Parent facing

[superbfairywren]

I have had a search and all the threads I can find on parent facing strollers are a few years old so i'm wondering if things have changed...

I am looking for a pushchair to probably buy secondhand as my second. I Have an original oyster which I actually love, I know a lot of people don't like them but it suits me and we got it cheap new. I keep it in the car and use it whenever we are out which is quite a lot. I also have a pliko that a friend gave me that I keep in the house and use when walking the dog every day. We don't have a drive way and so where I park the car is quite far from the house(if we had a drive I really wouldn't need A Second pushchair!) The pliko has been really handy but Dd is now wanting to sit up and chatter away and not lie down when we walk. The pliko can only be parent facing in pram mode so she is facing away from me. Hoping to sell the pliko on and buy something to keep in the house which I can use daily and have her facing me.

Don't mind if it's umbrella fold or not , doesn't need to be from birth as she's 6months, doesn't need a big shopping basket, single handle would be good, but pliko isn't and I've managed 6months walking the dog with 2 handles... could do with having extendable handle though. Folding relatively small would be good, as only a small hallway to put it in, pliko is relatively large!

Any ideas?

Looking for cheap as possible but also willing to pay a bit more for something perfect as will be used for quite sometime. Obviously doesn't need to be shiny and new as less likely to be on eBay cheap! other option is to get a new house where I can park outside the door!!!

[Velvet1973]

I couldn't think of anything small that's parent facing but this am preciouslittleone advertised the musty evo on Facebook and that looks like it goes very compact.

[Velvet1973]

Just had a look on their site and they also have the Joie minus and Quinney zap. No experience of any of these though.

[CrabbitArse]

Bugaboo Bee can be forward facing, has a single handle & is very light. I got a second hand one pretty cheap on Gumtree as my second buggy (have a much loved Oyster too!)

[TeamEponine]

The baby jogger vue is the only parent facing umbrella buggy I know of. They are quite new though, so not sure how easy they would be to find second hand.

[superbfairywren]

Thank you all. The joie one looks exactly what I'm looking for! Have read mixed reviews about it now so need to find somewhere I can look at it to see if it's any good now. Can get it for 40 or 50 quid on eBay or brand new for 79pounds from argos.
Hadn't seen the mutsy evo either, looks a lot like my oyster, might have been in the running if I'd seen it about 8months ago! Have saved a search on eBay in case any second hand ones come up nearby!
Anyone with any experience of the joie mirus? I'm 5ft5 and don't have any trouble pushing my pliko where my husband struggles and kicks the back of it lots. All the reviews of the joie one seem to either love it or hate it because the handle is too short in parent facing mode.

[Becky2208]

We had a mirus briefly, but got rid of it because in parent facing mode the handle was too low and the steering was terrible, as the swivel wheels are at the back when parent facing. I hated it! I would go and try one out before buying it - they had them in the Mothercare close to us the last time I was there. There were some positives though - the seat seemed comfy, and the hood is huge, so great for naps. I just couldn't deal with steering!

[AuditAngel]

I would beware of Mutsy. I saw one that seemed to fold really small, into a backpack. I couldn't find a stockist, but loved it, do bought over the Internet. It was HUGE, took up my entire boot, was really heavy, the rear wheels were so wide set I struggled to get through doors/into the lift on holiday. We left it in the family holiday home as couldn't bear using it.

One thought, if you have a small hallway and are used to the Pliko, most umbrella buggies don't stand up when folded, this may be an important feature to you (or perhaps not?)

[superbfairywren]

I am veering towards another like an oyster with a flat fold and less to an umbrella fold. I am used to being able to shove the pliko up the corner in the hall which is handy. Somethig that folds in one piece and is freestanding when folded would be perfect, but have a feeling I am going to end up compromising on one of my criteria. Really want parent facing and relatively light, but because I want it to be cheap and second hand I know I might struggle.

The more I think about the joie mirus the less appealing it sounds, I don't think my husband would be able to steer it and it sounds like it would be useless off road. We don't walk anywhere too bumpy but as it is for dog walking I don't think it will cut it. Went to local mothercare but they didn't have any in stock. Really liked a few others but none that were parent facing unfortunately. The joie litetrax(?) And the graco evo mini seem fab.

