About a month ago I was sent a Kiddy pushchair to review. Known for their carseats, it was a pleasant surprise to discover that they also made pushchairs, and as I've been using a Maclaren Techno XLR since The Boy outgrew his beloved iCandy Cherry, I was extremely interested to see how the City'n'Move would compare.

This review is heavy in photographs, but I want to show off as many different aspects as possible which is something I look for when researching a product. I must also apologise for some of the poses from The Boy; he was in a silly mood!

Assembly of the Kiddy City'n'Move is simple: the pushchair comes put together apart from the front wheels which slot into brackets and click into place; the hood slots into brackets on the side of the frame, there are metal studs on the fabric and frame that clip together and velcro strips for added adjustment; and the drinks' holder slots into an unobtrusive clip on either side of the frame. As The Boy insisted on helping me assemble the pushchair, it took slightly longer than necessary but was put together and he was wheeling it around within five minutes.

Once assembled, The Boy couldn't help but wheel the stroller around the house and then climb in. I'd explained that we were testing it and he was desperate to show off the features. So in he climbed to show the way that the seat has four different positions:

And that the protective-lined hood is so much better than the standard pushchair, mainly because it has an extendable hood with an integrated window to check on sleeping little ones:

Other aspects of the Kiddy City'n'Move to note are:

• extendable leg rest: as The Boy is at the end of the age range to use this pushchair, we have the rest extended to make it more comfortable for the length of his legs. Obviously for older babies and toddlers, it could be extended to support their legs whilst sleeping;
• ease of opening/closing: there is a wide plastic bracket on top of the hinges to push down to open the pushchair, attached to this is a handle at the top to pull up on and close the pushchair working in conjunction with the push lever on the side;
• safety straps: the Kiddy City'n'Move features a five-point harness with wide protection pads over the shoulders. The straps are easily adjustable in length and each shoulder strap clicks into place separately (much easier than the Maclaren). There are also slots on the back of the seat to adjust the position of the straps for different height children, and these are far more accommodating of taller children than in a Maclaren pushchair (The Boy is 3 years 11 months and 106cm tall).
• safety bar: there is a padded, metal safety bar which should be used at all times. I'm afraid that I don't have it on the pushchair in these photographs, however the image on the website shows how it looks. It fixes in on one side semi-permanently and there is a slot for it to attach into on the other side. A push button underneath allows it to open like a door for the older child to climb in and out. It also does not need removing when the pushchair is folded down as there is a hinge in the middle.

One aspect of this pushchair that I am incredibly impressed with is the raincover. I know it's not a very exciting concept but having coped with the (admittedly easy to fit) raincover on the Maclaren which then leaves a sodden pushchair, I was very happy to see that Kiddy have designed the raincover to fit over the entire pushchair, hood and all. There are two slots to put the handles through and they are the only things that get wet, as even half of the back is covered. I had a good chance to test this today as we walked for twenty five minutes in the torrential rain across town to pick up my car from the garage. I was saturated; my jeans were sticking to me and I had water running off my face. However, The Boy sat comfortable and dry inside the City'n'Move which also remained dry as a bone.

The only thing that I found slightly irksome about the Kiddy City'n'Move is the shopping basket. While it is large enough to accommodate the groceries from a trip to the town centre and a change bag, unfortunately the umbrella-folding mechanism is not below the basket but above it. This effectively means that the basket is divided into four sections when putting items in it. This may be something that just bothers me, but it was part of the criteria for a pushchair when we first had The Boy.

However, all the positives of this pushchair far outweigh the logistics of loading up a shopping basket; it's roomy, airy, comfortable, with a sensible closing mechanism and raincover. And I can't rave about the extendable hood enough! What's more is that The Boy prefers it! I asked him to try out both this and the Maclaren and he prefers the Kiddy every time. And in all honesty, so do I! It's a good looking pushchair, and very comfortable to push.

Furthermore, it passed the Nana test (she took charge in Cardiff city centre and she's used a fair few pushchairs in her time with four children and seven grandchildren) with flying colours, having been bumped up and down several stairs, pavements and steered around groups of dawdlers.

The best indication that this is a good pushchair is this though…

…he hasn't fallen asleep in a pushchair for nearly 18 months.

Suffice it to say, we haven't actually used the Maclaren since we received the Kiddy pushchair and when we go on holiday in a few weeks, the City'n'Move will be the one we take with us.

I was sent this item for the purpose of this review, my opinion is honest and unbiased.