[UPDATED JAN 2020] This review is of the original first-generation Redsbaby Jive, released in 2015, which is now no longer available. It has been updated to include comparisons (with photos) to the current 2020 third-generation – the Jive3.
Redsbaby Jive
Summary
Despite a few kinks in its design, the original Redsbaby Jive was ahead of its time when it was first released in 2015, offering a sophisticated balance of cost, functionality and aesthetics.
When we were expecting baby no.2, hubby and I quickly realised we needed to get a tandem pram, because our firstborn would only be 21 months old when no.2 is born.
Needless to say, I spent several weeks doing market research with the aim of buying one that is the most value for money. Eventually, we bought the Redsbaby Jive Tandem, which leads me now to this review.
When we were making our decision, there were a few important factors that we placed more emphasis on, specifically:
- Weight, with seats attached and without – This is because we needed to consider when I might be going out with both the kids. Even a 1kg difference in weight can make the pram a lot easier for me to manoeuvre, fold, and move it to/from the car while wrangling two kiddies.
- Dimension – This is a no brainer, smaller the better. People get annoyed when mums take up the entire aisle at supermarkets, or when the huge, clumsy pram is knocking into them to make a turn.
- Price – We were willing to pay a bit more to find our ideal pram, but nothing exorbitant like 2k.
- Reviews – Customer reviews is one of the most reliable ways to make a decision when we haven’t got time to run around Sydney trying out every single pram. The bigger the pool of reviews, the more accurate the rating.
Back in 2014 when I was doing my research, Redsbaby Jive was the clear winner in almost every category. And there was absolutely no contest in terms of pricing, features, quality of build, and user-friendliness.
See my latest findings:
The Best 6 Affordable Tandem Prams In Australia 2020
We attended the Redsbaby Jive demo at a Babies & Toddlers Expo at the end of 2014 and pre-ordered it for its 2015 release. Since then, Redsbaby has made improvements on the Jive and it’s now the third generation.
So in this article, I’ll first give an honest review of my experience using the original Jive, followed by a comparison to the Jive3.
Note that the below review is based on having BOTH seats attached.
Redsbaby Jive Tandem Pram Review
Redsbaby is an Australian brand founded by two Aussie parents. The Jive is their tandem pram, designed and manufactured locally. More information on their products can be found here.
Navigating 5/5 ★★★★★
We moved into a new development area where lots of construction work was still going on. The Jive had no problem at all going over the uneven dirt paths, grass patches and cracked concrete. Its movements are so smooth I can spin it singlehandedly in my kitchen between two counters.
We also have a Baby Joie Mirus Stroller and the ease of navigating the Jive is wildly better in every aspect. It makes every other pram and stroller out there feel bulky and difficult to control.
Folding 3/5 ★★★☆☆
The Jive folds in a very similar fashion to other tandem prams. You can fold it with a single seat attached and becomes quite compact. However, personally I found that the retracting mechanism of the handlebar jams nearly all the time. Also, the folded pram is locked in place with a hook, and there’s no easy way of releasing the hook except manually with your hands.
So essentially, although folding the Jive takes only one step, it is a comparatively long one step. And the unfolding really takes two steps because you need to first unhook it. When you have a 2-year-old running around and a baby screaming, even an extra 10 seconds spent trying to fold or set up the pram feels like an eternity.
Assembling & Disassembling 3/5 ★★★☆☆
For the first few months after the baby was born, we frequently changed the configuration of the Jive using both the seats and bassinet, depending on whether the baby needs to nap outside, so we are constantly having to disassemble and reassemble the pram in various ways.
In doing so multiple times a week (sometimes even a few times a day), I’ve found that unlatching the seats from the frame isn’t the easiest thing to do. You need both hands to press down on the two latches simultaneously. And you can’t do it half-heartedly either or it wouldn’t come off. I’ve also had my fingers caught painfully in the latches a few times when trying to lift the seat/bassinet off the frame.
However, once you get used to it, it’s fine. And to be fair, I’m a clumsy person, plus a lot of other tandem prams use the same latch mechanism, so the same problem might apply there too. Now that baby is a bit older, we no longer need the bassinet, so having a semi-permanent two-seat forward-facing configuration has made the Jive extremely pleasant and easy for us to use.
Quality (Design & Materials) 5/5 ★★★★★
The quality of the Jive is undisputed and, in my humble opinion, unrivalled. It looks high quality, feels well built and has been thoughtfully designed right down to the practical details.
For example, our old single pram had covers that went over the harness. Our toddler, however, would constantly be sliding in and out of the pram, causing all the covers to repeatedly slip off. I cannot say enough how annoying it was to have to replace the covers a dozen times a day. Eventually, we just gave up and never put them on again. Same story for the seat liner.
