Reviews on the Uppababy Cruz please...

[Craftycakey15]

We went to a John Lewis nursery personal shopping session and were recommended this pram as I said I wanted something light. I have been looking at the Which? Website today and found some v bad reviews. Does anyone have this pram and can advise of pros and cons please?

[Hufflepuffin]

I think there were some issues with the wheels/chassis that were fixed in the 2015 edition. My sil has it and has been very happy. Lovely basket!

[Artandco]

If you want light, I would look at the bugaboo bee or babyzen yoyo

[NoPlanYet]

I have it and love it but in all honesty it isn't light. I don't know about other buggies and how it compares but I'm reasonably strong and it definitely isn't light. Manageable yes but light no. The basket is huge and lush.

[EsmesBees]

It's light compared to other comparably sized travel systems, like the I candy Strawberry, but much heavier than an umbrella fold buggy. That said, I love mine and use it most days 16 months in. I get a lot of public transport and its small enough to fit up the bus aisle but big enough to fit all your shopping in the basket. My friend has the same model and had a problem with the steering, but John Lewis sent her a new one and that was fine.

[Craftycakey15]

Thanks for the replies. Is there a 2016 edition then? I wanted lighter than others as I have tendonitis in one hand and the arm is a bit weak. It felt heavy to me but then they all do!

[Artandco]

I would suggest you look at the weights of various prams so you can see what's heavier.

For example based on ones above:

Uppababy cruz -9.8kg
Bugaboo bee -8.7kg
Baby zen - 6.2kg

Personally I would say for you 9kg is the maximum you want. Ideally less

Icandy jogger - 13.9kg so that's hugely heavy compared to others on the market

Baby jogger city zip -7.3kg
Out and about mini nipper -8.kg
Icandy raspberry -6kg

[Craftycakey15]

Really don't know what to do now. I want a travel system that isn't too heavy but I have seen the baby zen yo yo In store and it looked so small and that the baby would be more exposed. Worried as I'm giving birth at the end of October and want it to be cosy and protective from the elements.

[Artandco]

I wouldn't get a travel system tbh if you don't want heavy. A car seat with baby in is really heavy lifting in and out after first few weeks. For your back, I would suggest getting an extended rear facing at seat that stays in the car and lasts newborn -4 years. Get one that swivels out towards you so easy to lift just baby in and out, not whole seat.

Then just buy whatever pram you want, based on weight and lifestyle rather than being a full travel system

[Artandco]

Ps we have friends who skiied with us this year, and took the babyzen yoyo for their 3 month old with them. It was super cosy outside in - temperatures still so I wouldn't worry about the cold and the pram. They added sheepskin liner inside, blankets over baby, and the zip footmuff thing over.

What kind of thing do you want from a pram as well as light? Just for in town? Or on grassy walks? Is small fold important etc?

[eurochick]

I have the Cruz. I favour carriers over prams but generally quite liked it. It's not super light but better than many travel systems. It's quite easy to put up and down, and add on the car seat or carry cot. The basket is a decent size. Ours is two years old and still growing strong. I'd happily recommend it.

[Artandco]

Maybe look the Cybex range. There's various ones

cybex-online.com/gb/pushchairs

[Craftycakey15]

I just want it to be not too heavy really and a good all rounder. I doubt I will be going on grassy walks with it. I am very new to this so don't even know what 'carrier' means. ........I think the problem with keeping the car seat in the car is waking the baby to take her out when we go somewhere. Baffled!

[Artandco]

Baby won't wake. It's good to take baby out and transfer to pram, that wake they learn to settle after being moved.
Also car seats are not good for babies airways, so they recommend 30 mins max usage when small , so by the time you have driven, it's already that time used and baby needs to be taken out. They aren't great for baby spine either

[BoaConstrictor]

Just to disagree with the most recent post...baby may well wake on being transferred from car seat to pram & vice versa. Both of mine did. Also, whilst the guidance is that they should only be in the car seat for X amount of time for breathing/spine issues, there will be times when you have to (or choose to) flout this depending on the age & size of your baby.
It may seem mad - if not impossible - but if you hope to have two children, try to think ahead to what life might be like then as that is when I found I used the travel system more. Drive to DC1's pre-school, parked, crossed busy road to pre-school with DC2 in travel system & DC1 on foot. Actually, that is how I transferred from car to most activities when both DC1 and DC2 were babies.

