The Expedition is a limited edition of the Day and yet another work of art in its styling. It won't appeal to everyone, in fact the garish, gregarious sorts would describe it as drab but anyone with an eye for subtle sophistication will appreciate the nuances that make it so desirable.
Quick Summary: The Joolz Day Expedition tells an adventurers story in the same way as their Nautical edition, that was never released in the UK, appeals to the sailing fraternity. You can see the urban countryphile pushing this stylishly practical pushchair in town or in the country. The best way to describe the Joolz Day Expedition is Bear Grylls in a suit; a good looking adventurer in best attire.
Whats good?
- Wonderful muted colour
- Smooth push
- Great accessories
- Limited edition
Whats not so good?
- Impractical basket
- Stiff release and recline buttons
There has been a period recently where I seem to be reviewing new takes on old designs, something I love. It’s far more beneficial to us as consumers, for established manufacturers to improve on an already existing product rather than going back to the drawing board to try and re-invent the wheel. Surely we are on our way to the ultimate pushchair if manufacturers keep on tweaking.The Joolz Day Expedition is no exception to this; the Day was one of my favourite products I reviewed last year. It has a refreshingly high-quality finish and is made with all the precision you would expect from the Germans, except this baby was born in Holland.The Expedition is a limited edition of the Day and yet another work of art in its styling. It won’t appeal to everyone, in fact, the garish, gregarious sorts would describe it as drab but anyone with an eye for subtle sophistication will appreciate the nuances that make it so desirable.
Feast on the frame
On the Joolz Day Expedition you will notice the wheels are different from the regular version. The rear 30cm air tyres have a black hub as do the 16cm EVA foam wheels on the front. A very simple flick switch on the front posts determines whether your wheels are swivel or unidirectional, up to you, depending upon your terrain.The brake is an effortless rocker pedal on the rear axle and is definitely sympathetic to feet regardless of footwear. It slightly cuts into the odd shaped basket that hangs beneath the chassis. Made from the grey accent fabric on the seat, it has a drop down flap as the door (much like the door on a breadbin!) which has a soft magnetic closure. The cavity is roomy enough and would be practical for nappies and a change of clothes but it’s not the sort of basket that you would use to stow shopping. Hwever, you could invest in the XL shopping basket accessory.
The chunky matt aluminium chassis extends up towards the handle with all the folding mechanisms concealed in a well moulded, well-finished, black plastic. The handle is covered in black snakeskin affording a comfortable, sturdy grip and a stylish signature. Once again, this is not only about the looks, the handle extends telescopically out of the frame from 100 to 110cms catering for all heights.
Folding
The Joolz Day can be folded with or without the seat unit in place, in fact, I think it’s slightly easier to have the seat mounted on the chassis to perform the fold, and for everyday storage this is the preferred folding option.
Close the hood, put the seat in the middle recline position then lower the handle to its shortest setting. Two small buttons, the safety catches, under the left and right of the handle need to be pressed to contract the handle a little further into the chassis. When you get it right, the handle should drop down to between the rear wheels. Then, by lifting the curved carry bar at the back of the seat unit, swing the front wheels in and under the back axle to allow the pushchair to be stored vertically.
To make a more compact finished fold, remove the seat. It can then be laid horizontally and with the bumper bar released, the wheels removed (by pushing the button in the centre of the wheel) and the seat unit stacked on the chassis with all the bits stored in the hollow of the seat. This is the perfect fold for a smaller boot.
To unfold, simply unfold the front wheels out and lift the handle. The ‘click’ will let you know all is well and that you are ready to go.
Sweet seat
The seat is where the Joolz Day Expedition looks so different. The majority of the seat is in a Khaki grey/green colour with a dark grey accent on the canopy. As I said earlier, this won’t appeal to everyone but natural colours taken from the environment around us are much more easy on the eye, with the added bonus that should any of that environment transfer onto the fabric (such as mud or grass) it won’t be so obvious.The seat unit will accommodate the tallest child of pushchair age. The back height is an enormous 53cms, which, combined with the drop of 28cms on the footplate means your child is going to want to be walking way before they actually grow out of the Joolz Day.Removing and reclining the seat are all performed from around the point at which the seat is mounted on the chassis. The pressure buttons to release the seat are a little rudimentary compared to the slick functionality of the rest of this pushchair. The large grey buttons above the release mechanism, let the seat recline into one of three positions, an action that is made easier with the help of the bumper bar.The snakeskin bumper bar is a knuckled gate opening mechanism…we like this, however, like the chair release buttons they are pressure latches that you press into the casing and then remove with the bar or chair….in other words – nail breakers!The high seating position means the Joolz Day is ready to push straight up to a table, eliminating the need to use grubby cafe high chairs or put too much pressure on the back when lifting your child in and out. It can be used in forward or rearward facing positions.
Another feature unique to the Expedition is hidden within the large, aluminium framed canopy. The last segment of the hood peels back to reveal a mesh segment which provides fantastic air flow over your child on hotter days, with the added advantage that the rest of the canopy still shades them.
The silky straps of the 5 point harness can be altered to fit your child but cannot be adjusted in height. This seems a shame for a pushchair that otherwise caters for a huge variation in the height of a child.
Not forgetting, on the rear of the seat is a handy little Velcro pocket for all your bits and bobs that you need close at hand- phone, keys purse etc. Resembling a pocket on a safari jacket it sums up the adventures that this pushchair is built for.
Carrycot
The carrycot attaches to the chassis in the same way as the chair unit, the solid click notifies you that it is in place and ready-to-go. Matching the seat unit fabric, it also has a matt aluminium frame that rims the bed and the canopy. The bumper bar transfers between the two units, on the carrycot it acts as a well balanced handle for moving the cot on and off the chassis. Feet on the bottom of the bed and a ventilated mattress allow it to be used as an overnight sleeper. The apron zips in to give the most protection to your sleeping passenger.
Conclusion
The Joolz Day Expedition tells an adventurers story in the same way as their Nautical edition, that was never released in the UK, appeals to the sailing fraternity. You can see the urban countryphile pushing this stylishly practical pushchair in town or in the country. The best way to describe the Joolz Day Expedition is Bear Gryhlls in a suit; a good looking adventurer in best attire.
Although I am completely in love with the sophistication oozing from every pore of the Expedition, it still has some of the fundamental flaws of the original Joolz Day. The tricky elements of the fold seem to have been conquered whereas the release and recline buttons are still unnecessarily stiff and likely to break your nails.
The basket is not completely practical if you do your shopping on foot, however there are some small black nodes on the inside of the handle from which you can hang your nursery bag. Alternatively the XL shopping bag, although an added accessory, is worthwhile the investment if you are an in-town shopper as it has a far greater capacity.
However, when underway, you and your child are going to be more than comfortable, it’s lovely to push and the seat is padded and ventilated. It hasn’t changed a great deal from it’s original incarnation but it remains equally as good. Joolz can never be accused of standing still, they have a produced an attractive, subtly sexy pushchair that looks good dressed in anything, so whether you are buying an original Day or the Expedition Limited Edition you won’t be disappointed.
