Baby jogger carrycot - compact plus or deluxe?? Help!

[Lifeisabeach]

I just can't decide which one to go for. I've bought a Baby Jogger City Mini GT for my baby who is due in March. I love the pushchair but want to get a carrycot for it.

I've seen the compact plus version new on eBay for £79.95, whereas the cheapest I can find the deluxe carrycot for is £159.99. Big price difference - but is the deluxe version worth the extra money? I know the main criticism of the compact one is that it's narrow, I think the compact plus is 3cm wider, but still quite narrow compared to the deluxe version.

Someone help me decide which one to get!!

[Ihateparties]

Erm, hard to say. I have no issue with the horizontal dimensions of the compact cot, it's more the depth for me. It's comparatively shallow, 2/3 of my babies would have been threatening escape at 3.5 months and dangerous at 5 even though they would have physically fitted.

If you're okay with a shorter lifespan then the compact is fine, the buggy seat lies flat after all so when you have to move them you don't have the problem of a bucket seat and a too young baby. I guess spending more on the deluxe the risk is you end up with a baby who for one reason or another doesn't use it for the full amount of time.

[greenlizard]

I am having the exact same dilema...so can't give you any advice but will watch with interest

I did think that you would probably get a good resale value on the deluxe carrycot as the price difference is so much.

[moggle]

I don't know if this is helpful but we (I!) decided to get the deluxe carrycot to go with our city mini GT, for our baby due in November, let me share some of the stuff that went through my mind when choosing...

Originally I wanted the Versa for parent facing, but when we tried it out I found the fold clunky and so we decided on the city mini instead. Getting a carrycot meant that baby could be parent facing for a while at the start, and obviously the bigger the carrycot the longer that period might be. I think the deluxe is only a few cm longer and wider, but it is the extra depth that really makes it seem bigger. Some people say their babies have "grown out" of a carry cot at only 8 or 9 weeks, but that just can't be right in terms of length of the baby. However I can see that baby might not seem so safe in it once they start moving around more in it, and the shallower the carrycot, the sooner that might start being a concern. Personally I'll be keeping DD in it until she can sit up / pull herself up on the cot sides, or is getting bored of staring at the sky. I think the latter will happen first, but I'm hoping not for a while, as she always falls asleep instantly when I start pushing the pram so mainly watches the inside of her eyelids! She's currently 12 weeks, 12-13lb, and very happy in there.

Another plus with the deluxe is that we have used the carrycot as a moses basket when staying away from home for a night or two. I know officially they don't say it can be used for overnight sleeping (although as I understand it there are no tests for this in the UK, unlike the USA), but as it has a vented base and a normal moses basket size mattress, we are completely happy with using it this way occasionally. It saves room in the car!

Honestly though the main reason we got it was that I thought it looked way nicer than the other baby jogger carrycots, and we could afford it, and having waited for this baby for a few years, we thought, well why compromise. I don't imagine anyone would be disappointed having got the deluxe one, but on the other hand I can see that some people would be equally as happy with the compact one. It's a tough call...

[Lifeisabeach]

Thanks for the replies. I hadn't realised that the depth of the compact ones was an issue - I thought it was just the width. That's kind of swaying me towards the deluxe version, as like you moggle, the only thing going against the BJCM GT for me was the lack of parent-facing option. So I would like to keep baby in the carrycot for as long as possible.

This is DC3 for us and I haven't had to buy much else as I kept everything from my older two...so perhaps I can justify the cost of the deluxe one that way!

[Luckystar82]

Thanks moggle and OP

Moggle I saw your baby and pram photos - so gorgeous. Baby looked snug. I had no idea the deluxe looked so good on the chassis until I saw your pictures. You sold it to me!

I have decided on BJCM GT and had the same concerns about parent facing and wanted a carrycot to last as long as possible. Therefore I'm taking a chance and going with the Deluxe carrycot even though I can't buy it in John Lewis....where I'm buying everything else.

Where are you ladies buying your deluxe carrycot from? I have seen a couple of online stores sell it but never heard of them. Don't want to buy from Amazon or ebay really. Would prefer John Lewis but they have no plans to stock it....I wonder why not?

The Baby Jogger City Mini GT really does have everything going for it. No other pram I tried was able to beat it on ride and suspension, and I especially liked that it offers value for money, longevity and versatility (unlike the expensive travel systems like Bugaboo and iCandy which I think I would ditch for umbrella fold once the child turns 1). If only the BJCM had a parent facing seat option it would be perfect!

[Lifeisabeach]

Luckystar82, if I go with the deluxe one I'll get it from //www.buggybaby.co.uk - they have it for £159. I bought the BJCM GT from there and was happy with the service - very quick delivery with tracking numbers and good communication.

[Luckystar82]

Thanks for the recommendation Lifeisabeach will check it out

[moggle]

I bought mine and the GT from Just kids stuff. They price matched pram world which had the GT and the carrycot for cheapest at that time. the owner was v nice when I emailed her about the price match.