Pushchair advice needed!!

[osaenlondres]

Hi,
I've seen that there many topics but some of my criteria are different and i would be grateful for advice and experience-sharing.

We live in central London - will be using public transport sometimes. Walking on pavement, in parks and maybe sometimes countryside but no rough terrain. We do not have a car currently but if we buy one later on, it would not be too big. I am 5'5'', my husband is 6'3''. We live on the 3rd floor with no lift (and are not allowed to leave the pram downstairs for too long). I might be able to leave the frame/chassis in the garage but imagine in this case i might need to be able to carry a sleeping baby upstairs in some sort of device. We do not have too much storage space in the apartment. Needs to be suitable from birth and I would like the reversible position for a baby. Budget of c.500-600pounds.

Some of the friends say they switched from the all-in-one to Maclaren XT after 6 months, some say they've been using all-in-ones for quite a while. Not sure - advice would be greatly appreciated!!

Another question: does anyone have experience of buying good condition second-hand pushchairs from ebay? Do the pushchairs lose their qualities after some use or it is ok to get a second-hand one?

thank you.

[saladcravings]

Bugaboo bee would tick your boxes - its a great city pushchair, good height adjustability, folds smallish, lightweight. Not sure about the carrying baby upstairs thing tho...

[saladcravings]

Oh and someone will come along in a min to reccomend a babyjogger city mini, but I have never used one so can't comment!

[QuickQuickSloe]

If you get one that can have a car seat fitted to the chassis you can then carry the baby upstairs in the car seat. My britax b smart used a britax babysafe seat and I think the Quinnys will fit maxi cosy seats.

[saladcravings]

Bee will take a maxicosi seat, maybe some others as well. Most pushchairs will take a carseats now. But will only work until your baby grows out of a first stage carseat.

[Tiggywunkle]

This is a tough one and is really one where you need to get out and have a play to see what is going to work for you.
My suggestions would be a Quinny Zapp Xtra (maybe with a Bugaboo Cocoon inside), a Babystyle Oyster Gem (but there is no confirmed arrival date as yet), a Petite Star (Njoy Up) Bubble (could be pulled up stairs behind you), and possibly a Baby Jogger City Mini (but not parent facing long term), and possibly a Bugaboo Bee (but its a fair weight to carry up to the 3rd floor but easy to take hold of), or the Petite Zia Evolve Pramette (only rear facing in baby mode).
I would also consider - and this really depends on your garage - something like a Baby Jogger Versa, City Select, or Easywalker June (could be pulled up behind you), iCandy Cherry, Babystyle Oyster, Mutsy Evo because the seat unit will detach and I suspect you may be able to find a way to hang the chassis from the wall or they would store easily and the seat units shouldn't be too big to carry with you.
But you really really need to have a good look at all of these and then have a go at carrying them because some are easier to pull or carry than others.

[osaenlondres]

Thanks a lot, everyone. We'll go to John Lewis tomorrow to window-shop and play with various models. Anyone has a view on whether a good condition used one makes sense or better buy a brand new one (and then resell)?

[Ihateparties]

With your budget I would buy new as you then have your warranty and depending on the brand and model you may need it! Personally I would avoid hauling an entire pushchair plus baby and whatever else up and down every single time you go out unless you happen to find something that is very easy to fold and carry
Good shout on the oyster gem there Tiggy

[Tiggywunkle]

I would always buy new if you can afford it. Warranties can be worth their weight in gold if you really need it.

[osaenlondres]

Thanks everyone. We went to JL, Ms&Ps and Mothercare yesterday and are still confused. First of all, the choice in those three (Oxford Street) was not great and Mothercare has none/poor customer service. Second, the recommended options were: Bugaboo Bee - to both of us seems a bit flimsy and I am not sure about a newborn in the cocoon, appears as if does not support or protect well. We did notice lots of Bees on the streets in Central London though - wonder if this is fashion for a brand or a very convenient option, indeed. ICandy Cherry - seemed sturdier, I could imagine taking a baby upstairs in a carry cot and leaving chassis downstairs/in the garage. Ms&Ps Sola looked ok but the reviews aren't great. Need to find stockists for other recommended brands which i could not find y'day.

[Tiggywunkle]

The Sola is awful....simply horrible to use, wears badly and I really hated mine...and I have had a few pushchairs! Have you tried Peppermint stores? There are quite a few shops our Lakeside way too.
Are there any you fancy seeing from looking online?

