In a nutshell

All the features and accessories you'd want in a travel system that's good in pushchair mode, too. A very smooth ride, but doesn't look as comfortable as some other options.

What we tested

  • Fold/unfolding
    A star rating of 3.5 out of 5.
  • Manoeuvrability
    A star rating of 4.0 out of 5.
  • Comfort for child
    A star rating of 3.0 out of 5.
  • Style
    A star rating of 3.0 out of 5.
  • Durability
    A star rating of 3.5 out of 5.
  • Worth the money
    A star rating of 4.0 out of 5.
Overall Rating
A star rating of 3.5 out of 5.

Pros

  • Smooth ride, easy to maneouvre, folds down easily, height adjustable bar, Piccola car seat is rearward facing in car for 18 months

Cons

  • Not the most comfortable pushchair, harness fiddly, forward facing only, quite a wide seat

For simplicity, a smooth ride and value for money, the Nurse Dakar Piccola travel system is one of the top contenders to buy.

Advertisement

Nurse is a division of Spanish company Jané, which aims to provide value for money. And that’s exactly what the Dakar Piccola travel system offers. Based on the popular Jané Powertrack 360, it’s bursting with features and accessories that meet your baby’s every need.

A lightweight 3-wheeler buggy, the Nurse Dakar Piccola travel system has lockable front swivel wheel, inflatable aluminium wheels with ball bearings for very easy turning, height adjustable handle, multi-position reclining seat, quick release wheels when you’re short on space and even an adjustable rear suspension depending on the terrain.

It also has a basket, pump, 3 in 1 foot muff, pram bag and raincover, too. Phew!

Nurse do the Dakar in four options: the Dakar is a pushchair, and can be teamed with a choice of three car seats to make three different travel systems, the Piccola being one of them. A lightweight car seat at just 2.4kg, the Piccola it easily attaches to the Dakar chassis and lasts up to approximately 18 months, meaning you can rear-face your baby for a lot longer than other car seats on the market.

What we love

It’s a smooth drive, and living in a place with cobbly streets, this is very important. The Nurse Dakar Piccola certainly comes into its own when cruising round town with my daughter Tippi. Once she is asleep I don’t have to worry about the steep curves, cobbled pavements and other obstacles that stand in my way, as the Nurse Dakar Piccola glides over them with minimal disruption.

It’s also very easy to manoeuvre, turning corners without much effort needed from myself. Always a good thing! And when removing the Piccola car seat from the chassis, this is relatively smooth, too, though I have to lift the seat one side at a time.

Always important, the Nurse Dakar Piccola folds down easily, and the wheels are extremely easy to remove if going on holiday.

We tried the Nurse Piccola car seat as it rear faces up to 18 months. In light of recent research that it’s safer to be rearward facing for as long as possible this is a big plus, although you’ll still need to buy another car seat at 18 months.

Tippi loves looking at the Tube map design on the hood interior and peeping out the rear window to see where she’s going when using the Dakar in pushchair mode. The harness is easily adjusted.

One final feature that was appealing to us was the height adjustable bar. My husband is a lot taller than me, so this meant we could both push the Nurse Dakar Piccola with ease.

What to watch out for

I wouldn’t say it’s the most comfortable seat. The material isn’t very soft on the Dakar pushchair or the Piccola car seat. Alongside this, the harness pads on the buggy and car seat look clumsy, especially for a newborn. They’re quite big and seem to slide up and down the straps too easily.

The harness on the Dakar pushchair itself is not perfect either. The straps are too big for my 1-year-old Tippi, and it’s slightly complicated pulley system needs quite a bit of fiddling around with.

If you have a small car, you might want to check the Nurse Dakar fits. Even though it does fold down quite small, it’s a wide pushchair. This is good for longevity as your child grows, but can be a bit of a problem with limited car space. The width of the pushchair was also a slight problem for me in a city with narrow streets.

Other slight concerns, which didn’t worry me, but may do for other mums is that the Nurse Dakar is forward facing only and the shopping basket is rather small.

Who is the Nurse Dakar Piccola travel system best for?

Mums after a value for money and have a bigger car.

Advertisement

MadeForMums verdict

The 3-wheeler Nurse Dakar Piccola is a good light pushchair and car seat combothat boasts all the features and accessories you would expect from a travel system. It’s a smooth ride and easy to manoeuvre, but it isn’t the most comfortable and the pushchair harness is a bit fiddly.

Product Specifications

Product
BrandNurse
ModelDakar Piccola
Price£364.99
Suitable for
Child age (approx)From Birth
Dimensions & Weight
Weight8kg
DimensionsH:104cm W:63cm L:93cm
Dimensions (folded)H:85cm W:63cm L:50cm
Features
Travel system compatibleYes
Compatible car seatsNurse Piccola
Seat facing directionForward facing
Front wheelsLockable swivel
Recline positionsMulti-position
Features
  • 3wheel chassis with lockable front swivel wheel
  • Quick release wheels
  • Removable bumper bar and hood and sun canopy
  • Pneumatic inflatable tyres
  • Height adjustable handle
  • multi-position reclining seat
  • Adjustable rear suspension
Accessories
Accessories includedBasket, pump, 3 in 1 footmuff, pram bag, rain cover
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement