You have reached the Parenting, Lifestyle and Travel blog of a daddy of FIVE, Steven Teo. Parenting, because that’s what I NEED to do, have a peek at my LIFE (style got or not, you decide) and our Travels via bus and MRT, plus the occasional cheap overseas trip!
Friday, March 11, 2016
BABYZEN YOYO - A Stroller Like None Other
[Sponsored Review]
Those who know me, knew I often raved about how incredibly lasting our first stroller was and that it was my mother-in-law who bought it as a secondhand one from a garang guni man for a mere $10 in anticipation of the arrival of our first princess, Steffi. The stroller had since been used by all the 4 kiddos in our family, but is already slowly "breaking apart" by now. There is a lifespan to every piece of equipment, this one included. It sure wasn't the trendiest or the most road-worthy stroller then, but given its low price, I can't really complain either!
My trusty old stroller that is breaking apart. Can be left outside without fear of it being stolen.
It was weeks, and then months of procrastination, as my trusty $10 stroller slowly disintegrated. The wheels started to get wobbly, little tears appeared on the canvas and the backer board slid out. It was still usable, but was getting so much harder to push. A friend whom I spoke to casually about my predicament, let me in on a brand named BABYZEN. The brand was rather foreign to me, but as he went on to describe about the stroller from one dad to another, I can sense that there is indeed something very special about the stroller just from the look of his eyes and the conviction in his voice. He ended with, "Steven, you really need to try it yourself!" and it definitely piqued my interest as I wondered to myself, how different can a stroller be? Boy was I wrong, as I was blown away after viewing the first video on BABYZEN YOYO I clicked on. I knew instantly that this would just be perfect for our family!
At $699, the BABYZEN YOYO 6+ is not exactly cheap but yet I am also sure many parents would not bat an eye at this price point, given its practicality. I am always trying to sniff out for better deals when it comes to big ticket items (actually for everything lah) and I tried the same with this. Unfortunately the stroller is price-controlled and it is always the same pricing wherever you go. There is no under-cutting amongst the retailers, only perhaps the special purchase-with-purchase deals for accessories or maybe member discounts with the individual departmental stores. Hence I went one step further and contacted the local distributor and lo and behold, we ended up with a review set!
The packages that arrived, included additional accessories such as the mosquito net, parasol and cup holder.
Louie must be thinking that it was some toy meant for him!
Louie's new stroller arrived (in pieces) just before the start of Chinese New Year, and came in auspicious red no less! There were a total of 6 different boxes for the body frame, seat base, color pack and accessories such as the mosquito net, cup-holder and parasol. I always find it satisfying to fix up something from scratch. Fixing up the BABYZEN YOYO was a piece of cake, requiring no additional tools at all. I did had to refer to diagrams in the instruction booklet when it came to some of the "harder" parts but I am pretty sure the accompanying instruction manual would suffice for anyone! The kiddos hovered around while I was assembling the stroller. The older kiddos observed enthusiastically as it started to take shape, but little Louie couldn't even wait, and climbed onto the frame when I took my eyes of him while fixing up the canopy, much to everyone's laughter!
Louie sure loves his new stroller!
Having used the stroller extensively over the CNY period till now, I am glad to share my personal take on the stroller with you -
Lightweight: The stroller was really light. Carrying the folded stroller around over the shoulders, or up and down the stairs is no problem at all.
Easily Foldable: If I said it was super easy to fold it up by pressing two buttons at the side to fold the handle down, pulling back a cache at the bottom and lifting it up, opening it was even EASIER! You just need to unlock and "throw" out the stroller.
Right Sized: Besides weight, the size matters too! I can confidently bring it on board our public buses and trains. It even fits in the space in front of your legs when seated on buses.
Great Manoeuvrability: I found it really easy to push on most surfaces and even through grass patches. I know, because I deliberately tried!
Safety and Comfort: The 5-point harness definitely offers better safety as compared to the T-strap. Louie also climbs on board the stroller readily on his own, so it must have been pretty comfortable for him too!
We have no problem pushing BABYZEN anywhere, even into the train carriage. Definitely felt safe after applying the parking brake.
The boot of a normal taxi would be big enough to accommodate 10-15 BABYZEN YOYO. No joke!
Buy or Don't Buy?
I had ever blogged about the difficulties of managing stroller (along with kiddos) on public buses here. But with BABYZEN YOYO, it was simply a breeze. Now I needn't have worry about having to fold the stroller immediately after having spotted my bus 100 meters away. I just need to pick up Louie and fold the BABYZEN YOYO up (almost instantaneously) when the bus finally comes to a stop in front of us. I wouldn't really recommend this to everyone, but sometimes I would even carry the stroller up or down the stairs even with Louie strapped on given its light weight!
There are many places on public buses that a folded BABYZEN YOYO can fit into.
Fits nicely between two facing seats too!
My experience with pushing the stroller around had been excellent so far. I am only short of trying multiple kids on the stroller which I do sometimes for my old stroller and see if it could take the combined weight. On second thoughts, I don't think that is a good idea as it is really meant for SINGLE kiddo up to 15kg max. It was also truly a smooth ride for Louie with its 4-wheel suspension system, even over different terrains.
Little Louie had been left out of many family outings because the thought of having to carry him around (when he is tired), or having to lug a heavy stroller along while having to keep an eye on his 3 older siblings already killed half the fun before any trips. Now that we have BABYZEN YOYO in the house, it is nothing short of life-changing for both Louie, who is already benefitting from the numerous excursions since and for us parents as well, who got to enjoy even more bonding time with him.
Now that we have got the new stroller, Louie got to go out with us on many more trips!
Barring the price point (even though I know many would not mind splurging a little on their child), I would STRONGLY recommend this lightweight BABYZEN YOYO stroller. You have got to trust me on this, the stroller is truly amazing, not entirely exactly for your child, but for YOU as well! Your child just need to rest in it, but YOU are the one pushing and carrying the load!
Useful Information
So if you have decided to try the stroller out before buying, you can find it available at the following outlets. Or better still, check out the online retailers right below and get it delivered!
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