Chicco C1 travel system or M&P Pliko Pramette?

[ahymum]

Hi, all

I am first time mum to be and I did not expect that pushchair shopping is such a hard work. There is so much choice out there! I`m currently in love with two options - Chicco C1 pushchair + car seat (suitable from birth) and the M&P Pliko Pramette. Anyone has an opinion to share? I can hardly find any Chicco reviews on the net. Is it not very popular brand in UK? I know is quite famous on the continent.
Thank you in advance

[Joseyjo]

hello!!
i spent the WHOLE day pram shopping today so i sympathise. i am looking at the m&p pramette as well. i am desperate to find something light as i know i am having a cs and am not particularly strong in the arm. also have a car with a high boot, so i will need to get it above waist height to get it in. all very tricky. i have to admit i haven't looked at the chico though. does it have the baby facing mum feature? how heavy is it?

[bubbles2904]

hi, i fell in love with the chicco duo which is on the mnet review, mothercare sell it but i didn't want the carrycot and i thought £400 was alot to spend. i went on to www.pramworld.co.uk and found it without the carrycot for £240. they have a excellent range so you may find something you like on there

[ahymum]

Hi, Joseyjo
The chicco C1 is lovely but you have to use the car seat clicked onto the pushchair if you want to face your baby. The pushchair is fully reclined, but it is forward facing. If without the car seat it is 9.4 kg - not particularly light, is it? Have a look at
www.twoleftfeet.co.uk/2005_Chicco_CT_01_Travel_Systewm.html

[ahymum]

Thank you, Bubbles, this is one web site I haven`t checked out

[bubbles2904]

no problem ahymum. it's based in wigan but delivers. let me know what you think of the website

[ahymum]

The web site is great! Im thinking very seriously of gettin that duo system. This is the cheapest Ive found this model so far. But Ive heard that the baby should not be left in a car seat for longer than 2 hours. So if I want her to face me I can be out for more than that time...Sooo Im thinking about the Pramette too. Did you buy the Chicco

[evansmummy]

Don't know about the Chicco system you're talking about, but we bought a Chicco Trio system (car seat, carrycot and pushcair) and it is great! The carrycot has been a lifesaver (can even be used in the back seat if you buy the car kit; great for long journeys), ds slept in it for the first 12 weeks of his little life! And the fact that the car seat clips onto the pushcahir frame is just so practical. I'd recommend!

[BouncyTigger]

I've got the C1 and think it's great and have friend's with the Pilko which they love too, DD is 6 months and has always loved our C1. We couldn't have the M&P car seat as the base didn't fit our Punto properly so make sure you get someone to check it in your car; apparently it would make the baby car seat slope too much so that her chin went forward an hit her chest.

Only problems with the C1 are you need to use the carseat in the pushchair to get reverse facing, but if you use the car most of the time (as we do) it's not really a problem and you can't alter the height of the handles (not great when DDs 6'4" grandfather wants to push her). Have you seen the Bebe Confort Loola I saw it in toys r us the other day and it looks lovely.

[Joseyjo]

i had a look at the bebe confort, but it is really heavy... why don't they just make one and then we would all have to have the same one and cope with it!! oh well

[ahymum]

BouncyTigger, thanks for the advise - I never thought that a car seat might not fit in our car I now wonder whether to buy the pramette pushchair and the Chicco car seat...tough! Do you find the chicco C1 heavy when folded?

Joseyjo, I do you know how heavy the bebe confort Loola is? It looks small to me as well. Or am I wrong?

[bubbles2904]

i haven't yet ahymum but it is the one i intend to buy. i can't drive so the car seat is only for when dp is with us. i fell in love with it instantly though

[Joseyjo]

ahymum - i have found that you can only do so mych research for prams/pushchairs on the internet, you have to go and touch them and put them up and fold them up and lift them into the car and attach car seats and generally do all the things that you are going to want them to do. then remember that you will only have one hand, it is raining and baby is screaming!!! !!! i find taking dh along gives me sufficient speed incentive as he is bored after about 2 minutes of me persuing fabric choices

[ahymum]

You are so making me to look forward to have that screaming baby....

I am going around the shops on Sun to feel, touch and try the ones I like, Joseyjo

[BouncyTigger]

I don't find it that heavy to lift, but then I am 5'11" and resonably strong, if you're short it might be more of a problem :-)

I agree with joseyjo the only way to work out which is best for you is to try them as much as possible. Also I advise going to an independent retailer to get the carseats checked, they were the ones that told us about the M&P, the M&P store near us told us to phone their customer service to check it fitted our car - not as reassuring as actually having it fitted properly. Have also found if you are likely to be using different cars or catching lifts with friends that having a seat that doesn't clip into a base is better, as you don't have to cart the base around too. However, not sure how our carseat came out in the recent Which? test so you may want to check out their results.