SilverCross Strollers

Long popular in Europe, the Silver Cross brand is making inroads into the Unites States with its versatile 3D Stroller. Like many American travel systems, there is an optional car seat, but the 3D is unique in that it can function both as a pram and a stroller.

In the pram mode, the 3D lays flat. A mattress is attached with elasticized pockets, and the baby travels laying flat on its back. There is a soft Velcro harness to keep the baby in the pram, but unless you are pushing an older baby it isn’t really necessary. The pram is very deep and sturdy, and it comes with a large hood that keeps the baby shaded. Moms like the pram because infants feel secure in it and sleep better than they do slouched over in a car seat. Also, you can see the baby at all times, so you never have to worry about your newborn having a problem without you noticing. Babies also seem to take comfort in being able to look at their moms.

When your baby gets old enough to sit up, the Silver Cross 3D converts into a traditional stroller. The stroller is very sturdy and well made. There is a five-point safety harness, which is more than you see in a lot of American strollers. The seat is adjustable and reclines so that your toddler can take a nap while you are shopping. The stroller has a large basket underneath that is great for holding all your baby gear.

In addition to the pram feature, the 3D stroller has a lot of nice perks that aren’t common in a lot of similarly priced American models. The 3D has handles somewhat like an umbrella stroller, but they are far more comfortable, and they are adjustable, so just about any size person can walk behind the stroller comfortably. The Silver Cross 3D Stroller also comes with a lot of accessories. Included with purchase is a “foot muff,” which is essentially a padded blanket that fits over the stroller, a diaper bag with a changing pad, a rain cover, and a summer canopy.

The Silver Cross brand also has a very distinct look that isn’t like many of the US brands. The fabrics used on the 3D Stroller are elegant and stylish rather than childish or loud. Many of the options are dark, so clean stains won’t show too badly. The whole stroller has a very modern, streamlined design that looks very urban and expensive.

There are stores in the US that sell the Silver Cross line, and you can find them on the Silver Cross website. There are also a lot of online retailers where you can order a 3D Pram System at a discount, but be wary of deals that seem too good to be true. All in all, the Silver Cross 3D Pram System is comparable if not better to American models in the same price range, and you’ll get a gorgeous stroller with an expensive one of a kind look.

The Silvercross Dazzle is the latest in a string of smart designer strollers, because, let’s face it, your kid will grow up to be a lonely troll if his stroller isn’t the baby equivalent of a BMW. Am I the only person who thinks it’s crazy to pay nearly $300 for what is essentially a glorified umbrella stroller? I’m sure I’m not, but just in case you are even considering such an outrageous proposition as buying a Silvercross Dazzle, allow me to talk some sense into you.

To be fair, the Silvercross Dazzle is easy on the eyes with its neat aluminum frame and funky handles that make it look like a giant bent paperclip. It also comes with a lot of nifty features like an attachable carrycot and a matching quilted blanket. I won’t complain about the Silvercross Dazzle’s styling. I won’t even complain about the Silvercross Dazzle’s functionality—I’m pretty sure all four wheels roll and everything, allowing one to place a child inside and push her around to various locations. What I would like to complain about is the Silvercross Dazzle’s value.

Silvercross claims that the Dazzle stroller was “researched in the world’s style capitals” (which are London, Paris, New York, and Tokyo in case you want to know). I know that to me, research is a vital part of any stroller purchase. I want to know, nay, I must know, that a prototype of my Silvercross Dazzle was pushed by an elegant woman down the Champs Elysées or 5th avenue in Manhattan. Do you really want to pay all that extra money because the Silvercross Dazzle has been used in some big cities? Ultimately, you can find a perfectly good light stroller for far less than half the price of the Silvercross Dazzle.

In what is clearly an attempt to annoy me even further, the ad campaign for the Silvercross Dazzle is completely moronic. Silvercross has set up a faux photo shoot in which a glamorous model (just like me and you) poses for photos while her uncooperative child runs around ruining the shots. In the background, the Silvercross Dazzle sits in all it hip glory just begging you to reach out and stroke its lovely flanks. If I were in charge of such a shoot, I’d have the photographer sacked for letting the Silvercross Dazzle get in the shot in the first place.

Bottom line: don’t spend your hard-earned money on the Silvercross Dazzle. Sure, it’s probably a great stroller, but you are paying for a look, not functionality. Do yourself and your child a favor by taking all the money you save by purchasing some reasonably priced model from the Silvercross Dazzle’s competition and putting it in a college savings account. Now that’s smart.

