eggZ Stroller Review

The eggZ is far smaller than the egg2 stroller, a more compact option and with less features, but a smaller price tag to match. We took a close look at the eggZ to see whether it had inherited its DNA from the egg2 - we were excited and the expectations were high - would it disappoint or would we fall in love with this more compact, urban option from egg?

The eggZ (at time of publication) is available in four eye-catching colourways - Just Black (an Independent Retailer Exclusive), Quartz, Feather and Seagrass. We have Seagrass to review which is a beautiful earthy light green with a touch of sage in it - teamed with a gunmetal chassis it is simply a stunning option. But as we all know, looks are not everything so let’s take a closer look.

As we would expect from egg, the chassis has a lovely finish to it. The gunmetal really shouts class and style - long gone are the times of a boring aluminium chassis. The plastics on the eggZ are black and have some nice detailings. The simple egg logo on the side has a matching gunmetal finish to it but the bit we really like is where the hood joins the chassis as this fitting has been made to look like an egg - it is this attention to detail that really makes the eggZ stroller stand out from some of its competitors. The chassis has a slight curve to it to echo the DNA and style of the egg2 - you can tell they are related!

The eggZ stroller is a four wheel stroller designed for urban living and holidays. The wheels are compact and puncture proof, made from PU - 18cm at the rear and 15.5cm at the front. Again, the detailing is apparent as the tyres have a unique egg-shaped tread on them, a nice touch. All the wheels are removable for easy washing. There is all round suspension and we found the eggZ to push well through the streets but also fared pretty well in the park too - we would have liked the option to lock the front wheels for rougher terrain though. We tested the eggZ stroller with a newborn and an older toddler and can report that the push was very good under both circumstances. 

Between the back wheels you will find the brake which is very simple to use. Place the ball of your foot in the middle and rock it backwards to lock and forwards to release the brake. There is a useful visual red / green indicator to ensure that you know whether the brake is engaged but this is rather small.

For a compact stroller, the eggZ has a decent sized basket. It holds a maximum of 3kg and is accessible from the front and the rear of the stroller with an extendable flap at the rear to allow easier access. This is a real bonus as you are unable to access the basket from the sides and access from the front, although possible, is limited especially when you have an older toddler in the seat and the footrest down. The basket is quite long and with its design would hold a baguette or two perfectly! There are black ‘flaps’ on either side to hide and protect the thick elastic which is part of the folding mechanism - this is hardly noticeable but make sure that you have it velcroed on tightly to prevent it hanging down as this would annoy us!

Moving to the top of the chassis you will find the handle which sits at 103cm from the floor - a great height for the majority of people. The handle isn’t adjustable but we don’t envisage this being a problem for most people. On either side you will find the very useful bag hooks - perfect for the egg backpack (which we will come on to shortly). The handle is well padded and leatherette - interestingly it is lovingly hand stitched. The finish is ‘perforated’ to ensure that you don’t get sweaty palms even on the hottest of days and has ‘egg’ imprinted on it. The finish on the handle bar is echoed on the bumper bar and really adds to the styling of this stroller.

One of the first things that you will notice on the eggZ is the fabrics - luxurious in finish and design. They are soft to the touch and the seat is padded. The eggZ is obviously comfortable as our testing toddler easily fell asleep in it and looked comfortable too. The fabrics are wipeable and the calf support has a black wipeable finish towards the bottom - practically speaking, this is a nice touch.

The eggZ is suitable from birth without the need of a carrycot, cocoon or infant carrier right up to 22kg when your little one will probably be walking full time. It is a big plus point that the eggZ stroller is suitable from birth as so many strollers are only suitable from 6 months. We love the fact that egg have considered those parents who will use this stroller from newborn as the harness has a really low setting. We find that so many strollers that are suitable for a newborn have a harness that then cuts across their face as it does not come down low enough. The eggZ negates this problem and teamed with a removable head support, we think that this is an excellent choice for those wanting a from birth stroller. We have to admit that the addition of a cocoon might have been the icing on the cake and an offering to parents who don’t want to compromise on this.

As we have already mentioned the harness, let’s take a closer look at this. This is a 5 point harness and there are three height positions. To alter you do need to rethread the harness - a no-thread harness would have been an easier option for parents but generally you are not doing this every day so it is not a great hardship. Each of the 5 straps are easily adjustable, even the crotch strap so you should get a good fit for your little one. To secure your little one in the seat, egg have used a revolutionary magnetic harness, something we haven’t seen from egg before. To undo the harness, simply squeeze the light grey buttons together. To do the harness up, line up the 4 shoulder and waist buckles and align them with the harness - a magnet will position these in place. Finally place the front of the buckle towards the harness and the strong magnet will snap this in place. We were initially concerned that an older toddler would be able to undo it BUT it is so strong that we think that they will struggle!

The comfort pads are included and these are of excellent quality - very padded and very soft. Whilst on the subject of comfort, there is a lovely padded head support, ideal for younger babies and the seat itself is well padded throughout. At the base of the seat in an adjustable footrest which has two positions - you adjust this by simply lifting up the hidden paddle located under the material in the centre of the underneath. We love the fact that this is one handed.

We love that the eggZ includes a bumper bar as this is a must-have in the eyes of many parents. The bumper bar is covered in a perforated leatherette finish to match the handle bar. It is gate opening and can be done from either side by squeezing the button located underneath the bar on either side. As you would expect from egg, this is nicely finished in all aspects.

