefore lighter wheels. The Yezz's wheels run on sealed roller bearings as used in skateboards. This wheel and bearing combination gives an incredible free rolling feel with virtually no rolling resistance felt by the person pushing – it really works.

Technical Focus: The Yezz is made from plastic – how is that possible?

The Yezz frame is made from IXEF. IXEF polyarylamide to give it its full name is a plastic that contains 50% - 60% glass fibre. The glass fibers within the plastic make it incredibly strong. Common uses include the production of high stress plastic parts for cars, brakes for bicycles and even office chairs. Parts made with IXEF can be designed to be strong and very light due to the material properties.

All the IXEF parts on the Yezz are made by injection mounding. This is an automatic process with an injection mounding machine and mould tool producing the finished part. Because of this reduction in manual labour during construction, the Yezz can be manufactured completely in Europe. It is in fact manufactured in the Netherlands. Production in the EU gives the Yezz a low carbon footprint. It does not have to travel all the way to the UK from China after manufacture.

Folding and Unfolding

The fold on the Yezz is a relatively simple affair. It does require a bit of a knack to achieve smoothly and is best done with the brake on.

There are three actions to perform to fold the pushchair.

Pull the lower lever toward you with your toe (or hand).

Lift the flap and push the button on the top of the handle to unlock the frame.

Push vertically down on the pushchair handle to fold. It locks closed automatically.

In the instructions, Quinny say that you should push away from you and down when performing point 3. We have found that the fold works better when pushing vertically down on the handle.

I have one small problem when folding the Yezz. It is hard to pull the lower release lever towards you with your foot when wearing thin footware or flip flops – it hurts! However, it is easy to reach down and pop the lever toward you with a free hand so this is no real big issue.

Similarly, the unfold is uncomplicated and can be performed admirably in one swift movement.

Press the button to unlock the frame and shake out the pushchair.

Push the lower lock lever into place with your foot.

Once again, locking the frame into place is simple, but can be a little difficult with thin soled shoes or if your shoes are wet.

Child comfort

The Yezz does not have a seat recline but I suspect Quinny have really spent some time working to perfect this element of the pushchair. The seat back is not upright it has a slight angle as does the seat base. This has the effect of providing a natural comfortable cradle when your little one lies back. Our son Harry loved it and went to sleep in it on more than one occasion. Quinny rate the Yezz as a pushchair to be used from 6 months however I feel the design of the seat is better suited to a toddler. With no recline, younger children may find it less than ideal when they are trying to get to sleep.

The Yezz has a good sized hood for rain and sun protection, but no seat padding to act as insulation from the cold. The seat is obviously comfortable, but on a cold winter's day, make sure your child is wrapped up well!

The footrest is again made clever by design being an integral part of the seat - it seems to just work. If your child has longer legs, they can place their feet on the frame, if not they can pop them on the footrest created from the fabric of the seat.

As the frame is made from plastic and the seat ‘hung' over it, there is some natural give or chassis flex. This never makes the Yezz feel cheap or rickety. What it does do is give your child a very comfortable ride, even over bumpy pavements, the chassis soaks up any imperfections surprisingly well.  

Out and About

When you get the Yezz out and into the urban environment, it really begins to shine. Firstly the way it pushes and steers really stands out. It is so easy to manoeuvre. The roller blade wheels glide across concrete and through shops like nothing I have ever pushed before. If you have to jump on public transport, the Yezz's quick fold and handy carry strap make it very easy. Child in one hand, pushchair over your shoulder, you can tackle trains, planes and automobiles with ease.

Weight is a very big consideration with a pushchair and all too often it is ignored. After all, you take your pushchair or stroller out of the boot of the car drop it on the pavement and push away. It is only when you get to a set of steps that you wish you had taken weight into account. The Yezz has me totally convinced that lightweight design and manufacture is the way forward for the pushchair industry – especially when applied to the stroller market.

What no basket? That's right, the Yezz does not have the traditional shopping basket underneath. It has a pocket behind the seat which can hold up to 2kgs. This will frustrate some people, but why have a huge basket on a stroller designed to be picked up and thrown over a shoulder? We found the pocket had plenty of room and stuffed it with 2 x Nintendo DS's, headphones a spare nappy and wipes and had room to spare.

On our holiday, I noticed a number of admiring glances as we opened the pushchair out, one handed, on the tarmac, having just come down the aeroplane steps. The Yezz's styling may be divisive but it's great to see brands willing to try something different. There are too many umbrella ‘strollers' out there. I love the look of the Yezz, it blends careful design and funky styling details to make a really interesting product.

Conclusion

The Yezz is a pushchair aimed squarely at the urban and travel market. It is the type of product you need to get your hands on to appreciate. Once you have travelled with a Yezz, you really wonder why you persevered with anything else. Strollers included.

It makes mincemeat of the urban environment, the low weight being one of the biggest factors. If you use public transport on a regular basis the Yezz's ability to shrink down and be carried over a shoulder makes real sense.

The way it handles is a revelation. This is how all pushchairs should feel. It is brilliant in shops, being so nippy - one handed pushing is the way forward.

If I have any negative thoughts they surround the slightly difficult fold and the price.

The fold is simple in principle, but there is a knack, and I think it could be further improved with a few small design changes.

The big problem with the Yezz is its price. At £175, it is expensive for a stroller and out of many peoples reach. The pay off for this high price is a stroller that oozes great design and high quality using a very innovative approach. Quinny have obviously put a huge amount of effort and investment into the Yezz and it shows.

If you live in a City and use public transport on a regular basis, are looking for a lightweight travel pushchair or just want to try something different for your toddler, give the Yezz a go. You may have to compromise a tiny bit and it may cost a little more than you intended to spend, but I bet you don't look back! Oh and enjoy those admiring glances!