Product Review: Stokke Crusi

Since having Tinnie we have come to realise that choosing a stroller or pushchair is a huge decision. Not only can a stroller set you back a tidy sum but it is something which we expect to last us a long time. We have been lucky enough to use the Stokke Scoot when Tinnie was small but I found the weight to much for me after some injuries and needed to change which meant making do with my double stroller for a while. We were recently contacted by Stokke and offered to review another one of their pushchairs, the Stokke Crusi. 

So why the Crusi?

The Stokke designs stand out to me when on the high street or in the school playground but the Xplory has become a common buggy amongst mums so the Crusi makes a nice practical alternative. The Crusi is not as compact as the Scoot but it has many other benefits which stuck out for me including some of the features below.

• The Crusi can be used with carry cot, stroller seat, car seats and optional sibling solution.
• 3 parent facing positions: sleep, rest and active, and 2 forward facing positions: rest and active.
• Lightweight, robust chassis with large shopping basket is easy to fold and light to carry.
• High carry cot and stroller seat position brings the baby closer to mum and dad.
• Spacious carry cot with soft interior lining provides a comfortable environment for the baby.
• Soft, padded seat with an extra cushion that reduces the seat depth to fit the smallest babies.
• Adjustable ergonomic foot rest on the seat eliminates dangling feet.
• Ventilation in hood improves the air quality and reduces the risk of moisture inside the carry cot and stroller seat.
• Ergonomic height and angle adjustable handle provides a wide range of positions.

When the Crusi arrived I was excited to see a huge difference in the size of the seat, The Crusi come with the Xplory seat which is seems a lot larger and deeper to me. You may have noticed I also choose to have the Stokke in the Deep Blue colour. It is absolutely beautiful and I can imagine that with the changing bag and parasol to match it would look even better.

Our first trip:

On our first time out we took the Crusi to the local super market. The trip to the shops was lovely Tinnie smiled at me all the way, babbling along and pointing to the things happening around him. Although I do talk to Tinnie when his in our forward facing double but he was a lot more interactive while he was able to face me. We discussed what we saw on the way to the shop, the big trucks, the traffic lights and even the train tracks as we went over the bridge.

Being in his Stokke Tinnie was the perfect height for pressing the button at the traffic lights. Children always reach the age where they need to be the one to press the button and he was so proud of himself for being able to reach.

 I don't drive so having a large basket to store my shopping is important to me. I had plenty of room underneath for my Pink Lining changing beg which is quite bulky and three full shopping bags which was perfect for me. If Tinnie was facing forward I could place the changing bag over the handle bars to free up even more space. The Stokke stroller range do however come with holes underneath to attach a Stokke changing bag to which tucks it away and looks a lot neater too (it's on my to buy list along with the cup holder and blankie) .

I thought I would go into as much detail as possible on the strollers features and if I have missed any thing out please feel free to leave your questions in the comment section below.

Stokke Crusi Hood

• The Crusi hood is attached to the stroller using a zip which allows you to move the hood even further forward depending on the angle of the sun. The hood it's self also allows you to move it backwards and forwards in several positions to suit the weather.  
• The hood also has the extra feature of a zipp on visor which I have left on the hood as it can be easily flipped backwards inside the hood. 
• There is an additional zip across the hood which opens up displaying a small strip giving extra ventilation or a way of keeping an eye on your little one if they are facing front ways . 

Stokke Crusi Basket

• The basket is low down which according to Stokke means that the stroller will be more stable when filled with shopping. 
• The basket is also described as deep. As I said before the basket is perfect for shopping in town or a day trip like a recent one to Lego Land where we were able to fit a coller bag and changing bag underneath. 
• There are hoops at the front underneath the seat which allows you to attach a Stokke changing bag. 
• The basket is accessible for all sides of the stroller making it easy to access with out disturbing your little one. 

Stokke Crusi Seat

• The seat comes with a 5 point harness ensuring baby is safely secure while in the seat.
• The seat sits high on the frame making it easier for eye contact with parent or carer. The height also makes it easy to use as a high chair when out and about for meal rather than a high chair. 
• The seat cover is easily removed for spot cleaning or to adjust the straps using a zip at the back of the seat.
• The seat can be both parent facing or front facing. This is easily switched by using the white button on each side. We tried the forward facing while at Lego land so Tinnie could she what was going on around him. 

Stokke Crusi Handle

• The handle can be adjusted easily adjusted using a push in button  in the centre of the handle making it easy to change the height while pushing. 
• A large part of the handle is covered in a firm foam which helps grip the handle when going up kerbs and pushing the stroller. Unfortunately our handle as cracked slightly in one place already. 
• There is a section in the middle of the handle to add a cup holder which is available to order separately. I plan on getting one to keep Tinnies cup. 

The Crusi also fit's nicely in our boot, we have a Audi A4 which has a big boot but we found that even with all daddies work bits we could still fit it in with room to spare. We have also tried it in a Focus but have yet to try it in nannies Ka. The only point I'm not keen on which is the same with many strollers on the market is tat you need to remove the seat before placing it in the boot. 

So does the Crusi tick all our boxes? Completely. The quality of the Crusi is brilliant, I must admit I kind of treat it like a forth child as I love it so much. Tinnies seems to love his new pushchair and always falls asleep with ease when needed. The stroller is light and easy to push. I would highly recommend the Crusi to other mums and have done at toddler groups and in the school play ground.