Lollipop Lane is now branching out into wheels. We get our hands on their first product, a stroller called the Acti-Cruise.
Quick Summary: It is very clear that someone has spent time working to erase niggles and innovate or simplify where they can with the Acti-Cruise. This is a great little stroller, go out and buy it!
Whats good?
- Seat recline
- Functionality
- Style
Whats not so good?
- Hood could be bigger
Colour
The Acti-Cruise comes in 4 styles Carnaby, Harbour, Mariposa and Domino. You would expect Lollipop Lane to get the design right and they have. From the Carnaby to Domino there is something for every parent. Lollipop have resisted the urge to copy the currently popular vintage trend and stuck to their own formula. It works!
Chassis and wheels
The Acti-Cruise chassis design will not surprise anyone familiar with regular strollers. Designed by its function, it is comprised of two forward chassis legs and two rear. These all stretching down to the 14.5 cm foam filled wheels.
Made using a combination of steel and aluminium the Lollipop Lane Acti-Cruise comes in at 6.9kgs. An average weight for a stroller of this design.
Although the chassis design is nothing to write home about, the deeper you delve, the more is revealed. It soon becomes clear this is a stroller that is packed with features and has had some real thought put into its functionality.
The wheels have a 3 spoke design that nicely compliments the silver frame. Push down and you seen realise that all four wheels have suspension. Perfect for today’s cobbled town centres and for providing a smooth ride on the school run.
Fold
Folding the Acti-Cruise could not be simpler and takes surprisingly little effort. Make sure the hood is back, the seat upright and pull the brace between the handle bars up to unlatch it. Reach down behind the seat and grab the handle that sits above the folding mechanism, lift, twist clockwise and pull. The Acti-Cruise breaks in the middle as the handle bars pull together. Fold the top of the stroller forward and push down to lock it closed. Easy!
To unfold, release the chassis lock, start the unfold and as soon as you can push down on the rear mechanism with your foot to fully open and lock the stroller.
The fold as with all strollers is easy, but requires a little force at times. The one handed release is excellent and there is an added bonus of a carry handle once you have it folded down.
Seat
The main seat is a good size at 34cm wide with a back rest of 44cm. The shoulder straps on the 5 point harness are height adjustable across 3 different positions to cater for different size children. This can be done quickly and simply using the industry standard plastic loop and slot mechanism.
The recline is brilliant! Under the seat are two sliding mechanisms, one on either side. On the underside of these are buttons. To recline, pull in the buttons (best done from behind the stroller) and the weight in the seat will help it to fall back into the reclined position. There are 4 positions to choose from, from upright to almost flat. If you don’t want the seat to drop back to flat and just want to ease it back, press each button alternately and the seat will move one position at a time! Brilliant.
Once the seat is reclined, you can also bring up the foot rest to give that total ‘lie flat’ experience (well almost!). It give a total bed length of 78cm. It is not totally flat, but it will certainly be comfortable.
When the seat is fully reclined, the hood’s rear canopy velcros in place to give some weather protection in the head area. It’s not totally sealed, but only the worst wind will get through the gaps.
To bring the seat back up, simply lift the back of the seat until it clicks into the desired position.
The Acti-Cruise has one of the best recline systems we have seen on a stroller to date. Well done Lollipop Lane! As an element you will use on a daily basis, it is perfect. No zips, straps or press studs.
In addition, the Acti-Cruise comes with a bumper bar. This must be clipped on the pushchair after unfolding and removed before the stroller is folded up. It is adjustable for angle and also gate opening by design.
Hood
The hood comes forward and is locked in place by a brace on either site. There is a viewing window on top to see your little one and the now seemingly obligatory a flip out visor for when the sun is in their eyes.
We would have liked to see an extra panel in the hood, extending it that bit further forward. Currently the hood does not provide a huge amount of protection especially when the seat is upright.
The flip out visor is ok at adding a little extra shielding, but it is nothing to write home about.
Attached to the rear of the hood is the cover for use when the seat is reclined. It has a pocket at the back which is perfect for keys, phone etc. Again, this is a nice little extra.
Basket
The basket below the seat and is 40cm long, 30cm wide and 20cm deep at its deepest point. Not earth shatteringly large, but big enough for a bag of shopping al be it spread out.
Conclusion
It is very clear that someone has spent time working to erase niggles and innovate or simplify where they can with the Acti-Cruise.
The seat recline mechanism is worth a special mention as is the antidote to zips and press studs – we love it. The fold is as simple as it gets with this type of frame design and features such as the suspension and little pocket behind the seat add up to make a very compelling product.
The only downside I can tell you about is the fact we would like to add one more panel to the hood to give it that extra coverage when it is up.
Oh yes, and perhaps they need to work on the name a little – Acti-Cruise sounds a little bit like a well known yogurt drink.
This is a great little stroller go out and buy it!
