London/big city pushchair

[crazyhead]

To all Londoners or big-cityers who use tubes and buses loads, which pushchair would you recommend?

I don't particularly mind what it costs (I am due loads of hand-me-downs for everything else) I just want good for transport, relatively versatile, able to carry a couple of shopping bags. I also tend to walk miles, and I expect I will with the baby.

I was assuming bugaboo bee at this stage, mainly due to being unimaginative. The cameleon one looked a bit wanging for the bus...

Any thoughts on this or other choices gratefully received! I know practically zilch

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Hello,

We've noticed this thread is quite old now, and some of the product recommendations are a little out of date. We've spent weeks speaking to parents and testing buggies and travel systems. Here's our round up of the best pushchairs newborns, including lightweight pushchairs and double buggies.

Hope that helps!

MNHQ

[MrsHoolie]

I would say Bugaboo Bee or top of the range Maclaren(the Xlr you can attach a carry cot).
The Bugaboo is a dream to push and quite compact. I didn't bother getting the baby nest as my first baby was born in the spring but I would get it if you are expecting in autumn/winter.

[MrsZuko]

I'm in SE London - I've had a Maclaren XT since DS was born 3 years ago and I'm planning on using it for DC2 when it's born in October. It's the only buggy I've ever needed to buy - have taken it on planes/buses/trains/tubes and it's been great. The back drops down flat so you can use it from birth and I put one of the those sheepskin liners in it to give it a bit more padding.

[notcitrus]

Second Maclaren XT - it's a bit narrower than the XLR and for the £50 or more you save you can get a really luxurious muff to go underneath baby and over legs. Light for when you really need to cart it up steps, but robust and can get lots of shopping under/on it. And solid tyres so no worries about punctures.

I did loads of walking and travel with it - still do and ds is nearly 3. Hope to persuade him out of it soon so can save it for dc2!

[mpops]

Useful thread, thank you! Can I ask if the Maclaren XT comes with extra carrycot? Or does the baby go in the main buggy? Sorry for the silly questions, this is my first and I'm a public transport fiend!

[sprinkles77]

bugaboo bee is great. I love mine. however, if you are asked to fold it cos the bus is busy and then have to put it back up, its a bastard to do single handed.

[valbona]

maclaren xt! there's no carrycot option, but we never missed it at all. so pleased we chose it. go for it!

[iskra]

Maclaren!

[FuzzyWuzzyWuz]

I would say avoid the Bugaboo Bee. I've got one and hate it. Silly little wheels that won't bump up curbs, suspension so poor that DD's gums rattle if we're going over anything but shiny mall floors. We only bought it because we have a small car, wish we'd changed the car and bought a better buggy. Oo that feels better

[nicolamumof3]

i'd say bee, unless you have to fold alot for public transport? if you do than mac xt is way to go. I wouldn't get the xlr/carrycot combo as wouldn't be able to fold down for buses.

the bee is lovely tho as light, narrow and rear faces, I can't wait to use mine for dc4 due in a couple weeks.

[mousymouse]

I see many bees and icandys on the buses here. would absolutely prefer rearfacing to a buggy.
we use mainly an ergo baby carrier and have a cheap(ish) obaby buggy for outings.
imo the tube is a hassle if you are in an area without step free access, acarrier is soo much easier.

[csmudge]

Hope i'm not hijacking, but anyone have experience of baby jogger city mini? Love it, especially for folding mechanism (great as we live in a flat and will need to bring up stairs daily and store folded). However, bit worried about width for getting on London buses?

[GwendolineMaryLacey]

Bee or XT. The only other one I would consider is the new iCandy Strawberry but that's only from what I see in the blurb as it isn't out yet.

[tiokiko]

Love the Bee+, especially if you or your partner are tall. I didn't find the Maclaren handles extended far enough and I kept kicking the wheels - no problem with the Bee+ and I think it's really easy to handle.

Basket is easy to get to and holds quite a lot, rear- and forward-facing options are great.

Cameleon is fantastic, even better handling/suspension but it would be a hassle if you had to collapse it on public transport.

[urbandaisy]

To be perfectly honest, I've tried the Bugaboo Bees belonging to a couple of friends and I wasn't as big a fan as most people seem to be. The small wheels and not great suspension weren't always great for a smooth ride, especially on cobbles, and I really didn't like how low the baby was. The mechanism to extend the handle needed two hands, which was a bit irritating, too, when you're just trying to switch who's pushing.

