Our group test winner, the Maxi-Cosi Noa will be released in mid-August, so we thought we better put it under the Pushchair Expert spotlight to examine every nut and bolt in better detail.
Quick Summary: The Maxi-Cosi Noa is the ultimate stroller - it's compact, practical, comfortable and portable. It seems that Maxi-Cosi have focused on letting this stroller be a very good stroller rather than a multi-tasking schizophrenic.
Whats good?
- Amazing one-handed fold
- Super compact
- Fits in a footwell
Whats not so good?
- Zip recline
- Shallow basket
When we previewed the Maxi-Cosi Noa back in March, it became our most shared article we have ever posted receiving 235 Facebook shares! It is due to be released in mid August fuelling the anticipation of keen parents, dying to get their hands on this pushchair prodigy.
The Maxi-Cosi Noa, the ideal holiday pushchair, may have missed the majority of the season this year but is set to become a stroller template to which others will conform. The Noa won our stroller group test earlier this year, when compared alongside conventional, umbrella fold buggies. As you are about to learn, the Noa has torn up the rulebook when it comes to strollers and started back at square one.
Travelling with children is only getting easier and easier with buggies getting lighter and more transportable. The Maxi-Cosi Noa is the embodiment of evolution in this field, just when you thought strollers could not get more portable, the Noa storms in to start the party going again.
A fantastically manoueuvrable stroller, the Noa not only comes in funky colours that match the frame; red, bleached denim, dahlia pink, total black and steel grey but it also has some great little party tricks that will make days out and holidays seem a little less stressful.
Firstly, the fold, obviously the major selling point of the Noa and by far the most nifty part of its nature.
Break the tension in the frame by releasing the hinged strut that spans the width in-between the handles. Then press the button on the right of the punch grip handles and fold forwards, aiding its collapse by gently squeezing the handles together at the same time…sooo easy, sooo uncomplicated.
The folded frame can then be sat up vertically at which point you will notice the handle in-between the front wheels. Press the button in the centre of the handle to extend the telescopic arm that will then allow you to transport the, now super compact Noa, like a suitcase.
To unfold, ensure you have the telescopic transporting handle tucked back in beneath the front wheels, grab the handles, pressing the button on the right grip and shake out the frame in front of you! Pull up the bar in-between the handles to re-tension the frame and off you go!
Comfortable ride
The fabric that makes up the seat is suspended between the width of the handles, all the way down to the footrest. If you can imagine the hands of a clock, the frame, from the side, makes up the shape of ‘five-to-nine’, with no other struts or supports getting in the way. This design gives the passenger lots of natural suspension. Some of the mums in our stroller test expressed scepticism over how comfortable the seat may be, however they were silenced when their children fell asleep almost instantaneously!
The recline mechanism is not a mechanism, it’s a zip either side of the seat that allows the seat to fall back by around 18cms – not a huge recline but sufficient for a quick nap.
The canopy also has a built in treasure. On sunnier days, you can use the extra fabric at the back of the canopy (that normally encloses the back of the seat when reclined) to extend the canopy by a further 18cm to provide a little extra depth of shade.
Everyday use
Without dwelling on the obvious brilliance of the fold, the day-to-day use of the Noa stroller is poetry. Despite its small 12cm wheels, it has nippy manoeuvrability.
The brake is ultimately flip-flop friendly; tap the foot pedal on the right and brake is on, tap the pedal on the left and it is released.
The swivel front wheels can be locked off to stop them rotating which aids manouevrability on rougher terrain.
The basket is shallow and slightly obstructed by the knuckle of the frame but would accommodate a changing bag or a carrier bag of shopping.
Conclusion
The Maxi-Cosi Noa is the ultimate stroller – it’s compact, practical, comfortable and portable. It seems that Maxi-Cosi have focused on letting this stroller be a very good stroller rather than a multi-tasking schizophrenic.
When you have grown tired of your monster, 3-in-1, all singing, all dancing, travel system and you are managing to leave the house without a spare wardrobe, half the fridge and most of toys ‘r’ us – you are ready for a stroller. And why make life any more complicated than it needs to be. The Noa will fit in any car as it is compact enough to fit in a footwell, it is the perfect holiday stroller for taking onto an aeroplane and what’s more, it’s effortless to use.
If I was really trying to find a negative point about the Noa, for me, it would be the zip recline but even they work well and are not stiff in their operation.
It’s not surprising that the Maxi-Cosi Noa won our stroller group test 2011 and fully deserves to be our very first 5 star pushchair. In it’s class, and for the price, it’s the best you can buy. Try it – you won’t be disappointed.
