Recently we were given the opportunity to road test the shiny new Britax Affinity- and we jumped at the opportunity! There's nothing we love more that putting a new pram through its paces because we know how hard it is to pick a pram when all you get to do is wheel it around the shop. So lets begin:
Test 1- The Park/ Beach
We wanted to try this baby out off road. With it's big wheels we were expecting good things- and we weren't disappointed! The Britax Affinity rolled through sand and grass with no problems at all. It was easy to steer and push through longer grass with little effort. The large back wheels meant that even when the terrain was uneven the ride was still smooth.
Sand/Grass Rating: 5/5
Test 2- Shopping
The Britax Affinity is on the larger side but it does navigate the shops quite well. It has a good turning circle and I like that the seat is quite shallow- which gives baby the opportunity to look around and engage with the world. Just be aware though that it doesn't balance well on it's front wheels when going down a kerb because they are quite small- you need to reverse down or roll on the back wheels. We took it into Avalon, which is full of small, boutique shops, and it squeezed in well- not taking up too much room and fitting into smaller spaces. You can also steer it with one hand very easily, which makes it easy when shopping. The basket is nice and large and holds a lot, which is great if you regularly walk to do your shopping.
Shopping Rating- ⅘
Test 3- Cafe
The Britax Affinity is large! It's not going to squeeze in to a tiny cafe with lots of tables placed close together. It is better suited to street side cafes or larger spaces. However it's a great height, bringing baby up to you when you are sitting down. If your baby is sitting up it will be at a good height to join in at the table! It does manoeuvre through the space well though (if there is some!). People were impressed with it though- they loved the white chassis- it got a lot of compliments!
Cafe Rating ⅗
Test 4- The Pack Up
The Britax Affinity is super easy to fold- just slide the locks on the side the the handle and you are away. The great thing about it as well is that you can leave the seat attached to the chassis when you fold it, unlike a lot of prams with a similar design. As you can see above the chassis itself folds up quite small, but with the combination of the seat and the large wheels the Affinity is going to take up A LOT of room in your boot. When it's in my car its pretty much the only thing that fits and I have a big boot. So if you have a small car this isn't the pram for you. However, if you are using this pram more for walking, and less taking it out and about in the car, then it's a fantastic option.
The only other thing I would say is that when you fold it the chassis does come into contact with the ground so I could see a lot of potential for scratching the white chassis on the rough road. However an upside is that the wheels don't make contact with the seat and get it dirty- which happens with a lot of prams.
Pack Up Rating- ⅗
Overall I really liked the Britax Affinity. It's sturdy and tough but looks great. It's easy to use from birth without needing a basinet (although you can get the basinet and carseat adaptor for it) and I like that you can turn the seat to face you or face away and its so easy you can vary it on a day to day basis rather than commit to one or the other. The mesh zip in the hood is a great idea- expanding the hood and letting in airflow as well. I loved the basket capacity and the fact that the basket is easily accessible as well. Its easy to fold and unfold and isn't too heavy to lift in and out of the car.
The Britax Affinity comes in a black, silver or white chassis and a range of colour packs including; black, fossil brown, cool berry, sky blue and chilli pepper. It retails for $899. For more information visit www.britax.com.au
Andreas
Hi,
Lovely to read your review, it was very informative and helpful! We're expecting your first child in this fall and we've had our sights set on the Affinity but we've been told that the comfort in rougher "terrain" can be limited in comparison to other models or brands. From what I understand the first model of the Affinity came with adjustable suspension for the back wheels whereas the new model does not. Which one did you try and how do you think the removal of the adjustable suspension affects the comfort or stability?
Maraya
Hi Andreas,
We tried out the first model and we really liked it. It was very stable on the road and the grass and didn't feel too bumpy at all. I'm not too sure about the removal of the suspension but I would assume that they wouldn't have removed it if they thought it negatively impacted the performance. I guess it depends how rough the terrain really is that you would be using it on. If you think you're going to be on a lot of dirt roads/ bushwalking then you might want to look at something with bigger wheels like a mountain buggy or even a BOB (which are fantastic). But if you're going to be mainly at the shops/ on the footpath/ some grass then I think the Affinity would do this well.