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Quinny Buzz 4
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The Quinny Buzz 4 is the Buzz we loved when it came to the U.S. a year ago but with some really great changes. Quinny has added a fourth wheel and fittingly called it the Buzz 4. This four wheel stroller will compliment the Buzz 3, which will still be available. By adding a fourth wheel, the Buzz 4 is more stable allowing it to tackle different terrains much better.
A big change is that the Buzz 4 will come with two different seats. The same thickly padded neoprene seat that comes with the Buzz 3 and a thinner canvas seat which is better for bigger tots. (Note: Quinny is also including the second seat with the new Buzz 3 strollers as well.) The padded seat is made of a neoprene-like fabric that is super comfy and covers a memory foam pillow-type cushioned seat. All our tot-testers seemed happy and comfortable, and it appears to be the most comfy seat in a stroller we have seen. With all that padding though, some of the larger toddlers were a bit squished. So, Quinny is including a beautiful canvas seat for use with bigger children.
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In order to use the canvas seat, you have to remove the neoprene seat fabric from the seat frame. (Both seat covers use the same frame.) It's a good thing that when we decide to use one of the seat choices, we stick with it for a while because changing the seat is time consuming. The manual is great at explaining how to remove one seat and replace it with the other but the process involves undoing the 5-point harness and feeding seams down metal tracks in the seat which can be tedious. If our only complaint with the Buzz 4 is that changing seats is tedious, we are extremely happy, especially since they gave us 2 seats to choose from anyway.
The seat has a padded, five-point harness that is easy to adjust for smaller or larger babies. Quinny added a higher harness slot to accommodate larger children on the Buzz 4. There is also a 2 part process harness closing clip. Here's how it works: there are two clips from the shoulder harnesses that need to be put together first before inserting it into the buckle on the crotch strap. It's not difficult to do but could be frustrating with a squirming child.
The Buzz 4 seat is reversible and instead of the just the back of the seat reclining like on other strollers, the entire seat reclines. There are three recline positions if the seat is facing forward and two positions if the seat is reversed. To recline the seat, there are two large buttons on either side of the seat that need to be pressed simultaneously. The recline is easy to do but know that it definitely isn't one-handed. Because it's not technically a "flat recline", the manufacturer does not recommend using the stroller with the seat until your baby is 6 months old. Not to worry though because there are two different options for your newborn. Car seat adapters for the Maxi Cosi car seat are included with the stroller to make it a travel system and a beautiful bassinet is available for an additional cost so that the stroller can be used from birth.
To satisfy the shortest and tallest of moms and dads, it has an adjustable handle that eliminates the "stroller hunch". The handle has four different positions and extends far enough from the stroller to accommodate tall parents with very long strides.
The canopy isn't the largest but a nice feature is that it adjusts not only out but up and down the frame as well. There is a peek-a-boo window on top and two side windows for the child to see out on the canopy.
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There are two air-filled, rear wheels that are 12 inches and have great suspension for uneven terrain. The two front swivel wheels are 7 inches and made of hard plastic. There are brakes on the rear wheels that are applied by stepping on the red button on top of the right wheel and released by stepping on the grey button on top of the left wheel. The brake is easy to do quickly with just your foot to lock both wheels with just one step.
The maneuverability on the Buzz 4 is still amazing. It turns on a dime and is so easy to push that it can be controlled with one hand. We aren't going to lie though, this isn't the lightest stroller on the market. Weighing in at 31 lbs, you will start to feel the weight with a larger child aboard. We tested it at the top of its weight limit of 50 lbs and it took a bit more wrist power to turn with one hand, but we were still able to do it. Now with the two wheels in front, we found that the stroller tackles rougher terrain and curbs a bit better.
With a 26 inch wide base, we found the stroller to be very stable but still a bit wider than many other single strollers. Just be careful in narrow spaces not to catch the back wheels on passing items.
The Quinny Buzz's claim to fame is with their unfolding mechanism. It's known as the stroller that opens it self. That is almost true. You do have to unlock the stroller but with a gas-spring mechanism, you slightly lift up on the handle and the stroller gently opens it self. It's almost a no-handed unfold!! We have to say it's a pretty cool feature and we get a lot of attention when we unfold our stroller in public.
To fold the stroller, there are two long buttons on the sides of the seat that need to be pressed simultaneously to unlock the frame. Before you let go of the buttons, you then need to push down and a bit forward toward the front wheel to fold. This process is not at all hard to do. The easiest way to do it is to stand on the side of the stroller and apply pressure at the points that you are pushing the buttons in and it easily folds down. There are moms that complain that it's hard to fold while standing behind the stroller because their arm span isn't long enough and they have to use their stomachs to assist in the fold. They are complaining because they are doing it incorrectly. Like we said, the easiest way to fold it is from the side. Note: the Buzz only folds with the seat in the forward-facing and upright position or with no seat attached at all.
One of the best improvements with the Buzz 4 is the addition of an automatic lock. The people at Quinny must have been reading our reviews because the old locking strap on the Buzz 3 was not easy to do but essential for keeping the automatic opening feature from opening the stroller in your trunk or worse while you are lifting it. So, they added a big, secure lock on the side that automatically locks the stroller when folded and is easy to unlock to unfold it. Love it!
The Buzz comes with a storage basket that is easy to access but is quite shallow. It's a flat basket with about a 3 inch wall all the way around. Other than the basket, there are no other pockets or storage anywhere on the stroller. Not to worry though, because there is a great bag called the Buzz Box that is sold separately that attaches to the back lower part of the frame for more storage. Quinny must have been reading our diary as well because they introduced a great Quinny cup holder that attaches to the side of the handlebar. The cup holder is sold separately but is a great accessory to get if you have a Starbucks addiction like us.
The Quinny Buzz comes with some great additional accessories including a bug net, wind stoppers, rain shield and Maxi-Cosi Mico car seat adapters. There are also quite a few accessories sold separately.
Overall, we love the improvements that Quinny made on the Buzz 4! They fixed all our complaints that we had on the Buzz 3 and even gave us four wheels so that we can tackle rougher terrain better and an extra seat without us even asking. Now, if they could just drop some weight off the Buzz, we'd love it even more!
The Quinny Buzz 4 is a top quality stroller that maneuvers well, has two seats to choose from, a four wheel design for rougher terrain and has an automatic opening feature that draws a crowd.
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