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Roma Capsule 3 Review

Roma Capsule 3 Review

June 14, 2024

We were absolutely thrilled to receive one of the first Roma Capsule 3 strollers in the country to review. We knew the previous models well and we are excited to see the improvements. Roma is a brand run by seasoned experts in the Nursery Industry who know all the pushchair brands well. So we had very high expectations!

Roma has been in the UK since 2017 and they offer a range of different products for parents. These include travel systems, single pushchairs, double pushchairs, as well as a range of strollers and travel strollers. They even have some dolls’ prams! The Capsule 3 is their offering for jet-set parents and those people who are short on space and need a buggy-to-go!

The Basics*

Model

  • Capsule 3

Brand

  • Roma

Available Colours

  • Sunflower
  • Khaki Leopard
  • Dalmatian
  • Jet Black

RRP

  • £200

What’s in the box?

  • Capsule 3 stroller
  • Travel bag
  • Rain cover with storage bag
  • Insect net with storage bag
  • Instructions

Warranty

  • 12 months

Roma Capsule 3 at a glance

Suitability

  • Suitable from birth to 15kg

Fold mechanism

  • Two-handed fold
  • Compact fold
  • Freestanding

Handlebar

  • Plastic
  • Non-adjustable
  • Height from ground – 104cm

Seat unit

  • Suitable from birth
  • World-facing
  • Capsule 3 seat: 42cm (back height) x 30cm (width) x 24cm (depth)

Harness

  • 5-point harness with comfort pads
  • Magnetic buckle

Wheels

  • Puncture-proof EVA Tyres
  • Suspension

Canopy

  • Extendable canopy with sun visor
  • Showerproof

Storage basket

  • Suitable for up to 5kg

Additional Features

Roma Capsule 3 Review

First Impressions

Our first impressions of the new Capsule 3 were very positive. The Capsule is designed primarily to be a holiday stroller and having travelled considerably with various strollers, it was obvious that this was going to tick a lot of boxes. We love the fact that you get everything included that you are going to need. The inclusion of the travel bag is a big positive!

At a price point of £200, this is a mid-range option but appears to be packed with features. We were quite frankly, very impressed on taking it out of the box. It’s a nice looking stroller (we have the Dalmatian print) and is packed with some subtle extras that other brands don’t include as standard (such as insect net and useful storage bags for the rain cover and insect net).

It comes ready-to-go out of the box – no assembly required. Perfect if you are about to jet off on holiday!

Chassis

The chassis is made from aluminium which results in a light stroller (6.7kg). It is finished in jet black powder coating and looks sleek whichever hood design you pick. The matt black finish gives it a premium look and even the rivets are black (they are often the original silver finish in cheaper models). We love this attention to detail. The Capsule 3 is far studier than previous models due to the addition of side struts. We actually think this makes it look nicer than the original. It looks more durable!

Wheels

The wheels are made from EVA and are durable enough for a travel stroller. The front and the back are both ‘double wheels’ giving it a more sturdy push than if it had been single wheels. None of the wheels can be removed, but this is not uncommon for a stroller. The front wheels can be easily locked by pushing up the button. This will give you a better push over cobbles. It will improve the push if on the beach but let’s face it, strollers are not designed to go on the beach and in this instance we suggest you make the most of the compact fold and carry it!

Handlebar

The handlebar is not adjustable as we would expect from a stroller that folds in this way (more about the fold shortly). It is plastic so might get a little uncomfortable if you were pushing for sustained periods of time. It does have small indentations to give you some grip on warmer days when the palms of your hands might get a little hot and sweaty!

Brake

The Roma Capsule 3 has a flip-flop friendly braking system. We wish all holiday strollers had this as let’s face it, this is when you are most likely to be wearing flip-flops!

Basket

For a travel stroller, the Capsule 3 has a really good basket. It is spacious and has high sides to prevent things from falling out. You have got the fold mechanism above the basket but this can not be avoided in a stroller which folds in this way. The benefits of the fold far outweigh the slightly restricted access to the basket. The basket takes 5kg which is usual for a stroller of this type.