Have saved a few searches on eBay, so hoping something comes up soon. Someone is selling a nearly new mamas and papas sola city nearby, Anyone with any experience of them? Think it might be a bit rubbish off road, but it looks like a lovely pushchair.

[Imperial]

Sola no good off road. It's a two piece fold but a second hand mothercare my3 would be cheap and might work for you. Or what about a Jane? Or could you swap your Oyster to being your house pram and get something else for the car?

[Velvet1973]

Just had a look at the Jane muum. That looks good? I have the Jane trider and absolutely love the quality of it and design. The trider is huge folded though and heavy but the muum looks like it might fit the bill? Looks very similar chassis design as the trider the way the handle adjusts etc. you don't get minute level adjustment but a range that suits most. My mum is 5'4", I'm 5'7" and hubby is 6' and suits us all.

[Imperial]

Or a second hand Loola would be cheap and is similar ish to a pliko but can be parent facing.

[superbfairywren]

If I found the right pushchair I wouldn't mind swapping the oyster to the house at all. The one for the car would need to be perfect though. Will look at Jane ones now.

[FlappertyFlippers]

I hated my loola, got a cheap quinny zapp off ebay to use as my car pram which is pretty good.

[superbfairywren]

Am I just going to end up with 2 oysters? I need to think about what I need in a car pram now!

[Goanddoapoothen]

If you like the pliko maybe the pliko switch would suit you? Or is that a 2 part fold?

[superbfairywren]

Am considering going to the nearest large mothercare but it is an hour away. I need a highchair and would like to look at as many pushchair in the flesh as I can to get a better idea of what I need. Trying to work out if it's worth the journey,

I think if I am to swap the oyster to my house pushchair, I then need a very light, small and quick folding pushchair with extendable handle and large basket for the car. It doesn't need to be good on different terrain, will mainly be in and out of the car for shopping etc. Does need good recline for naps though.

If I keep my oyster for the car then I need a
a neat folding, extendable handle pushchair which is good on rougher terrain, no shopping basket needed, doesn't have to be particularly light.

Am happy to spend up to about 100pounds but would prefer less, second hand expected.

Just seen the kiddicare imax elite is only 99pounds, not sure if it looks great or would be too bulky, heavy for me.

Also considering giving up on parent facing as I have slightly fallen for the graco evo mini I saw on Saturday!

[Imperial]

Graco Evo mini is great but parent facing is useful when you are on a busy high street and your toddler is babbling away to you - most of it is rubbish but occasionally they are trying to say something important. Also useful for checking they aren't choking when you are chucking finger food at them to buy yourself a bit more time!

[superbfairywren]

I know, my dd is only little but she jabbers away and I like talking back to her so parent facing does feel important. I just love the look of the graco evo mini and it was lovely to push. I basically want that but parent facing.

Second thoughts on having my oyster as my dog walking pram too, completely forgot that my car seat attaches to the oyster and although I don't use it that
often it is very handy if she's asleep in the car and I need to nip in to a shop!

So back to square one, I need something parent facing that can handle Dog walks but isn't huge folded, preferably with extendable handles and that's affordable. Gah!

[superbfairywren]

Just been looking at the jane muum, it looks good however there are concerns on various reviews that the harness needs adjusting every time you recline the seat? Sounds irritating. I really like that it folds in one piece with seat parent facing though!

[Imperial]

Save money for the pram fund by buying an ikea antilop high chair - so cheap and so easy to clean.

[StarlightMcKenzee]

Are you bonkers? Sat goodbye to any opportunity to eat chocolate!

[DeathMetalMum]

Babyjogger versa?

[superbfairywren]

The versa looks great however it's just far too expensive, even second hand.

Definitely looking at getting an antilop highchair.

Not sure why I have to give up chocolate too, but fair enough!

I put dd in the pliko forward facing with the footmuff in today and the whole pushchair is just so big that she looks tiny and uncomfortable. She loves it in pram mode but now that she wants to sit up it just doesn't seem comfy.

[superbfairywren]

Loola up looks promising, will keep an eye out on eBay.
Anyone any experience with the maxi cosi Elea? There's one on eBay that's near me.. keeping an eye on it. Looks similar to the loola but slightly nicer looking frame.

[superbfairywren]

Also, icandy cherries seem to be really cheap on eBay in good condition, is that because they're not very good?