[eurochick]

Carrier means sling. I never really liked pushing a pushchair. You are like a dalek with a pushchair - easily defeated by stairs! I much preferred strapping the baby to me. So I only really used ours when she was tiny and when shopping (basket is useful and you can't easily try things on with a baby strapped to you).

[Artandco]

Boa - see to me that's a lot of effort just to go from car to pre school and back. I just picked baby out and carried in arm or sling, then my older child holding other hand and go.

Yes they might wake occasionally, but many don't over time, or they do but back to sleep within half hour in main pram/ sling or whatever

Op you can read a little online re car seat use out of cars if you hadn't heard about it not really being recommended ( and I def wouldn't for your back as well as babies)

[Craftycakey15]

Thanks for this info. I hadn't even thought of a sling. I think I will just leave the car seat in the car then as I do have a weak hand with tendonitis and was worried about how heavy they are. Still can't think what to do about the pram as the Uppababy cruz we were going to get seems to have lots of bad reviews about the latest edition!

[Artandco]

Where about do you live? What I would do in your senario is try and go to a large actual pram centre. The problem with somewhere like johnlewis is they can be great if you know what you want, but if not will want to sell you something they have in store. Which might not nessecarily suit you.
If you can look up where a large pram place is, they will have x10 the amount there, and you can explain any issues you have and they can try and help you

[Craftycakey15]

Thanks will do that. Don't know of any pram centres but will look some up.

[Artandco]

Also, bare in mind some prams might be heavier but easier to push.for example the out and about nipper looks bigger, and probably is to lift. But to push you can push with one finger as relatively light combined with large air tyres

Take a load of weight like a 2/3 year old weight (15kg approx) when you try prams so you can feel how easy they push with weight in them

[FankEweVeryMuch]

We have the updated cruz (it came out summer 15) and I LOVE it. It's not in the same category and a bee or yoyo- they are super lightweight, the cruz is more of an inbetween for those who don't want a huge buggy but also don't want a tiny one which was exactly what I was after.

It's easy to push, the basket is HUGE, plenty of recline levels, I loved the bassinet in the early days. I've taken it on trains and buses with no issues.

Are the bad reviews of the new model too OP? I thought the fixes meant reviews improved.

[FankEweVeryMuch]

Also, I think it won a few best buggy awards for the new 15 version, I thought it was a which Best Buy?

[Craftycakey15]

fankeweverymuch I use the which website and it had a good review but then the customer reviews on it were bad. It's confusing. It's the 2015 model I am talking about. I'm glad you are happy. I like the spacious basket.

[Paddingtonthebear]

The Babyzen is great but it I don't think it would last you. I had one for DD when she was 14 months (already walking at 10 months) to 2.10yrs and it was repaired twice - new wheels and fabric. Creaky frame. They are great but not up to day in day out use from small baby age.

Had uppababy vista before that. From one end of spectrum to the other! That was fab, but massive!

[FankEweVeryMuch]

I wanted something fairly robust, small enough to fit through small aisles/ doorways in shops, something that I could attach the car seat to, good size wheels, nice colours. It's used by my DC4 so I knew I didn't need the option to make it a double. I'd had a P&T sport years ago so the weight of this is nothing in comparison and I know that lightweight compromises the sturdiness.
The pushchair stays unfolded most of the time but I find it fine for getting in and or of the car. My DS now goes in it forward facing so it folds in one piece bit two pieces wasn't an issue for me- i's had plenty of others in the past that needed this.

It suits my needs perfectly but I realise these might be different to yours.