Diono Quantum review
B Loves: A well-priced three-in-one pushchair that comes with all you need from birth to three years.
Diono is a relatively new name to UK shores; it is an American company that is bringing its products to the UK and it already has the Radian 5 car seat here, an innovative seat that folds for easy storage. It launched the Quantum pushchair a couple of months ago at a star-studded event at London’s Chelsea Football Club, with a DJ set by Sara Cox.
Seat: The seat is a very useful piece of kit, as it converts into a carrycot that you can use for the baby’s first few months in the lie-flat position that’s so good for your baby’s sleep and development. The carrycot is a good size and is well padded with a mattress and liner to make sure your baby is comfortable and faces the parent in this mode. It also has an extremely large canopy when in this mode, you so you can protect your baby from the wind, rain and sun with this hood.
When your baby gets ready for sitting up, you simply and quickly convert the carrycot into a seat unit. Adding just four clips, it converts into a generous seat suitable even for the tallest children, up to around three years of age and they can place their feet on the adjustable – and easy to clean – footrest. The seat can face the front or the parent, so you get to choose how your child experiences the world – facing you for interaction, 
facing the front to see what’s going on – or when you want them to go to sleep and you know it’s dangerous to make eye contact! It also reclines, which you can do from the top of the back of the seat and it has a nice smooth action, so as not to wake a baby that’s just dropping off. The recline lever, like all parts that perform an action on this pushchair, are in a pale grey plastic and so are easy to find.
Again, the hood is a great asset when in seat mode, as the generous size continues to protect your child. There’s a peek-a-boo window so that you can keep an eye on your child and there is a ventilation panel for hotter weather and a sun visor that pops down from the front of the hood for when the sun is low in the sky. You can also add a rain cover for wet days – and it’s included in the price, which is great.
The seat has a liner that’s reversible and there is also an apron to keep the cold from little legs in colder weather.
Chassis: The brushed steel and black chassis looks good and will be durable and it has a simple and sleek look. It’s easy to fold too – remove the carrycot or seat, slide the button on the handle whilst pushing and it folds in half. Then just pick up the strap that appears in the centre of the chassis and this doubles as a handy carrying strap. It locks in place to avoid bumped ankles when it’s folded. The handle is adjustable through six positions, which means any height of pusher will find it comfortable. The brake is really nice and is well positioned right in the middle of the lower back bar of the chassis – you push down on it with your foot to lock it, then push again to unlock it. The only slight download of the rear bar is that it might catch the foot of a really tall pusher but if the handle is at its longest setting, this should be fine. It has a really, really generous luggage basket too, which will hold all you need for your baby for a day out, plus your shopping too.
Wheels: It seems that ball bearings are the answer to a smooth ride, with lots of companies adopting them in their wheels and Diono’s are nice and smooth to push thanks to them. The front wheels are smaller and swivel through 3600 and the back wheels are generous enough to tackle bumpy ground – though perhaps not really rough off-road terrain. The wheels come off at the push of a button, which is handy if they are really muddy or if you want to store the pushchair or put it in a smaller car boot.
Extras: Car seat adaptors (included) allow you to attach a car seat to form a travel system. You can add several of Diono’s accessories too; a cup holder, footmuff, mesh liner and travel changing bag.
The Small Print
- Weight: 14.3 kg
- Suitable: birth to 15 kg
- Seat reclines?: Yes, three in either forward or parent facing positions
- Folded size: H33 x W61 x D80 cm
- Car seat: Cybex Aton and Aton Q i-Size; Joie iGemm; Kiddy Evo Lunafix; Maxi-Cosi Citi, Pebble Plus and Cabriofix; Nuna Pipa i-Size. Diono is soon to launch its own Group 0+ car seat which will fit on the chassis.