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Maxi-Cosi Fame review: is this smart pushchair with built-in lights actually worth it?

Find out how the Maxi-Cosi Fame pushchair performed in our parent test, from carrycot comfort and everyday handling to its LumiRide lights and powerbank.

Published: September 7, 2026 at 11:30 AM

Our Rating

4.3

A star rating of 4.3 out of 5.

From GBP £1149 RRP

including carrycot

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In a nutshell

A luxe, tech-packed pushchair that gives a smooth, comfortable ride across suburban pavements and parks, but its size, price point and smart features might not make it suitable for every family

What we tested

Overall Rating

4.3

A star rating of 4.3 out of 5.

Pros

Cons

The Maxi-Cosi Fame is a premium pushchair with a roomy carrycot, reversible seat unit and high-positioned frame that’s designed to make everyday walks, errands and naps on the go feel smooth and comfortable. Its standout features are more high-tech than most: built-in LumiRide LED lights and an integrated power bank for charging your phone while you’re out and about.

With an RRP of £1,149 including the carrycot, the Maxi-Cosi Fame sits firmly in the premium pushchair category, alongside all-rounders such as the Nuna Mixx Next (£880) and Silver Cross Reef 2 (£1145). It’s not the smallest or cheapest option, but its elevated carrycot, tall handlebar and tech-led extras may appeal to families who want a luxe-feeling pushchair with added visibility and everyday practicality.n

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About our parent tester Laura tested the Maxi-Cosi Fame with her baby over several weeks in a suburban setting, using it on pavements, park walks, coffee dates and supermarket trips. As her baby was between five and six months at the time of reviewing, she was able to thoroughly test both the carrycot and buggy seat, plus the pushchair’s hero features such as the lights on the base and the powerbank. Laura has been a lifestyle journalist for over 15 years, and has written features and reviewed products for OK! Magazine, Daily Mirror, Marie Claire, The Sun, Women’s Health and Good Housekeeping.

Reviewer with Maxi-Cosi Fame pushchair

How easy is the Maxi-Cosi Fame pushchair to assemble?

I was super impressed with how quick and easy the pushchair was to assemble. The seat and chassis come ready-made, so all you have to do is fix the wheels and bumper bar with a simple click, then attach the hood to the carrycot. I had it up and running in minutes.

I’ve tested out prams in the past that have had me cursing over the baffling instructions and Googling YouTube tutorials, so this was a very pleasant surprise.

My first impressions were that this pushchair felt sturdy and high quality, and looked luxe.

Maxi-Cosi Fame pushchair during set up

How easy is the Maxi-Cosi Fame carrycot to attach and use?

The carrycot is really easy to attach and remove: you simply press the buttons on each side, then lift it off. I was able to do this one-handed, which isn't the case with every pram I've tested. There’s a little bit of movement at the attachment points, but ultimately it does feel secure on the frame.

As someone who is 5’8” (and with a 6’2” partner), I loved how high up the carrycot sits; even the lowest setting is high enough for both of us to comfortably lift the baby in and out of. It’s also quite deep and roomy, which my baby loved. The handlebar is tall too on its highest setting.

One simple but surprisingly useful feature is the little lift-up storage compartment on the carrycot’s cover, with a zipped pocket inside. It’s big enough to fit keys, a phone or sunglasses in, and saved me from constantly rummaging around in pockets or my bag for them.

Maxi-Cosi Fame pushchair with carrycot attached after being built

How comfortable is the Maxi-Cosi Fame carrycot for babies?

The carrycot looks and feels deep, spacious and comfortable for the baby, with a high quality mattress. My little one is big for his age and was reaching the point when he should be moving up to the seat, but he still looked really comfortable lying in this; in fact, he was often asleep within minutes of being on the move.

The carrycot is well-ventilated with a mesh panel at the front and another on the hood. The front flap does look a little untidy when open, however; poppers or a zip to keep it tucked up would help it to look a little neater.

