The Apple buggy can also easily be converted into a jogger pram by removing the two front wheels and adding one single one (which costs £65).
More importantly for many families, the Apple can be converted into a Pear, which means you have a double buggy for two children. This is one of its biggest selling points as it means there's no need to buy a whole new buggy later – and when your eldest no longer needs a buggy, it can be converted back again. This upgrade pack will set you back £300.
What we love
The iCandy Apple buggy looks gorgeous, and pushes like a dream. Being 5ft 9ins and my husband 6ft 2ins, we’ve always found ourselves stooping when using other buggies. With the iCandy Apple though, the adjustable handle actually moves far enough up to stop even the tallest person from having to hunch over. It was a joy for my bad back.
One of the other major plus points was that you can turn the buggy round to face you. While my son Jack is too old for this now, at 20 months, when he was 6 or 7 months and too big for his pram, this was exactly the feature I wished I’d had on a pushchair.
The seat itself is high up, making it easy to get your baby in and out, and giving him a good view.
There’s also a huge, easy-to-get-to shopping basket underneath, which is a major bonus for most of us – no more rummaging around trying to shove things in the under-pram basket!
You can also push it with one hand and still keep it in a straight line, which, with mobile phones, I’ve always found a problem with my other buggy, which sways all over the place.
What to watch out for
To use from birth, you'll need to buy the carrycot, which adds £165 to the price. Even as a buggy, it's expensive – but overall I really do think it’s worth it. So much so in fact that we ended up buying the pushchair from the manufacturer after testing it!
The folding mechanism takes a little getting used to. It took me a few minutes to practise it before I dared venture out – but once you get the hang of it I promise it is easy!
It’s a minor point, but the cup holder leaves a little to be desired. It clips onto the buggy fine, but there just doesn’t seem to be a position where it can go behind the buggy rather than sticking out the side – for me this made it impossible to get out of our door, and living on a narrow street, hard to get along the street without being knocked off. I wouldn’t bother with this accessory, and just carry a bottle of drink and put it in the basket underneath. Not a biggy.
The only other point is it's quite big even when folded so won't squeeze into a tiny boot – but the removable back wheels help this enormously.
Who is the iCandy Apple buggy best for?
Tall parents, growing families and people who like to go for long walks.
The iCandy Apple is a fantastic investment. With the ability to purchase a carrycot for use from birth, the fact you can use a Maxi-Cosi car seat to make it a travel system, and the added bonus of being able to convert it into a Pear double buggy, it’s flexible and worth the money. It’s a smooth ride, and it looks great, too.
First reviewed 2009. Updated 24/02/2012.
