Known for its luxurious quality, Silver Cross brings affordable luxury to the mainstream buyer. The latest offering, Silver Cross Breez, is no exception. We took the new mid-sized multi-terrain travel system from the heritage brand for a spin to find all the positives and pitfalls of this stylish hybrid stroller.
What’s Hot:
+ Premium feel without full-sized bulk
+ Built-in shoulder carry strap
+ Nice big, usable basket storage space
What’s Not:
– Tall or larger toddlers may find the seat restrictive
– ‘One hand fold’ doesn’t always hold true
What is it and what’s included
While it isn’t a fully-fledged compact or travel stroller, the Silver Cross Breez is smaller than many rivals. It aims to provide all the comfort and usability of a full-sized stroller in a slightly more compact form. The chassis and carrycot together weigh in at 11kg, which is a few kilos lighter than a standard travel system like the Silver Cross Reef 2, but not quite as lightweight as the compact Jet 5.
Breez is available as a pushchair or as part of a bundle. Opting for the pushchair only is a great choice if you’re on a budget. The Breez chassis comes with the seat unit that can be parent or world-facing and is suitable from birth, thanks to the lie-flat adjustment. Every purchase option includes a set of universal car seat adaptors, so you can simply drop your first-size car seat onto the chassis and avoid disturbing a sleeping newborn.
All the essentials are included in the box: a washable, reversible seat liner, a rain cover, a bumper bar, and even a cup holder, along with the seat unit with sunhood, chassis, and car seat adaptors.
Upgrade to the 10-piece bundle and the carrycot, changing bag and a cosy, fleece-lined footmuff are added. The 12-piece bundle includes a Glide Plus 360 car seat and base, and the 13-piece bundle rounds out the collection with an Approach Plus 360 car seat for children up to 4 years old.
Construction, usability and the ‘one-hand fold’
When the box arrives, unpacking and constructing isn’t too problematic. Unfold the chassis and click the wheels in place, slide on the seat or carrycot, and you’re pretty much good to go. A sunshade extension for the pushchair seat is part of the kit, which is simple to zip on, and the seat liner slides over the harness straps with ease.
The carrycot arrives folded, and it takes a bit of brute force to get it to click into the flat position, which is a little unnerving the first few times you do it. Once you realise that it’s made of pretty tough stuff and you’re not about to snap it in half, it’s all much easier.
Complete with a soft, comfortable mattress, the carrycot is approved for overnight sleeping, so it can be used in place of a Moses basket or bassinet, which is a plus point if you’re travelling with a little one, or overnighting at Grandma’s house.
The carrycot has zippable mesh panels to provide plenty of cooling ventilation around the baby’s head, and while the carrycot lining and mattress cover are removable, they aren’t machine washable, which is a shame.
Switching between the carrycot and the seat is incredibly simple. Just press down and hold a button on each side; they lift off, allowing the alternate to be clicked into place.
Silver Cross has developed the Breez with a ‘one-hand fold’ capability, which we found, during our testing, didn’t always live up to expectations in real-world use. With the carrycot top on or the seat in the parent-facing position, everything went smoothly and was easy to do with one hand. When the seat is world-facing, we found that it wasn’t as slick. To fold it correctly, the seat base needs to be lifted towards the handle, but it tends to fall back very easily. The solution in those instances was to use a knee to hold it in place, so you could argue it is still a one-hand fold, but I’m not sure that’s quite what Silver Cross was going for.
Handling and comfort
One of the things we love about the Silver Cross Breez is its handling. The ride is smooth, thanks to the suspension on both the front wheels and rear wheels, and the adjustable handle makes it comfortable to push for everyone, regardless of height. Turns are smooth and fairly tight, making manoeuvring in cramped spaces a doddle, while still feeling stable and controlled.
We tested the Silver Cross Breez with our team of Mini Joes, from tiny Mini Joe through to not-so Mini Joe, and they were all relaxed, comfortable, and happy, no matter the terrain, with the sunshade providing plenty of protection when needed.
The RideTech multi-terrain wheels make it easy to guide Breez across a range of surfaces, from footpaths and roads to cobbles and woodlands. For rougher surfaces, the front wheels can be locked into place, making it an excellent candidate for both urban and rural settings.
Storage at home and in the car
The amount of storage available with a pushchair or stroller chassis can be rather hit-or-miss, but thankfully, Breez has a well-proportioned basket that can hold up to 10kg. There’s nothing to hamper loading it, so whether you’re maxing out with shopping or just loading up with toys and snacks for a day out, it should hold everything you need, within reason.
There aren’t any other handy pockets built in, but there are attachment points on the handle to hang the matching changing bag from, ensuring the underseat basket space remains available for whatever else might be needed.
Being a hybrid stroller – not quite full-sized, nor compact – it’s a little easier to store when not in use. Once folded, it’s free-standing and can be tucked neatly into an understairs cupboard or the corner of a hallway.
If you live in a flat or apartment and need to carry Breez up steps, there’s a built-in shoulder strap to make carrying it a lot more manageable, particularly if you’re carrying the baby, too.
Its reasonably compact nature, along with the folding carrycot, makes it a great choice for those with more limited car boot space. It fitted easily into the back of the Xpeng G6 (with a similar boot capacity as a Kia Sportage), leaving plenty of room for a weekly shop, so a small boot space would still hold the Breez quite happily.
Silver Cross Breez: The verdict
The Silver Cross Breez brings together many elements we absolutely love. It’s stylish, with four different colourways to choose from, features high-quality materials, and creates a comfortable environment for passengers, from newborn to toddler.
It has been thoughtfully designed, with great features like a centrally placed, easy-to-use brake and a two-position seat height to bring the baby closer. The available bundles provide everything you’ll need for travel and mobility until they hit pre-school, making budgeting easier.
Unless, as we discovered with not-so Mini Joe, you have a toddler of above-average height (he’s not yet 3 years old, but the best part of 10cm taller than his nursery classmates), at which point the longevity of Breez becomes more limited. It’s unlikely to be a factor for many, unless you have a toddler with an aversion to walking very far.
For most, though, Silver Cross Breez offers a luxurious ride at a competitive price, with all the necessities covered, even at the entry level.
Tested: Silver Cross Breez 10-piece bundle
How much: £845
Average Joes Rating: ★★★★☆
