Design
The Steelcraft Agile is a mid-sized pram suitable for your child from birth. It has a sleek and solid aluminium frame.
The Agile comes with a black seat unit and you can choose from a contrasting hood in forest (green), shell (gray), red or in all over black.
It's has great quality components and comes with lots of features.
Features
The Agile features an unlimited recline including (almost) flat for infants and has four reasonably sized wheels, two small ones at the front, two large ones at the rear. The front two wheels are lockable.
The hood is a good size and provides your child with reasonable sun protection. It also has a detachable pocket at the back which is very handy.
The Agile has a medium sized under seat basket. It's accessible from both the back and sides, however, from the back the gap between the seat unit and basket is slim.
Performance
The Agile is comfortable to push and manoeuvre. On smooth surfaces it's fantastic; on rougher surfaces it's a bit bumpier. Although the Agile has no suspension, the foam wheels go some way to absorbing some of the bumps and lumps of the pavement or the park. The larger rear wheels are a great size for managing curbs and stairs, as well as getting on and off public transport.
The fold action of the Agile is one of the simplest available. Depress the red button on the side then pull up the handle situated in the middle of the seat. The pram will then collapse in a medium sized flat fold and automatically lock. You can easily carry the Agile around with the seat handle or there's an alternate handle on the side.
The unfold is also simple but requires some upper body strength. Just flip the lock and pull the handle up and out towards you.
The Agile's fold action is great if you need to fold your pram while holding your baby. Particularly if you need to fold your pram to use public transport or travel. The unfold, however, requires two hands.
The seat unit is a great size. It comes with infant inserts so your newborn does not disappear into it. For older children the seat is wide and hood high so there's plenty of room for a pre-schooler. The Agile has a footwell rather than an adjustable food rest so a toddlers legs may dangle about a bit.
The brakes are flip on/off tabs located just inside each wheel. They are linked so you only need to flip on one side and it locks both. You can flip them wearing sandals or thongs.
The recline action is a strap and clip scenario. It's pretty smooth and it's safe to recline the seat while your baby is in it. When reclined there's a nice ventilation panel at the back of the pram which ensures air circulation around your baby's head. In bad weather the flap on the back of the hood covers the ventilation panel.
The seat cover is not removable. To keep it clean, wipe it down with a damp cloth. The fabrics are reasonable quality, we'll ask our parent tester to report back on wear and tear.
Last but not least, the Agile comes with a storm cover in its own little bag. I particularly like that you can fit the storm cover in the pocket on the back of the hood. It’s a nice practical touch.
With the Steelcraft Infant Carrier
The Agile stroller comes complete with baby carrier adaptors which clip neatly on either side of the pram. Elasticised sides cover the adaptor slots when not in use.
While the pram is in full recline you just slot the baby carrier into the adaptors and adjust the carrier handle so it locks the carrier into the pram.
Both the hoods on the pram and the carrier meet in the middle to create a comfy space for your baby to sleep in and also effectively keeps out the sun.
Drawbacks
The Agile is a budget-friendly pram. It doesn't come with all the bells and whistles that you might find with a more expensive pram, i.e. suspension, adjustable handles, removable seat cover and adjustable footrest. However, it's worth noting that it does have lots of other practical features.
The Agile comes with the new Stroller Safety standard 4-part buckle. This is fiddly to use but as it's a safety feature, I'll just have to adapt. However, the Agile's buckle is a bit plasticy and pinchy.
The front wheel locks are located on the front of the wheels. When toddlers and pre-schoolers are climbing in and out of the seat it’s easy for them to flip the locks on and suddenly you can't steer properly. This has happened to me quite a few times.
Finally, the Agile leaves me wanting more. A travel bag and summer hood would be a good start. Steelcraft could even get a bit funky with the Agile by offering limited edition hood colours and prints. Also a toddler board wouldn’t go astray. The good news is that parents can expect a baby bag very soon with other accessories on the way.
Conclusion
I love the Agile as a versatile stroller option for getting around every day. It’s one of those strollers that’s good for an infant and just as good for a pre-schooler. The compact fold also makes it suitable for travel.
Finally, the Agile is spot on for value for money.
And apparently I’m not the only one who’s impressed because 5 minutes ago I found out that the Agile won an Australian Design award for 2012. Congratulations Steelcraft.
About Steelcraft
Steelcraft is an Australian icon and has been making nursery products for more than 60 years. Britax a European company, own Steelcraft and is well known for its car seats, baby gear, and prams.
