At a glance:
With a number of cute patterns, the Zeal Obaby is a lovely little lightweight stroller. There’s a handy window in the hood allowing you to view your baby on the move, and the added extras that come with the bundle are great. That said, although the seat is really padded, it is pretty shallow.
What they said:
“Whether you want a suitable from birth stroller, the added comfort of a carrycot or the versatility of a travel system, the Zeal stroller effortlessly grows with your baby and along with the variety of colour options available, is designed to suit any parent’s needs.
The stroller features an extra wide, memory foam, 4 position seat unit with full lie back meaning that little one can be out and about from birth all the way through to 15kg. Its adjustable leg rest and one hand recline ensure comfort at all times. With its lightweight aluminium chassis, foam padded handles, lockable front swivel wheels, all-round suspension and puncture resistant high density foam wheels - the Zeal is equipped to handle any situation. When it’s time to stop for a break, simply apply the brake and you can be confident that the Zeal isn't moving anywhere. If you need to fold your Zeal for transport or storage, a simple 2 step closing mechanism will have it folded up and locked in seconds. A convenient carry handle makes transporting the Zeal a breeze and unfolding can be done with a quick flick and a one foot push.”
Tested by mum Nicole Dowson for the Mother & Baby awards 2018:
Would you recommend this to other mums?
I would not recommend this product to a friend, as I feel families would be better off with a separate travel system and lightweight stroller if necessary. It has some good points – it is easy to fold and unfold, the car seat adapters are easy to fit and the foot muff is cosy. However, for me the bad points outweigh the good ones – it is difficult to push and manoeuvre and the fact that you have to remove the car seat adapters to fold it is crazy. Also, the change bag seems poor quality.
How has this product made your life easier?
A buggy of some kind is essential for parents – most families opt for a travel system and then an umbrella stroller and this system tries to do both. However, I'm not sure it does this successfully. It is too clunky to be a good lightweight stroller, but not comprehensive enough as a travel system. For example, whilst the car seat adapters are well designed and easy to fit, the fact that they must be removed in order to fold the stroller negates any usability as a travel system.
Would you choose this product to win?
I would not choose this product to win a Mother & Baby award as I feel that there are much better options out there. There are better lightweight strollers and better travel systems. The Zeal tries to be all things to all people and fails. For a much lower price, parents can choose an umbrella stroller which is lighter and easier to steer, so I would not choose this one.
What changes would you make to this product?
I think the main issue is the inability to fold the product with car seat adapters in place. I love the design of the adapters themselves, and they were very easy to click securely into place, however the fact that the stroller cannot then be folded is annoying.
Tested by mum Gemma Oakes for the Mother & Baby awards 2018:
Would you recommend this to other mums?
I would recommend this product to my friends, family and fellow mothers. It has easy to follow instructions and has clear pictures to show what to do, it is easy to fold down and store away, the material is super soft and comfortable and it is easy to push with front wheels being flexible. The cup holder is a fantastic extra, as is the window on the hood that allows you to see your baby. Although it doesn’t look like there is a lot of room in the basket underneath, I was surprised at how much I could fit in. I found that once my baby was inside the carry cot with the cover all zipped up it seemed to keep the heat inside, meaning I didn’t have to add an extra blanket to keep baby warm.
How has this product made your life easier?
You can put the child from birth straight into either the car seat, carry cot or stroller, it takes a few minutes and you’re ready to go. Having the option of your child being face forward or facing you is a massive bonus. The basket makes things easier while out shopping, as you don’t have to put your bags over the handles. It is very light to push makes getting up kerbs easier and it folds away and fits nicely into the boot of your car for travelling.
Would you choose this product to win?
I would choose this pushchair to win a Mother & Baby award because it’s been very well thought out. It is sturdy yet soft and comfortable with its added layer of memory foam. With the hood attached and pulled forward, my baby was covered from the sun.
What changes would you make to this product?
As a parent if I could change one thing about the Zeal stroller it would have to be the access area to the storage basket located underneath the pushchair, as it is hard to access when using a carry cot.
Tested by mum Lisa Walsh for the Mother & Baby awards 2018:
Would you recommend this to other mums?
