MB Urban vs. Nipper 360 BUT have VW Golf...opinions please

[1stMrsF]

I love the MB but the folded dimensions are a bit tight for my Golf boot. I'm trying to find one locally that I can try in the boot to see whether it really does fit but meanwhile thought I'd see if I could get some help here as there are some other pros and cons that I am weighing up...

Nipper
It's a really great size for me (I'm 5'3")
It's really easy to push
It's light and compact for the boot
Will my newborn twins really be comfortable in the seats rather than in another buggy with a carry cot?
Some of the reviews say:
that it can tip up if you've got both babies lying flat
that some children get fed up of not being able to sit more upright - no bumper bar etc.
It's wider than some side by sides - I'd like to know whether this causes problems with doorways

MB
I like the fact that I can use carry cots and have them facing me
It will last longer I think - is that people's experience?
It's narrower than the Nipper
Very easy to push and very easy to fold - I like that it folds flat (if it'll go in the boot!)
It's twice the price! I can probably afford it, but is it worth it as if I spend the money here, there will be less for other things.

Thank you very much in advance for your thoughts

[MerryMarigold]

Hi. I got the MB for the only reason that I can have babies facing me as they are my last at carrycot stage. It has also been invaluable set up in our living room for babies to have their day naps in. They sleep a lot better in the, than moses baskets or shared cot .

However, it is hugely bulky. Complete pain to get in and out of the house as requires dismantling carrycots and has put me off as can't just pop out for a quick walk. This not an issue if you can get through your doors without dismantling. And they will soon go into the forward facing seat anyway. I have pushed them outside in it a sum total of about 3x! Also got a maclaren at parents and it's a lot easier to handle, will use that one when travelling.

[MerryMarigold]

In terms of cost, you could look on ebay fo an MB...I bought a new MB in the end but got carrycots cheap from TAMBA. They tend to be in good cond as only used for short while. MB only folds flat if you take off rear wheels but it's quie easy to do...it is def a joy to push.

[mel2005]

i have the double MB with twin carrycot. its really great, i had a double MB before as i have a small gap in age between my other two children. i tried out loads of twin buggies and the MB was the best. i didnt try the nipper out though. there are loads of bargains on e-bay, especially this time of year. my second MB double was £90 and only needed a few new clips sewn on and was in good condition but not perfect. i go off road alot and on the beach so it was perfect for me. it is the newer version as well (with the adjustable handle). you can pick really great condition ones for as little as £200 sometimes cheaper, keep your eyes on buy it now listings that have been newly listed or auctions finishing at suppertime/late at night/early hours/school run time. you dont have to spend a fortune on one and the covers are washable and hardwearing. having the extra wheel on the front also makes it really stable.
if you go for a secondhand MB urban, look for the adjustable handle as the fixed handle versions will be older than 2005. also there is the terrain (fixed wheel) or urban(swivel but fixable wheels) options. i prefered the urban version. the twin carrycot is better than the two singles which are not very wide.

[accessorizequeen]

Like Merry and Mel (congrats Mel!), I have the MB with double carrycot and it is so nice to have a place for the dt's to nap during the day and then just wheel them out of the house should I need to. But we have a standard 30's semi and it only just fits, the nipper wouldn't or would have been tempted. It's still pretty narrow for a double and in fact I don't think that maclarens etc are any different.
With any newborn, really lovely to gaze at them and know they're well protected from the elements and also with dt's people staring at them and you! Do you have other children ,if so carrycot ideal for keeping prying fingers away from babies as I've found with my 2 year old.
Would you consider buggy for the car & one for the house? We've done that & working quite well as no way would I want to fold the MB up and carry it, weighs a ton! We've got a baby jogger city mini for the car, but a maclaren or something similar would be find for trips to the shops. I find I don't go out int he car much anyway as it's so tedious dealing with 2 car seats and transporting them from car to buggy and back again.
Also 3rd everything else Mel and Merry said

[1stMrsF]

Thank you - especially to those of you I know have newborns at home, I am very grateful for your precious time to respond! There are some good points to consider here, e.g. that the carry cots will be useful in the house too and I will have a think about the possibility of having two especially if one or both are second hand.

