Design
The Steelcraft Strider Plus is a larger European styled pram with detachable main seat and optional second seat.
It comes in black, kingfisher blue and toffee and in a 4 or 3 wheeled version. We test drove the Strider Plus 4.
It’s very sturdy and strong and all the components are well designed and made.
Features
The Steelcraft Strider Plus has tons of features including; 3 position seat recline including flat, a smartly designed adjustable five point harness, removable bumper bar, adjustable and padded handle, suspension, reversible seat unit and an adjustable head cushion and leg rest.
The hood is a great size and will almost completely cover your child. It features a flip out sun shade, zipped out air ventilation panel and peek a boo window.
The Steelcraft Strider Plus has a great sized under seat basket and smart zip opening so you can access the basket from the front and/or side. This is a great feature if you use the optional second seat. There’s also a useful detachable storage pouch with two bottle holders and a great sized pocket on the back of the seat unit.
Performance
The Steelcraft Strider is a smooth ride. It’s not a nimble pram, however, it is a very steady pram which is an important safety feature, especially if you are pushing two. It has four wheel suspension and the front wheels are lockable to better travel on bumpy surfaces.
Before I go on it’s worth pointing out here that one of the hallmarks of the Strider Plus is its smartly designed features. Pretty much every function of this pram is designed for ease of use. As the Strider Plus is designed in Australia it’s great to see Aussie design leading the way.
Designed as a travel system the Strider Plus has many options. The seat unit that comes standard with the pram is suitable for a newborn and you can have it forward facing or rear facing. The chassis is compatible with a bassinet and the Strider Plus Infant Carrier.
This seat unit is wide and comfortable and well designed for both infants and older children. The seat cover and accessories are reversible with one side a cool cotton for summer and the reverse fleeced for winter. They are fully washable on a cold cycle.
One of the smart features of the Strider Plus is the harness adjuster. You just unzip the back seat cover and adjust the seat height using the leaver. No more pulling off seat covers and fiddling with the harness. The recline mechanism is just as easy to use.
The fold is a simple three steps. You can fold it with the seat unit on but Streelcraft suggest it’s easier to carry the folded pram with the seat unit off. The chassis folds onto the ground and automatically latches. The fold size is large so make sure it will fit into your car boot before you purchase.
The brake is a flip down tap above the right wheel, it locks both sides. The handle is easily adjustable to 9 different positions.
Generally, one thing I love about all the Steelcraft Striders is that they come with everything you need. A double rain cover, boot cover (footmuff), infant inserts and UV cover (for the front seat, you don’t need one for the additional seat) are included.
Finally, Steelcraft have some really great videos on their website demonstrating the features and operations of the Steelcraft Strider. They are really useful.
With the second seat
The second seat is easy to attach in two steps. It’s fully reclinable for a newborn and roomy enough to comfortably seat an older child. It comes with all the features of the standard seat including recline and that that smartly designed hood.
You can combine the second seat with the bassinet or Strider Plus Infant Carrier and it comes with extenders you can use with the standard seat or bassinet to give your rear passenger more room.
One of the unique features of the Strider Plus is that it doesn’t matter which child you have in which seat which gives you more flexibility. We tested it out with a 15kg child in the second seat and no child in the top and the Strider Plus was completely stable. It’s worth nothing though, the Strider Plus is easier to steer when you have the heavier child in the front seat.
Also the Strider Plus is a great option for twins. When out and about recently I spied a pair of twins and I liked the way mum & grandma could have contact with both babies and tend to their needs.
As a travel system
The Strider Plus is compatible with the Strider Plus Infant Carrier. See the Strider Plus Carrier review for further information.
Drawbacks
The Strider Plus rear wheel base is wide, very wide. It’s what gives the pram its great stability. You will need to use the wide checkout at the supermarket and may have some difficulty maneuvering in small spaces or getting through narrow doors.
When the Strider is loaded up with two children and associated baby gear it can be quite heavy to push. When you consider the pram plus second seat weigh around 17kgs, then you add 2 children + baby gear you could be easily pushing around 40kgs.
Of course any child in the second seat is going to have their view obstructed. However the pocket on the back of the front seat can be used to hang toys from or store treasure in to keep your child occupied.
I’m not entirely convinced of the effectiveness of the suspension for the passenger of the second seat. It might just be that it looks like a bumpier ride because the seat is closer to the ground. I’ll be asking our tester parents to report back on that over time.
Conclusion
Personally I would choose a more compact and nimble pram for one child. However, for two I’d have to say the Steelcraft Strider Plus one of the most functional & comfortable prams for two and certainly the most stable inline double on the market.
Considering that you get many of the accessories included it’s also competitively priced.
About Steelcraft
Steelcraft is an Australian icon and have been making nursery products for more than 60 years. Britax a European company, own Steelcraft and are well known for their car seats, baby gear, and prams.
