Calling pushchair experts-please help me choose!

[OrangoCat]

Can anyone give me some advice on which pushchair to choose, please, I am so confused!

We live in a town, so mainly pavement/road/park type use, but v hilly and cobbles in places. We live in a second floor flat with no lift, so we?ll be leaving the pushchair at the bottom of the communal stairs, folded up and padlocked to the wall. Baby is expected later this year, but we are hoping to have another, possibly with a relatively short age gap (18 months or so).

I think we've pretty much narrowed it down to the BJCM or the Babystyle Oyster, advantages of the BJCM being the fold and the lightness, advantages of the Oyster being it looks plusher/comfier, good value, has adjustable handle and you can forward and rear-face, whilst it's still fairly easy to fold.

But then we're also thinking of the BJCS, because you can still forward and rear-face, have adjustable handle AND could convert into a tandem in a couple of years time.

So here's what I'm wondering?
Would I be better choosing a single pushchair I want NOW, and then sell it if/when DC2 comes along and buy whatever double is best at that time? Who knows, we might be in a different home by then. Or just go for the BJCS. And if I go for the single option, is the BJCM fold really worth the other compromises? Any other pushchair options I haven't seen or thought of? Thanks ladies!

[Tiggywunkle]

Can I ask how you will padlock it to the wall...it's just the BJCS is two pieces, and neither it nor the BJCM freestand but the BJCS seat could be carried upstairs balanced on one finger if necessary. Honestly....therecis an argument that you should think about baby no 2 after having no 1, but the BJCS is a fantastic pushchair as a single. It's a tad wider and longer than most but you get used to that. The thing I would be thinking about is when you come home with a heavy ten month old crawling baby, where will you put him / her whilst you deal with the pushchair (or even say a six month old who can't sit yet)? The BJCS is a two handed fold, plus removing the seat. Is it an advantage to have baby tucked under one arm with the one handed fold of the BJCM so that if anything, all you need to do is put the baby down momentarily to do the padlock? Does that make sense? Put yourself in the situation. The other thing is long term the BJCS is a load of bits - two seats, chassis, adaptors, raincovers. A one piece pushchair whether a tandem or side by side would be much easier. The BJCS can fold with both seats on, but one will get dirty. I can't speak about the Oyster.

[OrangoCat]

Thanks Tiggywunkle, those are really good points. I think I would actually leave the seat on the BJCS and then bike lock the frame to the clip on the wall. I trust my neighbours, so it would just be opportunistic randoms following the postie in to worry about, and hopefully they'd have a quick look, see it was padlocked, and not realise the seat can come off! Not ideal though.
As for the crawling baby scenario, this is something I had worried about, and does make the BJCM a real advantage.... Another question then, can you put your bag over the handlebars on the BJCM? It looks so light, it might tip up?!

[Tiggywunkle]

Yes you can put your bag over the BJCM without it tipping - but you may wish to consider the 4 wheel version for extra stability? I dont know if it helps, but if you buy any Baby Jogger well, the chances are you will get a lot of your money back. Also if you did buy either of the BJ pushchairs, if you pop the wheels off they are incredibly slim, so are very easy to store in your flat should you wish to. You can also get a carrycot for both pushchairs, so to start with you only need to store the chassis downstairs and can carry the baby up (or in a car seat either). I have both and I love them!!

[Tiggywunkle]

Just to add, you mentioned your cobbles - you may well find that the Baby Jogger City Elite could be worthwhile throwing into the mix. It's really not much larger than the City Mini (the footplate makes it more chunky) and would probably handle your cobbles and hills better. It's worth considering IMHO.

[mamadivazback]

In your situation I'd say something with a one piece, quick fold and something that can take a car seat/carrycot until baby is old enough to sit or walk whilst you sort the pushchair out.

I'd go for whatever single would suit you best right now as things don't always work out how we plan and you may not get use from a tandem so you'd have had a bigger pushchair for nothing and right now I don't think it's ideal for you.

Also by the time you have DC2 the Select may well have gone down in price or there will be ore available second hand if it will suit your needs then.