Are iCandy's worth the money?

[Mrsboathook]

Hi, hubbie and I currently undergoing the Great Pram Debate for our 1st. We both like the iCandy Peach but they are quite pricey. we live in the middle of the country, and need a fairly sturdy pram. Relatively large boot (vw golf) but needs to fit in shopping etc as well. DO people think these are worth the money, or are cheaper options (??silver cross surf- only a bit cheaper I know) just as good?

Thanks

[GwendolineMaryLacey]

Don't know about cheaper options but my 4yo iCandy Apple is on the second go round and I love it just as much as I did when I got it for DD1. It's definitely sturdy, which makes it on the heavy side but you're going to get that with any decent pushchair. But it glides beautifully, is rear and forward facing with a dead simple mechanism and if you put a car seat on it then it's nice and high up leaving lots of room for shopping in the huge basket.

[booomchikkawowow]

Whenever I see them out they always seems scratched up! Especially the shiny ones, the logo is has always been rubbed off and some of the paint missing. I don't own one myself but from being a bit of a pram addict and looking at them loads they may be sturdy but I wouldn't want people thinking I had a second hand pram!

[renlo]

We have a cherry, best push chair I have ever owned and we webt through 5 prams before we found the icandy. It's so light and manouvarable meaning pushing it with one hand whilst holding the hand of my 4 year old in a packed shop is a doddle! Size wise not the smallest of buggies, but we do have an estate so not an issue. I'd say they are most definitely worth the money and even better if you can get a nearly new one from eBay, gumtree or an nct nearly new sale.

[boysenberry]

I have a VW Golf and an iCandy Peach. It will fit in the boot but there won't be loads of space left over. The boot is smaller than it seems i think. I usually pack my shopping bags all around the buggy. Fine if you're just out to get a few bits but you would need to use the back seat to fit anything like a weekly shop. I'm very happy with my peach though, would say it's well worth the money as you have option to convert to double. Also have a bugaboo cameleon which is a similar size and uses about the amount of space in my boot. It's such a hard choice. I'm no expert but you'll get great advice from the true guru's here!

[boysenberry]

Sorry I meant the cameleon uses the same amount of space in the boot as the peach.

[Boggler]

Before you decide on an iCandy check you can definitely get one! I've spoken to a couple of pram shops including John Lewis who all informed me that they doubt I could get one by my due date 31 august even if the order was placed now! It seems that they can't supply adequate numbers, one dealer I spoke to had 43 on order for May and iCandy sent him 7!!! Therefore lots of unhappy customers . I've plumped for the bugaboo cameleon as I've decided the iCandy is overall just too heavy and bulky and I know I will be fed up of lugging it about in a few months time.

[Tiggywunkle]

Honestly, I have had numerous pushchairs and the Peach is my personal favourite. Mine is a year old and it's been all over and isn't scratched to death (a few minor hairline ones between the front wheels) and both logos are in tact (and no I am not the woman who filled her car boot up with polystyrene balls to protect her Peach, nor do I wrap it in blankets).
I love the sturdiness, the feel, the quality, good fabrics, child comfort, huge basket, easy fold, small fold, easy to use, large hood and fab as a double too.

I have had a Surf and whilst the chassis is small and neat the seat unit is annoyingly large - it won't squash flat either. The tiny baskets are barely worth having. The wheels are too small to cope with anything other than pavements. The fabric straps become really annoying after just a few weeks. The fold and open is like rowing a boat - weird. It's wider than it looks as well. All round I was utterly disappointed and glad to sell it on. The newborn insert looked like it wasnt very good - I would definitely have got the carrycot.

Other ideas to look at are the Easywalker June and the Baby Jogger Versa / GT. I think both of these look fabulous. But my Peach will stay until the end of our pushchair days :)

[Tiggywunkle]

Oh and yes, DO check stock of Peaches and be aware of the old and new colours.

[Heavensmells]

I love my iCandy peach. It's the best pram I've had. Can push one handed which is great for holding shopping baskets/brolly whist pushing.

BUT it is very scratched and I've been really careful with it.

[Haribojoe]

I love my icandy cherry. It's 2 years old and going strong, has had a lot of use but all logos are still intact, and frame is not scratched.

