Pram/pushchair help needed for number 3 please!

[louiseamyj]

Hi,
I have been lurking and reading the posts on here for a little while and am trying to figure out which pram would be the best option for me.

I have dd2 who will be just about 3 when baby arrives in march, and although she is walking pretty much all the time now she does get lazy on occasion and aske to take the buggy with us, so I need the following....

Carry cot
Parent facing
Parent facing fold
Maxi cosi compatable
Buggy board

I got to the following short list by the advice here...

Baby jogger versa
iCandy strawberry
Bee + ( with the micralite toro carrycot?)

I have played with the versa and the bee. But not the strawberry. I don't like how flimsy the bee feels, and not sure on whether the toro carrycot would work well? I really liked the versa, and put the almost three year old in it with space to spare, so looks like a good choice.

My questions are I guess, should I play with the strawberry, have another look at the bee or see what happens with the vista? Anyone have any ideas when it will be available again? Nowhere has it online any longer, and I was about ready to order one when it disappeared!

Or are there any others I've missed?

Thanks in advance, especially if you've read all my waffle!

Louise.

[Tiggywunkle]

If you put a buggyboard onto the Strawberry then you forfeit your warranty and with an iCandy, a warranty is worth having!
I dont like how flimsy the Bee feels too but as per their adverts, it does work well if you need to let your eldest sit down and you could sling the baby? The seat adjusts well for both ages, fairly easily.
The Versa (I assume you meant that, not the Vista) is excellent. I think its a case of seeing what happens with them. There's no news as yet, so its a waiting game. They could all be back on sale tomorrow for all we know. If not, the new batches will filter through in the new year I would think. It seems to work wellwith a buggy board.
Look also at the Mutsy Evo because thats got a great space for a buggy board and its a fab pushchair too.

[louiseamyj]

Thanks for that, I hadn't thought about the warranty on the strawberry, guess that's out then.
I did mean the versa, have been looking at so many the baby brain kicked in, and I did love the look of the vista originally.
Like you say it's a waiting game with the versa, I don't want to leave it too late to get something sorted though, so I guess I shall keep looking.
I haven't looked at the Mutsy, so will do that. I also came across the Jane Muum, although it has it's own carseat/carrycot and not a maxi cosi. But otherwise from looking at pictures online it could fit the bill. I am struggling to find anywhere to look at it in person though. Has anyone got any thoughts on the muum?

thanks.

[rogersmellyonthetelly]

A couple of things to consider with the buggy board thing, whilst they are a great solution, you need to look at the space between the end of the carrycot and the handlebar. If there isn't enough space to fit a toddler standing up, it's no good with a buggyboard. Same applies to the rear facing mode in the seats. Also, some pushchairs don't have enough space between the back axle where the board attaches and the handlebar for a buggy board and unless you have very long arms you will struggle to walk without kicking the bloody thing with every step you take.
In all honesty, given the age of your dd I would get a sling for the newborn to stash in the basket in case of emergency, and then look for a pushchair with a seat suitable from birth that rear faces so if she does get tired and needs a seat you can put baby in the sling and her in the pushchair. You can cosy up the seat with a cocoon rather than a carrycot.

[Ihateparties]

I'm a fan of the buggyboard generally, the sling and elder one in the seat I just can't seem to manage (possibly because when the older one needs to be seated it's generally when they're being mental and trying to escape so putting a baby on me at that point is um.... impossible).

The muum should be good with a board, it's lovely to push, the seat is great and personally I don't think you need a carrycot as the seat is easily as flat as the bee. The only thing to watch out for imo is the weird up and down handlebar feeling. I have a Twone, which is the same chassis and wheels as far as I can see (I did order a muum a while ago, there is a pic on my profileand really liked it but needed the double option). The handlebar moves about an inch up and down from the centre joint of the chassis, not unlike a bugaboo cameleon if you have tried one of those in a shop, probably more so actually. It felt really strange and sort of break-y at first but having had the twone and used it daily for months I'm fairly confident that it's meant to be like that, part of the suspension type of thing but the feeling is undeniably odd and slightly disconcerting at first.

The only reason I haven't got a muum is because I have the Twone. I do however have a Versa and for once Tiggy and I agree - it's a great product. Much sturdier feel than the Janes. The whole thing that they have stopped selling them though.... hmmmm, who knows how that will pan out.

[louiseamyj]

Thank you both for your thoughts, the buggy board is something I'm not totally set on straight away, day to day the middle one is fine walking, and hopefully by next summer she'll be even better. I think if we used one it would be on occasion, on longer walks/ days out but probably not til the baby would be a little bigger anyway. I am worried about days out on my own with three as it is, so I think it'll be a while before I attempt it!!! I am not adverse to trying a sling for baby, but didn't really get on with one with the other two.

We managed to find a stockist not too far from us, and went there today to have a play with the Muum, I have to say I really like it. My only issue is that despite trying a couple of times the lady couldn't fold it in parent facing mode, which I am concerned about, especially as the Jane promo video for it shows it folding parent facing. Is there a special knack, or anything you have to do to fold it parent facing?

I think I'm definitely stuck between the Muum and the Versa, I wish I knew when the Versa will be back to compare them side by side!!! Although if I can figure the rear facing fold then the Muum is slightly in the lead!

[Ihateparties]

One thing I wish I had done was fold the muum before I returned it, I only did it forward facing. Can only look at the manual now:

"To fold the MUUM it is best to position the hammock facing
backwards.
Lower the backrest and the footrest bringing them closer
together. "

I think this means the same as the versa, you fold the seat in half first then fold the chassis. Did you try it yourself?

[louiseamyj]

Thanks for that, I didn't try myself, she said it didn't fold that way and then when I said I was sure it did in the video she reluctantly tried. Sounds like it should do it fairly easily, I shall have a go when we go back.

:)