Silvercross designed the Pop as a lightweight pushchair made to “pop to the shops,” and run similar types of errands. At only 7kg (just over 15lbs,) the Silvercross Pop pushchair is light and easy to carry. It’s also expensive at about $184. To be fair, the Pop is stylish and sleek, but can it beat its American counterpart, the Graco Glider? A side by side comparison tells all.

General
Both the Silvercross Pop and the Graco Gilder feature all the basic amenities including recline seat (the Silvercross Pop has five positions while the Graco Glider has only two), shopping basket, sun hood, and child safety harness.

Portability
The Silvercross Pop is the lighter pushchair. The Graco Glider weighs 8.6kg (nearly 19lbs). The Silvercross Pop also has a more compact fold, making it a winner for getting on and off the bus. However, customer reviews indicate that the wheels on the Silvercross Pop can be troublesome while the Graco Glider is praised for its easy maneuverability. Both the Silvercross Pop and the Graco Glider feature easy one-handed folding.

Style
The Silvercross Pop wins hands down in the style category. The Pop comes in trendy colors and fabrics while the Graco Gilder has a very old-lady feel with its childish prints and boring color pallets. The Silvercross Pop also has a much sleeker look overall.

Convenience
Silvercross’ recent models have all been plagued by a shopping basket that is difficult if not impossible to use. The minimalist modern styling of the Silvercross Pop also means that amenities like cup holders and snack trays are in short supply. However, the Pop does feature a handy parent bag and the lack of a bumper bar means it’s easy to get kids in and out of the pushchair. The Graco Glider has a parent organizer tray, a removable child snack tray, and an easily accessible shopping basket that is larger than the Silvercross Pop’s.

Value
The Graco Glider really shines in the value department. For about $160 you get all the above mentioned features and a car seat with a permanent base that stays in your car, meaning you can move baby from the car to the Graco Glider pushchair with a few simple clicks. The Silvercross Pop does accept the Silvercross Ventura car seat, but it costs another $140, and you will have to undo the seat belt every time you move it.

After spending a week wrestling with my large, awkward Graco travel system stroller at Disneyland, I came home determined to never do a theme park with a stroller again. Little did I know my in laws were planning to surprise us with a family reunion in Florida at, you guessed it, Disney World. I wasn’t about to turn down a cheap vacation, but I was not going to lug my monster stroller on an airplane. I decided to do a little digging and find something that would keep me and my kid sane.

There are definitely some perks to visiting a theme park with a stroller. I liked having the ability to transport a lot of stuff without having to carry it all. The stroller also became a sort of safe zone for my toddler. When he started getting over-stimulated we just put him in the stroller and pulled down the hood, helping him fall asleep and take a nap even in the middle of the park. Although it’s large, my stroller is also very comfortable to push, a definite plus in a hot, crowded theme park.

So I knew what I wanted in my new “theme park” stroller. It needed to have a basket for carrying our stuff. It needed to have a hood, and it had to recline so my toddler could take a nap. My stroller also needed to be light, easy to maneuver (my old Graco is so wide I couldn’t even take it into many of the shops at the park), and it needed to accommodate a rowdy 2 year old.

After looking around online I found my winner. It’s the Silver Cross Pop Stroller, and it had everything I was looking for. The Pop combined all the best features of my old stroller with all of the portability of an umbrella stroller. First, the Pop had a nice basket, something that is hard to find in a lot of travel strollers. It also had a deep hood which I loved because it had an SPF of 50. My son is very fair and I was worried about him getting burned in Florida. As a nice bonus, it comes with a rain cover that we found very useful since our reunion was in the rainy season.

The Silver Cross Pop is also tiny when it’s folded up and very light, only about 15lbs. There is also a strap for carrying it. The Silver Cross Pop was so small that the airline let us check it at the gate. The Pop is also very comfortable to use. I often have to stoop down to use umbrella strollers, but the Pop Stroller’s handles were at a comfortable height, and they were very easy on my hands.

The Pop Stroller is easy to fold even with one hand, and my absolute favorite feature is that as you lower the seat there is a mechanism that makes the motion very smooth. My little boy takes forever to get to sleep, and if he wakes up he won’t go back to napping. The slow recline feature made it so that he never woke up when we lowered him back, and he slept a lot longer in that position.

Now that we are home, we use the Pop all the time. It’s just as good as my full-size stroller and a lot easier to handle. You can buy the Silver Cross Pop Stroller on their website or at stroller stores all around the country.

