Product – Nuna IVVI Travel System in Caviar
Price – £600

The kind folks at Kiddicare have just launched a new travel system that is EXCLUSIVE to them, the Nuna IVVI, I was able to get my hands on one of the first batch into the UK, and have tested it for over a month now. At £600 for the stroller, and an extra £200 for the carrycot, it’s certainly not cheap, but, do you get what you pay for?

I’ve used it as a stroller, J is a bit past the carry cot stage – I’ve written before about the carry cot, so it you want to find out more, click here. The Nuna IVVI comes in one large box, it’s very simple to put together, and easy to do without reaching for the instructions. The wheels are all quick release, so you can take them off if need be to make it fit in your car (more on that in a bit). The seat element can be either front or rear facing, it’s just a case of lifting the handles either side and the seat releases. Supplied in the box are adaptors to fit a a Nuna Car Seat on the Chassis too.

Something different about the Nuna IVVI compared to other Travel systems of this style is that the seat can stay put when you fold it down, you don’t have to remove it (although only when the seat is forward facing). But it saves time when you’re getting it in and out of the car! The seat itself is extremely well padded and quite luxurious, there is an optional liner/footmuff available which we’ve got (£70!). It’s obviously a lot of money, but it matches well and is lovely and snuggly. There is also a bar that goes across the seat that can be tilted, opened, or removed completely with a few clicks.

My biggest gripe with the Nuna IVVI are the straps, whilst there are some positives – with the height being adjustable so you don’t need to rethread them. My biggest gripe is they aren’t really long enough, especially around the waist, J only just gets in – I think the problem is slightly exaggerated by the footmuff. I’ve played with them a few times now, and I just can’t seem to get them 100% right. There is plenty of length in the shoulder straps, and a bit in the groin strap. but just not enough in the waist. I’d recommend testing your little one in it at your local Kiddicare store.

The seat on the Nunu IVVI Stroller is wonderful, there is a lot of adjustment to it, and you can even have it in a fully horizontal flat out position. The hood is fabulous too, it folds down, covering your little one, and has a pop out canopy for a little extra coverage. There is also a ‘peek a boo’ section at the back of it, allowing you to check on your sleeping infant, it’s held in place with little magnets.

Now onto using it. It unfolds very easily, and you’re up and ready to roll in seconds, the handle is height adjustable, and should suit the smallest or tallest of parents. Pushing it around is a joy, it’s nice and smooth and handles very well – you can steer it one-handed, and the large foam wheels and suspension make light work of any rough terrain. Compared to our Maclaren, it really does glide across the bumps.

In the base you’ve got the shopping basket – and it is ridiculously big – take a look at all the shopping that squeezed in.

It also has a pop up divider in the middle so you can keep stuff seperate if need be.

It is a beast of a buggy, and certainly has ‘presence’ – I have seen a few envious looks whilst pushing it around, but also had a few ‘Oh, that’s quite big’ comments too. It is big, but it’s sturdy and well made, it’s definitely more designed for a ‘day out’, and not charging around London and hopping on and off tubes. The size and weight might be an issue for smaller cars, we’ve got a Zafira, and it fits fine when the rear two seats are down (although it takes up over half the boot). You can take the wheels off to make it a bit smaller, but I’d probably recommend going to Kiddicare and asking nicely if you can see how it fits. The aluminum chassis is as light as it can be, but it is still quite heavy to pick up and take in and out of the boot, although not too disimmilar to strollers of this class.

It has been odd going from a stroller to the beast that is the Nuna IVVI, the sheer volume of stuff it can carry, the ride comfort for J and the ease of getting around are massive plus points. The harness is a real bugbear, and stops this otherwise wonderful stroller getting a higher score and appearing in the upper echelons of my Top Ten of Awesome in 2013.

The Nuna IVVI is available in ‘Caviar (Bluey Black)’ and ‘Safari (Dark Beige)’ and is an exclusive to Kiddicare.