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Pushchairs

3 year old and newborn -not sure what to get.

27 replies

MUMRA007 · 11/10/2013 14:01

Hi there - I have been looking for a new pushchair recently as we bought a phil and teds navigator and my wife is having problems with it veering off on uneven pavements and going up into buses etc. . Its also a little heavy so I was hoping to just simply get a lighter model which was still a tandem and would suit a newborn and a 3 year old.

Now I have looked at like 20 - 30 models and all the ones I was hoping to buy say they only take up to 15kg!? Why are they all doing this when its soo easy to make them a bit stronger and suit all situations?! I know the 3 year old will be doing allot of walking / strolling soon but there are times when we just need to get somewhere fast or easy and we wanted to get them both in.

So is there anyone out there in this situation (my wife is very small by the way so it is hard for her)? And what buggies are you using -do you rate them? Maybe you can just stick an over the stated weight kid in some of these buggies? Two I like most were the jane twone and the oyster max icandy looks nice too. So yer four wheels, light-ish, two kids etc....thanks!

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lels99 · 11/10/2013 14:06

Could you not just get a single buggy and a buggy board? Unlikely the 3 year old will be in the push chair for much longer?

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MUMRA007 · 11/10/2013 14:09

Ah I finally found out that a icandy pear does 20kg on the upper seat and 15 on the bottom but says only a 3 year old can go on it - my older son of the two is slightly above average for his age - anyone using older kids in a pear? I do see the Joovy Caboose as well type ones but they look a little ugly but maybe there good...

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MUMRA007 · 11/10/2013 14:10

ah sorry just saw your post lels99 - yer did think of this but we got a bit of a fidgety older son who still naps - was also worrying about rainy days on nursery runs etc...

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CreatureRetorts · 11/10/2013 14:13

Sling and pushchair. That's what I did before ds started walking more. So baby in a very good sturdy sling and older one in pushchair. You can get covers for the sling eg in wet weather.

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MUMRA007 · 11/10/2013 14:22

Creature : yes sling is fine for me but my wife really is weak n small she struggles (is the weakest person strength wise I have ever met :S!) . Surely there is an option that takes the two in a pram. I guess it might not be for long or would maybe be not always used but was just there as an option? Good for situations were they both nap or when we go to japan on two flights (god damn nightmare trips those are :P)...

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CreatureRetorts · 11/10/2013 14:36

I know you mean well but unless something is physically wrong, I think she'll be fine. I used to be weak but having children changed that as always picked them up. She's been carrying the baby for 9 months and will be used to the weight.
A decent sling will mean the weight is properly distributed. Not a baby bjorn type thing.

And, not to worry you, I put money on the 3 year old dropping naps soon.

My dd naps in the sling - still does at 22 months.

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CreatureRetorts · 11/10/2013 14:37

I will add, I used a phil and teds when ds was 2. The iCandy was too small for him. But by three, he was too big. For bus trips or public transport I used a sling/single pushchair.

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redcaryellowcar · 11/10/2013 14:41

I have been looking into similar, mountain buggy do two one called duet and one called duo, the slightly larger of the two takes larger weights but it is side by side, so maybe not what you are after?

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MUMRA007 · 11/10/2013 14:48

Yer I guess its all a bit because of uncertainty - I was just reading about 4 year olds needing naps at school to learn properly so I guess that warped my idea of it all. And my wife didnt carry the first baby so my hopes are low :S I suppose she did have some other problems with using the sling which I wont go into now :P . So you had an icandy pear? Damn I thought it might unofficially take a 4 year old or a bit more...I guess the only one that can acctually do this sort of thing that I have seen is the not so nice looking : Joovy Caboose www.joovy.com/p-18-caboose-stand-on-tandem-double-stroller.aspx pitty as I really wanted a nicer looking one...single is still in the running but anyone got a tandem that does what we need?

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MUMRA007 · 11/10/2013 14:51

redcaryellowcar sorry I forgot to add I looked at the mountain buggy but our hallway is only just wide enough for the phil and teds at about 61cm the mountain buggy is 63cm :( ...

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MUMRA007 · 11/10/2013 15:50

hmm well theres : community.babycentre.co.uk/post/a24235063/would_a_three_year_old_fit_in_oyster_max someone saying its ok but would still like to hear if anyones got a better view on it - wondering if the icandys seat is bigger than the oyster...

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Ihateparties · 11/10/2013 16:47

Imo the oyster seat is better than the icandy peach for a 3yo but ultimately being realistic a 3yo will start to look big in almost everything and be reasonably heavy to push. The oyster max, apple2pear and peach blossom probably lighter than the navigator but maybe not to the degree you're looking for? It's hard to be sure.

I think your wife will struggle to push the pear, it's not light to push. Iirc the seats are not particularly tall either. It depends on your perspective really, what you think is too big and adequate in terms of seat size. People's opinions differ vastly on this subject.

