Quicksmart Backpack Stroller Review

All stroller reviews
Review by: Annabel

Introduction



The Quicksmart is an ultra lightweight, ultra compact stroller that can be folded so small it fits in its own backpack. This is no doubt a handy feature. The stroller itself however has some limitations which may, for some, outweigh the advantages of its compact fold.

Seat design and function




Plastic footrest.



The seat on the Quicksmart is small and fairly narrow, although my (rather small) 4 year old not only fit into it, but managed to sleep in it on one occasion! The seat has no recline and when my 14 month old daughter slept in this stroller her head rolled all over the place. The seat angles up slightly at the front and I found my daughters legs hung over the edge from the knee. I personally would not put a child in this stroller for any length of time, especially when younger.


The seat dimensions are 47cm or 18.5 inches high, 19cm or 7.5 inches wide (at it's most narrow point) and 24cm or 9.5 inches deep.


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Child safety harness




The Quicksmart has a fairly standard adjustable 5 point harness with a buckle that bites your fingers if you're not careful when doing it up!

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Hood or Canopy






There is a hood on the Quicksmart although I'm not entirely sure why they bothered. It is a small flat shape that would only provide shade if the sun is in precisely the right position, and even then it would only cover a small area on child's body. The hood flips back behind the seat so it is out of the way when not in use although it then covers the storage pocket on the back of the seat. I would be tempted to cut the whole thing off.

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Handle design and function




The handles on the Quicksmart measure 94cm or 37 inches at their tallest point, which is not very tall at all. This is definitely not a stroller for tall people, and even people of average height may find they are stooping to reach the handles.



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Storage


Mesh pocket at back of seat.



The Quicksmart has no under seat basket. It does however have a small mesh pocket on the back of the seat in which you can at least place a spare nappy or a drink bottle.

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Wheels and Brakes

Rear wheels.


Front swivel wheel.


The wheels on the Quicksmart are small and made of hard plastic. Obviously they are not designed to deal well with rough terrain. They perform reasonably well on flat surfaces.



The brakes on the rear wheels are engaged by simply pushing down on the red lever on each wheel. They go on fairly easily, although they are quite stiff to take off.

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Fold mechanism


Fold instructions printed on frame.


Step 1.


Step 2.



Step 3.



Step 4.



Step 5.



Step 6.



Backpack carry bag included.


The Quicksmart has an extremely small and compact fold. It is so small it fits into a backpack which can be taken on board domestic flights in Australia (the Zapp is too large to be taken on board most domestic carriers). The down side is that it is a six step fold, although to put into most car boots it would only need to be partially folded, and it may fit in large vehicles without being folded at all.

Here is the basic outline of what is required to fold the stroller.

Step 1: Unlock the latch across the back of the seat.

Step 2: Use your foot to release the lock at the base of the stroller and push the handles in towards each other.

Step 3: Fold the seat up towards the handle by unlocking and lifting each of the bars either side of the seat.

Step 4: Unlock and fold the handles down towards the seat.

Step 5: Rotate the complete top part of the stroller around so that it now sits under the two back wheels instead of above them. Release the lock marked number 5 and push the front wheel down.

Step 6: Unlock the rear wheels and push them in towards the rest of the stroller.

As you can see this is not something you would want to be doing in a great rush, or with a child in your arms. It does however get easier with practice.

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Manoeuvrability

The Quicksmart is so small and lightweight that it does manoeuvre reasonably well on smooth surfaces. There is however a lot of give in the frame, so steering can be kind of sloppy, especially outside, and one handed steering is virtually impossible.

Obviously the wheels are not designed for off road use, although if the terrain gets too tough you can always throw it into its backpack and wear it on your back. Of course you then need to carry your child.

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Size

The Quicksmart is a compact stroller when both folded and erect. The folded dimensions are 56.5cm or 22.2 inches long, 29cm or 11.4 inches wide and 31cm or 12.2 inches high.


Unfolded the stroller is 56cm or 22 inches wide, 61cm or 24 inches long and 94cm or 37 inches high.

The stroller weighs only 4.3kg or 9.5lbs which is super lightweight.



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Accessories


The Quicksmart comes with its own storage bag.



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Summary and Rating

Pros

  • Super compact fold
  • Travel bag/backpack included
  • Ultra lightweight

Cons

  • Very short handles
  • Six step fold
  • Lots of give in the frame makes one handed steering difficult
  • No seat recline
  • Brakes stiff to disengage
  • Minimal storage

Conclusion

The Quicksmart is a handy stroller for those who need something that takes up the smallest amount of space possible. As far as strollers go, however, this one has more than a few shortcomings. If a super compact fold is not a necessity then there are countless other lightweight strollers on the market that would be more comfortable for both parent and child. You won't be able to take them on board an aeroplane though!

Rating

star star star



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