The Senzz can be teamed with either the Maxi-Cosi CabrioFix or Maxi-Cosi Pebble car seat. I trialled the Pebble with the Senzz, taking the price tag up from £255 for just the buggy to £405. The buggy chassis is 5.7kg, so adding the 4.1kg Pebble car seat takes the travel system weight to 9.8kg, which is still a low weight for this kind of set-up. Car seat adaptors are included with the Senzz.
In terms of the Quinny Senzz carrycot, this £150 optional extra lets you use the Senzz as a rear-facing lie-flat option from birth. Without it, to use the Senzz from birth you'll need to attach the car seat. As a buggy, the Senzz suitable from 6 months to 3 years.
The distinctive design that makes Quinny products so popular is even more striking in the Senzz, which is a 4-wheeler forward facing buggy built around a tubular frame. This folds flat and clips into place, making it easy to chuck in the car, and also stands upright when folded.
The Senzz is still a lightweight buggy at heart, which means a smaller shopping basket and wheels than you’ll get on a monster pram.
What we love
In theory, this could be the only travel system and buggy you’ll need from birth until your child’s around 3. The optional matching carrycot will look after your newborn’s need to lie flat, and you use adaptors to attach the Maxi-Cosi CabrioFix or Pebble car seat to the frame (I find that the newer Pebble is a better design, and easier to use). Once your child’s a bit older, it’s into the pushchair seat for a low but relatively comfortable ride, with an easy-to-use 3-position recline to allow for the odd snooze.
The Quinny Senzz looks wide but fits through doorways with ease, and the design is pretty sexy as far buggies go – there’s a good range of colours, and even the basket has a contemporary look.
The fold is as near to one-handed as possible, and the fact that it stands up when folded is great in restaurants and small spaces.
Once you’ve got the car seat attached, the travel system works well and your baby is at a good height. The time spent taking the car seat off again is made up for with the quick fold. There’s a well-positioned carry handle on the buggy, too.
What to watch out for
The most frustrating bit of using the Senzz is taking the pushchair seat off – I spent hours trying to work it out once my baby, Frank, was in bed, and it was awkward even with the aid of an online video. After that, using the adaptors for the car seat seemed like child’s play, but it’s still tricky. If you’re prepared to practice until you’ve got the knack, great, but if your baby is going to be taken on day trips by lots of different grown-ups, all of whom will need intensive training, think carefully.
Frank is happy and comfortable in the Quinny Senzz - it’s me who suffers. The handles are square and uncomfortable to push for long periods. The basket is shallow, causing items to fall out. Manoeuvrability is fine, but because the frame is so long, getting up high kerbs demands effort. The matt tube frame also scratches easily.
I can’t see Frank through the viewing window in the hood unless the seat is full reclined. The hood has been known to blow off in windy conditions, too. The raincover is a great design, but the plastic is thin.
Who is the Quinny Senzz travel system best for?
Urban families who are short of space and but keen on style.
The Quinny Senzz looks distinctive and folds impressively, and it’s relatively light, too. But it’s not easy to remove the buggy seat to make way for a car seat, and several features just don’t work as well as they should.
