Joie Pact Pushchair Review

Featherlight and folding flat, this compact stroller is designed for parents who are full of plans but short on storage space.

Testing the Joie Pact

Very lightweight – light as a feather when open and not heavy to carry or lift up onto an overhead shelf on transport. Excellent and compact when folded, with the bonus of the storage bag so it can be folded away for travel in the car boot and not have dirty wheels on the boot contents. Can fit in a footwell on a bus seat so perfect for hopping on and off busy public transport.

If is easy to carry as it has a solid bar to grab, although I would prefer an ‘over the shoulder option to carry from a practical perspective to free up a hand with my busy toddler. The break is easy to use and accessible with a flip mechanism on the wheel, however the pram doesn’t stay static as well as other prams. The mechanism is easy for my son to flip and then push the pram around as well. I wouldn’t feel so confident with this pram, locked on any kind of incline unchecked with my child in as one wheel tends to move.

Better for older babies and toddlers as the arm straps can only be tightened to a certain point for security and safety. This wouldn’t work for a small baby. It’s a great option for my toddler, although the seat doesn’t push up fully, so he must lean forward. That removes an element of comfort for longer walks. For a compact stroller, I am really impressed it comes with the car seat adapter as standard so we can put the newborn car seat in it with ease to use as a travel system, which I have tested with the Maxi Cosi car seat. It’s simple to adapt. This is perfect with a new-born option as we have to travel to family over 250 miles away, taking less boot space and also meaning easy transport for our new-born when away from home. Although it wouldn’t be suitable for a newborn as a standard stroller until the child is able to sit and support their head weight. But a really great option if you have a compatible car seat.

Easy to fold. Mechanism simple ‘press and unclip’ function at the top which means it can be folded simply with one hand and folds together with ease. This means it can be taken down quickly on public transport or on the go. Manoeuvres well on straight routes and turns. However, it doesn’t mount drop curbs well or glide over uneven surfaces. You must winch the stroller back to go over a bump or the pram jerks forward and child could easily fall forward, or the stroller could go over front first, as it is so light weight.

Only suitable for flat terrain so perfect for town and city living. This is not a stroller you can take into a non-paved surface and the wheels aren’t sturdy enough to take any soft surface or mud, certainly in wet weather. If you are in a rural area, I would not recommend. Ok on grass, but not for any duration with a heavier child. It doesn’t feel massively durable as it’s so light weight. Wheels feel a bit cheap. Not sure how long it would last over time and with lots of use. I wouldn’t use it as a main stroller or pram, but perfect for travel, a second pram on short trips out and about.

Comfort is mixed. The fabric on the seat is soft and comfy with some padding. There are shoulder pads, but these slide off easily but do the job. The seat doesn’t sit forward enough for an older child over a longer journey, so he can’t sit fully upright, although the handlebar has a great soft cover to lean on. If he’s sitting back or reclining to sleep, it’s great. Also rain cover is great for added comfort in the rain – no leaks.

Storage basket is a great size and suitable for this style of pram. Does the job. Can place a medium sized shopping bag and childs rucksack in it. It feels relatively stable despite it being so lightweight so I have no concerns. Surface stains are easy to remove, although stubborn stains would be tricky to get off the fabric. Wipes down easily with a damp cloth.

Design looks sleek and modern, and colour palette is a great neutral grey so doesn’t show up marks and scuffs. The practical design of ‘strap and pull’ system at the back to move the seat up and down was a bit tricky to get the hang of, so you can’t smoothly transition the child into the right position until you get the hang of it. Simple to assemble without needing instructions.  Really sturdy and good size with the hood that gives great coverage in winter for light rain. Think this would be great in the summer for sun coverage as well.