If my friends were looking for a stylish stroller that is easy to manoeuvre, put up and down and wanted the full range of accessories, I would definitely recommend this stroller. It appears to be great value having researched other strollers online and I am sure it would last a long time, both from a suitable age perspective and the quality of the product. I would definitely recommend this pushchair.
How has this product made your life easier?
Reclining my child was so easy in this stroller, as was returning the seat to the upright position. I love the colour and accessories and received positive comments from friends. The under-seat basket is of a good size and easy to access. I found the stroller easy to manoeuvre particularly when shopping. The cup holder was a pleasant surprise (and something I always look for in a new car) and was very sturdy. Overall very much enjoyed trialling this stroller.
Would you choose this product to win?
Having tried other strollers, from a price and value for money perspective this stroller would definitely score the highest – it looks great and attracted lots of positive comments including questions regarding where I had bought it from. I think this stroller would appeal to younger mummies as well as an older mum like myself. For these reasons, I do think it should win a Mother & Baby award.
What changes would you make to this product?
Personally, I prefer a single handle bar as this is what I have used before, but this is purely a personal preference however and I am sure that others would disagree.
Tested by mum Joanna Stringer for the Mother & Baby awards 2018:
Would you recommend this to other mums?
The Zeal is a great buggy, very easy to use (I managed to get it working without needing the instructions) and it folds down easily and is very lightweight. I did find it quite a bit bigger than other strollers, which would make it good for bigger children, but smaller toddlers might get a bit lost in the seat. I also found the depth of the seat was quite small meaning my toddler didn't have much space for her legs, despite her bottom being right at the back of the seat. However, she did seem really comfy with the extra padding in the seat compared with many other strollers. The ability to attach a car seat is great, although my child is too big to use either now.
How has this product made your life easier?
This stroller has a very large and easily accessible shopping basket and the included cup holder is really useful. If baby wants to go to sleep, it's easy to recline the seat to lay them down. The carry handle is very useful compared to other designs, making it very easy to get in and out of the car.
Would you choose this product to win?
This is a great stroller which is really easy to use, highly manoeuvrable and has some great little features like the memory foam seat, the ability to add a car seat, and the little carry handle. The design is lovely, not too bright but also not plain. It seemed really durable and is bigger than other strollers with good value for money.
What changes would you make to this product?
The depth of the seat was a little small and could be slightly increased as it looked like my daughter was a bit close to the edge. The included change mat could also be a bit bigger as it is far too small for toddlers. However, these are only small issues and my daughter loved the stroller and sat in it very comfortably.
Tested by mum Vicki Leaver for the Mother & Baby awards 2018:
Would you recommend this to other mums?
I would recommend the Zeal buggy and stroller to a friend or fellow mum as it was handy to use. It was easy to collapse, with an umbrella style fold. It came with a matching car seat and bassinet section, so offered more of a travel system style. The bassinet clipped in to the buggy section, and had a rain cover and it was easy to build. The Zeal buggy also had a matching changing bag, meaning the whole buggy looked coordinated while in use.
How has this product made your life easier?
The Zeal buggy made my life easier as I could fold this down to a small size and pop it in the boot of the car. I found it was handy for journeys out and about, rather than taking a big bulky travel system or traditional pram. I could also get out of the house quicker as the bassinet literally just clicks onto the pram chassis with two button clicks.
Would you choose this product to win?
I would not choose this product to win, as although it came with the additional extras that turned this pushchair into a travel system, it seems very flimsy. I also didn’t like the colour or the pattern, as it made this pushchair look incredibly cheap and purple with bright pink flowers meant my partner did not feel comfortable pushing this around. Also, the bassinet was made from cardboard sides and base and I didn’t like this at all.
What changes would you make to this product?
If I could change one thing about this product, it would be the sturdiness of the Zeal buggy. I think instead of making this a travel system, Obaby should concentrate on being making a buggy. As a lightweight stroller, it was great – with an umbrella style fold it was so handy to collapse, easy to pop in the boot and scoot around with. As a travel system, it failed.
Product Information
Weight: 7.3kg. Suitable from birth to 15kg (approximately three years).