Baby Jogger - critique my shopping list

[Polarbearcub]

I'm thinking of getting a Baby jogger city mini for PFB which seems to be really well regarded and I'm just working out the details of all the bits that I need,

So firstly there's whether to get the standard or the slightly upgraded one

www.johnlewis.com/baby-jogger-city-mini-gt-pushchair-black/p899133


or the slightly cheaper one

www.johnlewis.com/baby-jogger-city-mini-3-wheel-pushchair-black-grey/p1125626?navAction=jump

Has anyone used both and what were the differences? Is it worth the extra? I did go into John Lewis but I can't really remember what they talked about and it was really early on,

Then there's the carry cot

www.johnlewis.com/baby-jogger-city-mini-compact-carrycot-black/p231347990

the standard one - which looked quite small.

Or is it worth the (much more expensive!) deluxe carry cot (should mention my partner is 6' 6"

www.amazon.co.uk/Baby-Jogger-Deluxe-Pram-Black/dp/B00GODPB6U/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby&ie=UTF8&qid=1437752312&sr=1-1&keywords=baby%20jogger%20deluxe%20carrycot&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

Also when I started looking a few months ago there was a car seat that seemed to be compatible (with the adaptors) that was £135 the cheapest now seems to be £165 and is the pebble something. I think the car seat was the Maxi Cosi which JL don't seem to be selling anymore.. basically I'm a bit confused about the whole car seat bit and what we'll need and what's compatible. I have no idea about baby things so I'm trying to figure everything ok!

Also any of the other accessories that I must get or shouldn't bother with. Does anyone know if I can mix and match the standard body with the deluxe bassinet?

So any thoughts/ opinions on the above appreciated!

[ladybunnikins]

I have the baby jogger versa gt and the gt wheels are great but they do make it heavier. I think if your lifestyle is urban with public transport then the ordinary wheels would be better. I also have the deluxe carrycot and I think I'll get 6 months out of it (currently have a 3 month old), however I carry my baby in a carrier mainly since that is the only way she naps and I do wonder if buying the deluxe carrycot was worthwhile, particularly if you're looking at the city mini since that lies flat and is suitable from birth.
Several car seats are compatible, I think you're thinking of the maxi cosi cabriofix? There is a list on the baby jogger website but you do need adaptors for them.

[FraterculaArctica]

Haven't tried both, but we have the BJ City Mini GT and went for the deluxe carrycot which we used till DS was about 6 months. Actually I wish I'd taken off the carrycot and put him in the pushchair sooner (maybe at 4 months) since he hated lying flat in the pram (and rarely slept in it) but was reasonably happy as soon as I turned it into a pushchair!

We are really pleased we bought this combination, no plans to buy another pushchair and think this will see DS through till he's past the pushchair stage altogether (he's now 16 mo). Feels really sturdy, yes a little heavy on public transport but lighter than say the Uppababy Vista which we also considered.

We had a MaxiCosi Pebble (2013 version) and yes you do need to buy adaptors for it (about £25). Didn't use it in travel system mode that often but still worth while. DS was in the Pebble till a couple of months ago (he was a long skinny baby).

Accessories - I think it comes with the rain cover. We bought a footmuff, and a parasol for the pram.

I felt there wasn't quite as much space to attach dangly toys to on the carrycot as on some other prams (the carrycot is quite shallow) but that was a minor quibble.

[sometimesyouwin]

I have the BJ city mini 3 wheel version. I bought it for DS1 when I got sick of the travel system we had. It's been brilliant! It weighs less than a lot of umbrella fold pushchairs and is so easy to push. Has been abroad with us (you can get a travel bag for it). We're now using it for DS2 and have done since newborn. We bought the standard carrycot but couldn't use it in the end as DS2 was in a harness for hip dysplasia and it was too narrow. Instead he went in it lying flat from newborn and we just bought a small head support for him. But he preferred it to the carrycot anyway in the end! We bought the car seat adaptors this time and have used our maxicosi car seat on it loads. You can still fold it up without having to take the adaptors out each time which is useful. The hood on the 3 wheeler is fantastic and comes so far down you don't need a parasol. Ours is now 4yrs old and still going strong .

[purpleme12]

We've just got the babyjogger city mini gt. I can only comment on this however my only regret is not getting this pushchair sooner. We do a lot of walking and a lot of it is off road so we got it for the all terrain wheels it's been a godsend. We went from cosatto giggle to this and it's so much easier. I don't drive as well and it just folds away in one pull and comes out again in one pull - another reason why we got it. I would never go back from this. I haven't bought any of the accessories we couldn't afford it. I love it so much i'd definitely use it from birth as well

[eastmidswarwicknightnanny]

I had the city micro from 18mths for ds1 and used til he was 3. Looked at getting carrycot for it when I had ds2 who is now 8mths but decided not to and got a different pram as baby jogger doesn't parent face and at 4/5/6mths when outgrowing carrycot I wasn't happy to then forward face him.

[qumquat]

I had the standard city mini from birth and it was fab. I would recommend buying second hand. Ours cost £110 on eBay and is in perfect condition. We didn't bother with a carry cot, one of the selling points for me was that the main seat was suitable from birth. We did use the car seat a lot in it in the early days as well. We had a maxi cosi cabriofix which worked well attachments £25 I think. All the other accessories I bought generic versions as Baby Jogger brand accessories were pricier. It's still a great buggy for us at 18 months and it will see us through to the end. No need to switch to a lighter buggy as a lot of people seem to do. I also still get a little rush of joy every time I fold it!

[Pico2]

We got the GT for DD2 at about 3 months. I think you can get away without the carrycot. We haven't needed a rain cover as the hood is massive and we don't have to go out in the rain much. I just wish I'd had it for DD1.