Search best buggy:

Nipper 360 Review by Sarah (not the 2011 model)

I’ve had my Out n About Nipper 360 double for about 10 months now and I still think it was a great buy for us. It has a few not so good points (which I will come to) but I think every buggy does and, in general, it suits our needs very well.

The seats seem spacious and comfortable and come with a padded cushion. There are 2 settings for each one of the 5 straps (2 shoulder, 2 waist 1 crotch) which, along with the slider adjustment for each strap length, allows for a large range of strap sizing – they adjusted to very nearly small enough for my 6lb2 newborn and also fit round my 2 year old easily with a lot of room still to go. I also like that, although the waist and crotch strap fastens with the standard clasp, the shoulder straps clip onto the clasp separately so you can choose to just use the waist and crotch straps if preferred (I have been known to do this when sitting my toddler in the buggy when it is still e.g. for a snack). The seats are bucket style but lie flat for a newborn and have a sliding strap recline adjuster so it can be reclined as little or much as you like and its very easy to adjust with the child in. The bucket seat has never yet bothered my almost 2 year old despite the fact that he regularly used to (and still does) lean forwards for a better view when in his single. The material at the back of the seat units has a mesh window which is great for allowing fresh air to circulate around the children and creating a slight breeze on hot still summer’s days but I do wish there was a fold away flap to cover this on cold windy winter’s days.

The hood is quite large and seems to cover the seats well and is very easy to open out and fold away. It has a clear plastic window to see the babies which has a material flap to cover. The hood has very handy zip mesh pockets in the side, great for slinging your keys, phone and drink in. I have only 2 complaints re the hood and neither is a huge issue; 1 – the hood is flat rather than arched so does not curve downwards at the front which would offer more sun protection; and 2 – when you fold the buggy down the hood seems to start to unfold itself a bit and gets in the way a little but all that is needed to sort this is a gentle hand to fold it back in.

The wheels are large (12 inch) and air filled. They all come off easily and the front wheel is a free spinning 360 turn wheel which makes the buggy very easy to steer and manouver. The front wheel has a quick release lever like on a quick release bike wheel and the rear wheels click on and off with the axel sliding into a metal tube on the buggy and a slide switch to release them. The tires are robust and give a pretty smooth ride over bumpy ground though probably not the smoothest out there. My only complaint is that they do puncture fairly easily. This is manageable by keeping a puncture repair kit at home and filling the tyres with that sludge stuff (sorry I can’t remember the name).

Each seat has a reasonably sized draw string mesh pocket on the back/bottom which I find I can easily store the rain cover in one and a thin cosytoe in the other. The buggy can also be folded with these items in the pockets. There is also a separately available shopping basket which fits onto the frame under the seats which I understand is quite large but I do not have one.

There are specific cosytoes available for this buggy but I have found that my two graco ones (standard issue thin graco one and thicker soft lined one) fit well enough, I think any cosytoe with holes for a 5 point harness would fit ok. The raincover comes with the buggy and fits over the whole unit. The hood has to be fully extended to use the raincover which is a tight fit but is not difficult to attach. It has mesh inserts to allow air to circulate.

The handle is foam covered and comfortable to hold and push. It is fitted with a wrist strap which is a great comfort for off-roading (though the buggy always seems perfectly stable even with two mismatch sized children in it) and for going downhill. The handle is not height adjustable which is a shame but neither I (5’5) nor my husband (6’0) have any trouble or discomfort pushing it. I have two standard plastic S-shaped buggy hooks fitted on mine to carry shopping bags and they fit well. The buggy is very light to push and easy to steer even with two children in it and even my husband, who has cerebral palsy, finds it easy to push and control.
Despite what I have read elsewhere the buggy fits easily through my front door and most other doors.

The buggy is not difficult to fold though it is not something you could easily do whilst holding a baby/stopping a toddler from running off. It has two D-shaped metal clasps that have to be undone then two plastic clips to be released then finally a lever has to be pressed to allow you to fold the frame. There is a clip to hold the frame closed but the seat backs to flop around a bit – I get around this by linking the D-shaped clasps through the loop on the wrist strap! Once folded the buggy is light but somewhat awkward to carry and a little cumbersome – not a buggy I would recomend for use on the buses and trains! However, these same features that make it not ideal for public transport make the buggy fantastic and safe for off-road use.

Other cons: No parent facing option for a carseat/carrycot or seat. The straps are secured with a standard buckle (like the buckles on supermarket trolley seatstraps) and I dont think it will be all that long til my almost 2 year old can undo them!

Overall I love this buggy for 2 toddlers or a baby and toddler but probably would not have bought it for newborn twins due to the lack of parent facing option. When compared with other twin pushchairs I think it is better than most others available for a similar price.

Share This

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.