Safety 1st was created in the USA in 1984. The original ‘Baby on board' road sign was and still is one of their best sellers. ‘With Safety 1st, you can let children discover life safely!' Their new pushchair, the Kokoon is a stylish, competitively priced pushchair with lots to offer.
Quick Summary: All things considered, the good outweighs the bad. So if you are looking for a stylish, inexpensive pushchair which can be used both parent and world facing you really should check out the Safety 1st Kokoon.
Whats good?
- Lightweight
- Intuitive folding
- Reversible seat
Whats not so good?
- Fiddly buckle
- Noisy raincover
- Basket will only hold 2kg
Colours
Black or Red
Chassis
Arriving in one box there is a little bit of assembly to do, but there are no tools required and it’s all really simple.
When you remove everything from the box, the chassis arrives with the seat unit attached. Remove this by pushing the two large grey buttons on either side of the chassis in. Then lift the seat unit from the frame. You can now unfold the chassis. To do this, release the grey safety clip located on the left hand side of the chassis. Now push the front of the chassis out until it clicks into place.
Now you need to attach the handlebar. There are pins on either side of the handle bar so you just need to push these slightly to allow them to slide into the tubes on the chassis. You will hear a nice loud click when they are in position.
Finally, you need to attach the wheels. Push the central pin into the holes on either side of the rear axle. There is a nice loud audible click so you know when they are in place. The front wheel pins simply push upwards onto the front of the frame. Again they click when in position.
With a stylish curved matt black frame the Kokoon is great to look at. The handlebar is made from dense foam, which feels comfortable for your hands when pushing. You can adjust the handlebar to five different positions so you are sure to find one that’s comfortable. To alter the positions, simply push the two buttons on the outside of the handlebar in before moving it to the desired location. It will snap into place.
All four wheels are EVA so there is no need to worry about punctures when you are out and about. The rear wheels are 25cm, and the two front wheels are 17cm. They are all quick release to give you an even smaller fold if you need it. The front wheels can be locked for uneven terrain. This is achieved using the grey flaps just above each wheel. Simply push it down to lock them, then push the flap back up again to let them free roam.
There is rear suspension too, so you and your passenger will get a nice smooth ride even on uneven terrain.
Braking is easy and flip-flop friendly. To put the brake on simply stand on the brake pedal on the right hand side of the rear axle. It’s bright red so you can’t miss it. To take the brake off again simply place your foot onto the pedal and lift it up. The brake feels nice and firm, yet it is easy to put on and take off.
When it comes to the shopping basket, it’s adequate but by no means huge. It is 50cm x 40cm x 15cm at its largest point so would carry some shopping or a changing bag to a maximum of 2kg. It is easily accessible from all sides too so getting items in and out will be easy.
Seat
You can use the Kokoon seat parent or world facing. To attach the seat to the chassis you simply push the connector arms down into the predefined holes on the side of the chassis in whichever direction you desire. To remove the seat simply push the two large grey buttons on either side of the seat in and lift the seat clear of the chassis.
All of the fabrics feel nice and strong and can all be wiped clean when the inevitable spillages occur.
A nice sized canopy opens in two stages, semi open or fully open. There is a PVC viewing window in the canopy too so you can easily keep an eye on your toddler. Unfortunately it’s not covered by any fabric so could let sun in on a bright day. You have a variety of recline positions regardless of whether you are in world or parent facing mode. It reclines using the metal buckle behind the seat. Push it in and then move the seat to the desired location and let go. It is a strap recline but as it uses a tension buckle it’s really simple to do. There aren’t a set amount of recline options as you can stop in whichever position you like. When you want to move the seat back up again just pull on the strap, this feeds back through the tension buckle. If you have a child in the seat you will need both hands. Push the seat forward with one hand whilst pulling the strap with the other is the easiest method. Without a child in the seat however it is possible to put the seat back up again with one hand.
The seat is quite generous being 34cm wide and 23cm deep so there is enough room for a toddler and their favourite toy. The seat back height is 42cm high so should last until 3 years old or 15kg without a problem.
When it comes to the safety the Kokoon is fitted with a 5-point harness with integral shoulder and crotch pads for added comfort. The harness feels strong and sturdy, and both the shoulder and lap belts can be adjusted easily using the usual strap buckles. You can adjust the shoulder height too and it’s not a complete rethread, which is a relief. To adjust the shoulder strap height to one of the two possible positions you only need to alter a small part of the strap. This is accessible via a flap of material behind the seat. I found the harness buckle fiddly however as the locators are quite small. I’m sure you would get used to it, but I found it rather frustrating.
A hardened footwell means that wet shoes or wellies aren’t a worry as they add that extra bit of toughness to an area that often gets damaged.
Supplied with the adapters you can add a Maxi-Cosi carseat to the chassis making the Safety 1st Kokoon a full travel system.
You also get a raincover in the package. Although it is the noisy PVC type it fits the pushchair well and it’s nice that one is included.
Fold
If the seat is in parent facing mode you will need to turn it around as the Kokoon can only be folded when the seat is world facing. To remove the seat just push the two large grey buttons on the side of the seat in and then lift the seat from the chassis. Turn the seat around and push the connector arms down into the holes until they click in position.
Push the grey safety catch on the right hand side of the chassis. Then pull the two grey levers on either side of the chassis upwards; they simply slide up the frame. The Kokoon will now release and start to fold, push the handlebar forwards and down towards the ground. The auto lock will engage which helps to stop the wheels flailing around when you move it.
You are left with a small compact pushchair that can free stand, so it can be stored easily in a hallway until needed.
When you are ready to take the Kokoon out again, release the grey safety clip then lift the handlebar upwards and push the front wheels forward. The pushchair will snap into position and you are then ready for your next outing.
Conclusion
I really like the Safety 1st Kokoon. It’s a lightweight, well-priced, functional pushchair with lots of features.
With a seat that can be used world or parent facing and the adapters to make it a travel system, the Kokoon will last until your child is ready to explore the world on foot.
Reclining is easy, and adjusting the shoulder straps is nice and simple without the need for tedious rethreading.
There are a couple of niggles. The buckle is fiddly to close, as the connectors are particularly small. I’m sure it would get easier the more you use it but it was challenging. You can only fit 2kg of goodies in the shopping basket and as the basket is quite shallow it would probably only be adequate for a changing bag or a few smaller items.
All things considered though, the good outweighs the bad. So if you are looking for a stylish, inexpensive pushchair which can be used both parent and world facing you really should check out the Safety 1st Kokoon.