A mountain buggy +one may work for you but reclines are an issue, one child of the two is pretty much always upright.

I had a twone and I wouldn't buy one for a 3yo to travel in although there is no denying it's very light to push and lift.

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CreatureRetorts · 11/10/2013 17:47

Do you have a pushchair store near you? We've got a good big one and you can try loads of models - that's how we knew the iCandy was too small for ds.

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Ihateparties · 11/10/2013 18:02

I keep looking at the obaby zezu multi with tandem kit. I would like to see and feel one. That is very much a pram for a baby with add on sibling seat and integrated board option. Absolutely no clue on quality, weight carrying capability or ease of pushing etc. Might be worth a look.

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BikeRunSki · 11/10/2013 18:09

In exactly the same situation MUMRA007 I used a Phil and Ted's Sport, with my 3 yo on top or bottom as my baby grew or was in cocoon/ car seat / main seat.

I don't know what the weight limit was on the Sport, but I understand the reason that it is usually quoted as 15 kg for most pushchairs is due to ISO testing standards rather than the strength of the pushchair. My son was, still is, very big for his age and was around 18 kg when dd was born.

The P&T sport is no longer made, but P&T must make something similar, that type of model seems to get revised every few years.

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MiaowTheCat · 11/10/2013 19:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SoonToBeSix · 11/10/2013 19:16

I wouldn't get a double for a three year old as they could walk the majority of the time. Have you thought about an "easy x rider" it's a buggy board with seat and harness available on amazon.

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MUMRA007 · 11/10/2013 21:55

Yer zezu is interesting ticks some boxes. We will have to go for a four wheel one so that rules out others. I saw a baby trend too onr of those sit n stand ones but not heard great stuff about the steering on those. ..yer I realise this would be a 6-8 month temp thing if I got say an oyster or icandy but it would really help. Wish I could see all these models as show rooms are rare here did see an oyster and icandy not sure which ones ill check them. Still searching...thanks...

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Rhubarb78 · 11/10/2013 22:18

What about something like this www.kiddicare.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/productdisplay0_10751_-1_95826_10001 it says its tested to 20kg, reclines and you can also get a raincover. Have no experience of it myself though

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SoonToBeSix · 11/10/2013 22:42

Don't get a buggy pod they are terrible.

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MUMRA007 · 11/10/2013 23:51

Ah yer maybe not...this weight thing is strange I see around 20kg stated as weight tested on 15kg seats allot. Even saw one manual saying 15kg and 5 year olds :s . Saw this interestingly: www.bestbuggy.co.uk/2013/01/icandy-peach-blossom-2-vs-babystyle-oyster-max/ thats a 101cm 3 year 8 month girl -think the oyster wins the seat height just. Hard to say if she could ride all the time in it though.

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Kookookichoo · 12/10/2013 08:54

We have a baby jogger city select with two seats, our four year old still occasionally rides in it and was fine up to when he stopped. Reding it regularly at about 3 1/2. I think he was over their suggested weight but it was no problem.

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NomDeClavier · 12/10/2013 09:14

I'd look at the US weights as well as the UK ones. European testing seems a lot more stringent but the US ones will give you a realistic idea of whether the buggy will break under the strain. You wouldn't be covered by warranty though.

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MUMRA007 · 12/10/2013 14:38

Ok yer great thats the one - us / uk is interesting! the baby jogger on the US site says 20kg per seat basically were as the UK manual says 15kg and 5years old :S! But also says " Total weight load recommended for this stroller is 45lbs /20kg per seat (combined passenger and baggage weight). " . Strange! There is definitely some kind of 15kg Europe or uk thing going on - why they dont see the maximum I dont know possibly a law to do with getting kids out of prams and walking I bet! Still more to investigate but almost there now - debating icandy peach 2 blossom oyster max n city select now...

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Tiggywunkle · 13/10/2013 16:35

OK, pushchairs in the UK only have to be tested to 15kgs to go on sale. It costs many thousands of pounds to get this far, for EVERY colour (hence a lot of colour packs as a black pushchair seat only means the company pays once as hoods arent tested). At this point the pushchair is on the market and for sale, so why pay more thousands to test a pushchair beyond 15kgs when it is of no real benefit to the company? When you start to look around, ask questions etc some pushchairs will take more weight. Dont quote me on this, but I believe to pass at 15kgs the pushchair has to hold one and a half times this weight. Like Nom says when you look at say the Baby Jogger website you will probably see a more true upper weight capacity of the same frame as the UK as tested in the US, but you have to use your common sense as a parent about what you read about weights.

I certainly pushed my daughter around in the Oyster Max until she was just over the age of 4. She was also in the iCandy Apple 2 Pear aged 4 and a half. Whether you do so is up to you :) Like someone says you wouldn't be covered by the warranty though.

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