Thule Shine Stroller review: The best pram to protect your baby from pollution in 2024

Well-designed, durable, and costing over a grand for the full kit, the Thule Shine stroller sits comfortably alongside other premium models, like the Bugaboo Fox and iCandy Peach. So what makes it stand out from the competition? The accompanying air purifier canopy.

Swedish brand Thule is well known for its cool and stylish products, made to tackle the most challenging outdoor weather as well as the rough and tumble of everyday life. In its range of baby gear, the Shine stroller excels as a sleek and lightweight city option, and one that’s incredibly sturdy too, thanks to the brand’s extensive safety checks. I’ve seen first-hand how they do these checks at the Thule Hillerstop HQ in Sweden, and they really put the prams through their paces – dropping the equipment from a height, crashing prams down slopes and running them over a very bumpy buggy track outside in the snow. So, while it hopefully won’t have to face anything quite that brutal, you can rest assured your pram is well-equipped for whatever the day may bring.

Thule Shine Stroller review: What do you get for the money?

The Shine stroller is available in all black, black and grey, or Alaska blue, and comes with a rain cover and bumper bar as standard for £650 – if you’re ordering directly from Thule, though you can find it cheaper elsewhere if you shop around. If you’ll be using it from birth then the bassinet, which will transform the pushchair into a pram, costs £190. The air purifier canopy will set you back £430 and the cosy footmuff another £140. The pram can also be used with a buggy board (£100) if you have older kids and need a space for them to jump on when you’re in a rush.

Unless you’re buying the accessories as part of a bundle – for example, the baby bundle includes the stroller, a changing backpack (priced individually at £130) and the bassinet for £970 – they will need to be bought separately. However, there doesn’t appear to be any savings to be had for buying a bundle, so consider what you will actually need before you make a purchase.

All of this certainly does put the Thule Shine at the premium end of the market, but it will take you from birth until your child is approximately four years old. It arrives partially assembled straight out of the box – I just needed to attach the back wheels and clip on the main seat – which is always a relief. The bassinet can also be clipped on without needing any extra attachments.

Once your child can sit confidently, the stroller can be used with the supportive, padded and reversible reclining seat. This is fitted with a five-point harness that I found easy to adjust and fasten. If you’ll be using it in the winter, I would advise buying the extra cosy footmuff, which secures with zips along each side, as it feels very protective with its durable fabric outer and soft fleece lining (it has been designed for Swedish winters, after all).

The base features a spacious shopping basket that’s easy to access, can handle up to 10kg and has plenty of height for larger bags. The adjustable handlebar, with its central push button, is easy to slide up and down and gave me the height I needed so as not to pull my back (I’m 5ft 10in).

However, where this stroller truly stands out is the air purifier canopy. The first of its kind, it can deliver 150l of HEPA-purified air every minute, removing 98% of polluting particles, in addition to bacteria, viruses and pollen – ideal if you live in a city or heavily congested area. The canopy is powered by a reusable battery that provides approximately 16 hours of purification when fully charged, and it can connect via Bluetooth to an app which shows the air quality around you and lets you know when the filter needs changing – which should be expected once or twice a year.

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Thule Shine Stroller review: What’s it like to use?

As a brand, Thule is associated with practicality and style, offering products that make life easier, and the Shine stroller stays true to that ethos. Straight out of the box, it’s easy to assemble: you just need to attach the back wheels to the main stroller. If you buy the separate bassinet, you’ll be pleased to hear that it’s very easy to attach too, only needing to be clipped onto the main frame. The bassinet also has carry handles, like those on a Moses basket, so it’s super-easy to take off with one click if your baby is sleeping, or if you want to use it as a temporary bed. The main seat also clicks on and off easily, and I didn’t find any clunky bits or buttons when doing so. In short, everything works well on this pram and its ergonomic design has clearly been well thought out.

Thule Shine Stroller review: What does it do well?

As a city pram, this stroller gives you everything you need and is compact without compromising on comfort. The adjustable seat is great for toddlers, like my own son, who don’t like being too reclined – you can sit your child upright when they want to see what’s going on and hang on to the front bar, and then easily tilt it back when they fall asleep or just start feeling tired. The stroller also folds down easily to a fairly compact size, making it a good option if you live somewhere with minimal storage. The bassinet is very snug, lined with a soft grey fabric and fitted with a comfy flat mattress. The protective cover zips on, so you can remove it completely in the summer if you wish.

As for the canopy, the level of purification is impressive. Thule’s own testing claims that the canopy removes as much as 98% of pollutants from the air when using the bassinet, and 82.5% when using the seat unit. The fan also runs quietly, at 30-40dB, so barely any louder than a whisper.

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Thule Shine Stroller review: What could it do better?

The utilitarian design of the pram may be too minimal for some, but it would be a mistake to think an absence of gimmicks or shiny details means that it lacks functionality. Still, I think it’s entirely possible that consumers unfamiliar with the brand might overlook it on that basis.

It’s also important to note that, while this is a compact pram designed with city life in mind, it doesn’t fold down as small as a YoYo, and it won’t be able to be taken onto an aeroplane cabin, you’ll need to store it in the hold. Still, it’s a happy medium between quite a bulky model, such as the Bugaboo Fox, and very compact strollers, like the YoYo or the Silver Cross ‘Rise by Tinie’. I also found that when the footmuff was attached to the main seat, the straps became a little harder to fasten, which gave me a touch of backache.

Also, while this isn’t a criticism per se, the canopy needs to be charged regularly and the filter will need to be replaced around twice a year. So, you need to factor that into the cost and get into the habit of plugging in the battery overnight to make sure you’re not caught out.

Thule Shine Stroller review: Should you buy it?

If your budget stretches to the higher end of the stroller market, you should definitely consider the Thule Shine. It’s a very easy-to-use travel system that’s ideal for an active lifestyle, one that can be collapsed, reassembled and thrown in the back of the car with zero effort.

The pollution-filtering canopy also takes this pram to a new level, one that I’m sure many other competitors will soon try and replicate, but may take some time to do so. If you live in a city or an area with lots of traffic, the peace of mind and health benefits it provides will be worth its weight in gold. I expect, in the future, it will be the type of kit that practically every parent has atop their pram.