Maxi Cosi Noa v’s Babyhome Emotion Xtreet

These two very cute, lightweight, small fold single pushchairs were the perfect pair to take on a bargain hunting trip in a busy shopping centre. They are both very light, highly manoeuverable, smart stylish pushchairs with a basket and a reclining seat. The Babyhome Emotion Xtreet is approximately £100 more expensive than the Noa and we have taken this into account.

Our first choice was which child should go in which pushchair. We decided to put one in one pushchair to start with and then swapped them around half way through the outing.

Ease of Opening : The Noa instantly impressed with its tiny fold which easily transformed into a good sized stroller, one handed, with the push of two buttons, a flick and a push down of a bar. But it was very simple even though it sounds complex! The Emotion Xtreet had a bulkier fold (in half), but opened more simply by undoing the catch and flicking it open to lock.

First Impressions: There is no doubt that the Xtreet exudes quality – it has a beautiful light aluminium chassis and sleek lines. The fabrics are good quality with a lovely cushioning to the seat. It feels very sturdy for such a light pushchair. The Noa at first seems less robust – but thats really due to the sideways V shape of the frame ie there are no supports across the centre – which gives the Noa a real bounce to the seat! I was actually surprised how sturdy the Noa was considering the tiny fold.

Handlebars: The Xtreet has a single slim bar foam covered handlebar. The Noa has two hard plastic handles like a stroller. The Xtreet handlebar was nicer to hold, but for Mr BB and I, the Noa handlebar was just a little bit higher up which made the Noa more comfortable to push. I believe the difference is only 4cms or so but it made a difference.

Manoeuverability: Both pushchairs were highly manoeuverable. In fact by the end of the outing we were swerving in and out and round things just to see how well both pushchairs handled. At one point both pushchairs easily negotiated tiny spaces, and around shoppers with lots of bags in a restaurant.  Both pushchairs are very slim, the Noa is the larger at 48cm wide and the Xtreet is a tiny 36cm wide.

Child Comfort: As we used the pushchairs, it became obvious that although the seat and height of the Xtreet is a generous size, our eldest tester (2.9 year old) had problems keeping her feet on the slightly sloping footrest.  She couldn’t seem to tuck her heels under enough. However at nearly 15kgs I expected her weight to be an issue with the Noa especially as has some flex in it without a child on board, but not so. The Noa took her weight very comfortably. The seat is deep and generous. Her feet sat very well on the footrest and she looked absolutely 100% comfortable in the Noa. The Noa has the most upright seat. Baby BB looked equally comfortable in the Noa. However the Xtreet had the advantage for him because it has an adjustable footrest which can be raised to flat which made his short baby legs look more comfortable than them dangling off the Noa. However the Xtreet seating position just wasn’t quite right. We couldn’t put our finger on what it was but I tried more than once to hoik the baby into a more upright rather than slouched position to no avail.

There is no doubt that the Xtreet has more cushioned fabric & seat pads with a supportive base and back. The Noa is basically just a canvas hammock with a stiffer calf support.

Both pushchairs have a slight recline. The Xtreet has a simple toggle recline, and the Noa has a zip recline. I have used zip reclines on other pushchairs and the Noa zip recline is the easiest I have done. At no point did it get stuck on the way up or down. When sitting the pushchair back up, both pushchairs needed the child to be pushed forwards to facilitate this. It was actually easier to sit the Noa back upright as you could support the child with one hand and zip one side and then the other. The Xtreet needed a bit of a shoulder push to get the child forward and then both hands to do the toggle back up.

Hood: The Xtreet definitely has the better hood – it is rigid with a good frame and the option to lock the hood into an open position. The Noa hood is fairly flimsy with gaps at the sides. It does however cover the recline position as well as upright. But the Noa hood is such to facilitate the small fold which essentially is what defines the Noa.

Harness: Both pushchairs have a 5 point harness with a good buckle and good shoulder pads.

Wheels: The Xtreet wheels are larger but single wheels. The Noa has smaller double more buggy like wheels. The Xtreet wheels are apparently coated to keep noise down, and we didn’t hear either of the pushchairs wheels on any of the surfaces we went on. However the Xtreet does give a noticeably harder ride when pushing. But the shape of the Noa means the seat is very bouncy so you don’t feel the wheels or bumps through the handlebar as you push.

Basket: The Xtreet has the better basket. It is quite roomy and its simple to put things in and out. The Noa on the other hand compensates for its small fold by having the chassis meet in the centre of the basket space. Thus, whilst there is a good amount of space, it is an odd shape. The area at the back (nearest the parent) is the best space for a small bag, or a bag which will stand up on its own, but we were able to put drinks, muslins etc around the front and sides. The Noa also has a small pocket on the back of the seat which will take a raincover.

Fold: The Xtreet folds in two by pushing one button and then a button at either side and then it autolocks shut. However it folds with the cushions outwards which I do not particularly like as they then get dirty easily. The Noa requires a squeeze of the button and then a simple lift up of a bar. Then a press in of the button on the end of the handle and the Noa folds in and autolocks shut with a click, again its harder to explain than it is to do. But the Noa is a one handed fold, the Xtreet is a two handed fold. There is no doubt that the Noa presents you with a neater package at the end. The Xtreet fold isn’t particularly flat. The Noa also has a hidden telescopic handle to allow you to pull the pushchair behind you. In many ways this is a bit of a gimmick but we used it at the weekend when our baby was asleep in his car seat but we needed the pushchair later on. So we carried him in his car seat and towed the Noa along and it sat inconspiciously in a corner until we needed it.

Extras: The Noa comes with the a raincover and parasol clip. The Xtreet comes with a mosquito net, repair-kit and raincover. There is no doubt that the quality of the Xtreet raincover is far superior to the Noa one.

Negative Points: The foot rest on the Babyhome Emotion Xtreet is one of my big negatives. If the eldest could have kept her feet on easily without them sliding off then she would have probably been comfortable in the Xtreet. The disadvantage to the Noa is that an older child can easily bounce themselves in the Noa because the chassis is springy. It is an advantage when trying to get a younger child off to sleep, but I worried about my heavier daughter bouncing!! The pull along handle on the Noa was quite stiff to do. The fold on the Xtreet could be neater.

Positive Points: The Noa is MUCH more sturdy than we initially thought. Not only did it cope with a heavy toddler easily but also when she got out to have lunch, we forgot to remove a very heavy shopping basket and the Noa didn’t tip!! We were amazed! After a day taking it shopping, into the countryside and across thick gravel, it performed pretty well. Both pushchairs weren’t keen on the gravel but managed grass fine. The Xtreet looks lovely and pushes easily. We loved the large shopping basket.

Emotion Xtreet Dimensions

Open: 84cm x 36cm x 100cm

Folded: 22cm x 36cm x 70cm

Weight (without hood): 5.5 kg

Maximum weight of child: 18 kg

 

Note: The B-Agile in the photos is just for scale to show how narrow these pushchairs are.