0207 249 5069Everyone at Born is loving the recent addition to our buggy range of the brillant new Noa Stroller from Maxi-Cosi. Â And it seems we’re not the only ones, with both Which and Pushchair Trader giving it top marks!
So to save you the trouble of seeing what others are saying here are our top blog reviews so far.
First off – Pushchair trader
Maxi-Cosi: Noa
Our group test winner, the Maxi-Cosi Noa will be released in mid-August, so we thought we better put it under the Pushchair Trader spotlight to examine every nut and bolt in better detail.
Our score -Â 5 stars
Pushchair Review
When we previewed the Maxi-Cosi Noa, back in March, it became our most shared article we have ever posted receiving 235 Facebook shares! It is due to be released in mid August fuelling the anticipation of keen parents, dying to get their hands on this pushchair prodigy.
The Maxi-Cosi Noa, the ideal holiday pushchair, may have missed the majority of the season this year but is set to become a stroller template to which others will conform. The Noa won our stroller group test earlier this year, when compared alongside conventional, umbrella fold buggies. As you are about to learn, the Noa has torn up the rulebook when it comes to strollers and started back at square one.
Travelling with children is only getting easier and easier with buggies getting lighter and more transportable. The Maxi-Cosi Noa is the embodiment of evolution in this field, just when you thought strollers could not get more portable, the Noa storms in to start the party going again.
A fantastically manoueuvrable stroller, the Noa not only comes in funky colours that match the frame; red, bleached denim, dahlia pink, total black and steel grey but it also has some great little party tricks that will make days out and holidays seem a little less stressful.
Firstly, the fold, obviously the major selling point of the Noa and by far the most nifty part of its nature.
Break the tension in the frame by releasing the hinged strut that spans the width in-between the handles. Then press the button on the right of the punch grip handles and fold forwards, aiding its collapse by gently squeezing the handles together at the same time…sooo easy, sooo uncomplicated.
The folded frame can then be sat up vertically at which point you will notice the handle in-between the front wheels. Press the button in the centre of the handle to extend the telescopic arm that will then allow you to transport the, now super compact Noa, like a suitcase.
To unfold, ensure you have the telescopic transporting handle tucked back in beneath the front wheels, grab the handles, pressing the button on the right grip and shake out the frame in front of you! Pull up the bar in-between the handles to re-tension the frame and off you go!
Comfortable ride
The fabric that makes up the seat is suspended between the width of the handles, all the way down to the footrest. If you can imagine the hands of a clock, the frame, from the side, makes up the shape of ‘five-to-nine’, with no other struts or supports getting in the way. This design gives the passenger lots of natural suspension. Some of the mums in our stroller test expressed scepticism over how comfortable the seat may be, however they were silenced when their children fell asleep almost instantaneously!
The recline mechanism is not a mechanism, it’s a zip either side of the seat that allows the seat to fall back by around 18cms – not a huge recline but sufficient for a quick nap.
The canopy also has a built in treasure. On sunnier days, you can use the extra fabric at the back of the canopy (that normally encloses the back of the seat when reclined) to extend the canopy by a further 18cm to provide a little extra depth of shade.
Everyday use
Without dwelling on the obvious brilliance of the fold, the day-to-day use of the Noa stroller is poetry. Despite its small 12cm wheels, it has nippy manoeuvrability .
The brake is ultimately flip-flop friendly; tap the foot pedal on the right and brake is on, tap the pedal on the left and it is released.
The swivel front wheels can be locked off to stop them rotating which aids manouevrability on rougher terrain.
The basket is shallow and slightly obstructed by the knuckle of the frame but would accommodate a changing bag or a carrier bag of shopping.
Conclusion
The Maxi-Cosi Noa is the ultimate stroller – it’s compact, practical, comfortable and portable. It seems that Maxi-Cosi have focussed on letting this stroller be a very good stroller rather than a multi-tasking schizophrenic.
When you have grown tired of your monster, 3-in-1, all singing, all dancing, travel system and you are managing to leave the house without a spare wardrobe, half the fridge and most of toys ‘r’ us – you are ready for a stroller. And why make life any more complicated than it needs to be. The Noa will fit in any car as it is compact enough to fit in a footwell, it is the perfect holiday stroller for taking onto an aeroplane and what’s more, it’s effortless to use.
If I was really trying to find a negative point about the Noa, for me, it would be the zip recline but even they work well and are not stiff in their operation.
