Pram options for tall folks

[LAF77]

Hi, I'm expecting our first baby. I'm 23 weeks, so I have plenty of time (I think) to decide on a pram, but it is so confusing!

I've been seriously considering:

Mima Xari
iCandy Peach (possibly Jogger, but don't know when that is coming out)
Baby Jogger City Select, but I understand that there is a new model coming out, but not sure when it will be available in 2012 in the UK. I'm due in March.
Uppababy Vista (haven't seen it in person, just read the reviews)

I was very keen on the Mima as baby will be quite high up in the pram, but DH preferred the iCandy. He liked the way the chair and cot clicked into place. I like the iCandy too, but I like the Mima carrycot stowage system and the height of the chair.

I'm a fan of BJCM, as I love the way it folds down, but I think the handlebar is too low for me. I'm 5'10 and DH is 6'1. Maybe the new BJGT could do the trick.

I discounted Stokke as I think that it is difficult to collapse. I liked the idea of it, but couldn't cope with the reality of it.

The Joolz also seemed a bit more awkward than the other prams to take the seat off, so it doesn't rate highly for me.

It is hard to find all of the prams in one place to compare them all. I've read lots of reviews, but does anyone have any feedback that they can share with me about why they chose any of these prams in particular?

Any rumours as to when the iCandy Peach Jogger will be available or the new Baby Jogger models in the UK?

Thanks!

[Tiggywunkle]

The Peach Jogger is en route and so should be in the UK shortly according to iCandy's Facebook (I think it was today or yesterday).
The Baby Jogger City Select I don't think is changing - they will probably bring out new colours, and if it does change, I wouldn't have thought by much. The Baby Jogger City Elite is being phased out and the new City Mini GT is coming next, and like you say the adjustable handlebar will probably make a difference as the range of height on the Elite is huge. I suspect the earliest we will see that is spring. The Versa is the really exciting one, but I doubt we will see that before the summer, but it's a case of keeping your ear to the ground (I certainly am!) I am seeing the Baby Jogger rep next week and will be begging for updates (she knew nothing last week when I quizzed her). She thought we would know more after the UK trade show in March if not before.

I have used a Peach, a Vista, an Elite, City Select and a Mima Kobi (fairly similar to the Xari) They are all fantastic pushchairs. Personally I would discount the City Select. As a single it's wide and has the attachment points sticking out at the front. After having the Peach, I found it very heavy too and the length etc was noticeable. The Peach is fantastic. It's my favourite pushchair. I love it. You may well find the handle a bit short though? I can't fault the Vista and the carrycot is beautiful. The Mimas chassis' are objects of beauty. I love Mimas. I did find the seat units large to store eg in the car boot but I guess they didn't ake up much more room than the Peach seat. There is less storage on the Xari than the other pushchairs - is that an issue?

With all the pushchairs with separate seats that I have tried the seats all clicked in an out in a similar way (apart from removing the Vista carrycot), so I would tell DH not to worry about that!

To be honest any of your short list would be good but I wouldn't get the City Select as a single.

[sedgiebaby]

I have the Stokke and the BJ Elite. We are both very tall, I'm nearly 5'10 and dh 6'2. I love both pushchairs.

The Stokke is not difficult to collapse once you get used to it I suspect it is easier than most, but it is more difficult than the Baby Jogger, which can be folded with one hand. The fold is AMAZING. The handle is I suspect even higher than the stokke. The suspension on the Elite is fantastic and it is a dream to push. The Elite has a lot on the City Mini, but it is much heavier, but it depends on how much you will be carting it around folded up. They both take limited room in the boot - at least when compared to the Stokke. The stokke is fantastic for urban use and I've used it on some rougher paths fine. Baby is the nosey sort and has LOVED being up high like that, but as she has got older does not seem so bothered. So great when going to a cafe pushing baby right up to the table and feeding her without pulling her about. But the Elite gives a smoother easier ride for baby unbelievably easy to push and will probably last longer - I mean that my 13 month old has tons of room compared to the Stokke - she is a 99 centile baby. We walk a lot inc rough paths and it is sooo easy on all the lumps and bumps, very noticeable when compared to the stokke and any of my friends pushchairs. But saying that I've never had ANY complaints about my stokke and each time I took it out I thanked myself because I've really enjoyed it and it is also great to push but having recently got the Elite the difference is remarkable, even up a steep hill with a 27lb baby and the pushchair weighing in almost the same and you don't know it, can push it one handed even.