On to the recline - which is very simple to operate. The eggZ has a mechanical recline rather than a strap reline which we are pleased to see as this makes life easier for parents. There are three recline positions and you simply pull the lever behind the seat to alter the recline. The seat also has a good upright position, a real positive given that toddlers generally do not like to slouch. There is also good clearance between the seat and the hood to help accommodate those taller toddlers.

The hood on the eggZ is UPF50+ giving your little one both protection and coverage from the sun (we still recommend that you are overly cautious and use sufficient protection and shade from the sun of course). There is also a ventilation window at the back which can be accessed by folding up the material - this also acts as a viewing window. We like the touch of the leatherette tab with egg on it - another pointer towards the detailing on this stroller. With the hood in its original form it does not give great coverage but once you unzip to reveal the extension panel it now much improved. We have come across bigger hoods in all honesty but we do think that a larger hood would have spoiled the good looks of this stroller. The material at the back of the hood goes all the way down to the seat, even in the fully reclined position to allow your little one to sleep in a protected place away from the elements. Combined with the fact that the edges of the seat are relatively high, we love this protected sleeping space. We love that the front of the hood is edged with the gunmetal to match the chassis - not only does it look good but it helps to maintain the shape of the hood. 

Now this is where the eggZ had a tricky task as the market is full of compact folding strollers - could they design a gorgeous looking stroller with a seamless fold - well quite frankly they have nailed the fold. Simply depress the button on the handle and squeeze the trigger - as you push the handle forwards the eggZ stroller will fold all by itself - yes you can actually let go! Folding does not come more simple than this. Once folded the eggZ will also auto-lock and self stand. Now although compact, it is not the smallest fold so you are unlikely to get it onto a plane with you (unless maybe First Class). However this is designed to be a compact stroller rather than a travel stroller.

Unfolding is in theory just as simple however, in practice, we found it to be somewhat cumbersome and at almost 10kg nor is it the lightest. To unlock you just squeeze the trigger on the handle bar (no secondary lock along the side to locate), lift the handle then you can flick the wheels out. We can not lie - the fold is amazing but we found  unfolding is a little disappointing. We spoke to egg directly about the unfolding and they agreed that although not the easiest initially, you can use the bumper bar to support the stroller as you nudge the wheels out, and that with practice it does become second nature.

The eggZ includes a raincover which we are grateful for. However, we have to admit that the first time we had to almost ‘fight’ the raincover to get it fitted on the stroller and the whole thing out of the packaging had quite a crinkled ‘look’ to it. However, once in place it does cover the material part of the stroller well, even in the fully reclined position - a big bug bare about many raincovers!. The bumper bar keeps the raincover away from your little one and it does exactly what it is supposed to do…but it just lacks finesse. 

There are a number of accessories available with the eggZ and generally we don’t really cover these in our reviews, but we decided that both the liner and the changing bag were worth mentioning!

egg liner

The eggZ is compatible with the original egg & egg2 liner and we have to admit that we love liners. They are so practical and personally I would rather wash a liner than a pushchair seat should we encounter an exploding nappy or escaping ice cream!

The egg liner is reversible - cotton one side for those summer months and the most soft fur on the other side for cooler months. We can not stress just how soft the fur side is - pure luxury. 

It is relatively easy to fit - just undo the harness clips and slide them through the holes in the liner - we did find this a little tight so be warned but managed it in the end! The result is worth the effort though as it looks stunning - particularly with the fur side up!

egg2 Backpack 

Since the launch of egg, we have always seen the egg stroller and more recently the egg2 stroller teamed with gorgeous changing bags and backpacks. Well eggZ does not disappoint. It is an additional accessory but an accessory we feel most parents will consider. If you have started with the egg2 (or egg) and you purchased an egg bag, then the good news is that this will be compatible with the eggZ. The eggZ backpack is available in the matching colours and of course you have the option to go for the black should you want something a little plainer in colour. 

Let’s take a closer look at the backpack and see whether it’s worth the investment! 

When a bag arrives in a dustbag, you have high expectations, it feels special already. There is no denying that this is a lovely looking bag. The top of the bag has a quilted finish and whilst not exactly the same, it does tie in nicely with the quilted finish on the seat of the eggZ. On the front is a metal egg logo - subtle and nicely finished. It is worth mentioning the back of the backpack as although it is not something you will be particularly looking at, it is important. There are two very well padded straps meaning carrying it, even fully loaded is comfortable. Both the rear of the bag and the straps are finished in a honeycomb mesh to help wick moisture away - hopefully to avoid having a sweaty back when carrying in warmer weather! There are also two adjustable stroller hooks to allow you to attach it directly on to the chassis of your eggZ or egg2 stroller.

The egg backpack has a double zip to allow easy entry into the bag - perfect if you are in a hurry to grab a muslin if your baby has just been sick without warning - it does happen, believe me! Inside you will find a cute egg shaped changing mat with a handy mesh pocket at the bottom which is just big enough to house a travel pack of wipes and a spare nappy or two. This is perfect if you are dashing to public changing rooms and don’t want to take your big bag with you. It’s not the largest changing mat, especially in width but it should do the job. One thing that strikes us is how incredibly soft the mat is and it isn’t cold to the touch - and the fact you can hand wash it is a bonus too. Inside the bag you will find 3 pockets - 2 smaller ones and a larger one in which we envisage you will store your changing mat.

The front packet is large and is also insulated (we love this). We appreciate the fact that this is so large - big enough to house not only a bottle or beaker but also food when you reach the weaning stage. Well done egg - we LOVE this!

All in all a great backpack - it looks great but is also practical. A win-win in our eyes.