How safe is the Chicco Echo Twin Stroller?
The Chicco Echo Twin can be used from newborn up to 15kg. The material is snug to the frame, ensuring no gaps for small fingers to get caught, and the seats nicely padded.
While suitable from birth and safe to do so, our tester, mum of two Liz, didn’t feel the seat reclined flat enough to give full support to her five-month-old baby. She felt it would be more suited to babies six months or older.
What about the harness?
The Chicco Echo Twin Stroller boasts an easy-to-use five-point harness that can be clipped into place or undone in seconds.
While the straps are narrow and the buckles made of light plastic, they feel secure and are adjustable for different heights, with shoulder pads for added comfort.
How stable is the Chicco Echo Twin?
With two children in tow, you’ll require a sturdy pram that you can load up for a day out. The Echo Twin’s frame is made from steel with several plastic components and, while not as solid as pricier buggies like the Thule Urban Glide 2 Double, it’s sturdy enough to comfortably hold two children plus extra baggage.
The handlebar is split and, though Chicco says it’s not designed to carry a changing bag, Liz hung her own off one side to test this out. Reassuringly, the buggy didn’t feel unbalanced or topple, even when her four-year-old jumped out of the seat unexpectedly.
We tested the seats with one and both children inside, using a heavy bag to see how it would cope with a second toddler and a 2kg bag in place of a newborn. The stroller has a low centre of balance, making it hard to topple.
What about the brakes?
The Chicco Echo Twin Stroller’s three back wheels are linked by a bar with a lever, which must be pushed down to engage the brake. Once in place, the brake holds securely on all terrain and gradients, staying engaged even when the pram is folded. To disengage, you simply flick the lever back up with the top of your foot.
What’s the Chicco Echo Twin Stroller like in day-to-day use?
The Chicco Echo Twin is a pushchair made for families on the go. There’s no messing around with adapters or seats – you simply open it up, strap your children in and off you go.
While too wide (at 78cm) to fit through Liz’s narrow front door, the Echo Twin is still compact enough to tackle most doorways.
Its footprint is useful when going to shops and restaurants where space is limited, and it should fit neatly into a designated pushchair space on the bus.*
Despite not being able to push the pram through her front door, Liz liked the simplicity of its design and found it useful when taking her eldest to nursery and going for walks.
What about the seats?
The Twin Echo comes with two identical seats that can be used for a toddler and baby or twins. They individually recline, with a choice of four settings, using a clasp at the back of each seat.
We liked the recline mechanism on this buggy – one of the best we tested – and found adjusting it with one hand easy to accomplish. The recline feels secure and smooth when in lie-flat mode, so it doesn’t disturb a sleeping child, and the harness can be adjusted for children of different ages.
To offer more head and neck support for her baby, Liz used her own cocoon – Chicco don’t sell a cocoon, but there are a variety of newborn supports on the market that can be attached to the frame or harness. Despite being just over the weight limit, her eldest found the padded seats comfortable in all recline positions.
The seats are more basic than other prams we tested and don’t have any handy pockets or a belly bar, but they do have an adjustable leg rest for extra comfort.
The individual hoods, on the other hand, are fairly basic and offer no UV protection, only just covering the top of a child’s head in low winter sun. While you can remove the rear section of the hood to offer more air on hot days, this isn't a function that parents would get much use out of. We’d prefer a deeper, more effective, hood.
Is there a rain cover?
The Chicco Echo Twin Stroller comes with a rain cover that fits over both seats, keeping both children nice and dry.
Our four-year-old’s toes did occasionally pop out of the bottom, but she otherwise stayed dry. The cover folds up small when not in use and can be stored in one of the storage baskets.
How easy is the Chicco Echo Twin to push?
With six sets of wheels, the Chicco Echo Twin Stroller has double that of the Thule Urban Glide 2 Double.
The plastic wheels are small, but the Echo Twin coped well with most terrain, including grass, gravel and smooth pavement. Smaller wheels don’t generally handle uneven ground well, and can slip around more easily on long grass and mud, than prams with bigger, air-filled tyres. But the Echo Twin’s front wheels swivel and can be locked to help give a smoother ride on tough terrain.
The buggy bumped over kerbs well and the swivelling front wheels give it a fairly tight turning circle. The handlebars are padded for comfort but not extendable, though they are a decent height which suited Liz’s tall partner (6ft 3). While the buggy can be pushed one-handed, it’s difficult to steer, which is mostly down to the split handlebar.
While not a pram geared towards regular off-roading, the Echo Twin would be more than suitable for urban life and regular trips to the park.