Lightweight, compact buggy for newborn...

[TriJo]

Our travel system (the Mothercare Roam) turned out to be a total disaster - the back wheels are so wide it's difficult to get it out of our apartment, I need to make two trips up the stairs to bring it from street level to our apartment, the carrycot is way too long and takes up too much space on a bus - it's difficult to fit a second pram beside it... either way we need a new one.

I want something that's quite compact, will be good for a newborn but will last (my son is 3 weeks old) and preferably has a one-hand fold. I'm currently looking at the Bugaboo Bee and the Babyzen Yoyo 0+ but balking a little at the price, also the Baby Jogger City Mini, but if anyone has any other suggestions that would be great.

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Hello,

We've noticed this thread is quite old and some of the product recommendations are a little out of date. We've spent weeks speaking to parents and testing prams and pushchairs. Here's our round up of pushchair reviews for the best prams on the market right now.

Hope that helps!

MNHQ

[KP86]

I have a 4 wheel city mini and 99% love it. High weight limit (I think 4w is 20+kg?), so easy to steer and push one handed if needed, a breeze to fold up and the covers come off completely to go in the wash.

Downsides: handle isn't heigh-adjustable (although is on GT model) and it's a little narrow to have your hands comfortably apart where I'd naturally like to place them. The handle also doesn't work especially well with a parent caddy, again this is due to the width issue.

I wouldn't swap it though. The Bee seat is too small for my liking, a tall child will outgrow it before 3yo, plus it's freakin' expensive! Yoyo also has a fairly low weight limit of 15kg IIRC.

Look on eBay/gumtree. I got mine for £100 and it was in pretty good nick.

[Zaurak]

There's a new baby jogger out called the premiere- one hand fold and reversible seat. Looks really good.

[stonechallenge]

Bugaboo Bee

[Hufflepuffin]

Baby jogger city zip is like the city mini (shares a lot of the downsides kp86 mentioned!) but it's more compact on a bus and when folded it's teeny and stands upright on its own (handy in a flat). The folding handle becomes a carrying handle. It short, it's bloomin brilliant!

[poocatcherchampion]

Bee. Buy it off eBay. Job done

[TeaPleaseBob]

I've got a city mini and a bee plus ( I know...) and my almost 3 year old is equally comfy in both. The seat on the bee is deceptively big, she has plenty of growing room left.

I prefer the bee to push as it feels lighter, easier to push one handed (I have the 3 wheel city mini which isn't as good to steer as 4 wheel version) and is narrow so doesn't get caught on stuff going round shops.
The hood on the city mini is amazing though and I really miss it on days I have the bee out. You can buy extending hoods for bee though which will improve hood.
Given the choice my daughter prefers the bee as she's a chatterbox and likes to face me so she can chat away and I hear her properly.

[eatingforonemore]

We have a Silvercross reflex that came with a free newborn fit and it's really lovely. Got it from pramworld for under £200. My 1yo fits nicely in it, it's got a large hood, nice recline and a good basket

[Trying2beTrifty]

I had a horrible big silvercross travel system that we bought when my son was born and I ended up selling it on and after doing a lot of research this time I went for the city mini, I have it just over a year now and it has been brilliant, I use it every day for the school runs and trips around the town, it's seen a good bit of mileage and it's as good as when I brought it home from the store. My son is almost 2 now, he's a stocky boy and long too and he still has plenty of room in it, he weights 17kg (constant sore back for me!) and the city mini is still fab to push! My only negative is that I got the three wheeler, and some of the paths where I live are very uneven and dip up to one side, if my son leans sideways the buggy nearly tips over and I barely manage to upright it. That's only recently since he got a bit bigger. I don't think this would be an issue if I had the four wheeler one!
Overall it's a fab buggy, I'd have been lost without it, after a year of daily use there's barely any wear to the wheels.

[Angel170911]

I have Quinny Zapp Xtra 2, if you get the birth inlay it is suitable from birth, got mine for £200 with some shopping around then got John Lewis to price match. It folds very small (fits into my boot easily and my car is a small car)
Also comes with car seat adaptors as standard. Only negative points handle not height adjustable and you can fold seat in half if birth inlay is in it. Otherwise fantastic

[Ava50x]

I'm currently looking into the Ickle Bubba Aurora. It seems to be really lightweight and exceptionally compact, and best of all, its really cheap- around #115. It looks just like the Babyzen Yoyo.
It does appear to be quite new so there aren't that many reviews. I'm still making up my mind :)

[Artandco]

Baby zen yoyo 0+. Really small fold. Tbh it's only the first year they use exclusively, then once walking you want as light as possible so they can toddle along and you can push empty pram one handed, then they just go in once tired. Great for bus/ plane/ train travel. And you can just hold baby in one hand and put pram on other arm with strap to carry to your apartment

15kg Max weight should be fine for a baby and toddler. My 5 year old is just 17.5kg, and wasn't over 15kg until 4+ ( as I checked for car seats) he's tall for his age also.

[WelcomeToMusicTown]

I have a Bugaboo Bee Plus, my DS is 14 weeks old and it's been brilliant so far. We're on the 1st floor of our building and it's light enough to carry upstairs. Easy to manoeuvre with one hand too. I got mine for £200 almost new from eBay and spent £25 on a newborn cocoon (and an unnecessary £25 on a matching hood...). I'm banking on it lasting until toddlerhood and know plenty of friends who've got 3+ yos still using it.

[adagio]

Have you been able to find real life ones to prod and test drive? I have a Sola (mamas and papas) which is huge when folded, although has lasted well. Now baby #2 has turned up I am seriously looking for a replacement once we are out of the carrycot stage.

I had my heart setting on Babyzen yoyo, but when I went and actually had a proper look at it I wasn't so impressed and instead I prefer the baby jogger city mini zip (4 wheels). The BJCM felt pretty much comparable in weight but much sturdier to me.