Silvercross is really trying to update its image in the pushchair market with the Sleepover Sport Linear. With competitors like Bugaboo and Combi succeeding with modern, athletic-inspired pushchairs, Silver Cross had no choice but to try and enter the field.

The Sleepover Sport Linear is definitely an improvement over the other, more traditional models in the Silvercross Sleepover line if you want something young and fresh. Although colors are limited, Silver Cross has made some bold choices with color block patterns featuring grass green (called “flash”) and bright yellow (“zest”). The Sleepover Sport pushchair body is also slightly more stylized than the Sleepover Classic. Otherwise the two models are identical.

Silver Cross offers two chassis choices with the Sleepover Sport, the Classic and the Linear. The Classic pretty much ruins the whole effect of the Sport model as it looks old-fashioned and, frankly, prudish. The Linear chassis is much sleeker and more modern-looking. On the Linear chassis, the Silver Cross Sleepover Sport is a pretty slick little number. You can also purchase the Silver Cross Ventura car seat to make the Sleepover Spot into a complete travel system. Wisely, Silver Cross features the Ventura in both the flash and zest colors.

In all honesty, if you want a really trendy, mod pushchair, the Silver Cross Sleepover Sport Linear probably isn’t what you are looking for. There are a lot of other pushchairs out there that have a sportier look (the Bugaboo Chameleon for example). However, if what you really want is a reliable, solid pushchair that ticks all the boxes and is an excellent value and also happens to look a little sporty, then the Silver Cross Sleepover Sport Linear is an excellent choice.

Let’s face it, you don’t buy a pushchair based on looks alone, and the Sleepover Sport Linear has all the features that really matter, multiple pushchair positions, removable carry cot, excellent suspension and maneuverability, and it’s easy to fold and adjust. In the end, the Silver Cross Sleepover Sport Linear is like that middle-aged woman at the gym. She tries to fit in by dressing in warm-ups and trainers, but underneath it all, she’s just a sturdy, old-fashioned lady.

If you are looking for a Silvercross pram that is light and adaptable, the Freeway Linear is a good choice. Silvercross is known for making quality, sturdy prams and pushchairs, but their styling can seem old fashioned and fussy. The Freeway Linear overcomes Silvercross’ dowdy image with a sporty, modern look and a lower weight than many of Silvercross’ other travel systems.

The Freeway Linear has three modes: pram, rear-facing pushchair, and forward facing pushchair. Switching between the modes is simple once you get the hang of it, but attaching the pushchair body can be awkward at first. The pram mode of the Silvercross Freeway Linear is perfect for newborn babies as medical evidence continues to show that infants should avoid slumping because it can restrict their breathing. After three months or so, when baby is ready to sit up, the Silvercross Freeway Linear’s rear-facing pushchair mode allows baby to feel safe with mum always in sight. When baby gets to be a toddler, the forward-facing pushchair mode of the Silvercross Freeway Linear allows her to enjoy the scenery around her.

With that additional purchase of the Silvercross Ventura car seat, the Freeway Linear is a complete travel system, allowing you to take baby out of the car and into the pushchair without waking her. Unfortunately, the Silvercross Ventura car seat is only acceptable for babies up to 13kg, a weight most babies reach within their first year.

Silvercross has made the Freeway Linear very adaptable by selling all the components, chassis, pushchair body, and car seat separately. The Linear chassis is more modern than the Classic and folds into a neater package that is freestanding and upright. The Ventura cat seat can also attach directly to Silvercross’ Linear chassis, making it possible to go out even if you can’t fit the pushchair body in the boot—at least until your baby outgrows the Ventura car seat.

If you purchase all the components of the Silvercross Freeway Linear travel system including the Ventura Car Seat and the weather package (rain cover and sun canopy) it will cost over £400. That is a lot for a pushchair, but you have to consider what you are getting for the price. The Silvercross Freeway Linear will last you for years and adapts to every stage of your baby’s development. The Silvercross Freeway Linear will also be useful for any other children you have down the road. One mother reported that a similar Silvercross model lasted through four rowdy children. So if you want Silvercross reliability with a more modern look and feel, try the Silvercross Freeway Linear and enjoy your investment for years to come.

American moms are discovering the best thing to happen to baby transport since the travel system. Silver Cross, a UK-based company that specializes in strollers and travel systems, has created a multi-function stroller perfect for families on the go. The Silver Cross Sleepover Deluxe Classic features a pram, stroller, and bassinette in one sleek product.

