It was very wrong of me, I realise. A serious error of judgement on my part. So all I can do is hold my hands up and apologise to the lovely people at Stokke for letting them down, and for creating an image of the brand not associated with the quality and craftsmanship with which the Stokke Xplory is made.
It was late at night. We were travelling home. I was a little tired, my brother a little tipsy. And all I can say is that the buggy board looked an attractive option. Obviously it isn’t designed for anyone over the age of about five. I realise I am not five. I found myself standing on it for reasons that escape me and can offer no explanation whatsoever for my brother’s decision to then push the stroller through Stratford-upon-Avon for a distance of about 500m with me still standing on it.
It was foolish. I’m a little embarrassed. All I can say is that the stroller and buggy board remained intact, the baby did not wake up and I have had words with my brother.
It was also a very smooth and comfortable ride, but this is a high-end product and should be treated as such. Ahem.
The latest exciting addition to our family in the form of the Stokke Xplory my baby nephew arrived in our family to celebrations a plenty in January this year. I became Aunty of the Moment when I was able to give my brother and sister-in-law a Stokke Xplory to review thanks to the lovely people at Stokke.
The family have been using it for three months and they are very impressed with the quality and design. It is very easy to manoeuvre and a very smooth ride. It also comes with a range of accessories including a foot muff, which they rate as exceptional, a rain cover and changing bag.
They also bought the carrycot to add to the stroller and a buggy board. Although the stroller initially seemed quite long with the addition of the carrycot, they quickly got used to it.
Pros
- Very attractive design
- Easy to manoeuvre
- Collapses and adjusts easily
- Smooth, comfortable ride for baby
- Very high quality accessories (the foot muff was a particular favourite)
- When using the seat, baby is positioned high up so can see what is going on around him and interact with parents
- Adapts with the child so no need to buy another push chair
Cons
- Add-ons like the buggy board are expensive and generic brands don’t fit so they have to be bought from Stokke
- With the carrycot the stroller is quite large and it takes up a lot of boot space
- The shopping bag is on the small side so doesn’t carry a great deal
Overall: 'We were impressed with the quality and design and have found it very easy to use. You will receive admiring glances and it might create a little pushchair envy. It's a stroller we would highly recommend having tried out a few over the last few years with our daughter. Although it is expensive, there’s no need to ever buy another'.
The Stokke Xplory is priced around £680. The full list of stockists is available on Stokke's website.
Full disclosure: We received the Stokke Xplory free of charge to review. The carrycot and buggy board were purchased separately.
