A new addition to the market, the Koochi Speedstar is billed as a great travel companion, offering everything you need in one small package – with a small price tag to match. Here at Pushchair Expert we have had the Koochi Speedstar in for its close up – let's find out more!
Quick Summary: The Koochi Speedstar is a bright, funky one-stop shop for all your pushchair needs. The seat is large and plenty spacious enough to suit from birth through to toddler-hood and beyond, and is reasonably padded – with the addition of the footmuff you can make a much cosier seating option for smaller people. Easy to push and easy to fold, this lightweight little number is a travellers companion – whether you are heading out by car, train or bus the Koochi Speedstar could come along for the ride with the minimum of fuss.
Whats good?
- Lightweight and compact
- Easy to fold
- Comes with everything you need from birth onwards
Whats not so good?
- Strap recline
- Small hood
Koochi are known for their use of bright and eye catching colours and designs, and make a range of pushchairs and car seats for all ages, and all price brackets. The Speedstar is a fairly new addition to the collection, and is styled as an all in one stroller package with some additional bits and bobs included in one package deal. Read on to find out more in our Koochi Speedstar Review:
Chassis
The Koochi Speedstar chassis is a mixture of yellow and white, with smooth, clean lines. At 107cm, the height is the about the average you would expect from this style of stroller, and the foam handles feature grooves for your fingers – making it comfortable to hold and push. With the #GetinGetout Koochi branding on the frame, and the bold colours, this pushchair stands out – something you will either love or hate – but you certainly won’t get lost in the crowd!
The shopping basket is relatively large – more than adequate for daily requirements – and is simple to access from either the side or the rear. I wouldn’t want to put anything too heavy in there as it is just a net basket, but for day-to-day use it works fine.
The wheels on the Koochi Speedstar are certainly different – no spokes or tyre effects, just bold, round discs in the primary pushchair colour (yellow in this case). Very easy to attach, the wheels just slide on and give a reassuring click. They can be used in the fixed or swivel position by simply pulling a lever above the front wheels. There is front and rear suspension to offer a smoother ride for your small passenger, and this is noticeable on rougher ground – it takes some of the shock away.
The brakes are operated from the rear of the pushchair. There is a lever on each side, just above the wheels – just push down to stop and flick up to go. Easy and effective but definitely not a flip flop friendly option!
The Koochi Speedstar feels very lightweight to push. Weighing in at just 7kg, it has the light feel of a stroller, and it feels ‘nippy’ – ideal for whizzing in and out of the city crowds. It turns smoothly and it just feels quite ‘small’ – like you wouldn’t get stuck in a small shop doorway. The weight feels evenly distributed and there really is no effort involved in pushing this set of wheels around.
Seat
With a width of 34cm and a depth of 38cm, the Koochi Speedstar offers a very spacious seat that will last well into the toddler years. It is reasonably well padded – although I am not sure how comfortable I would be putting a newborn in there without some form of extra support. The seat back measures up at 49cm, so there is plenty of height support on offer too.
The hood attaches to the frame very easily – simply slide onto the brackets halfway down the sides. It’s not the biggest hood in the world – it is definitely more of a cosmetic feature than a protective one, but it offers some shade and has tensioning clips on the side to keep it open when required. The back of the hood fabrics attach to the seat back with Velcro – but it’s not very strong at all and does fall off regularly – not a big issue, but a bit of an annoyance as it leaves you with a piece of material flapping around in your way when trying to access the recline and basket.
The recline is a strap recline, of which I am not a huge fan. It does offer multiple recline positions, but it is a fiddle to use – you need 2 hands and it means lifting the weight of the child when you want to move the seat up. I would prefer to see a lever style recline. The seat also has a good 5 point harness, with comfortable shoulder and crotch pads. There are 3 height positions for the shoulder straps, meaning it is easy to adapt the pushchair to suit as your little one grows, and adjusting is easy – a simple twist and pull to slide the straps through the slots.
Designed with tiny tots in mind, the seat fabrics have a wipe clean finish so there is no need to worry about sticky fingers or leaky juice cups. For smaller babies, the adjustable leg rest can be popped into the upright position, then folded downwards for toddlers who want to rest their legs on the footplate.
Having had many a battle with raincovers in the past, they always feature highly on my list of things to check, and the Koochi Speedstar raincover doesn’t disappoint. It attaches with poppers – much stronger and more stable than Velcro or elastic, and can be put on in seconds. 2 poppers on the side of the hood, then 2 poppered loops around the base of the chassis. And it is HUGE – plenty of room for even the longest toddler legs!
Fold
Umbrella folding strollers tend to be pretty much all the same, and fairly easy to manage.
The Koochi Speedstar folds in 2 simple steps – pull the handle in the centre of the chassis, above the shopping basket. Then push your foot down on the small lever on the right hand side, just above the wheels. A slight pressure on the handles will see the Koochi Speedstar fold over on itself, and the automatic locking system should click into place, securing the pushchair frame ready for you to lift.
There is a large carry handle to make transportation easy, and the lightweight chassis makes this a breeze. When folded it measures a compact 106cm x 39cm x 21cm and should fit in most car boots with ease. I also think it would be a great option for public transport too because of this.
To re-open the Koochi Speedstar, just unhook the locking catch, pull the handles towards you and push your foot downwards on the pedal in the centre of the chassis until everything slots into place with a reassuring click.
Accessories
Coming with a host of extras, the Koochi Speedstar really does offer it all in one package. Included in the price is a footmuff, a changing bag and a cup holder.
The footmuff is lovely. Thick, padded and with a fleece lining it will keep your tot warm and cosy in even the coldest weather. It fits securely with no slipping – attaching via the harness straps and 2 additional Velcro tabs on the rear of the seat, so even the biggest wriggler shouldn’t have a problem. The top layer zips right off, leaving you with a lovely liner to use in the warmer months, and as an additional protective and supportive layer, which may be ideal for the newborn passengers, or just for those of us who like to keep the seat spick and span!
The changing bag matches the colours on the pushchair and comes with an adjustable strap so you can carry it on your shoulder or hang on the handles. A large pocket on the back and a zip pocket at the front offer plenty of storage space, and the zipped main compartment contains a well padded change mat as well as a wet bag for cloth nappies or damp clothes.
The cup holder is a nice little item to have. It simply slots onto the top of the frame, just below the handlebar and sits in a good upright position – so you shouldn’t waste a drop of your precious coffee!
Conclusion
The Koochi Speedstar is a bright, funky one-stop shop for all your pushchair needs. The seat is large and plenty spacious enough to suit from birth through to toddler-hood and beyond, and is reasonably padded – with the addition of the footmuff you can make a much cosier seating option for smaller people. Easy to push and easy to fold, this lightweight little number is a travellers companion – whether you are heading out by car, train or bus the Koochi Speedstar could come along for the ride with the minimum of fuss.
The recline is a slight niggle for me – strap reclines seem such hard work, especially with a larger tot on board, and I would much prefer to see a lever or button style recline. I was also slightly disappointed with the size of the hood – it doesn’t really offer much in the way of shade or protection. However, the raincover is huge and easy to use if you do need protection from the elements – quiet likely with our temperamental British climate!
The small niggles are outweighed by the list of great features, and you really do get everything you need in one small package, with a small price tag to match. It is not an all-singing, all dancing 3 in 1 pram system, but it doesn’t claim to be. It does the job it was designed for, and offers you a complete pushchair package that will see you right from the newborn days through to the day your little one prefers to walk on their own two feet.
