Best pram for off-road walking with a newborn?

[pinguescent]

I'm a novice first-time mum hoping someone might please please please be able to help me out with advice on which pram to get from the bewildering selection on offer.

I've got a Graco Symbio travel system which is fine for general light/urban use for my 6 week old, but I would like to buy a second pram that's a bit more rugged (possibly an all-terrain??) to use for longer walks - nothing too adventurous (we're not talking Kilimanjaro), but able to cope well with country paths and fields/woodland. I mainly drive and never use public transport so the 'new' pram will be for recreational walking only. I've got a Maxi Cosi car seat going spare so it'd be good to get something which is compatible with that. I'm likely to drive to different start points for walks, so ideally want something that folds down without too much trouble and isn't too cumbersome or heavy. I'm also short so struggle with big heavy things (and tall handles).

So my list would be:

• Able to cope with varied/rugged terrain
• Suitable for newborn (with carrycot if necessary)
• Both parent and forward facing
• Suitable for short pusher and not too heavy to fold/lift
• Ideally Maxi Cosi car seat compatible (though not a deal breaker)

I don't mind second hand and will probably buy on ebay. I had in mind a budget of up to £200 but I could pay more for something really good. The obvious one that keeps coming up when I search is the Maxi Cosi Mura, but some reviews say it is very heavy.

I would appreciate any suggestions based on your experiences.

[mrsv2]

i absolutely love my mountain buggy for walks in the woods and off road. I have had many prams / pushchairs and this is my near perfect pram. My only criticism is that it doesnt fold small so you need a big car boot. I have an original new zealand one off ebay for £90 and its the best money ever spent.

[mrsv2]

unfotunately re reading your post fully it doesnt fit any of your critera........lol Sorry :(

[lurcherlieber]

i have maxi cosi mura and its massive and heavy. but i have no problems lifting it into car boot and it is absolutely brilliant for off roading. people often comment as i storm past i got mine new and with the carrycot it was quite expensive! i dunno how cheap they go on ebay though.

i am the opposite to you. looking for something that will fit through a shop door!!

[NomDeClavier]

None! Get a good sling!

[Ihateparties]

What you describe at the budget you have set doesn't exist as far as i know :-(

It does depend on how off road you mean though, a mothercare my3 or something like that may work if you're talking about relatively mild off road.

I would go with a good sling too

[pinguescent]

Very helpful.

Thanks lurcherlieber. Which version of the Mura do you have - 3?

Ihateparties - money isn't really an issue if there's a great pram that does all the things I'm looking for. Do you know of one?

[Ihateparties]

I was thinking of things like the easywalker june and mini, the icandy peach jogger, jane trider etc. Not a massive selection and tbh i'm not totally sure how they would cope with more hardcore off roading.

Could you give up parent facing for a lighter pram, as you already Have a pushchair with a reversible seat to use day to day to day?

[TheTruffleHunter]

We have the iCandy Apple which we use exactly as you describe and is compatible with the Maxicosi car seat - it also has an adjustable handle for us shorties but it is a little on the heavy side.

[gyros]

How about a silvercross xt3 wheeler. Not one of the newest prams about but great off road, easy to fold and suitable from newborn. I had one with ds and took it into the woods daily walking the dog. Suspension is great and sooo easy to push. It is only forward facing though and don't think compatible with maxi cosi. Had a silver cross car seat with it.
I gave it to my sister once ds was 16 mth old (needed a double as dd was born) got a phil&teds which was good but not as good as the silver cross. (My sister used it for another 2 years and she has it in the loft for the next one).

[pinguescent]

Thanks for all the useful comments. I'm very tempted by the iCandy Apple if I can get a secondhand one, but the Maxi Cosi Mura is still in the picture as it seems a decent cart horse. Is the performance of the iCandy worth paying that much more for? I want something I can take out in all weathers so it could get quite dirty. It's also important that it's sturdy and can cope with a bit of a battering (would the iCandy cope better with a bit of abuse?). However much it costs, I'm not bothered what it looks like or about keeping it 'pristine' - function is more important to me.

[MsPickle]

We keep two Janes at GPs for these situations and have pushed them through boggy fields, the friends that passed them on had carrycots but we didn't need them. Great workhorse buggies and big seats (we had one at home for a while and two 3 year olds fitted on together, albeit cuddled up!)

[TheTruffleHunter]

Yes the Apple gets a fair amount of abuse and is definitely sturdy, very stable too for a 3 wheeler which is important to us as we usually have a crazy puppy in one hand and buggy in the other!

[TheTruffleHunter]

btw I got mine second hand on e-bay for £150 including carrycot and car seat adapters, there's quite a few around.

[Equimum]

As already said, it doesn't really fit your criteria, but the mountain buggy really is an amazing off-roadie. We've pulled it over tree roots and through boggy fields with minimal effort.

In relation to your criteria:

• yes to rugged terrain
• yes to newborn (with or without carrycot)
• boy parent facing, but there is a parent facing pod now available, or car seat faces parent
• not light, but lighter than iCandy peach etc
• yes to suitable for short person (very adjustable handle)
• yes to easy fold. Not small, but fits in our hatchback
• Yea to Maxicosy compatiblr

[NewBlueShoesToo]

Love my recaro babyzen. Carrycot faces parent and becomes seat when they are older then after about 12 months just use the pushchair which is light, folds small and doesn't have pneumatic tyres which I hated ( lots of blackthorn round here).

[christilass]

Old style Jane Slalom Pro .... utterly fantastic off road i use it at home on our farm's its a Workhorse !!

I also have the Jane Trider which is good for doing more gentle off road stuff