Will see if there is any Nipper experience add into the mix too.

[thisisyesterday]

the MB is HUGE folded, it literally just goes down on itself flat. i can only just get it in the boot of my renault scenic

[thisisyesterday]

btw, i'd def buy second hand. I have a terrain and it's fantastic. I got the terrain because am not that worried about the swivel wheels and because during a long time of ebay browsing I noticed that on nearly all of the second hand urban models the seats had really sagged, whereas the terrain doesn't seem to do that.

mine is about 3rd hand and is in such good condition. they are built so well that you can get a really old one and it'll still be just fine

[tkband3]

I had the original Nipper, without the swivel wheel at the front and I can't recommend it highly enough. It's incredibly light (less than many singles) and even without the swivel wheel turned on a sixpence. My DTs slept really well in it - napped in there from very early on. We lived in a victorian terrace and it just squeezed through the door and I could leave it up in the hall and squeeze past it so they could stay asleep when we got back from a walk.

Not sure if it would easily fit in the boot of a golf - I'm pretty certain it wouldn't without removing the parcel shelf, but the wheels do come off extremely easily.

I'm sure it's cheaper than the MB as well . My nipper was stolen off my doorstep a couple of years ago and at that point my DTs were too old for it to be worthwhile my replacing it. If you do go for a nipper, I have a full set of cosy-toes that I haven't yet got around to selling!

Hope this helps.

[MerryMarigold]

tkband3, that buggy stolen from doorstep! must be good then...

[MERLYPUSS]

Ive got a 360 Nipper. My DTs are 11 months and DT1 weighs considerably more than DT2. However it doesn't wander to one side at all. We use the back door of our house as opposed to the front as the porch is sticky and it goes through french doors, both opened, ok. I have to take one back wheel off to get it through the kitchen door but can manage that with the kids still on board. It fits in the boot of my Merc a class fine. It is easy to collapse and you don't need to take bits off it first.

[1stMrsF]

Nipper owners, any comments about its 'tippiness' or the seats being quite reclined even in the upright position?

[tkband3]

You've got to watch it if you take a baby out when you've got a bag hanging on it - but then that's true of a lot of lightweight buggies. I did get a second, much cheaper, Mothercare buggy so that my 2 could sit more upright when they were about 2, but it wasn't nearly as good as the nipper and I didn't use it that much... until the nipper was nicked and then I didn't have a choice! Since then I've also had a Marco Sky and a Jane Powertwin and none of them has measured up to the nipper IMVHO .

[1stMrsF]

thanks tkb

[MERLYPUSS]

Don't think the seaats are particularly reclined. They are adjusted by a strap so you can have multiple settings and pull it to it's tightest for sitting up. Mine has never tipped either.
TK - Why Jane a no-no?

[mum2double]

I LOVE my nipper (i have the 360) i have a problem with my hip and was worried when i found i was expecting twins as i thought that all double pushchairs would be very heavy. while it is obviously heavier than a single i have been pleasantly surprised by how easy it is to move in and out of the boot, it is very easy to put up and to collapse and i haven't experienced any problems with the seats or with tippiness. my boys are now 10 months old and have been in it since newborn. i can honestly say that it is one of the easiest pushchairs to handle and that includes some singles!!

[tkband3]

Merly - I only got mine when the girls were about 2.5. To start with it was a novelty to have a 3 wheeler that was easily manoeuvrable (sp?) (at least compared to the Marco Sky), but I found it really awkward to get up and down kerbs - it often tipped sideways - and it was a tight squeeze getting one of the girls in and out of the back seat. It was also ridiculously heavy and awkward to get in and out of the car. I was mighty relieved when the girls were finally old enough to walk pretty much all the time . I think it's possibly a good one for babies/smaller toddlers, but for bigger toddlers it's not great.