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Marketed as ‘flexible, fun and functional’, the Thule Spring ticks all those boxes and more.
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Made by the Swedish masters of vehicle accessories (you may have seen their roof racks and car boxes) this is a robust, premium stroller which you can personalise with different canopies and accessories. Although Thule may be better known for their popular running buggy, the Thule Glide 2, they also design everyday strollers for “active parents with an urban life”.
Suitable from 6 months up to a maximum weight of 22kg (approx. 4-years-old), the Spring boast a quick and easy one-hand fold, and an adjustable central handlebar, as well as an unusual 3-wheel design. With an RRP of £394.99, it’s a mid-price pushchair option, sitting alongside the likes of the Cybex Balios S Lux pushchair, £399.99, and between the top-end UPPAbaby Cruz V2, £739.99 and more budget option of the Graco Transform, £200.
Mum-of-2, Sascha, tested the Thule Spring with 8-month-old Cora, for everyday use around town. Due to COVID restrictions, they didn’t venture too far on public transport, but used it lots for the school run, walks along suburban streets and in parks and shopping centres.
What were your first impressions?
The most blindingly obvious thing you first notice about the Thule Spring is there are only three wheels. But don’t be deceived – this is not a jogger, unlike the brand’s Glide 2. It’s just a really well-designed city stroller that doesn’t need that fourth wheel, similar to the Baby Jogger City Mini GT2.
Getting it out of the box you realise how lightweight it is (9.5kg) and the only ‘construction’ needed is clicking on the wheels and hood. Although it’s worth noting that the hood comes in a separate box (since you ‘pick and mix’ the frames and canopies to get the colour combo you want)
How easy is the Thule Spring to fold and unfold?
Of all the strollers I’ve had over the past four years, this has to be the easiest ever to fold. Simply lift the seat to find the handle hidden underneath and with one pull the whole thing collapses (though fear not, it can’t happen while your little one is sat in it, the handle is only accessible when the stroller is empty!). Likewise, you can unfold in one fluid motion, with one hand – it really made getting in and out of the car much less stressful. Parents on the John Lewis website also praised the quick and easy folding mechanism, with the Spring receiving a number of 5-star reviews.
How compact is the Thule Spring when folded?
The stroller is surprisingly compact for such a robust model, folding down to a relatively modest H:76cmxW:45cmxD:32cm, similar to the Cybex Eezy S Twist+2 at H:68cmxW:47.5cmxD30.5cm and the Bugaboo Bee6 at H:76cmxW:47cmxD:34cm. And while it is more ‘square’ shaped when folded than the longer shape many strollers collapse into, it does fit easily into the boot of a small car. Best of all it’s only 9.5kg so you can lift it with one hand.
The Spring’s folded dimensions do put it out of the typical range for cabin luggage allowance on airlines, so if that is important to you, you’re better off opting for an ultra-compact stroller such as the Joolz Aer, £389.
What do you think of the Spring’s seat unit?
This is definitely a comfy ride for baby! The Thule Spring’s seat is padded and feels like a proper ‘chair’ rather than the ‘director-style seat’ many cheaper strollers have. It is only world facing, but so are most of the other strollers I’ve owned in the past, however it’s worth noting this in case it’s a factor that is important to you.
If you undo the toggle on the back, the seat reclines into an almost totally flat ‘sleeping’ position, which kept my little one snoozing happily while we were out and about. It also helped that seat was black to hide the debris from the multitude of snacks my little one seemed to drop on it.
How comfortable was your baby in the Thule Spring?
My chunky 8-month old fitted perfectly in the stroller and her general position was great thanks to the sturdiness of the seat (none of that pesky slouching or slumping you get with some strollers). The stroller is designed for use from 6 months onwards, although there are car seat adapters you can buy which mean you can click on a car seat for much smaller babies until they fit in. Many online parent reviews say the Thule comes into its own for toddlers and up especially, and the fixed foot rest is just the right height to help them step into the stroller themselves.
What’s did you think of the harness on the Thule Spring?
The padded 5-point harness feels like something that wouldn’t be out of place in a racing car. While the stroller doesn’t come with a traditional ‘bumper bar’ as standard, we didn’t miss it because the harness feels safe and secure and easily gives the best travel system ones a run for their money. My only complaint is it can be fiddly when you have an uncompliant baby to wrestle into the seat as there are four different clips to click in separately. But overall it feels worth the occasional struggle!