The hood is extendable to offer several different levels of cover and, while it’s hard to get 100% shade from the sun, this hood, combined with the carrycot cover, gave me good reassurance that my baby had decent shade during walks and I didn’t find myself needing to drape my SnoozeShade over the top.

Close-up of Maxi-Cosi Fame pushchair handlebar and carrycot

How easy is it to switch from carrycot to seat unit?

It’s super easy to switch between the carrycot and seat. One person can do it alone – and one-handed: simply press each side button down one at a time then lift up by the bumper bar, no additional extenders or attachments needed.

My baby wasn’t quite ready to travel world-facing at the time of testing, but the seat is equally as easy to attach in either direction. Once fitted, it felt safe and sturdy, with less jiggling than I noticed with the carrycot.

How comfortable is the Maxi-Cosi Fame seat unit?

I was really impressed with how comfortable my baby looked in the seat, which is nicely padded – far more so than my previous pram, which had a tendency to tilt him to the left.

In the Fame he looks so snug and balanced, with his neck well supported and his ears unobstructed. A friend even commented on how relaxed he looked in the seat and, like the carrycot, he swiftly fell asleep on our walks (I’d typically start him out on the ‘middle’ recline then lower him down to the flattest position once he was asleep).

The harness has a four-point closure and it’s easy to adjust (again, easier than my existing pushchair). There’s plenty of room for my baby’s long legs to stretch out, and I can see him being comfortable in this for months – and even years – to come.

There’s a little zipped pocket on the back of the seat, which is handy for keeping keys and other small essentials in, although you do have to reach around the pram to access it when the seat is parent-facing.

Side view of Maxi-Cosi Fame pushchair

How easy is the Maxi-Cosi Fame pushchair to fold and store?

Folding up this pram when it’s in carrycot mode is very easy. The carrycot can be lifted off easily one-handed, and then the frame folds in half and then in on itself really intuitively; you could probably figure it out without having to read instructions.

Folding it up with the seat attached, however, requires a bit of guidance, or a quick YouTube tutorial – I tried to wing it and ended up with the seat stuck in an awkward position. While simple once you know what you’re doing, I sometimes found that the seat did have to be in one very specific position to be able to be lifted off, and it’s best done with two hands.

Once folded, it stands neatly on its wheels, but because it's a big pram, it's still quite bulky (I personally keep it unfolded when it’s in my home to ensure it’s always ready to go). We use a travel pram for journeys out in our tiny car, and I wouldn’t say it’s one for those with small car boots.

How easy is the Maxi-Cosi Fame to push and steer?

This is a big, sturdy pram, and despite being quite heavy it’s a really smooth ‘drive’, with lovely bouncy suspension.

It’s fairly easy to steer one-handed without making your wrists ache, as I found out on my daily coffee run (it doesn’t come with a cup holder). I mostly found it easy to push over grass, uneven surfaces and up and down kerbs, although the front wheels did occasionally spin out at awkward angles.

The handlebar has a luxe textured finish that feels comfortable to hold, and is simple to raise and lower with an intuitive catch on each side. As mentioned, the handlebar sits high up on its highest setting, which suited us perfectly, and even the lower position is comfortable.

Baby in Maxi-Cosi Fame pushchair seat unit

How practical is the Maxi-Cosi Fame for everyday use?

Although the Fame is each to push over different surfaces, it's definitely in the 'large pram' category: it's wide, high and long.

While I didn’t encounter any major issues with accessibility, there were a few narrow café doors and crowded pub gardens that were tricky to manoeuvre it around. Nonetheless, it was quick and easy to strap the baby in and get out of the house with, and the basket is useful for groceries or essentials.

How useful are the Maxi-Cosi Fame’s LumiRide LED lights?

The LumiRide LED lights are one of the pram’s biggest USPs, and they’re certainly a unique feature. They’re controlled by an app, which, once connected via Bluetooth, allows you to switch on and off the lights on the front wheels, back wheels and basket, as well as strobe and ‘full beam’ settings.

