The Jané Rider pushchair looks like a futuristic grasshopper. It now faces the scrutiny of Pushchair Expert review team. We take it apart and put it back together, then give you our honest opinion.
Quick Summary: The Jane Rider is a modern, ergonomic man friendly design. We love it because it is well-built and multi-functional. It ticks so many boxes; quality, size, weight, adaptability, use and style that it is difficult to find fault.
Whats good?
- Fantastic design
- Does everything
- Has a great rain cover
Whats not so good?
- A little bit on the pricey side
Jané (pronounced Han-nay) originates in Spain and has over 75 years experience in the pram business, so they know what they are doing when it comes to making pushchairs that people want! Even though they are an old company, they don’t have any problems in keeping up with modern style and demand. Their range is versatile, extensive and embraces new innovation and technology.
The Jane Rider, one of their latest models, looks like a machine that could almost drive itself. From the minute you take hold of the handle you can feel the quality that it offers. A solid and reliable, well balanced model that has a huge range of features built in.
Chassis
The chassis of the Jané Rider is loaded with technology that’s not just for show, it all has a function. Starting at the top, the handle can be easily adjusted for the height of the user via the buttons on the side and is covered in heavy duty, good grip foam. Directly below the handle is the ‘C’ shape back axle, this gives anyone with a normal to wide gait, room to walk. It also contributes to one of the best features- the fold, but more on that later.
The back axle has adjustable suspension that can be hardened or softenend depending upon the terrain, simply by positioning the switch between the + or the – gives you more or less bump absorbtion. The frame then extends forward under the chair towards the front wheels; this part supports the shopping basket. Unfortunately some of the basket is obstructed by the ‘workings’ but it is still a decent enough size and helped by the fact that the seat sits high in the frame giving plenty of height to sit bags upright.
Press the hub of the large, plastic moulded, 28cm/11 inch wheels at the back and they are removed in an instant. The lockable, front swivel wheels are smaller at 18cm/7 inch.
The braking system is located on the handle and connected to the wheels via a cable, sounds clumsy but it is well tethered and gives you great immediate restraint.
The combination of the frame and the wheels, allows such control that it feels like you could walk this pushchair around town all morning, navigating narrow aisles in china shops, then take it out on rugged moorland in the afternoon.
One of the best features about the Jané Rider is the fold – we love it! With the seat facing forwards or rearwards, set in the park mode (one of the angles of tilt), pull the slider switches up either side of the handle and push forward. The ‘C’ shaped back axle tilts neatly under around the basket, tucking the wheels underneath the frame. The folded pushchair can then stand upright taking up a footprint of only 60x38cms, this can be reduced to 48x35cms by taking off the back wheels. Considering the solid build, it is relatively light weight at only 9.5kg with the seat attached.
Unfolding can be accomplished using one hand. Hold the handle, release the catch with your foot and pull up….ready to go!
Seat
The pushchair seat plugs into the frame at a nice height with the chunky connectors that sound a loud ‘click’ when home. Just squeeze two latches, on either side of the chair upwards and the seat comes away. Although this type of release is used by many manufacturers, some work better than others and this is definitely an example of good quality engineering.
One of the few places that we can find fault with this pushchair is in the tilt. The handle to select the angle of recline is at the top of the chair and is quite stiff, but with use we think it would become an acquired ‘knack’. You have three choices of recline 1, 2, 3 and P. You have to have the chair in the ‘P’ position to fold it up.
The foot rest adjustment buttons are on the inside of the frame, making them difficult to press at the same time as choosing your position; anywhere between flat and 90 degrees.
We decided that, although you wouldn’t need to take the hood off the chair very often, it does detach very easily by unzipping the zips and sliding the grips upwards. The outer fabric of our specimen colour, Moonlight (black), provoked a split in the office; in practical terms it wipes well and is water repellent but not everyone was keen on the colourway. Thankfully all tastes can be satisfied as it comes in two/three alternatives; Stylon (navy blue), Molten Red (burgundy) and Rose (pink and grey) although this colour is only available in the Formula travel system.
The bumper bar can unplug on one or both sides, it has a knuckle that allows the bar to twist and open like a gate allowing you easy access to your child. The mechanism is similar to the bumper bar on the Quinny Buzz but not quite so slick. The cover can be unzipped and removed for cleaning.
A padded five point harness secures potential escapees. The padded seat lining is very comfortable and has a moleskin feel.
Accessories
The Jane Rider pushchair package includes a spacious ruck-sack change bag, which can be stowed in the shopping basket (it’s exactly the same shape) or hung on the handle using the velco straps. It has a sporty look to the point that men would not shy away from using it.
Raincovers vary; some can be so tight that the child is almost cling-filmed into the pushchair; others are so poorly fitting that anything more than a light shower leads to leaking and mini puddles forming on the hood. The Jane Rider raincover is none of these, it’s fantastic. It has a soft frame that makes the cover ‘cocoon shape’ resulting in it being very roomy. The arc shape naturally repels water. A huge, clear window in the front gives easy access to the child and extra ventilation if the side vents aren’t enough.
Conclusion
The Jane Rider is a modern, ergonomic man friendly design. We love it because it is well-built and multi-functional. It ticks so many boxes; quality, size, weight, adaptability, use and style that it is difficult to find fault.
The Jane Rider is let down by minor irritations but otherwise it seems to be almost perfect, the only drawback is the price. The RRP for this pushchair, raincover and change bag is £449.99, when compared to the Quinny Buzz 4 that retails for £395 and includes an XL seat, it does seem a little expensive.
