Cybex e-gazelle S
- Weight: 14.7kg
- Age range: Birth to about four years
- Includes: Seat unit (bassinet sold separately); shopping basket; rain cover
- Folded dimensions: 36cm x 56.5cm x 77.5cm
- Why we love it
- Makes any incline and the most uneven terrain a breeze to tackle
- Easy to assemble
- Folds up with just the push of a button
- Built to carry two kids weighing up to 22kg each
- Battery is easy to remove and charge
- Take note
- Rocking mode saps power
- Frustrating automatic brake
My new e-pram initially exceeded my expectations. I first started testing the e-gazelle S when I was six months pregnant, and I was unable to push my two-year-old daughter up the hill to our home without nearly collapsing. At first, the e-gazelle was a lifesaver. It not only made steep inclines manageable but even made them easy.
My husband and I found the buggy straightforward to assemble and even simpler to use. The battery clicks into the pram at its base, then you press the “on” button on the handlebar, hold down the thumb-level lever, and you're away. When switched off, the battery pack makes it heavier than most pushchairs. However, I was impressed by the sleek frame - even though it’s built to hold two kids, it’s around the same size as our previous pram, the Bugaboo fox 2.
However, the honeymoon period ended when I started experiencing issues with the battery. Cybex says the battery will last approximately 45km if used in temperatures of 20C and on mostly flat surfaces, carrying a weight of 9-10kg. That range drops to 8km if used in 10-20C on difficult terrain, carrying a load of 15kg. I’ve found that the battery needs charging around every couple of days. The 8km range is relatively small if you go on a longer walk, and difficult terrain - in our case, hills and badly-paved London streets - is fairly common.
I soon gave up on the rocking feature for a similar reason: it simply isn’t worth using unless I have the charger nearby. The rocking mode guzzles power, draining the battery in minutes.
Still, in Cybex’s defence, you don’t really need to switch on the power too often: it’s meant for the kind of trips that leave you huffing and puffing.
In fact, one feature of the motor was a bit of a burden. It’s programmed to put the brakes on if the pram breaches a certain speed limit. While this is a reassuring feature in many ways, dispelling nightmarish visions of the pram hurtling away, it can be irritating. If you’re a fast walker or running late, it can be frustrating for the pram to stop and start. It took me a while to realise that this setting can be overridden by holding down the power button, taking it off standby mode and switching it off entirely.
Nor did I find the e-gazelle S the ideal buggy for transporting my two children. Though designed to accommodate a bassinet and a seat, you’re forced to place the bassinet in the bottom section of the frame, which is a little too close to the ground for my liking. When my daughter – now aged three – sits in her seat, her feet are perilously close to my baby son’s face. That’s not to mention she is already a bit too big for it - she’s totally outgrown the safety harness, despite Cybex’s claim that the pram is suitable for children up to four years or 22kg.
With all that said, this buggy’s benefits outweigh its shortcomings. Its e-power is a godsend to any parent living in a hilly area, and charging the battery is easy, particularly when you consider we’re all accustomed to plugging in our phones more than once a day.