Peg Perego Booklet Review

The Peg Perego Booklet works for children from newborn to 55 pounds. It has an aluminum chassis that is designed to close with one hand. This stroller folds inward to keep the upholstery clean, and it self-stands with an automatic locking system. The Booklet has a narrow design with an adjustable one piece handlebar. The wheels on the Booklet have ball bearings and built in suspension. The front swivel wheels are lockable, and it has independent "one step" rear wheel brakes. The backrest is adjustable from upright to fully flat. The top of the backrest is mesh for ventilation, and the front bumper bar hinges for access to the seat. The Booklet has a storage basket and canopy with a sun shield rated at UPF 50+ and a mesh window.

Performance Comparison

The comparison chart shown here includes the overall scores for each stroller we tested for this review. The the Peg Perego Booklet is shown in blue; with a 10th out of 19 rank it is easy to see why the Peg failed to win an award.


The information provided in the sections below includes details on how the Peg performed in our tests for each metric. the metric scores were combined to determine overall scores and rank. Emphasis was given to the ease of use and maneuverability metrics.

Ease of Use

The Peg Perego earned a 6 of 10 for ease of use. The high for this group is an 8 shared by the UPPAbaby Cruz and the UPPAbaby Vista. The Peg performed better than average for this metric, but it still isn't a score to brag about.


Storage
The storage bin for this stroller has a maximum allowable weight of 11 pounds. It is a large basket comparatively and we were able to fit out extra large diaper bag inside without difficulty. Accessing the bin is an easy process and can be done from the back and sides. There is no front access to this bin, but this isn't an issue given the nice access everywhere else. The bar that holds the back of the basket up is spring loaded and can be pushed down somewhat to help fit things in the bin. It is a thoughtful feature exclusive to this stroller.

This stroller doesn't offer additional storage including cup holders and smaller pockets for convenience items.


Sunshade
The canopy on this stroller isn't great and came in below average for the group. It is medium in size and has an UPF of 50+. The canopy does offer ventilation for increased airflow, and it has a peek-a-boo window for spying on baby. The window is medium is size and is made of vinyl.


Convenience
This Peg doesn't have much in the way of added conveniences and earned only 3 of 10 points in this metric; this is only 1 point higher than the lowest score in the group. As already mentioned, it doesn't have cup holders, additional storage, or a child tray. It does have a bumper bar that lifts to the side so baby can be easily placed in the seat, but that is about it.


What this stroller does have is a padded adjustable leg rest to help keep baby cozy, and an adjustable wide footrest that is made of plastic that easily wipes clean. The seat back on the Booklet reclines with one hand and adjustable straps that allow the back to be adjusted to an infinite number of angles from 64.2 to 20 degrees. It is difficult to operate, and the design isn't as nice as those that have a lever or button for operating the recline.

Maneuverability

The Booklet didn't fare that well for maneuverability. It earned an average score of 6 of 10 in our tests, but it isn't enough to stand out, but it is better than several of the other products. The 4moms had the low score for the metric with a 2. The high is a 9 earned by the BOB Revolution Flex, a stroller that won the Editors' Choice award in this review.

This stroller felt a lot like the Graco Aire3 when it came to handling. The performance during our testing showed a middle of the road experience. This stroller made it through our entire course pushing with one hand. The turns were on the wide side even though the width of the stroller is fairly narrow. The narrow footprint did allow it to fit easily through smaller spaces, so that is a plus, but it moved a little rougher than some of the competition. We also had difficulty controlling the Peg through carpet.

For pushing and turning off pavement it is once again fairly average. We had difficulty rolling it over a 1 inch curb and there is a lot of flex in the handle that gives the ride a loose feeling when pushing over rougher terrain. It results in a more wobbly feeling than some of the competition that had a tighter feel.

Quality

Peg Pergo has long been synonymous with quality, however, in our tests we found this Peg to be somewhat lacking. In fairness much of the competition is also more expensive, but even cheaper strollers managed higher scores than the Booklet. This stroller earned a 6 of 10 for quality, a score that is only average for this group. The high is an 8 earned by the BOB Revolution and the UPPAbaby Vista.

The fabric on the Booklet seat and canopy are both made of a smooth, tightly woven canvas that we think easily wipes clean. On either side of the seat there is a textured rubber/imitation leather (we aren't entirely sure). At the foot of the seat, there is a large strip of the same material that looks like it will also be easy to clean. The sunshade on the canopy is made of a thin, semi-reflective fabric that is smooth to the touch. The peek-a-boo window on the shade is a nice high quality vinyl that is tinted and easy to see through. The storage bin is made of a slick canvas with mesh sides that didn't snag in our tests.

The frame on the booklet is better than the one on the Book we reviewed two years ago. That said, it is still a disappointment. There is a lot going on with this frame unlike the simple frames we saw in the competition. There is some flex with this frame and lots of different components that can break. The overall fit and finish aren't bad, it actually looks kind of nice, but it is busy and the leg rest flipped up when we didn't want it to.

The wheels on the Booklet are foam filled plastic and look on the cheap side. We prefer rubber wheels over plastic because they usually offer a better ride and quality. Plastic wheels might get damaged over time, and while this won't result in a flat tire, it could give your stroller the feeling of a bum shopping cart.


