The Jané Nanuq is a new lightweight umbrella stroller made by a Spanish company called Jané. It’s a very old company that has been manufacturing strollers since 1932.
We’ve seen some of their strollers here in the US a couple of years ago, but now they are making a relaunch into the US market with this brand new umbrella stroller.
The Nanuq model is designed for everyday use like running errands around the town, traveling, going to the mall, or public transit.
The 6″ hard rubber wheels allow Nanuq to tackle rougher terrain like grass, mulch, or gravel with no problems. Even though these wheels are larger than on most umbrella strollers, I would still not recommend taking it to a park for a long walk because you will get tired of pushing it after the first 15 min.
The Nanuq has a very sleek sporty design with cool patterns on the back of the seat. I absolutely love the bright colors! My favorite is the aqua. It has adjustable handlebars, which is very rare for an umbrella stroller.
The seat is very roomy and can accommodate a child from birth and up to 34 lbs. Another great feature of this stroller is a deep one-hand recline operated by a lever and not a strap system! (I am not a big fan of straps). It does NOT have a travel system capability.
You can create a bed-like environment for your child by reclining the back of the seat and bringing the adjustable leg rest up. It’s also great for smaller babies whose legs can’t reach the footrest.
Other Nanuq features are an easy compact fold, medium size basket, and a hand brake. No more shoe scratches! With all these great features this stroller weighs only 15 lbs.
OVERALL
I gave it 5 out of 5 stars because I was impressed with the deep one-hand recline, adjustable handlebars, adjustable leg rest, and hand brake. The only thing I would fix is the small canopy. Other than that, this stroller is perfect.
I am absolutely in love with the design, especially with the patterns on the back of the seat and the word ‘Nanuq’ on the side of the seat. It’s a little on the expensive side retailing for around $250.
The good news is that it comes with a sporty-looking cup holder and a rain cover. There is also a bumper bar available for purchase. If you want to save some money, wait for it to go on sale in a few months.
Features
CANOPY
The canopy is kind of small compared to a full-size stroller. It has only one panel with a small sunvisor that doesn’t do much. I wish it had a larger sunvisor or a ‘follow-the-sun’ option. It does have a large peekaboo window in the back covered with see-through plastic (there is no closure for the window).
HANDLEBARS
It has two adjustable handlebars that telescope out from 40″ up to 42″. Great for tall parents. It’s very rare to see adjustable handlebars on an umbrella stroller, so Nanuq gets a big plus for that.
SEAT
It is 12″ wide with a 22″ seat back (this is probably the tallest seat back you can get!) and a measurement of 27″. You can fit a very tall child into this seat. It can accommodate a child from birth and up to 34 lbs (it was very hard to find the weight limit information, but I finally saw it in their pdf manual).
It has a one-hand lever recline that goes all the way down to almost a flat position. I love that recline because you need only one hand to bring the seat back up (can’t stand those strap systems).
You can definitely put a newborn into the seat, although I would recommend using a car seat till your baby is at least 3 months old. It does NOT have a travel system capability. Did you notice that cool design on the back of the seat? LOV it!
HARNESS
It has an adjustable padded 5-point harness with a hard-to-undo buckle that is a puzzle piece. Your toddler will not be able to escape.
LEGREST
It has an adjustable leg/calf rest that is part of the seat. The calf rest has only two positions: up and down. There is also an additional footrest at the bottom that is part of the frame for older children.
I noticed that a lot of new strollers have an adjustable calf rest. I think the competition is getting really fierce with so many companies making strollers… too many. LOL. It’s hard to keep up.
BASKET
It’s a standard size basket for an umbrella stroller. It’s hard to access it from the back because of the crossbar, but you can get into it from the sides.
Once the seat is fully reclined, sides are your only option for getting things in and out. It’s just ok. We all know you will never get a very large on an umbrella stroller.
WHEELS
It rolls on four double hard rubber wheels that are 6″ in diameter. The front wheels are swivel but can be locked straight for rougher terrain. I do like that these wheels are a little bit larger than on most umbrella strollers so it can tackle some terrain.
But of course, this umbrella stroller is designed for flat surfaces like going to the mall, grocery store, or public transit. I wouldn’t recommend it for long walks in the park. You will get tired of pushing it after the first 15 min.
BRAKE
It’s a hand parking brake! No more shoe scratches. I love hand brakes, they are the most flip-flop-friendly out of all. LOL. It’s located on the side of the frame and all you need to do to lock it is to push the lever down. That’s it!
FOLD
It folds just like a typical umbrella stroller. First, bring the canopy back and lift the lever on a back crossbar with your foot to unlock the frame. Next, pull on the hook located in the middle of the crossbar and bring the handlebars down to the ground until you hear the automatic lock.
Once folded, you can pull out a little metal piece that helps the stroller to stand on its own. Nanuq is a compact stroller with folded dimensions of 37.80”L x 10.04” W x 9.84” H.
CARRY HANDLE
There is a carry handle conveniently located on the side of the stroller. The stroller weighs around 15 lbs. On Jane’s website, it says that it weighs 13 lbs without the basket and the hood. Why would anybody leave the hood and the basket at home? Anyways, it’s about 15 lbs.
ACCESSORIES
It comes with a cup holder and a rain cover. It’s a very sporty-looking cup holder located on the side of the stroller. It can tightly hold a bottom of water or a coffee mug.
Cons
-Small canopy. The canopy might be ok for an umbrella model, but it’s small compared to a full-size stroller. They should at least make the sunvisor larger or add a ‘follow-the-sun’ option (that’s when the canopy is not attached to the back of the seat and can be moved to provide more shade. This is really the main con I have. Otherwise, it’s perfect!
-Price. Right now it retails for $250, which I think is a lot for an umbrella stroller. Since this is a brand new stroller, there are no sales anywhere, but the price should go down in a few months.
Video Review
Baby Gizmo has a great video review. Take a look.
Here is an overview video from Jané.
Specs
Stroller weight: 15 lbs
Weight limit: 34 lbs
Folded dimensions: 37.80”L x 10.04” W x 9.84” H
Handlebar height: 40″ – 42″
Seat to canopy height: 27″
Wheels: 6″
Overall length: 33″
Overall width: 19″
Warranty
Jané has a one-year warranty on strollers from the date of purchase.
Available colors
For 2014 this stroller is available in three colors: aqua, cosmos, and shadow.
An umbrella and a footmuff can be purchased separately.
Where to buy it
It’s available in three beautiful colors for around $250. It comes with a cup holder and a rain cover, but there is not bumper bar. Since this is a new stroller, I was not able to find any good sales.