[osaenlondres]

Tiggywunkle, thank you. You sound like you went through several brands yourself? Or you work in the pram/baby stuff sector? If I weren't living on the 3rd floor with no lift and if I did not have to use public transport, I would have chosen Uppababy Vista - I really liked it as it looks solid and sturdy enough with good maneurability (but it's too wide I think). Viewing online, I like the look of Mutsy Evo. Question: I tried a few brands in the shop and thought that pushing one-handed is easier if the buggy has a signle handle (not two like maclaren). Am I right? What's your view on Bee? My husband and I thought it was "plasticky" and flimsy (esp. for the money you pay - feels like paying for the brand name rather than features). I might be wrong though, any Bee users, please correct me.

[osaenlondres]

Does anyone know Mutsy Evo's stockists in London?

[Tiggywunkle]

If you like the Vista, have you looked at the Cruz?
I much much prefer a one handled pushchair.
I dont like the Bee a lot - I have one in my car right now so I do use one - but I MUCH prefer something more solid. Its just handy because of the size, fold, parent facing, upright seat with a decent basket. But I am craving a Cameleon for the more sturdy feeling because my Bee has tipped a few times and its driving me nutty. Equally I have just paid for my Easywalker June which I think will take a lot of beating all round. I have a Versa on order too but I am waiting for the GT version so need to sit on my hands and look on enviously as everyone else gets their normal wheeled version first in August!!
I dont know where is a Mutsy stockist - I think they have a store finder on their website.
I am just a mad pushchair nut BTW.

[Safmellow]

Whatever you do don't get a Sola! Hate mine!

[Ihateparties]

The bee is/was (correct me if I'm wrong cos I'd love to know otherwise) the narrowest smallest folding parent facing option with a seat suitable from birth without any other attachment needed. I don't think there is anything else available that is so narrow (what, 53.2 or something) that has a reversible seat at all, whether it folds in one piece or not. I think they feel too spindly too but I know quite a number of people who disagree and have used them for years without issue. I looooove narrow though so always on the lookout for that.

Have you discounted the June?

[osaenlondres]

Tiggywunkle, Ihateparties - thank you. I have not see June anywhere (but then I have just started looking); reading from various sources it has just been released or about to be released? Tiggywunkle, did you try yours before ordering?

[nappyaddict]

Why do people not like the Sola?

I would actually go for something with big back wheels so you can bump it up and down the stairs to your flat and stairs to tube/train stations.

Britax B Smart 3/4

Nipabout

P&T Promenade

P&T Dot

[osaenlondres]

Nappyaddict - I just think that with 8 flights of stairs in our building it might be easier (and quicker) to carry things up and down rather than drag/bump the buggy with a child in it.

[nappyaddict]

Yes but what I mean is you can take child out and bump the empty chassis up if you can't leave it downstairs.

[nappyaddict]

Plus when baby is too old for carrycot remember you won't be able to use that to carry him/her upstairs in.

[osaenlondres]

A, sorry, am being slow this morning. We'll have a look at the models you have suggested. thank you.

[JimbosJetSet]

My DH and I are both over 6 foot and I think you will have problems finding a pushchair that is comfortable for your DH. I don't think the McClaren XT has adjustable handles but I might be wrong. The McClaren Techno XLR does though and it is just about high enough for us (and low enough for our shorter parents). It comes with a carrycot & car seat adaptors too.
The other 2 models I have found with adjustable handles that come up high enough for us (and low enough for others) are Jane and the OBaby (but I do not recommend OBaby, I have found ours plasticky and difficult to steer).

Good luck!

[nappyaddict]

What Obaby do you have Jimbos?

[JimbosJetSet]

The OBaby 3Tec - looks great and as I said, the handles come up high enough. But it is near impossible to steer one handed, the front wheel often gets stuck, and it is not good quality IMHO.

[Tiggywunkle]

I can't say I would want to bump a Promenade down stairs :S
I would rather bump a pushchair with a smaller footprint than being long IYKWIM if I were bumping anything at all. I would prefer to have a sling ready to throw on for an older child and carry or drag a pushchair.

The Sola is really long when the handle is flattish - its the only pushchair I have got wedged trying to come out of a swimming pool changing room! The quality is really rubbish - you see the rusting and poor fabrics across time. The recline was really dodgy on mine - it took a lot of squeezing and then would drop in sideways or so something odd. The handlebar wasn't great. Its huge folded. All round there is far far better for your money!

I have tried the June out - not for long - but it confirmed everything I had seen on paper / the internet about it. Also over time you begin to formulate a set of tick boxes for what makes a good pushchair and the June ticks all of them for me. They are launched in the UK on August 1st so I have been told. I am actually really really excited and I just hope it lives up to expectation. I think part of my excitment is that the June just looks small and neat when you look at it - but it is sooo deceptive once you get a child into the seat.