Travel with kids: ABC Design Zoom Tandem, our review.

ABC Design Zoom Tandem

Double pushchairs you either love them or hate them. Sometimes they are a necessity with twins or with a toddler and newborn, they really do give either parent the freedom to take both children out alone.

I had done a lot of research on double pushchairs and I wanted to steering clear of a side by side. I’d heard from other mums it was so awkward navigating doorways and inside shops. The  double decker style I also wanted to avoid; as one child ends up with a seat underneath which is squashed and with no view, I’d also seen many toddlers just refuse to sit in the lower seat as it was to cramped. So when I came across the ZOOM Tandem from ABC design I was delighted to see the one in front of the other seating arrangement, and I was keen to try it out.

Seating Options

The seating configuration of the zoom allows for many options, both with a toddler and new born or with twins. You are able to have both the seats facing forward or backwards or facing each other. The zoom is compatible with a carrycot, car seat and toddler seat. This was great for us and we were able take our 20 month old Isabella and our newborn baby Maya swapping between the carrycot and car seat, each position having a great view. Isabella loved being at the front facing forward like the driver and we had our eyes all the time on our new born Maya in either in the car seat or the carrycot facing us. Both seats were at a similar height so there was no bending down. If you were using this buggy with twins I’d imagine it to be ideal as both are inline at a similar height.

How is it to push?

There is no getting over the fact that the Zoom tandem is long, at 150cm and weighs 18.7 kilos with the toddler in the front pushing it is quite heavy work, I noticed it more on uneven pavement it was quite difficult to keep it straight. Also when go up and down the kerb it was quite difficult to manoeuvre, especially with the toddler in the front. To counter act this problem I think its better to have the lighter child at the front.

It does fit through standard doorways easily and I was able to handle it pushing it round the supermarket and airport, the wheel system is designed to handle sharp corners with ease. At the airport we were able to navigate the luggage drop off and security queues with ease.

The wheels of the tandem are large, so we wanted to test the pushchair off-road on some rougher ground. It handled surprisingly well considering the length and weight. It was easy to push and the suspension worked well on bumpy ground. You do notice the weight most when pushing up steep hills off road.

Public Transport

We didn’t try the pushchair on public transport, however at the airport we got a bus to the aeroplane it was easy just to lift the front of the buggy up the step and then the buggy fitted nicely in the part of the bus designed for buggies and wheelchairs. However you did need  two people to do this. I wouldn’t really like to attempt getting on a smaller city bus with the pushchair as I think the isles are too narrow. However I think it would be easy to use on the train.

How does it fold?

Once you get the hang of it it folds easily, by pushing the red leaver with your right foot and pulling the leavers on the handle bars towards you.

Does it fit in the boot of the car?

Yes it does we tried it in various five door cars, VW Golf, Scoda Fabia estate, Fiat 500L and Ford Focus and it fitted in all of them. I think it would fit even in a smaller car as you have the ability to take the wheels off. We did find it a bit tight when we were going to the airport and transporting the carry cot as well. Although the carry cot does fold flat it is a little fiddly as you have to remove the mattress but doable.

How comfortable is it for the little ones?

Very comfortable! The carry cot is extremely roomy with a proper mattress, so even if you wanted your new born to sleep in it while you were away staying in hotels is was fine. There is an inbuilt mosquito net which we used frequently in  Italy.

The car seat is great, very comfortable and for new borns there was additional foam cushion which allowed them to sit higher in the seat allowing the straps to fit better. Also with the adaptors you were able to put the car seat facing forward or backwards on the buggy. We found this particular useful to avoid our little one getting the sun her eyes, we would just change the direction depending on which way we walking.

The toddler seat is also very comfortable, with secure straps and click across bar, the sun hood is great and made out of SPF 50 material giving great protection and there is additional sun hood which zips out and pulls down giving shade to the toddler when the sun is right on their face. There is even a see through section on the hood which allows the parent to check on the child from above. The seat has three positions one of which is lying flat which is great for naps in the day. One slight niggle agaign is that to adjust the position of the toddler seat you need an extra pair of hands two hands to push the buttons and another to push the seat up or down. 

How easily can you interact with your little ones?

The diverse seat configuration allows you to interact with both children easily, in particular because you able to swap each seat to face forward or backwards. Once our second child is a bit older we can use the other toddler seat then two children will be able to interact with each other having them face each other.

What is the basket like?

The basket is huge and can fit a lot of gear, great for travel and all the extra things needed with two little ones.

Is it travel system compatible?

With the click on adaptors the pushchair can carry the car seat and it is compatible with, ABC Design Risus, Maxi Cosi Pebble Plus and Cabrio Fix.

Was it easy to put together?

Yes it was relatively easy to put together, the instructions weren’t very helpful, but it was simple enough to work out ourselves.

Is the ABC design Zoom value for money?

Compared to other tandem pushchairs it is value for money at 500 GBP many of the design features that are included, like the various seat configurations, quality of fabric and straps, adaptability to use with different car seats, you would normally find in a much more expensive buggy priced nearer a 1000 GBP.

Thinking Nomads Verdict?

Pro’s

• Brilliant seat configuration, forward and backward facing lots of options to keep newborns and toddlers happy.
• Quality washable fabrics with SPF protection.
• Large Basket underneath
• Carrycot is large and roomy can be used overnight if travelling.
• Great adaptability to use with car seat, carrycot and then upgrade to toddler seat.
• Lie Flat position in toddler seat for daytime naps.

Con’s

• Very long – sometimes difficult to manoeuvre in small shops
• A little heavy
• When traveling with carrycot as well it;s difficult to fit everything in the boot of small family sized  car.

I would give the ABC Design Zoom buggy 4 Stars****

A versatile buggy that is well designed, and value for money with many features you find in a much more expensive buggy. It works well in the city and on rough ground, quality materials have been used ensuring the 3-4 year durability. A versatile seating configuration ensuring your little ones are both comfortable and happy at all times.

Check out our videos below, to see us using the tandem on our travel. 

Summary video ZOOM Tandem

The video of our trip in Sri Lanka