Like others here I've owned a lot of prams and pushchairs (have got 4DC) and my cherry (along with my BJCM double) has been my best purchase by far

[ceeveebee]

I love my peach too, I have the twin version for my DTs, and it is so easy to handle, fold etc. We have a VW Tiguan and the base takes up about 1/2 the boot (we use the car seat adapter if we drive anywhere rather than take the seats). There are some drawbacks though. The carrycots are quite small, I had to change to buggy seats at about 4 1/2 months, and the buggy seats also seem small and I don't think will last me much past 12 months. Very little storage space in twin mode, and tricky to get baby into the lower seat. But most of these issues only apply if you are using it as a double buggy, also I think the new version has improved most of these.

[Happenstance]

love my Peach it's my 8th pushchair and my last, my DD2 is 6 weeks old and looks very comfy in her carrycot. DD1 is 2.7 and on the 91st centile she fits beautifully in the main seat and i have yet to remove the seat liner. i live in a countryside town and find it great for travelling around however maybe the Peach jogger is better if planning a lot of country walks.

[OneLittleBabyTerror]

I have a bugaboo cameleon so understand what you are talking about when it's such an expensive purchase. We have it for just over a year and we never regretted it. We walk on gravel paths regularly, and sometimes unpaved grasslands. The bugaboo is a dream to steer, in the country and also in town. However it is very large. We just bought a maclaren and we notice how much space we gain in the boot! We are using the maclaren now when going shopping instead. However I don't think you'll regret buying the icandy because I can't see how you can push a maclaren type stroller in a country lane.

[OneLittleBabyTerror]

I'd just add that if you are concerned about boot space, you are better off buying a second umbrella type fold stroller. None of the travel system fold that small (or they look rather unsturdy). You will also need a umbrella fold for holidays too, as most airline wouldn't allow you to push a travel system to the gate.

[Mrsboathook]

Thank you all- really helps! May order this weekend (D day minus 10 weeks).....

[FireOverBabylon]

Sorry to kill this thread dead, but we bought one for DS when he was born, and it saved his life. I have no doubt that they're worth the money.

We had an iCandy Apple, so the frame is strengthed to convert to a twin, Pear, pushchair as required. The pushchair seat also has a metal frame around it. When a c**t in a lorry, parked on double yellow lines, pulled out into traffic, swinging the back of his lorry over the pavement and squashing the pushcahir against a wall with our 6 month old in it, the frame and handle got squashed badly, sideways, but the seat stayed rigid and DS slept through the whole thing. He was facing me so his head was away from the squashed handle, which also helped.

When we bought the travel system, DH moaned about how much it cost. I know that these things rarely happen, and we certainly didn't think it would happen to us, but we know that spending the money on the iCandy with its frame and integral strength, saved DS's life. the driver who gave false details and the pram shop which took our money for a replacement then ceased trading are a whole other thread though

[Tiggywunkle]

Wow what a story Fire!

[Truffkin]

I have a SC Surf and get on really well with it. We've bought a runaround Citroen C3 for whilst I'm on mat leave and the boot is significantly smaller than the Golf and it fits in fine.

Basket size is one of the downsides, but I don't do a big load of shopping when out with the pram so it's fine for picking up a few bags whilst we're out for a walk.

It's light, very manoeuvrable, turns on a sixpence (great for in shops!) and I found the newborn insert to work well (had the cosy toes sleeping bag type thing too as winter baby) and we've just taken it out as DS now prefers to sit up in the seat (he's 6 months old) Obviously it looks lovely too

[Amylouize]

We bought an icandy peach world edition for our second. Absolutely love it! I'm de aster he's growing out of it at 17 months. Everyone has complemented our pram, especially for the carrycot on. The wheels are good, makes it a comfortable push, the mistress in the carrycot is perfect for your babies. The push is fantastic, so easy to move around which is what I like the most. Big shopping basket, easy fold of the frame. Only down side is that it's bulky and doesn't fit in every boot.

[NishyM]

Wow that is an amazing story! I've had Peach 3 since January and wouldn't change it for the world - yes it's expensive but when I push it and feel the quality, I believe it's justified.

[jamesblake7]

They are definitely worth the money! Me and my partner are now on the 3rd time around, we have used it as a single and a double, everytime we are out it still gets complimented!