In all honesty, I didn’t get much use out of these. I live in a well-lit area, I was testing this pushchair in summer, and I rarely take the baby out in the evening. I also found the app a little clunky to use until I got used to it. However, if you think you’ll be taking the pram out in low light (perhaps walking around to get your little one to sleep at night!), it’s certainly a smart feature.

LumiRide LED lights on Maxi-Cosi Fame pushchair

Is the Maxi-Cosi Fame’s built-in powerbank useful?

The power bank holds enough charge for approximately one full phone battery, and could be a useful feature if you find your device always running low (you’ll need to provide your own charging cable, and a long one if you want to keep your phone near your hand). Personally, I’m rarely out of the house with my baby for long enough for my phone to run out of battery, so I’m unlikely to use this regularly — but it’s a nifty addition.

How much storage does the Maxi-Cosi Fame have?

The basket is big enough to hold shopping and other essentials, and the seat’s harness and recline are easy to use and comfortable for the baby.

One of my favourite little features is the carrycot’s pocket – simple but incredibly useful.

Storage pocket on Maxi-Cosi Fame pushchair

How good are the suspension and handlebar on the Maxi-Cosi Fame?

The wheels are big and bouncy, offering excellent suspension, and I loved the handlebar: wide, high and luxe-looking.

Close-up of Maxi-Cosi Fame pushchair wheels

How effective is the Maxi-Cosi Fame hood?

The hood is one feature that I feel doesn’t look quite as luxe as the rest of the pushchair; while perfectly functional, it looks a little floppy and untidy when opened.

How easy are the Maxi-Cosi Fame brakes to use?

The brakes are another feature that I think could be improved. The back wheels lock and unlock using the same foot pedal, but I found it easy not to press down firmly enough. I often had to double-check the brake had locked — and several times, it hadn’t. The front wheels lock separately, by pushing down on each of them with your hands – this is a bit of a pain and, again, easy to forget to do.

Close-up of back wheels on Maxi-Cosi Fame pushchair

How easy is it to clean?

The pushchair’s fabric is easy to wipe down, and the seat’s fabric part removes easily for cleaning, although the deep creases in the padding will need a vacuum nozzle to remove crumbs, as will the basket.

For such chunky wheels, the treads are especially deep, and I was pleased to find that they didn’t track much dirt through our house at all.

How durable does it feel?

Overall the Fame’s frame, carrycot, seat and wheels feel sturdy and really good quality, and I can see this model lasting for years.

What’s in the box?

Is the Maxi-Cosi Fame worth the money?

The Maxi-Cosi Fame sits towards the upper end of the pushchair market, but it does feel sturdy, high-quality and comfortable.

It’s worth thinking if you’ll get lots of use out of its key features – namely the lights and the power bank – as these probably add on extra cost. They’re smart, cool additions, but if you won’t use them, you can probably get a similar quality pushchair for slightly cheaper. Personally I would rarely use these two parts, so I would probably buy something a little simpler – however now that I have it, I’ll certainly be getting plenty of use out of the Fame for the next few years.

I think the Fame is best suited for someone living in a suburban setting that is going to be getting a lot of use out of it across both pavements and parks, and who lives in a poorly-lit area or who knows they’ll be taking it out in low light (nursery runs, perhaps). I don’t think it’s the one for you if you live in a city or are short on space at home, as it is big and heavy.

Parent POV of pushing Maxi-Cosi Fame pushchair

Where can I buy the Maxi-Cosi Fame?

It is available from Maxi-Cosi, John Lewis, Natural Baby Shower and Mamas&Papas

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MadeForMums verdict:

Overall I was really impressed with the Fame, especially as I didn’t know much about Maxi-Cosi pushchairs before now. It suited my suburban mum life well, and my baby seemed to love it too. Where it excels is with its comfort for the baby, how easy it is to push and, of course, its smart tech, which is certainly a talking point. I also got a few compliments on how chic it looked.

I’d just recommend that before buying, parents think about how much space they have at home for it, and also if they really need its hero features, the lights and the powerbank.

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Authors

Laura Mulley

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