The new BJCM is a kind of cross between the current CM and the Elite I think not out before next spring and hence why I just bought the Elite. I'm not so sure about a newborn in the elite but I've not seen the carry cot, the pushchair bit doesn't go flat enough IMO. I'm not an expert like some of the fab ladies on this board, they will give you much better advice but your post caught my eye being tall. I loved my Stokke, only selling it because I can't justify having two and I needed a pushchair that took up less room for holidays, but I've really enjoyed using it, sure you would be happy with either. I don't know the others but I think the select is to be adapted as a double buggy. The Joolz I discounted but I can't recall why now, it might have been limitations on the warranty. I love the fact you have 3 years on the Stokke and lifetime on the (forever) wheels and chassis on the Baby Jogger. Honestly I'd recommend both these prams to anybody - DH chose the Stokke he loved the features and how it handled, but he possibly loves the Elite even more, its just so so practical so nice to push. If I could do it all again, I'd probably buy the Elite only, unless I had tons of ££ and room and could justify both, the carrycot on the stokke was so lovely for a new baby. I've gone on a bit! Hope it might help. Have fun picking out your pram :)

[aswellasyou]

Since you haven't seen the Vista in real life yet, it's worth noting that the seat on it is also high up. You haven't said what you want out of your pushcair so it's hard to say which is best. Although I think the Peach is lovely in almost every way, the two piece fold would bother me as it does with my current main pushchair. I think the Vista would be my choice for ticking every box there is to tick pretty much. But the Xari (in white! ) would be my choice if storage wasn't going to be an issue. But then you could hang one of these on it seen as the chassis is so similar to the Joolz.

[pramsgalore]

i own a xari and a vista and love them both, the xari is my walking pushchair when storage is not required and the vista is my shopping pushchair, they both fold with the seat on but only with the seat forward facing, they both have suspension although the xari is more bouncy, the seat on the vista is larger, but saying that my small 3 year old fits easy into both with room to grow, but all my dc's are very short. the mima seat is a tad higher but not by much really, so it depends on what you want, if you need room for shopping then the vista, if you don't then the mima would be great but the front basket will only take the raincover and 1 shopping bag will completely fill the basket at the back leaving the lid open, the vista i took shopping and fitted loads in with room still to spare its like a black hole it just keeps taking

[SeaweedNK]

I had a Stokke for DS and both DH and I loved it. I am 5ft 9 and DH is 6ft 2. I was concerned about collapsing it to start with but it honestly was as easy as pie once I was used to it. I sold ours on EBay once we had finished with it and it made such a good price that the actual cost of ownership was quite low.

[fraktious]

Just to say DH is 6'6 and can push our BJCM pretty comfortably.

[saoirse86]

I was just wondering if you're considering having another child while this child is still young? Because all those pushchairs you mentioned originally can be converted to doubles, apart from the Xari, you'd have to have the Kobi for that. Is that something you're thinking about or just coincidence?

If you get your weekly shop delivered or just take the car and put the baby in the trolley then you won't need to worry so much about storage space. I tend to find I only use my shopping basket to keep the rain cover and my handbag in.

[KateShmate]

How about Bugaboo Bee+ ???
Love mine; and my 6ft+ (havent measured in a while!) husband can push it comfortably. Extendible handle extends pretty long!

[Tiggywunkle]

Lol at Saoirse! Never mind groceries, you should have seen how much was stacked onto our pushchair earlier on a quick nip to the shops! We had wrapping paper rolls coming out of every gap in the chassis, bags all over and DD with things on her lap!! We do 99.9% of our shopping online too lol

[LAF77]

Thank you for all of your invaluable comments. We have talked about having another babe "soon" after this one, but I'm worrying about this one first! One comment I had was not to worry about getting a pram that converted to a double because I may want to change it out for the "newest model" when the time comes. iCandy Peach Jogger can't be converted to a double from what I gather from their website, but it does look gorgeous. I don't know if that's how I really would think. I like to look at the long term, but if I decide for example that the Peach Jogger or the Xari is the one for me, then I would go for it.

A little bit of background on my situation, I'll be living in Norwich city centre at the time of the birth if all goes to plan. There are quite a few cobbled streets, but most of them have pavements, I think. We are getting a new Mini Countryman, trading up from my Mini, so boot space shouldn't be too much of an issue. I don't know how much driving I'll be doing vs. walking as it will be a new place for me and a new life, but the idea of being in Norwich town is to be able to get out and about without having to rely on getting in the car. I'd like to walk as much as possible, but I'm sure I'll need the car at some point. I don't want a fiddly pram to collapse into the boot as I'm sure I could be reduced to tears of frustration if it gives me grief! That's why I really like Baby Jogger, there's no way I could get it wrong!