The handlebar is adjustable from 32.8 to 43.3 inches tall from the ground. It offers a relatively comfortable feeling in the hand, with nice soft foam. The hard plastic bumps that protect the bar during the self-stand could be annoying and we found they rubbed on our thumbs during testing. Our testers found they kicked the stroller frequently during strolling.

This Peg has non-adjustable rear shocks and has average padding over a fairly hard seat. We suspect this stroller doesn't offer the most comfortable ride for passengers. The combination of hard plastic wheels, 2 wheel stiff suspension, non-sling style seat, and limited padding create an uncomfortable experience compared to the competition.

Safety

The Booklet earned a 6 of 10 for safety, this is once again only average. The low is a 4 earned by the Baby Jogger City Mini GT thanks in part to tipping tendency of that stroller and the high is the Baby Jogger City Select with an 8.

Brakes
The brakes on the Booklet are single action brakes that are easy to set and release. These brakes are sandal foot friendly but have poor sliding resistance once set.


Harness
The 5-point harness on this stroller is fairly easy to put on but more difficult to take off than the competition. Adjusting the harness shoulder straps is harder than a lot of the other strollers, but it does have an adjustable crotch strap so it is more adjustable than the strollers that don't have a crotch strap. The buckle is similar to the found on the Baby Jogger strollers and it has a button on the back of the buckle that you can't depress when you push the release button or it won't release. This is sort of a problem because ergonomically it is hard not to press the back of the buckle when you hold it in your hand to depress the release button.

Weight and Folded Size

The Booklet weighs 20.2 pounds and is far better than the average of 24. It is one of the lightest strollers in the group, but not as light as the Britax B-Agile 3 and the Baby Jogger City Mini which are both 17.5 pounds. It is also on the smaller size at 10,7578 cubic inches and 21.5"W x 15"H x 32.8"L. But again, the Britax at 6,414 cubic inches and the City Mini at 6,637 are both smaller.

The Booklet has a one-handed fold that is two steps and easy to operate. It features an auto-lock and carry strap, and it self-stands which makes it easier to transport. The fold is somewhat unconventional and a little counter-intuitive; the seat needs to flip all the forward to complete the fold, but it is still easy to operate.

Unfolding the stroller is a two hand operation and is average in difficulty. The process is two steps, which is nice considering that parents will often need to unfold the stroller while holding the baby.

Ease of Setup

The Booklet is a bear to put together, and only one stroller in this review was more difficult. It took us almost 11 minutes to put this stroller together from the box to ready to roll. The documentation is only average compared to the competition. The illustrations are not detailed enough, and it leaves parents to fill in the gaps and guess what step comes next. There are multiple parts that need to be attached to the frame, and even one part that has to be unattached threaded through the basket and then reattached.

Car Seat Compatibility

The Peg comes compatible with the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio 4-35, an infant seat that won an Editors' Choice award in our Infant Car Seat Review. It is not compatible with any other Peg seat and it does not offer adapters for other brands.

The seat on the Peg cannot be removed so the infant seat attaches above the seat and the stroller weighs 20 pounds 2 ounces without the seat. The seat is sort of difficult to install; you have to get the latches lined up just right, which takes a little more effort than most of the competition, and it takes a little more pressure to get the seat to click in that some of the others that sort of drop into place. However, once it is in it feels very secure. We did not experience any mistakes while testing that the seat felt connected but wasn't.

While it is a shame that the stroller is so limited in the possible car seats you can choose to use it with, but we are glad that at least the one that works is an award-winning seat we really like.

Best Applications

Many parents will consider this stroller because they trust the Peg Perego name or they have already decided on the purchase of a compatible Peg infant car seat. We imagine that many parents will be content with this stroller should they choose to add it to their baby gear collection. However, we feel there is no best application for this stroller when so many other products scored higher than the Booklet and many of them managed it with comparable or cheaper price.

Value

The Booklet is a reasonably priced stroller in a sea of expensive gear. Unfortunately, it didn't perform as well in our tests as some of the even cheaper options. Because this stroller did not measure up to less expensive products it is hard to consider it a great value. Even if you choose a Peg infant car seat, it still wouldn't be the best value when some other strollers offer car seat attachment adapters.

Conclusion

The photos above show the Booklet with the seat back in the upright position and the canopy closed (left) compared to the seat back fully reclined and the canopy open.

After loving the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio 4-35 infant car seat so much, we were hopeful the Booklet would be a great match for our Editors' Choice award winning car seat. Alas, it was not to be as this stroller manages to be boringly average without any real stand-out features or top performance scores in any of our tests. There isn't really anything to hate about this stroller, the problem is there isn't a lot to love here either. It managed a dull performance and a disappointingly busy frame without any impressive features or functionality.

Other Versions and Accessories

Peg Perego makes a lot of seemingly standard size strollers. There is the Book, Book Pop-up, Book Cross, Book Plus, and the Switch Four. With so many potential options it is kind of hard to tell what is different about each and why one might be better or worse than another. We did not review any of the other strollers in this review, but we did look at the Peg Perego Book in the previous version of this review and it did not fare well against the competition and earned a worse overall score than the Booklet.

There are only a limited number of accessories available for use with the Booklet. Arguably the cup holder is probably the most valuable, but it also has an optional footmuff.

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