Foppapedretti.... Not heard of them? Well you will as their MYO is a great looking functional set of wheels.
Quick Summary: The Myo is an excellent pushchair. The eye catching different design and modern, practical 360 degree seat rotation will appeal to many, and at just £590 I think it is great value for money. I urge you to consider the MYO if you are on the hunt for a new set of wheels – you won't be disappointed and you will certainly stand out from the crowd.
Whats good?
- Design
- 360 degree seat
- Hood
- Price
Whats not so good?
- Tiny basket
Colours
Red, Blue
Chassis
The Foppapedretti Myo has been showcased at various trade shows throughout 2011, 2012 and 2013, and at last 2 colourways are available for sale in the UK. The MYO actually comes in 2 versions. The MYO without electric drive, and the MYO-TRONIC which has the electric drive motor built into the chassis.
The design of the MYO frame strikes you right away. It is simple and modern, with the structure being made from curved aluminium tubes in a cool shade of gunmetal grey. The Foppapedretti logos are classic and unobtrusive, in a smart black finish. At first glance the chassis looks quite gappy and open – this is purely because the seat can rotate 360 degrees on the chassis – rather like the Orbit 360.
Next up are the wheels. With 25cm pneumatic wheels at the rear and 18cm lockable EVA wheels at the front there is not much this pushchair wouldn’t be able to handle.
Moving down to the basket, we find the first weakness in this pushchairs design – it is tiny. The main reason for this is the chassis shape – the main central bar curves down into the space where the basket should be. There is a small basket added in below this, but it is not big enough for much more than a nappy and a packet of wipes.
Coming back up the chassis, we take a look at the handlebar. The ergonomic D shaped handle rotates to create a height adjustable feature, offering 2 height options: 95cm and 105cm. This should be suitable for the majority of parents.
The overall quality of the chassis is excellent. It feels well made and of a high quality which fits the premium price tag, and with chassis and wheels weighing just 7.7kg it is not too heavy either. Once you add on the seat unit at 5.3kg, the whole package weighs 13kg – by no means the heaviest on the market.
Seat
The seat unit of the Foppapedretti Myo is similar in design to the Quinny Moodd. The fabrics are clearly of a very high quality, and offer a lot of padding for your little one – some of the best padding we have come across to date.
The hood is fantastic. At first glance it looks as though it may not offer much coverage, but once you discover the zip and the extra flip out peak, you will realise that the hood is huge – it can pull right down far enough to cover your little ones toes! With the seat laid back it provides brilliant protection for a sleeping tot. There is even a mesh viewing window/vent on the back portion of the unzipped hood.
The seat recline is operated via a button on the rear of the seat, and in parent facing mode it can recline until it is flat. It should be said that strangely, this is not the easiest button to press, for some reason, it is just not the right shape to grip effectively.
The seat unit comes with an extra liner, which will keep a small baby safe and cosy if you choose not to use the carrycot. With the seat liner removed, the seat back measures 45cm, and with a width of 35cm it is a useful sized seat.
Of course, the main attraction of this pushchair is the 360 degree seat rotation. To rotate, just pull out the grey tabs underneath the seat squab and spin 360 degrees to face forwards or backwards. There is no need to remove the seat. It can be done anywhere. The seat will only lock into position in parent or world facing positions, but can still sit safely in the sideways facing position (zoo mode). With the seat in the outward facing position, it can only recline one position, as the handle is in the way.
The 5 point harness is excellent. Easily adjustable and with fabulously soft padded shoulder and crotch straps. You can do one side up at a time which is great if you are in a hurry or have your hands full of struggling toddler!
There is a bumper bar with a padded cover which is gate opening from either side – a great help when putting little ones in and out of the seat.
Last but not least, the footrest is adjustable, and has 2 positions. This is covered in a wipe clean rubber material which is ideal for muddy boots.
Fold
Folding the Foppapedretti MYO is surprisingly straightforward. You must remove the seat first. To do this, find the red sliding lever between seat and footrest and simultaneously push the red button and slide the lever. The seat unit can then be lifted straight off.
To fold the chassis locate the grey button up near the handlebar. Push this in while sliding up the catch, and you will feel the frame release. The handle rotates forward and will latch into place against the base of the chassis. Once folded, you can easily carry the MYO by grabbing the beam across the top of the folded frame.
Unfolding is simple too – squeeze the grey button and pull the release catch up towards the handle. Then just lift the handle back up into position. The chassis will click into place ready for you to drop the seat unit on.
Although you have to take the seat off, the fold is nice and simple. The frame and chassis are not small even when folded, but they are not bulky and hard to handle, so make transferring to the car easy.
Conclusion
The Foppapedretti MYO is a premium, high end product, packed with great tricks and features.
The party piece 360 degree rotation works smoothly, the fold is straightforward and the seat is well padded and comfortable. The whole system boasts high quality materials and a sleek finish and design.
The only real frustration is the tiny basket. These days, most parents will expect a much larger storage solution – somewhere to carry around everything but the kitchen sink!
The Myo is an excellent pushchair. The eye catching different design and modern, practical 360 degree seat rotation will appeal to many, and at just £590 I think it is great value for money. I urge you to consider the MYO if you are on the hunt for a new set of wheels – you won’t be disappointed and you will certainly stand out from the crowd.
