Silver Cross stand at Cologne Nursery Fair

I couldn't get into the Silver Cross booth, but did manage to grab a sneak view of some things that might interest people, but it really didn't grab my attention as it was all just a refresh and not using any original ideas.

They're doing the mixed colour chassis on 3D so part black part silver, like M&P do. The fabrics are all looking like plain colour block options, the more classic look of Pistachio has gone. There is a plum and purple model, a black with white or silver highlight piping. A light blue model, a charcoal with lime green bits, grey and orange too.

Dazzle is still there I'm afraid, and it looks like they've just refreshed and simplified the fabrics, so that the metal work isn't as hidden as before. A pale blue, a black a red and pink, then a purple.

On Surf they've updated the fabrics slightly, they seem to have added a printed hood lining and co-ordinate, its very much how M&P do the Sola and Luna. There is also a woven/printed fabric too, cream with a leaf design in it and a baby pink hood lining, this looks nice, but its nothing new really.

Then the Pop is still there in different guises as before, so a Sport the same as it is now but in different colours, and the Vogue looks the same as before. But it was really hard to see those.

There is a renamed Pop, well it looks like it started as a Pop chassis, it looks to me as if its replacing Fizz as I can't see Fizz. The new product is called Zest, fabrics are prints, very in your face, looks as cheap and nasty as something you'd see on Jive from Mothercare or a Cosatto product, really not my cup of tea to be frank.

And that was about it, as the only thing that was really new was the Nursery Furniture that looked just like every other cot wardrobe to me.

Was the Surf worth the wait?

Well, I've been trying to write this one for some time now, but life and work has got in the way.

Harrogate was the offical launch in the UK of the new Silver Cross Surf. But it's been kicking about longer than most know, as it was shown in a closed area at not just Cologne 2009 but also in 2008. With it having started it's life as an idea, as a thought in the minds of the design team way back in 2006. The idea to create something that meets all the needs of a parent today and to offer an alternative to Bugaboo.

The reason that i was told for the 1 year delay is that it was felt it would missed or less impactful to launch a year ago when it was supposedly ready with the Halo. But from what I have heard there was planned to be a new infant carrier car seat to go with it, which hasn't materialised and the Surf is using Maxi Cosi at present and Britax also soon.

But anyway, it's here at last, the new all singing all dancing modular pushchair system, their top of the range offering, the Surf. Well ok, only just here, as per usual stock is late, how come? Who knows?





But all the waiting as far as I'm concerned has taken away the excitement and anticipation I had for this product. As since it was heard of and since the news of it coming we've seen the market move, the economy change, and of course others beat Silver Cross to market with products very much like this. But maybe it's just me, as I've got so excited about this as a fan of their styling, but then let down by the time to market and the amount of actual real innovation in the final artical?



Moving on to the actual product itself. It has all the features you would expect, swivel wheels, height adjustable handle, all round suspension, reversible seat, detachable bumper bar etc etc... What's it's selling point though? Why choose this over say Concord, M&P or even Graco? As those are the guys that got to market before Silver Cross with something similar.

Well as normal the brand is what Silver Cross is hoping stands for something. Then attention to detail, and as usual this is there in abundance, just as the final overal visual appeal of the product is as you would expect from Silver Cross.

But as we've seen before this sometimes isn't enough to sell a product, and I had hoped that maybe there might have been some real content in terms of some of the Silver Cross that we saw on Sleepover, 3D where the product was not just about brand and design, but where someone had sat and thought what are users wanting, how are they using products and how can we make life easier for them? As this innovation can work far better than any flash advert as if there is something unique about a product that people want or need then they buy that product.

But I just don't see this on the Surf, yes it's suspension is different in how it operates, yes it's chassis construction is different, but how many customers come into a retailer and say that they want this, that this is what will influence their choice of purchase, that will make their life easier?

The things that do stand out looking at this as a potential customer is a small pointless basket, the secondary basket that costs more is again pretty useless as it won't hold all the things that are needed in an average parent/childs day. A seat unit that will be too small for an average sized 2 yr old, as their head will stick over the top of the seat hitting the hood or the seat tubing. Simple things to spot, well they are if you think about function, or have experience of how people use products. But it seems that the Surf is designed to look fantastic but no-one is leading the development and the designers of beautiful things are as most know, unable to think about function.

Will it be successful, well I guess there will be the fans of the brand buying it, those that have to have latest product buying. But in terms of those that have to watch the pennies, no, they'll be buying the Graco Symbio, in terms of those wanting a product that makes life easier then the M&P Mylo wins with it's true one hand fold.






Would I buy it? I'm not sure, as much as I love the brand, the styling of the product I just can't help but think I've been robbed from the product I had wished this was going to be or that it had the potential to be, the product that rewrote the rules, the product that changed the market.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Silver Cross Surf

Out in Germany Silver Cross finally showed their new Surf to the trade.

Although previewed the year before in a closed room, but held off from launch due to it not being travel system compatible, they have finally said that its going to be on sale.

Details are sketchy at the moment, but as far as we can see from the samples on the right of the image its very similar to the new Graco Symbio or the Recarro model that has been on sale for a number of years.

So what is different? What is unique?

Nothing that we can see, it seems another step in the direction of 'we are Silver Cross' and the hope that the brand and advertising will sell the product just as with the Halo.

When will they learn that people want innovation, not just design and attention to detail? Where are the products that are unique like the Sleepover?

And if rumours are true that the product will retail at around £600 for the pushchair, then what does it offer that the Symbio doesn't other than a brand thats a little bit older?