Silver Cross Pop review

I do have a slight pushchair addiction – anyone who knows me will verify this. I am always on the look out for the perfect set of wheels for Max, so when Silver Cross offered to send me a Pop stroller to try out, I jumped at the chance. I spent a long, long time browsing the colours and trying to decide which to go for, but I did eventually settle on the Sapphire.

Having read up about the Pop, I knew what to expect. The brands best selling stroller, the Pop is a lightweight and compact pushchair with a quick and easy fold – perfect for popping in and out of the car boot for days out. 

There really isn’t much to put together. Just click on the front wheels and slide the hood down onto the frame and you are good to go. I could easily put this stroller together without using the instructions, it was a breeze.

The colour is stunning – it is the first thing you notice about the pushchair. The photo’s don’t do it justice, but I have had so many compliments on this. It would work perfectly well for a boy or a girl and it’s just a lovely Pop (see what I did there?) of colour to brighten up the day.

Unfolding is easy peasy. There is a locking catch on the left of the frame – just unclip this, shake the pushchair open and push your foot down onto the pedal in the centre of the rear axle to lock open. It takes seconds and can be done managed with one hand if you are busy holding a squirming tot! On first impressions, the Silver Cross Pop seems sturdy, easy to use and generous in size – the seat seems as though it would easily hold a large toddler with plenty of wriggle room.

 

One of the first things I always try out with new pushchairs is the raincover. I find so many are too small and restrict Max’s movement, and some are so difficult to get on – I don’t want to get caught in a downpour nad not know how to fit the raincover, so I always give it a go straight away, just to be on the safe side. The Silver Cross Pop raincover is very easy to fit – just slide over the hood and secure with velcro around the handlebars and above the front wheels. It is reasonably generous in size – it doesn’t restrict Max’s legs at all and there is plenty of room above his head too.

We popped Max into the buggy as soon as we had unpacked it, and I think it is safe to say he liked it. There were lots of smiles and he seemed perfectly happy sat in there after his dinner while the grown ups finished off their tea at a family BBQ.

There is heaps of leg room for him, and I love the leg rest can be adjusted. Just push in 2 levers under the leg rest section and push up or down as required. Older children would be able to rest their legs on the footplate above the wheels too.

The shopping basket is a reasonable size for a stroller – there is enough room for essentials like the raincover, nappies, wipes, a drink and some snacks but you wouldn’t fit much more in. It’s easy to access from the rear and the sides of the pushchair. The brakes are operated with a simple push button on the rear axle, although you do have to make sure it is lined up with the grooves on the wheels or the brake will not engage. The UPF 50+ sun protection hood is a really decent size for a small pushchair – it provides more than enough shade for day to day use. I would love to see a viewing window in the hood, as I do like to keep an eye on what Max is up to! The handles are a fixed height but are comfortable for both myself at 5’3″ and my husband at 5’9″. Even the children can manage it!

 The seat is deeply padded, and I feel more than happy with Max being in there for any length of time. The recline is pretty impressive too, with a range of settings from totally flat to very upright, which is the position Max prefers at the moment. I do find that when he is very upright, he tends to slouch down slightly in the seat, but this may well be him rather than the pushchair, as he is a known sloucher! The 5 point harness is straightforward to use and adjust – a simple click together job. My one gripe with the harness is that the section attaching the shoulder straps to the waist clip do slide off the plastic clip very easily – this can be a bit of a pain when you are trying to strap a squirmy toddler in to the seat. It does make adjusting the harness easy, but for everyday usage it is a bit of a niggle.

One of my favourite things about the Silver Cross Pop is the fold. It’s so easy and so quick. You simply pull the strap at the rear of the seat upwards until you hear a release click, then push your foot down onto the pedal on the right of the frame. The stroller will fold forward, umbrella style and lock together automatically. You can then scoop it up with the carry handle to pop it in the car. The folded article is ever so compact.

Overall, there really isn’t much to fault on this lovely, compact stroller. It is easy, almost intuitive, to use, practical, functional and really good looking. There are a couple of teeny niggles as mentioned with the straps and the lack of a viewing window but they really don’t affect the use of the pushchair. I have enjoyed using the Silver Cross Pop day in, day out for the last few weeks and find myself choosing it over other pushchairs I own. It’s a great option to have for popping in and out of the car, as well as being compact enough for trains and buses too. Priced at £140, I think it is really good value, if you consider that you can use it from the day your baby is born right up until they take on the world on their own two feet. The Silver Cross Pop will be a part of this family for a long time, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone.