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The Joolz Aer+ is a sleek, elegant pushchair, suitable from birth, with all the mod cons a parent could desire. But is it worth the whopping price tag?
The first time I got on a bus with my newborn baby was a total and utter disaster.
She was three weeks old (what was I thinking?) it was a bitterly cold winter’s day and I was still trying not to think about the layers of stomach muscle slowly knitting themselves back together from my emergency C-section.
My body was producing fluids I’d never even heard of, and every jolt and bump had me terrified something else was going to fall off or out.
Naturally, schlepping myself and a tiny human to our local library was top of my priorities after three weeks of hormonal sobbing and not knowing which dimension I was operating in. I bundled us both up, strapped her in to her pram and hobbled down to the bus stop for our first grand adventure, just the two of us.
As she gazed up, her dark blue eyes taking in the bare branches above her, I was filled with a sense of purpose for the first time since she’d been pulled into the world. I was doing this! Everything was going swimmingly! Nothing was leaking out of me!
That lasted, oh, roughly the minute-and-a-half it took for our bus to arrive, when I immediately realised our pram was far too big to fit down the aisle. Wodged between the driver’s cab and the luggage rack, my poor baby was stuck until a kind passenger heaved and ho-ed until I was able to shoot her backwards… right into the queue of passengers who’d patiently been waiting behind me. Who then all had to get off the bus so I could manoeuvre my tank back on to the pavement and down to the right set of doors.
The rest of the journey passed in a blur. She cried – I cried. Well-meaning strangers shot sympathetic looks. We eventually made it to the library and a toddler sneezed right into my newborn’s mouth. We both cried some more.
So when the Joolz Aer+ arrived at my door a few days later, I was sceptical. Would it really let me take a baby around public transport without the stress…?
Weighing in at just 8kg (6kg without the carrycot!), the Aer+ is extremely lightweight – even with its detachable cot. The breathable mattress has been designed for safe sleep, so if you’re out and about at night, it’s perfectly fine to let your baby snooze away, completely horizontal. And with its sturdy bumperbar, you can remove the carrycot from the frame and use it as a travel cot from birth without risking disturbing your slumbering angel.
The major pro of the Joolz Aer+ is its one-hand fold. Just press the thumb bar in and squeeze the bigger bar at the back of the handlebar, and voila! An instant fold, taking literally a second to collapse the pram down into a compact bundle – an absolute gamechanger. Watch out busy buses: here we come!
You can even collapse it while the cot attachment is on – making it the world’s first foldable carrycot – though you’re advised to take the baby out first…
There’s even a shoulder strap included, so you can carry the pram while leaving your hands free to grab the baby/changing bag/a much-needed coffee. Plus, the extendable sun hood – boasting UPF 50+ protection – comes almost all the way down, ensuring little ones can nap away whenever you’re out and about.
Once your baby is old enough to sit up, the Aer+ transforms into a buggy with a fully flat reclinable seat. It has three positions – seated, relax and sleep – so older babies and toddlers can be comfortable no matter how tired they are. And its five-point click-and-go buckle and adjustable harness means little ones stay safe, too.
Negotiating public transport with it is a breeze. With a narrow gauge and small wheels, it’s easy to get on and off buses, trains and the Tube, with no concerns about getting stuck in the aisle. And it’s light enough to lift up and down stairs if needs be, even if your C-section wound protests…
The high handlebar – which comes up to 107cm – feels ergonomic and like it’s been designed with mums in mind (some other pushchairs I’ve tried insist on you stooping to push, which is a one-way ticket to upper-back pain). And the suspension on the chassis means the wheels take the impact on any bumps and drops you might encounter around town.
It also looks lovely. My Aer+ came in navy blue and felt elegant, sleek and luxurious as I slowly explored my city with new eyes – and my tiny squalling child, who would instantly calm and fall asleep as soon as she was strapped in, buying me an hour or two of precious time to just be.
Cons of the Joolz Aer+
Let’s be honest: the price is going to put off a lot of parents. £658 (for a brand new one on the Joolz website) is a huge amount to spend on a travel system when there are so many cheaper alternatives on the market. It is currently on offer at Mamas & Papas.
However, the Aer+ does negate the need to buy a separate buggy for older toddlers as it can be used from birth all the way up to preschooler age, or when they reach 22kg. And the resale value stays high: a quick look through Facebook Marketplace shows Aers are always in demand.
The lightweightness does occasionally work against it, too: taking my large dog for a walk while the baby slept meant carefully checking he wouldn’t pull the stroller over because my daughter’s weight was the only thing anchoring it down. We also had a couple of occasions where the Aer tipped up if its front wheels hit something they couldn’t immediately go over.
The basket underneath can hold up to 5kg, which is great if you’re nipping to the shops for milk and bread, but not so great for carting all your stuff around.
And parents should note that the seat is forward-facing only, which is something to think about if you prefer your child facing you.
However, the Aer+ did everything I needed it to from birth: it was perfect for city travelling, stylish and safe for sleep. More importantly, it didn’t get wedged in aisles.
It comes with a 10-year transferrable warranty, so you can pass it on (or sell it) to another family once you’re done using it. And Joolz believes in sustainability, which is why all its fabrics are made from recycled PET bottles and it promises to plant a tree in Asia, Africa, Europe or South America for every pushchair sold.
For a cheaper alternative, strollers are worth looking at. The My Babiie MB02 has a 4.5-star rating on Amazon; reviewers say it’s lightweight, compact, has a quick folding mechanism and won’t break the bank at £79.
