The Maxi-Cosi Zelia is a complete travel solution for baby. Transforming from a bassinet pram to a forward and rear-facing pushchair, the Zelia promises to be a flexible from-birth solution. Read on to see what we thought.
Quick Summary: The Maxi-Cosi Zelia is a cleverly designed performer of a pushchair. It's designed with city living in mind but in actual fact it can handle a variety of terrains and situations without any effort at all.
Whats good?
- Easy all-in-one fold
- Extra-large basket
- 2-in-1 carrycot and seat unit
- Really lightweight
Whats not so good?
- Very wide wheelbase catches on doors
- Small seat unit for toddlers
Introduction
The Zelia is a brand new 2-in-1 compact urban stroller. It comes with everything you might need to complement family urban living in the box, including car seat adapters and raincover. We have tested it to the full to find out how it handles and what perks it brings to life in the suburbs with a little one.
Chassis
It is clear that the Zelia is on a mission to provide parents with a fuss-free urban travel solution as soon as you open the box. The compact chassis is neatly packed with minimal assembly required. Pop the wheels and seat onto the chassis and away you roll!
The matt black chassis is one of the lightest full-sized pram and pushchair chassis we have lifted at just 6.2kg. The lighter the better for parents using their pushchair on public transport and lifting it in and out of the car boot on a regular basis but even though the Zelia might be light, the rear wheelbase is very wide and we did find that we were catching the wheels on door frames and shop aisles. We even found a few doors that we couldn’t fit through so this is worth bearing in mind.
The handlebar is a continuous bar covered in leather-look material. It adjusts from 98 to 103cm using the palm button in the centre of the handlebar.
The four wheels are chunky and have a white rim around the edge, adding to the simple-yet-stylish overall look. The rear suspension is quite visible and does serve its purpose in giving a really smooth ride for baby and a smooth push for parents. There is the option to lock the front wheels into place if you plan to go over bumpy ground. You can do this by flicking the lever just above the wheels left and right.
The lever next to the right-hand wheel offers an easy-to-use braking system. The brake always felt rock steady and was easy to flick on and off multiple times whilst at zebra crossings and waiting at bus stops.
Large shopping baskets are a must if you’re a city shopper or an urban explorer and the Zelia offers one of the largest shopping baskets you will ever see! We packed it full of parenting essentials and spares for every eventuality and never struggled to find space for all of the luggage we hauled around with us on days out and shopping trips. You can easily do a good shop and still have your hands free to lift baby out of the pushchair at the end of the day. The basket sides are deep, which means small items are less likely to wobble out whilst you stroll.
You can use the chassis as a travel system with a Maxi-Cosi car seat, with the adapters for this included in the box. It was great to have this option for quick trips when we didn’t want to wake our light sleeper!
Bassinet and seat
Versatility is the name of the game with the Zelia seat unit. It is a 2-in-1 design that morphs from bassinet to seat in just a few clicks.
For the first six months of babies’ lives it is advisable that they lie flat to aid correct development. By unclipping the buckles and sliding the cord grip underneath the seat unit, you create a flat-bottomed and deep-sided bassinet that keeps baby sheltered and snug in those newborn months. An apron is included to keep baby covered and it easily attaches with simple poppers.
When baby is ready to sit up a bit and take in more of the world, the bassinet converts into a seat without the need to store away any unused or additional parts. Clip the buckle clips together to form the base shape of the seat unit and slide the cord grip to its tightest position.
The nature of this seat design makes for a comfortable carrycot but a seat unit that is a bit on the small side at just 40cm high and 31cm wide. If you have a taller toddler then you might notice that they outgrow the Zelia seat quite quickly due to the shorter back.
The seat fabrics themselves are hard-wearing but the back and the base of the seat are padded in a soft, cushioned material.
The seat has a five-point harness with a large, easy-to-use push-button release buckle. The shoulder straps are covered in soft spongy pads and we loved how these weren’t too chunky, so didn’t restrict baby in any way. The shoulder and waist straps are adjusted using a sliding grip clasp, which is great to make sure you get the perfect fit on any child.
The bumper bar is gate-opening to help get baby in and out easily without removing it completely. It doubles up as the carry handle when using in bassinet mode and lifting it on and off the frame.
The hood is made up of two main panels with a visor on the front edge too. The material is thick and of great quality and there is a peek-a-boo window, which is always handy when checking on your little one.
To recline the seat you will need two hands as you use the circular buttons on each side of the seat unit. We must admit that remembering to use two hands to adjust the recline caught us out a few times and having a one-handed recline system would be favourable for parents in a hurry or with other children to hold hands with and control. The recline positions, however, are great and whether the seat is in the forward or parent facing position your baby can lie flat, rest or sit upright.
Changing the direction of the seat unit is super-easy too. Just below the round recline buttons there are some grip buttons to press, which allow you to remove the seat and pop it back into place in the the direction you desire. The recline buttons and seat removal buttons are quite close together and we did push the wrong ones on a few occasions!
Fold
‘Great!’ is the word to describe this fold. There is no need to remove the seat unit. Firstly, fold the seat unit in half using the lever on the back – you will need to slide the catch to the side at the same time as lifting the lever. Once your seat is folded, just pull the levers on each side of the the chassis upwards and flip the handlebar forwards. Once the pushchair is folded down in half, you can reach for the clearly visible grab handle on the chassis and you will feel a small movement when you pick the pushchair up… this completes the fold. The design is intended to save your back by removing the need to bend down when you fold. We did find we had to bend a little, but this pushchair is so light to lift that we really didn’t notice.
To unfold, just release the auto lock and pull the chassis and seat unit back into place.
It is freestanding when folded and we loved having this option for the Zelia to be tucked away in a corner or behind a door when at home.
Conclusion
The Maxi-Cosi Zelia is a cleverly designed performer of a pushchair. It’s designed with city living in mind but in actual fact it can handle a variety of terrains and situations without any effort at all.
It offers parent and baby everything they need from birth without the need to store and buy an additional bassinet. The bassinet converts to a seat unit quickly and easily when needed, with the Zelia also giving the option to be used as a travel system. It is worth bearing in mind that the seat unit is small so taller toddlers may find their heads touch the hood. The wide rear wheelbase will test your driving skills through doorways and in shops but overall the Zelia gave a pleasant, simple and workmanlike push, as well as being comfortable for baby at all times.