Prams, long the standard in Europe, are becoming increasingly popular in the US. A pram is essentially a flat, portable bed, perfect for newborns and young babies. Moms like prams because baby is clearly visible at all times, and lying flat keeps baby from uncomfortable slouching. Europeans have long held that young babies should not be seated facing away from mom. Being able to constantly supervise an infant brings peace of mind for both mother and baby.

The Sleepover Deluxe Classic starts out as an adorable, cozy pram. Since Silver Cross began making prams in 1877, moms can count on getting a quality product. Silver Cross is known for their elegant design, plush fabrics, and luxe styling. The pram chassis features four-way suspension and large wheels, ensuring that baby has a smooth ride even if mom is traveling a bumpy road. There is also a wire shopping basket mounted below the pram that is perfect for holding the matching diaper bag and changing mat included with purchase.

Perhaps the most innovative feature of the Silver Cross Sleepover system is the ability of the pram to serve as a bassinette. Each unit comes with a handcrafted wooden rocking stand that folds for easy storage. At night, simply remove the pram from the chassis and mount it on the rocking stand. Use the included white piqué Moses set to create the look and feel of a traditional bassinette. The Sleepover Deluxe Classic has a mattress designed to promote airflow, keeping baby safe and comfortable. In the morning, simply replace the pram on the chassis using the one-click locking system and mom and baby are ready to go.

Once baby is old enough to sit up on his own, the Sleepover system’s pram converts into a reversible stroller. The stroller feature a rear-facing seat, ensuring that baby is in sight at all times and can enjoy watching his favorite person, mom.

Silver Cross makes products that are meant to last, and the Sleepover is no exception. Suitable for babies from birth to age 4, this system can be used for years. The system holds babies up to 44lbs, and with a bed length of over 34 inches, the bassinette feature is a comfortable option even for a toddler.

The Sleepover Deluxe Classic is perfect for families who like to travel. Visiting grandma, taking a family vacation, or even bringing baby to work is easy with the Sleepover. With the purchase of the Silver Cross Ventura Plus car seat, the Sleepover becomes a complete travel system. It’s not surprising that the Sleepover Deluxe Classic has won multiple awards, including the Mother and Baby Best Value and the Pregnancy Baby and You Editor’s Choice Award.

The Silvercross Dazzle is the latest in a string of smart designer strollers, because, let’s face it, your kid will grow up to be a lonely troll if his stroller isn’t the baby equivalent of a BMW. Am I the only person who thinks it’s crazy to pay nearly $300 for what is essentially a glorified umbrella stroller? I’m sure I’m not, but just in case you are even considering such an outrageous proposition as buying a Silvercross Dazzle, allow me to talk some sense into you.

To be fair, the Silvercross Dazzle is easy on the eyes with its neat aluminum frame and funky handles that make it look like a giant bent paperclip. It also comes with a lot of nifty features like an attachable carrycot and a matching quilted blanket. I won’t complain about the Silvercross Dazzle’s styling. I won’t even complain about the Silvercross Dazzle’s functionality—I’m pretty sure all four wheels roll and everything, allowing one to place a child inside and push her around to various locations. What I would like to complain about is the Silvercross Dazzle’s value.

Silvercross claims that the Dazzle stroller was “researched in the world’s style capitals” (which are London, Paris, New York, and Tokyo in case you want to know). I know that to me, research is a vital part of any stroller purchase. I want to know, nay, I must know, that a prototype of my Silvercross Dazzle was pushed by an elegant woman down the Champs Elysées or 5th avenue in Manhattan. Do you really want to pay all that extra money because the Silvercross Dazzle has been used in some big cities? Ultimately, you can find a perfectly good light stroller for far less than half the price of the Silvercross Dazzle.

In what is clearly an attempt to annoy me even further, the ad campaign for the Silvercross Dazzle is completely moronic. Silvercross has set up a faux photo shoot in which a glamorous model (just like me and you) poses for photos while her uncooperative child runs around ruining the shots. In the background, the Silvercross Dazzle sits in all it hip glory just begging you to reach out and stroke its lovely flanks. If I were in charge of such a shoot, I’d have the photographer sacked for letting the Silvercross Dazzle get in the shot in the first place.

Bottom line: don’t spend your hard-earned money on the Silvercross Dazzle. Sure, it’s probably a great stroller, but you are paying for a look, not functionality. Do yourself and your child a favor by taking all the money you save by purchasing some reasonably priced model from the Silvercross Dazzle’s competition and putting it in a college savings account. Now that’s smart.