Seat Unit

As with all strollers of this design, the seat is world-facing only. It is suitable from birth up to 15kg. This is standard for a stroller of this design, but bear in mind that if you have a particularly chunky toddler, this may not be the stroller for you!

The seat is of a nice size – 42cm (back height) x 30cm (width) x 24cm (depth). We love the space between the top of the seat unit and the hood meaning this will cater for that older toddler who might still want to hop in and out of a stroller whilst out and about. It is nicely padded and made from good quality material. It is durable and wipeable for those inevitable ice cream spillages. You can remove the seat fabrics for washing should you need to. We would recommend sponge washing though and leaving them in situ!

Unlike many holiday strollers, the seat unit is suitable from birth rather than 6 months. We are really pleased to see this as we know that parents travel with babies under 6 months! The seat lies very flat and we are happy to see such a lie flat position for a newborn (and even an older baby / toddler). However, we would suggest that in those early weeks that a newborn may be very exposed to the element and that you may want to use a liner to make this more comfortable for such a tiny baby.

Seat Recline

The seat on the Roma Capsule 3 has an infinity recline. This means that you are not restricted to 3 positions and you can find the recline that works best for your little one. The recline is operated with a strap and is a more substantial mechanism than previously seen on the Roma Capsule. You gently squeeze together the mechanism on the back of the stroller. The weight of your little one will gently recline the back of the seat. It is a very quiet recline so will not wake a sleeping child which we love. The only downside to this type of recline is putting it back in the upright position as it can be quite heavy and a little cumbersome. The earlier you can teach your toddler to sit themselves up so you can move the back of the seat, the better!

The seat is suitable from birth and it has a very flat recline which is great! If you are on holiday and want your little one to sleep in the evening (perhaps whilst you go out for an adult meal), then this is a real bonus!

Harness

The harness on the Roma Capsule 3 comes with good comfort pads for the shoulder and crotch. We love that these match the hood colour which just adds a nice touch, rather than plain black which we see on a lot of strollers. You can remove these for sponge washing if necessary.

The harness is not adjustable at shoulder height which we would have liked to have seen. You can however easily alter the length of the straps to accommodate either a baby or a taller toddler.

Close up of Roma Capsule 3 buckle and harnessThe harness buckle itself is brilliant and of great quality. It is so simple to use even if you have a squirming toddler and your hands are covered in sticky sun cream. The shoulder and waist straps are connected to one piece on the left and the right. They snap together using a clever magnet system and then you slot them into back of the buckle the buckle. The magnets work their magic. You don’t need to worry about a toddler pulling the buckle apart as you have to squeeze together the two grey safety buttons to release the buckle.

Bumper Bar

The Capsule 3 has a bumper bar, something which is lacking in many small folding strollers so we were pleased to see this incorporated. It is covered in slightly padded material, which like the rest of the stroller is wipeable. The bumper bar can be removed from either side and folded outwards to make getting your little one in and out of the stroller really simple. It’s a binus that you don’t need to remove the bumper bar in order to fold the Capsule.

Hood

Roma Capsule Hood extendedThe hood on the Roma Capsule 3 is good and offers coverage for your little one from the elements. We were a little disappointed to see that it does not have and UPF protection and so would recommend that you are very careful in the summer months. Make sure you protect your little one from harmful rays. It does have a small visor which extends the hood slightly.

We really appreciated the fact that the Roma Capsule has quite a sturdy hood. Many strollers in this category have quite flimsy hoods which end up wonky over time, something that we do not envisage will happen to the Capsule hood.

Rain Cover

We are pleased to see this included as part of the Capsule 3 and we are impressed with the size. It amply covers all the materials and is easy to put on the stroller. It also comes in its own little drawstring bag for storage which is a nice touch. We are impressed with this rain cover – and rain covers are not usually impressive!

