Cool Silver Cross Halo Mummy!
Don't I sit up nicely Mummy?
Silver Cross Halo
Sleek, Modern yet Retro...Again, lucky me, lucky me! I've been given the Silver Cross Halo pushchair by the lovely people at Silver Cross and Amy Johnston at Wolfstar to test and review. Such fun getting presents for no good reason! Similar to the Silver Cross Doodle, I dove into the Halo box when I received it and was amazed at how quickly and easily I was able to get the pushchair assembled. There was no need for tools or even, really, the instruction manuals (again, one with words, one with pictures). I only needed a quick reference for attaching the canopy, popped on the front wheels and added the optional seat liner and I was set. I've decided to review the individual features with a Pro/Con method...here we go!
PROS:
- Looks- The Halo is very sleek and stylish. It looks cool and a bit flash as well as the Halo frame is a brushed steel finish. The canopy adds a touch of Silver Cross nostalgia. It reminded me of the traditional pram canopies. This will suit all the Yummy Mummies out there looking for a modern, light-weight pushchair for busy days.
- Initial Set-Up- As stated above, the assembly of the Halo was very simple and straightforward and within 5 minutes of taking it out of the box it was good to go. The instructions manuals, should you need them, are very user friendly with both a WORDS manual and PICTURE manual for all of you visual learners, myself included!
- Canopy- The canopy secures into place with a latch on either side which makes it feel more sturdy than some other pushchair canopies. There is a brilliant tinted, plastic "window" which hangs off the front of the canopy to provide more than adequate face protection from the sun.
- Seat- The seat seems very comfortable (wish I could feel for myself but I'm not wee enough!) and has a bit of give to it- almost like shock absorbers! My Little Miss sits up nice and straight and has the pleasure of being able to see out to either side. In our current lightweight 3-wheeler pushchair, she's in more of a "sling" which makes seeing out a bit limited. My favourite feature of the seat is the extendable leg rest. Simply lift under the leg part of the seat and pull out a u-shaped bar which very adequately supports the legs making the ride very comfortable. Little Miss' legs are no longer hanging from the knee! She looks like she's lounging in an easy chair in the Halo!
- Smooth ride- The ride seems very smooth and easy. We went around a park and market town and found the ride very seamless. The pushchair itself, despite being classified as a LIGHTWEIGHT pushchair, feels very stable and solid. Some lightweight pushchairs feel as if they could blow away in a stiff breeze- not the Halo!
- Recline feature- The Halo can be reclined to virtually flat and as stated above, has a nice give or shock absorbing quality. The reclining was very smooth and gentle which is vital when trying to keep a sleeping child asleep. It was also very easy to raise the seat back when my daughter was awake. Her current pushchair sees me struggling mightily to raise her to the full upright position when she's in it. Not so with the Halo. The canopy comes down at the back when the seat is reclined which offers excellent protection from the elements and keeps your child cocooned nicely when you need them to be.
CONS:
- Folding Mechansim- The mechanism is a bit awkward as you have to push in a button on the right latch and lift both the left and right latches to fold the Halo down. I struggled the first few times but after it's been done several times it becomes easier. It just requires a bit of coordination. There is also a carry handle under the seat in order to lift and transport the folded Halo- I did find this handle a bit too small. It is difficult to fit your hand in comfortably and I think a man would struggle even more.
- Canopy- While the canopy is brilliant, there is no viewing window to see your child! In order to see your child when the canopy is down you have to peek around the side to see them. Not the worst thing in the world but I would prefer to peep at them from above.
- Handle- The handle seemed a bit hard and was a bit high for me personally (I am 5'3"). This higher handle made going up and down kerbs a bit tricky as I didn't have the same leverage as with my current pushchair. The handle could use a bit of padding as I do a lot of long walks and my hands would bear the brunt of it, I fear.
- Lack of Storage- There is no storage basket, per se, but there are criss-crossing "bungee" cords that attach to a shelf under the seat. I was able to attach my changing back to the frame and set it on the shelf under the seat which worked very well.
On the whole, I found the Silver Cross Halo to be a very stylish, sleek and smooth pushchair. I think most Mummies would be very pleased to add this item to their arsenal. Thank you to Silver Cross and Amy Johnston for the opportunity to review both the Silver Cross Halo and Doodle. They are welcome additions to our family. Little Miss says "Thanks...I love 'em!"
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