It’s not surprising that the Maxi-Cosi Noa won our stroller group test 2011 and fully deserves to be our very first 5 star pushchair. In it’s class, and for the price, it’s the best you can buy.
Try it – you won’t be disappointed.
We give the Maxi-Cosi Noa
5 out of 5 stars
Dimensions
- Age range              6 months
- Open size              104 x 93 x 47cms
- Closed size            67.5 x 35 x 35cms
- Weight                  7 kgs
- Wheels                 12cms
- Chair width           28cms
- Back height           51cms
Click here for the review on their site
Next up – the highlights from Mummymanda
“When I first received the Noa and got it out of the box I was really excited. The pushchair looked really small and I was pleased to receive a rain cover that was easy to put on and a parasol clip (although I didn’t use this).”…
“The Noa was very light and easy to push around. I couldn’t wait to get out and about with it”…
“After the initial problems with trying to work out how to fold/ unfold the Noa, it immediately became very simple to do. Perfect! This is one of the easiest fold/unfolds I have used. No fussing, no feet and you have enough hands!”…
“When I’ve demonstrated the Noa at Baby and Toddler groups the Mum’s have all commented on the look, size and weight of it. Many of the parents commented on the fold and how compact and light it was.”…
“Overall:
The Noa is a fantastic buggy that is lightweight and compact.
The fold of the Noa is amazing and pretty much the best I’ve seen.
In the Mummy Manda household, we give the Maxi Cosi Noa a big thumbs up!”
Read the review here
Third is are the highlights from Mummymatters
“The box was small and compact, so either I would have lots of building to do or this was really going to be a compact,travel size buggy! To my amazement,all I had to do was push on the two front wheels and I was done.”…
“All of this could be done one-handed and I have since been able to open and close the Noa whilst holding Beanie Boy in my other arm,it really is that easy.”…
“One feature that I haven’t had the opportunity to use yet, but think is just genius, is the extending carry handle which can be used to wheel the folded Noa like a suitcase.”
“I just know that this would be an ideal pushchair for travelling on trains and planes. It would also be ideal for the London Underground.”…
“On the whole I would wholeheartedly recommend the Maxi-Cosi Noa to anyone looking for a holiday buggy whether travelling in the UK or abroad.”
Read the review here
And the final blog review comes from prambonkers
“Firstly its an easy pram to assemble, it took me longer to get through the sellotape holding the box shut than it did to get it up once I’d got it out. However within three minutes of me having shut the door to the courier I had it out its box, up and child two sat in it.”…
“I thought it’d do for its first test-will it accomodate a tall toddler? The answer? A resounding yes,”…
“Firstly Maxi Cosi get a point for putting a raincover in the box, there are far too many about who think a raincover should be an added extra.”…
See the review here
And finally here’s the Which review
We loved how small and compact the Maxi-Cosi Noa was when folded – and the fact you can pull it along like a suitcase.
Very compact fold
We found the Maxi-Cosi Noa really easy to fold, and it folds up into a very compact package, so it could be ideal for taking on public transport or on holiday.
When folded, it stands by itself, plus it features an extendable handle which you can use to pull it along like a suitcase. We thought this could come in very handy indeed.
Maxi-Cosi says this compact, lightweight (7kg) stroller is suitable for babies from three months old. It feels quite springy to push, and Maxi-Cosi says that this is due to the suspension in the frame.
Pushchair features
The seat can be reclined by undoing a zip on either side of the seat. This is easy to do, but doing the zips up again while your child is in the stroller may be tricky, as you’ll need to support your child’s weight with one hand while tackling the zips with the other.
The Noa has flip-flop friendly brakes – one above the right wheel that you push down to turn the brakes on, and another on the left wheel that you step on to release the brakes.
The shopping basket is fairly shallow, but not bad for a lightweight stroller, and the Noa also has a useful pocket on the back of the seat. The lockable front wheels could be useful if you are pushing this stroller over rough ground.
Pros: Easy to fold, very compact when folded, extendable handle means you can pull it along like a suitcase when it’s folded
Cons: The shopping basket is fairly shallow, zip seat reclines aren’t the easiest to use.
You can see the review including a video here!
So overall it seems the blogs are raving about the Noa’s design, how usable it is and just what a great idea – as one reviewer said – “It’s genius”. Â We couldn’t have put it better ourselves!
To see what all the fuss is about here the Noa, plus you can see it instore.
Thanks for reading
