Peg Perego Book for Two Review
Our Verdict
Our Analysis and Test Results
In 1949, the Italian Perego family starts the Peg Perego company. The company designs and creates baby products and toddler toys including car seats, strollers, and electric ride on gear. Peg Perego's history is full of popular, well-made gear and the founders continue to aid in product design and development.
Performance Comparison
Ease of Use
The Peg is one of the easiest options to use in this review. The Peg has lots of easy to use features not found on most of the competition.
Fold and Unfold
The Book has a one-handed fold with two steps that self-stands and auto-locks. Folding the Book is easy compared to the competition, but you need to bend down to finish it. The fold includes pressing the lock release button then pulling the Pull Handle on the seat bottom. The frame folds in half, and the lock automatically engages. Unfolding the Book requires two hands and two steps. You still need to bend to start the process, but it is easy compared to the competition. It is the easiest to stroller in the review to fold. Unfortunately, the Book cannot close with the adapter attached, and removing the adapter hurts its score.
Brakes
The brakes are single action and sandal foot-friendly. The brakes are average compared to the competition for ease of engaging and releasing.
Storage
The Book has a large storage bin with a maximum weight allowance of 11 lbs. It only has access from the back, but access is easy, and the bin fits our extra-large diaper bag. This bin is the biggest in the group, and with a little skillful planning, it can easily fit two extra-large diaper bags. The back of the bin is spring-loaded and can press down to widen the opening. The bin itself has three pockets ideal for quick access items like cell phones, keys, and wallets.
This stroller also has large mesh pockets on the back of each seat with no listed weight capacity. The mesh feels durable and doesn't snag in our tests.
Sunshade
Each seat has a large independent canopy, and both have large, vinyl peek-a-boo windows. The canopies offer ventilation for comfort, and the peek-a-boo window cover has a magnetic closure. We prefer the magnetic closure over Velcro closures because they are silent and you can peek without waking baby. While attractive, the canopies only get the job done and are not as functional as those on the competition.
The photos above show the Book with the canopies closed and seatbacks raised, and the canopies fully open and seatbacks reclined.
Harness
The Book has a 5-point harness for each passenger. The harness is better than average for ease of putting on and below average for taking off. The release button on the buckle requires two hands of pressure to engage, and the straps must be manually removed from the buckle leaving only one hand free to keep the button depressed. This can be a little bit tricky because you almost need three hands to use it. Thankfully, adjusting this harness is easier than most of the competition. The straps tighten easily and quickly. Shoulder height strap adjustment is a rethread operation and has three shoulder height positions with a range of 4.5 inches. The crotch strap only has one position, but it is adjustable. Non-rethread shoulder height adjustment is quicker and easier for the most part.
Seat
The leg rests are padded and adjustable to straight out for napping. The leg rests are a leather-ish material that feels easy to clean and durable, but it also feels like it is less breathable and may cause sweaty legs. The leg rests move down to a small footpad and are easy to operate.
Both seats on the Peg recline equally. The recline feature is easy to operate, and there are an infinite number of positions for comfort. The seats can lay completely flat for napping, and coupled with the leg rest extension babies will be able to stretch out for sleeping.
Car Seat Compatibility
The Book has very limited seat compatibility with the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio 4-35 being the sole option available. The Book accepts two car seats with adapters, they click easily in place, and you can't install it wrong. It doesn't feel that secure once installed. The real problem is the stroller will not fold with the adapter in place which feels like an oversight, and we wish it just folded with adapters in place. As it is, you will be holding two infant seats, adapters, and the stroller if you fold this while out and about.
Ease of Setup
The Book is one of the more difficult options to set up taking over 13 minutes to get it out of the package and ready to roll. The documentation is poor with the written instructions and illustrations in different sections. It would be much easier if the pictures appeared on the same pages as the corresponding directions.
Maneuverability
For maneuverability the Book brought home a disappointing below average performance.
The Book is average for pushing and turning on hard surfaces. With a wide footprint, it has difficulty in the tight spots and narrow doorways. It is also a subpar mover on grass and gravel with plastic tires that struggle to maneuver well.
Weight and Folded Size
The Peg score for weight and folded size is less than average for the group. The Book weighs 32.1 lbs, and while this isn't the heaviest stroller, it is significantly heavier than some of the competition. When folded the Peg is 17,443 cubic inches, which is lower than the average that is closer to 18,900 cubic inches.
Quality
One area where the Peg performs well is the quality metric. The Peg has the best fabric that is nice looking and feeling. Even the leather-like cover on the bottom of the footrest feels friendly and easy to clean. The seats are nice, but they don't seem to fit the frame as well as they could. The frame is clean and solid, but it has more flex than we expected when pushing passengers. Overall, the finish of the Peg is nicer than much of the competition.
The Peg has foam-filled plastic tires. While not our favorite, these plastic wheels are the best in the bunch. They feel dense and even, and we think they are unlikely to dent or become misshapen easily.
The handlebar adjusts on a pivot point, offering a wide range, and is easy to operate with a push-button. The handlebar for the Book is nice and wide with rubber bumpers in the center to help protect the dense foam when folding the stroller to stand and it feels good in the hand with an ergonomic curve in the handle.
The Book only has a rear suspension. For a smoother ride for the baby, and all-around suspension would be better. The sling-style seat and its adequate padding will provide a smoother ride for a baby despite its two shock design. We think the Book would be a better ride for passengers and easier to push if the tires were rubber and this change would be a game changer for the Peg.
Twins
Because the Peg accepts two infant car seats at the same time, it can be a good option for infant twins. The downside is the Peg is limited to only one kind of car seat (albeit an award-winner) leaving you no choices. The infant car seats are a little more expensive than most of the competition, which can quickly jack up the price of a travel system for two.
Once babies are out of car seats, the Book continues to be a good option for twins. With identical seating arrangements, independent canopies, and equal features, the Book creates nothing to argue over. Some of the inline competition offer vastly different rider experiences. Because the Peg will work for children up to 45 pounds, we think this stroller will give you the lifetime performance you expect from a Peg Perego product.