Did you like the hood?
Yes; the Spring’s hood is really good. For starters, it’s made of a premium-feel fabric which coped well with being pulled about by the small person underneath it, as well as being slung in the car boot when it started to rain. It’s also extendable, to help cope with different light conditions. In its regular position, the canopy (which was really easy to put up and down) provided enough shade for normal daylight. And when the sun came out, I simply extended the hood to ‘cocoon’ baby inside. This stroller would be perfect for holidays too, since the hood offers UPF 50+ UV protection, as well as mesh netting around the back to increase airflow.
A unique feature of the Thule Spring is you can tailor the hood according to your taste. Whereas most strollers only come in one or two colours, the Spring allows you to choose from seven different coloured hoods and pick the frame/hood combination you want.
What’s the handlebar like on the Thule Spring?
The soft grip central handlebar is a cinch to use with one hand. It gives unparalleled steering and as a real bonus it is adjustable – you can even adjust it with one hand. This meant both myself and my husband (who’s three inches taller than me) found it comfy to use. In fact, even my 4-year-old was able to adjust it to her height and push her sister with ease.
How easy is the Thule Spring to steer?
As you’d expect from a company rooted in motoring and cycling, this handles like a dream on the road. The swivelling front wheel can be locked into a fixed position if you’re going over rougher terrain and offers amazing manoeuvrability.
While clearly aimed at the city parent, the Spring coped with more rural routes too. And it was simple to apply the brake too – I didn’t kick it once while pushing the stroller and it did hold in place well when applied.
What’s in the box?
Stroller frame
3 x wheels
The hood/canopy – in your colour choice – comes in separate box.
Are there any additional accessories you can buy?
The Thule website offers a whole host of matching accessories. Not only can you choose the frame and hood colour, you could buy reflecting wheel covers, a bumper bar, rain cover, car seat adapters (both Chicco and Maxi-Cosi), travel bag, mesh cover, organiser, snack tray, cupholder, glider/buggy board, footmuff and leg rest. The list seemed endless (but could end up being a tad expensive if you got the lot).
What’s the Spring’s storage basket like?
This stroller is made by one of the leading manufacturers of roof racks and car boxes, so they know a thing or two about carrying loads safely and securely. Unsurprisingly then, the basket of the Spring was big. Big enough for our change bag, water bottle and some basic shopping. And nothing fell out as we went along. Definitely a win in our book.
What would you have wanted to know before buying the Thule Spring?
I would have liked to know more about how a 3-wheeler handles, because I’d only had the conventional 4-wheelers before. I have always assumed 3-wheelers were only for jogging buggies and thus wouldn’t naturally have considered it. The Spring was a very pleasant surprise!
Who would this pushchair be most useful for?
This is a really great city stroller – the 3-wheeled design means a narrower front end, which we found much easier to get in and out of shops and doorways than its more traditional counterparts. It’s also pretty lightweight, so if you did need to get public transport it would be easy enough to lift while still grabbing hold of your little one. It’s also really sturdy and stylish and would appeal to both mums and dads alike.
Is the Thule Spring worth the money?
Starting at £394.99, this is one of the most expensive strollers I’ve had, especially when you start accessorising with footmuffs and rain covers – although I appreciate it’s by no means at the most premium end of the stroller market, price-wise. But hand on heart, it does feel worth the money. Especially if you're not investing in a bigger travel system or if your little one has outgrown theirs. If you're looking for a cheap and cheerful stroller then this is probably not the one for you. But if you want something sturdier that looks the part, and will last, this is it.
How does the Thule Spring compare to other similar pushchairs?
This is a stylish, robust stroller that is so user-friendly it’s difficult to find much to fault. The premium design is reflected in the higher price tag – but the one-handed folding mechanism, combined with comfy seating position and adjustable central handle bar made our lives much so much easier every time we used it, we felt it was worth it. And, while both my husband and I had different opinions about how to pronounce Thule (apparently, it’s actually ‘Too-Le’), we agreed wholeheartedly that this was one of the most intuitive strollers we had ever owned.
