We take a look at a the Hauck Hi-Way Winnie The Pooh stroller, exclusively found at Babies 'R' Us!
Quick Summary: Overall, a smart looking themed stroller with a good price point only available from Babies ‘R' Us, which would be perfect for nipping out about town with.
Whats good?
- Good Price
- Fun styling
- Accessories included
Whats not so good?
- Rattily front wheels
- Shallow basket
- Exposed for newborn
Chassis
The lightweight frame of the Hauck Hi-Way looks smart and stylish, with a soft satin finish to the sturdy looking chassis. Once put together (just requires the wheels and the hood popping on) the Babies ‘R’ Us Hauck Hi-Way looks like a well featured umbrella fold stroller, with gentle curves and a sleek finish it looks neat and tidy.
Very lightweight, the pushchair is easy to manoeuver with a heavier child in, and tipping back for kerbs is easy to do and feels good. The solid rubber wheels do, in themselves, feel good, although as you push along (especially with a lighter load), you get some rattle and shake from the front swivel wheels. If you need to, you can lock the front wheels into a fixed position to give you a bit more of a smooth ride over rougher ground. There is suspension for all four wheels, but as with most strollers, it is limited. I’d stick to the smooth urban terrain.
The two angled foam covered handle bars are soft and easy to grip, although not adjustable they feel comfortable and you can if you need to hold them in slightly different locations to get a good height.
The shopping basket is fairly standard with just enough room for poking some essentials in, and with a nice high back. As usual for an umbrella fold stroller, with the seat fully reclined access to the basket is completely restricted – although there is just enough slack in the fabric to be able to poke a few things in the sides if you were desperate.
The Babies ‘R’ Us Hauck Hi-Way features a foot operated rear brake which can be engaged from either side of the stroller, and gives a very loud reassuring ‘click’ when you get it into place. A toe poke is required to engage the brake, and a toe lift to release it, not ideal for those with chunky winter boots or open toed sandals.
The only further thing to note on the frame of the Hauck Hi-Way stroller is that the handle used to fold the stroller at the rear of the frame rests in a position at ninety degrees to the rear of the pushchair – sticking directly out towards your shins, longer striding people might need to take this into consideration. It is a shame this does not fold down, out of the way.
Seat
The Babies ‘R’ Us Hauck Hi-Way has a good sized forward facing stroller seat with plenty of room under the hood to last your little one well into toddlerhood. The seat can be used from birth when fully reclined. The look and feel of the soft wipe clean fabrics is good, with a simple and sophisticated use of Winnie The Pooh themed fabrics and motifs. Suitable for boys and girls the brown outer fabric has coordinating piping and a gentle yellow interior pattern.
The calf rest is adjustable, you can either have it raised up as an extension to the seat base for little feet to rest upon, or lowered down to give some support to calves when feet reach the easy clean rubber footrest. You cannot fix the calf rest in a fully vertical position which is often handy for giving you extra peace of mind when using a stroller with a newborn.
The infinitely adjustable seat recline is operated by a toggle slider system, not our most favourite method, but at least you get the option of selecting a perfect recline position for your little one.
The hood gives some coverage from a high sun, and should also protect from the rain (the rain cover zips onto the front rim of the hood rather than covering the entire stroller). There is a peephole window located at the rear. The flap which covers it also conceals a handy little pocket perfect for discretely stashing your bits and bobs.
Although padded chest straps are included with the Hauck Hi-Way stroller package from Babies ‘R’ Us, and the seat does lie flat enough to make it suitable from birth there is no head hugger included in this package. The seat is therefore a little unsupportive for the tiniest of tots without some additional padding. The harness itself can be fully adjusted on the waist the shoulders and the crotch and the shoulders can be routed through several locations giving you a range of sizes, although altering this aspect is fiddly and not something you’d want to have to do regularly if swapping between siblings.
Fold
The Babies ‘R’ Us Hauck Hi-Way stroller folds in the standard way you would expect from an umbrella fold stroller. With your hood fully retracted, lift up the handle on the rear of the pushchair, release the secondary lock on the side by depressing the lever and push the handles forward and over, shutting the pushchair in half and collapsing it down. Once done there is a latch you can use to keep the pushchair folded down, and a grab handle on the side to help you move it about. It’s nice and light and compact.
To unfold just reverse the process, undo the latch, lift up the handles opening it out and then push down on the footplate to lock the stroller in to the open position.
Conclusion
A nice, well priced stroller exclusive to Babies ‘R’ Us, with some extra little features and a footmuff and raincover included in the price.
The beauty of this one really is in the style; if you or your little one loves Winnie The Pooh then this will be a great choice if you decide you need a lightweight stroller. Good quality and a nice feel, the rattly front wheels leave a little to be desired but nothing too major. As a pushchair suitable from birth I would have liked to see more padding around the seat or a head hugger included. Of course you may prefer to add your own.
Overall, a smart looking themed stroller with a good price point only available from Babies ‘R’ Us, which would be perfect for nipping out about town with.