Can anyone recommend a good shop in London or the Southeast that has a lot of models on display? I'd like to compare all of the models together side by side myself and see what I think.

I visited Frills All Around last weekend and saw the iCandy, Joolz, and Mima there. I didn't see the Uppababy there (that I recall) or the Baby Jogger Elite, but they did have BJCM. We thought that the handle for BJCM was just a little bit too low to really feel comfortable. They don't carry Stokke there, but we had a good look around it at the baby show in Earls Court and it doesn't feature high on my list, although I want the Sleepi and the Changing Table for the baby.

I don't want to have to resort to drawing straws to choose a pram. DH is pushing hard for the iCandy, but I know that I'm really the one who will be living with the pram. I'd like to have a decision made by the end of the year, so we can have one ordered in time for the baby, which could rule out the new baby jogger models. I've got a baby bjorn from a friend, so I could get by for a little while if the new baby joggers were worth it.

Thanks for helping me!

[LAF77]

BTW kateschmate bugaboo hasn't been on my list. A neighbour of mine has a bugaboo (not sure which model) and she found it a struggle with her son because he is quite tall for his age and he doesn't comfortably sit in the pram. I think that chances are, our baby will be a big baby, so I want one that will accommodate him for awhile.

[aswellasyou]

Definitely discount the Xplory if you're going to be crossing the road on cobbles! Do you think you'd be happy having your baby facing away from you from about 5 months, when they want to sit up occasionally? I got a forward facing pushchair when my daughter was 4 months and had bought a new reversible pushchair by the time she was 7 months. But not everyone has a problem with not seeing their child easily.

There are quite a few Vista stockists in London and the South East. Have a look through them to see if they have the others instore.

The Peach Jogger can't be converted to a double, only the normal Peach can.

[pramsgalore]

do you mind having to take off the seat to fold, both the xari and vista are very easy to fold, but the seat would be facing you or in pram mode so you would have to take the seat off to fold, i have been to norwich loads shopping, [we holiday there several times a year] and both would work well, i think because you will be walking everywhere and shopping the vista may be slightly better due to the huge basket, but both are lovely to push and easy to fold, with the fact you may have a tall dc, remember the vista has a taller seat unit, the stokke is lovely but it has no suspension and the fold could reduce you to tears if you don't do it often enough to remember and the seat is a pain to get over the handle bar.

[pramsgalore]

the babylady in canterbury kent always has a good selection on display, or the best is kiddicare but its in peterbough.

[pramsgalore]

and renhams in folkestone, they are icandy stockests i think both have websites

[aswellasyou]

I thought I'd read that you could fold the Vista with the seat facing either way.

[pramsgalore]

ooo i thought it was only forward facing i turn the seat round to fold, need to read instructions me thinks, but then this is the person that never realised the xari had an adjustable bumperbar

[pramsgalore]

from uppababy website,
The UPPAbaby VISTA can be folded WITH the seat still attached! The seat must be front facing and in the number one seat position to fold easily

[aswellasyou]

Oh OK. I'm a bit disappointed-it'd could have been completely perfect!

[Tiggywunkle]

You can fold the Vista with the seat on it either direction but one way is neater than the other. There's photos somewhere. The normal Peach is easy to fold, I expect the Peach Jogger is similar. Just bear in mind that it's the time of year that pushchair prices are about to increase. I think...that Baby Jogger is about to rise by 10%, I think in December (I had a date but the e mail is on my computer over there >>>) and iCandy I heard would be a 6% increase in the new year (whether it's true, I don't know!). The chances are other manufacturers will increase prices too.

[pramsgalore]

ooo off to fold other way

[Tiggywunkle]

Vista fold photos at the bottom although I cant for the life of me work out which photo was which way!! Prams, Frigg, everyone else? I assume the neat one is forward facing?

[pramsgalore]

can not be bothered to move so looked on bestbuggy, yes but it makes for a bulky fold, still will be turning seat round to fold but it only takes seconds to do so not a problem really

[pramsgalore]

its the first fold after the raincover and bits, the flater fold is with seat forward facing

[Tiggywunkle]

But if you have to take it off, you may as well leave it off and throw the two parts in the car or store in the house, so you may as well have a two part pushchair :) It's just as easy to deal with :) But yes the Vista is excellent, but so is the Peach :o