Insect Net

Well, this is a travel stroller so an insect net is a useful addition to the Roma Capsule 3. Most holiday strollers do not include this as standard, but it’s a no-brainer in our opinion! Like the rain cover, it comes in its own drawstring bag. It’s easy to attach onto the stroller with two pieces of velcro which then allow the netting to ‘drape’ over the front. An older toddler could kick this off but we do think this is better for a younger baby. For us, the biggest benefit is not only the midges, but also the ability to keep wasps away from your sleeping baby which are common in warmer climes, especially when you are near restaurants. Although not the most substantial insect net we have seen, it is certainly a welcome inclusion for a holiday stroller.

Travel Bag

As the Capsule 3 is primarily designed to be a holiday stroller we absolutely love the fact that a travel bag is included. The bag is far more substantial than the bag included in previous models. We found it to be really easy to get the stroller inside which means that you won’t have to ‘fight’ your stroller when in a rush at the airport. A lot of stroller travel bags are incredibly tricky to get the stroller inside, but Roma has nailed this one. The bag neatly zips up. The travel bag is a rucksack design and the shoulder straps are slightly padded with moisture-wicking webbing. Once on your back, this is really well balanced and will leave you with two free hands to juggle everything else you need to as you board a plane, train or automobile.

Experience has shown us that using a travel bag for an aircraft approved stroller increases your chances of being able to walk on board with it. It’s also really useful to keep your stroller clean too.

Fold

The Roma Capsule 3 has a clever fold which allows it to fit into the aeroplane overhead locker for many of the airlines. Frustratingly, these differ from airline to airline so we always recommend checking before you fly!

How to fold the Roma Capsule 3

Folding the Roam Capsule 3 is super simple. You can ‘almost’ do this with one hand. Firstly, put the seat in the upright position and pull back the canopy. Next, simply push the button in the middle of the handle. This releases the lock. Then push forward and the stroller will almost concertina fold on itself. Once folded, use your other hand to close the lock which is situated on the left-hand side. We did find that this was easier if you pushed down a little on the frame.

How to unfold the Roma Capsule 3

As with folding, this is really easy. Release the lock on the left-hand side. Standing behind the stroller, pick it up and firmly ‘flick’ the wheels forward. We found that you needed to do this with some vigour else the stroller will not be locked into transport mode correctly. Honestly, give it a good flick of the wrists! Once you have mastered the unfold, it is really easy, even with a baby in your arms which we love!

Performance

The Roma Capsule 3 performs really well when used as a travel stroller. We would highly recommend it for this purpose or when you are really short of space. It is ideal for airports and train journeys. You can, of course, use it everyday if you wish but we think there are other options for these instances that you may wish to consider, especially if you cover a fair few miles in the week.

The double wheels mean that it performs far better than a lot of its counterparts in this price bracket. The lockable front wheels are a must-have in our opinion. We found the strollers to push really well on smooth ground, drives, pavements, etc. It won’t perform as well on the beach but if that is what you need, you really should be looking at all-terrain pushchairs rather than a holiday stroller.

Warranty

The Roma Capsule 3 comes with a 12-month warranty which is pretty standard for a stroller.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a holiday stroller, the Capsule 3 should certainly make your shortlist. For the price, we are incredibly impressed with the quality. Roma have thought of everything, including the little storage bags for the rain cover and insect net. We love the rucksack-style bag too – to make travel just that little bit easier. It’s these little touches that show us that this stroller really has been designed with parents in mind.

Star Rating

We gave the Roma Capsule 3 a well-deserved 9/10 stars. It certainly surprised us when it landed in the office. Although not the cheapest option on the market (and certainly not the most expensive), the Roma Capsule 3 is good value for money, given the extras included. We appreciate that other holiday strollers do some things slightly better, but let’s face it, at a time when we are all watching the pennies, you have to consider value for money!

Roma Capsule with Parenting Expert Review Logo

Pros:

  • Good quality
  • Suitable from birth
  • Offers good value for money
  • Includes travel bag
  • Eye-catching designs
  • Aircraft Approved (check Airline)

Cons:

  • Harness is not height adjustable
  • Hood not UPF
  • Not the best for everyday, ‘heavy’ use

Would we recommend this stroller to other parents?

Absolutely yes we would! Personally we wouldn’t necessarily recommend this for everyday sustained use. However, for occasional use and holidays, it is fantastic!

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