I was such a huge fan of my friend's iCandy Peach that I've bought one for myself. It's narrower than you'd expect, she's never had any trouble getting even her twin version onto a bus. The basket is huge, which is a plus for me as well. And it's definitely a much smoother ride, easy to get up deep kerbs, etc.

I woudn't worry so much about having to fold a pushchair in London. Friends in other cities have to do it regularly, but where I live (south London) I've never seen anyone have to fold up their pushchair to get on the bus.

[CharlotteBronteSaurus]

Bee or XLR
We had the XT in London with DD1. TBH all buggies are a PITA to fold with a squirmy baby in one hand, however easy they claim to be in theory. You will only rarely need to fold as the buses have lots of buggy space.

dd2 hated being forward facing so we picked up a second-hand Bee for her. It's similarly great - nice small turning circle, better brakes than the XT, much bigger shopping basket. both are really light, which i would recommend, as it makes it easy to pick the whole thing up if you run into a small flight of stairs, rather than bumping, which takes forever. suspension is similar on both - the nippy little city buggies will never give as smooth a ride as the big off-roaders, but your baby will probably enjoy being lightly jostled to sleep - mine always did.

[merryberry]

I've got a baby jogger city mini and travel all over the shop in London with it, let me see, about 20-40 individual transport uses a week, bus most, then tube, then trains. We don't keep a car, but it's also been fine when we've hired them, because you can additionally slip the wheels off if needed in smaller models. If I had my time again I'd have it from birth, though it's so roomy I'd probably have to pad the seat for a newborn with some sort of fleece arrangement.

Currently rolling my 3.25 yr old around for long trips. It wins for public transport hands down because of the one move fold - just pick it up by the carry hand and snap, it's in place. Click this link to see a frighteningly efficient lady put it through its paces.

Also folds open again that quickly. Makes buses far more accessible than waiting for buggy space to be free, makes escalators a doddle. You can leave stuff in the bottom to fold it.

Width wise I can fit it open into any bus space I've been challenged with so far. And I adore the long hood. I didn't buy the rain cover as we started using it when my last child was 18 months, only his shins/feet are exposed. Makes for excellent sun cover too.

It's cleans easily, it's not too heavy, yet somehow it is very roomy, my 3 year old looks fine. I get far, far less buggy-tip threatened by it compared to all the prams below except the P&T. It's a glorious workhorse. And turns on a dime in shops etc and has a continuous handle so it is a very easy one-handed push.

I've previously had: maclaren xt, phil and ted, and two of the more modern looking ones whose names escape me now. Ah, one was a Quinny the other that Microlite malarkey.

[merryberry]

Ah, unlike urbandaisy, I'm in North and Central London with regular trips West and into the City, so much more folding going on.

[Scaredycat3000]

I've got a Mothercare urban detour in South London. It is to wide to get on one bus route, to long to fit properly in the buggy spaces on buses, to heavy to fold and carry DS, but I can walk anywhere for miles loaded down with loads of shopping, beautiful to push. So instead I used a stretchy wrap from birth and then a Mei Tai baby carrier until I fell pregnant again. Getting round London with out a buggy when I choose has been lovely. I possibly wouldn't have tried if I hadn't made such a mistake with the buggy! It's worth looking into and there are plenty of slingmeets where you can try out different carriers in London if you think you might be interested.

[Sumi76]

I second merryberry on the Baby Jogger City Mini.

[allthefires]

Baby jogger city mini - preferably new model with easy attachment of a carrycot/car seat.

[crazyhead]

Was away for a couple of days, but thanks for all these responses - massively helpful

[EldonAve]

bee, bjcm or techno

[otchayaniye]

I recommend no pushchair (ok, I guess I'm in a minority but I'm just throwing it out there). Although my first was born overseas (busy Asian city) we moved back to central London when she was 7 months old and had no pram at that stage and because I use public transport almost every day decided not to buy one. That was 2-1/2 years ago and I'm now 8 months pregnant.

We just never needed one. Plus travelling on bus, train and tube and picking up shopping is so much easier without a large buggy.

[MamaChoo]

I have a Bee and could easily carry it down the steps on my own at the Tube with child in it for about 2 years...after that, DC got too heavy. Its not a smooth ride but many babies/ small kids like being joggled around a bit and it puts them to sleep. Its currently being mended to use for DC2B, as we wrecked it using it off-road, I mean really off-road like ploughed fields and rocky beaches!