The Jive, however, has cleverly designed both the seat liner and harness covers to have press studs so that they clip firmly onto the pram seat or straps of the harness. In the past six months of being abused by our toddler, nothing has fallen off yet. This is just ONE example of its wonderful details.
Comfort 4/5 ★★★★☆
Both the baby and toddler have been in the upper and lower seats interchangeably and neither has ever made a fuss. They’ve also taken long naps in both seats (and the bassinet for the baby I might add). I think that’s saying plenty about the comfort of the Jive.
The only issue I would say is that the canopy appears to be shorter than some prams. This means that when the seat is in a fully reclined position, it barely covers a 90-degree angle, so it doesn’t always block out sunlight from the baby’s face.
Style 5/5 ★★★★★
Most people who saw our Jive have commented on its style. I can say with all honesty that the Jive is the most stylish thing I own and I feel twice as confident when I leave the house with it. It feels even better knowing that I did not spend a fortune on something that looks this good.
We ordered the Mist coloured Jive with Indigo seat liners. I highly recommend this combination because it means the pram is greatly visible to cars at night (safety first!), and the dark coloured seat liner doesn’t show dirt marks and food smears as much as light coloured ones (this is important if you have a toddler).
Configuration 3/5 ★★★☆☆
Last but not least, in terms of seat configurations, the Jive has significantly fewer variations as compared to some of its competitors. That said, it does cover the most commonly used configurations, so I think it will meet the needs of most families regardless.
What’s the point of having 200 different configurations anyway? Chances are, you’ll find one or two particular configurations that work very well for your kids and you will stick to those.
Comparison Of Redsbaby Jive vs Jive3
One thing that really impresses me is the effort that the Redsbaby team goes to make sure their prams are constantly evolving by taking customer feedback into consideration.
At first glance, visually there doesn’t seem to be many differences, however, the Jive3 has a few significantly better features compared to the original Jive, but there are also problematic features that have remained the same.
1) Larger, extended canopy
This has been an improvement since the Jive2. The canopy now extends nearly all the way down to the handlebar, which is a significant added length to the original Jive. This means a greater coverage to block out wind and sunlight, reducing the need for an additional sun cover.
2) Better brake design
The brake of the original Jive was an extremely frustrating feature for me. Because of the strange angle that it was designed with, plus it was a very stiff mechanism, it was near impossible not to jam my foot in while trying to push it forward to unlock it.
The new design of the Jive3, however, cleverly resolves this problem by designing the brake with a flat surface, slightly curving upwards, which fits the curve of a foot much better and makes it easier to use.
You’ll also notice from the images that the Jive3 doesn’t have wheel guards. This is actually a great removal because I found the wheel guards really unnecessary and make the Jive a bit harder to stow into the smaller boots.
3) Larger, removable storage basket
This is another great addition to the Jive3. The original Jive had an open design, with a drawstring mesh that could hold things together if you wanted to pile more into the basket. The new basket in Jive3 is a removable addition that has a hard backing, creating a lot more space for storing things.
In the two-seat configuration, you would have to remove the basket to allow for the second seat. So essentially, Jive3 has a lot more space as a single pram, but as a tandem pram it still only has limited storage space.
4) Same folding mechanisms
I mentioned in my review above that folding the original Jive was quite a hassle, especially with the locking hook and retraction mechanism for the handlebar.
These two features haven’t changed in the Jive3, as you can see from the image above, so it leads me to question whether the folding and unfolding aspect of the Jive has any improvements.
Which is the best tandem pram in Australia?
Back in 2015, I would tell you in a heartbeat that the Redsbaby Jive is undoubtedly the best tandem pram. Heck, I would even say it’s the best single pram if you only want to use it as a single.
However, despite its design and usability improvements over the year, reviews and my personal research has shown that it has recently been outranked by a very fierce competitor, the Babybee Duo, released in 2019.
While the Jive had been an award winner in the 2017 and 2018 ProductReview.com.au Awards, it has not won another award since then. Other Redsbaby prams like the Metro has continued to win awards, but it is a single pram, not a double.
On the other hand, the new contender, Babybee Duo, rivals the Jive in every aspect and has snagged itself an award in not just one, but two categories in the 2020 awards. Babybee’s other prams, the Luna (side by side pram) and Rover (single pram), are also award winners this year, so it’s definitely a brand to look out for!
For more details, read my full comparison of the Redsbaby Jive, Babybee Duo and other highly rated tandem prams in Australia.
