In tears over buying a bloody buggy

[setsoma]

I know this is ridiculous, but I'm overwhelmed with a toddler, young baby and lockdown. I need a buggy urgently, as the baby hates the sling I was planning to use for now, but I am clueless and never have a moment to do any research.

There is too much confusing and outdated information online and no shops to go check in person. In particular it seems impossible to tell whether a buggy will fit a tall toddler without going to a shop.

Please can you help me out with some suggestions, so I have a place to start?

It is mostly for my baby, but I'd like to be able to fit my tall toddler in it too. Plus I don't want to have to buy a second one once the baby grows. The pram needs to be:

• parent facing and forward facing
• usable for a 3-6 month old, maybe with an insert or such
• enough headroom for a tall toddler
• weight limit 17kg+

Not necessary, but ideally it would also be:

• usable off road (on footpaths through fields etc.)
• not super wide, as the pavements here can be very narrow
• fold in one piece
• easy to fit a buggybord without making difficult for the parent to push
• easy to push

If I were to have my kids again, I'd definitely go with the Mamas & Papas Armadillo Flip XT (or whatever the current version is called) as it ticks all the boxes with the exception of being usable off road.

@setsoma We have the Bugaboo Fox with the buggy board for our 3 almost 4 year old!

We tried out nearly every pram in the shop as my DD grew out of her iCandy peach at 11 months! So wanted something that was going to last as we have big children's 90th centiles!

The fox was defo the biggest single and the next best was the Nuna Demi!

If you are looking for more of Stroller type pram I would go foe the Oyster Zero! My DD can still fit in this easily at almost 4...

Hope this helps...

Bugaboo

Armadillo flip XL is great my five year old sometimes has a ride when his brother wants to walk, it’s roomy, very compact good steering and soliD wheels. Huge hood too incase you forget the rain cover.

I've had candy peach & orange. Much prefer the orange for older kids

It doesn't fulfil your parent facing spec but the phil and Ted's sport is a fab buggy. Can double it and the top seat is big, my 4.5 year old is comfortable in it

For me, this is what worked the best. You can buy an extra seat for the other baby if you want. I did my research and ended up with this:
www.amazon.co.uk/Baby-Jogger-Select-Single-Stroller/dp/B00GOCUOJA/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&crid=3T8Q96HYENB6S&keywords=city+select+double+buggy&sprefix=city+select%2Caps%2C384&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1591548943&sr=8-1
I believe it ticks all your boxes. Hope it helps

What about a buggy and buggy board for toddler? Bugaboo is meant to be great according to friends. We got a very old third hand model which is obsolete now so can't help you much on the buggy themselves.

I think ones that turn from parent to front facing are in two parts usually . Unless they have designed one that is new and does both .

Out N about nipper 360 with a the carrycot attached is parent facing, the pushchair itself is forward facing and you can get an insert if you are happy to forward face the baby.

Excellent over rough ground, easily still fits my tall 3yo (we also have a double)

You can pick them up very easily second hand in the Facebook selling groups. My MIL who has pushed a lot of pushchairs in her life always comments how easy it is to push/use in comparison to others.

Another Bugaboo fan here. Mine has done all 3 children (has been used almost daily from November 2012 until 20th March this year). The chassis did break I hung too much shopping on it but Bugaboo had a new one to me next day delivery, no questions, despite it being out of their 3 year warranty period.

If I had my time again I’d buy the Uppababy Vista or Icandy Orange from new. They’re close, possibly exact matches for your spec (biggest likely exception off the top of my head is the Vista is pretty huge, but does go through doorways etc and obv a side by side double would be wider so it’s not the biggest out there. It’s solid, easy to push on or off road, will carry a taller child with ease and tons of room underneath for days out as well. Brilliant hood).

Icandy Peach is a dream to push and lovely to look at but the basket is a bit shit for one at that price level, it’ll get outgrown sooner and takes up a lot of room with not folding down in one piece.

The Armadillo Flip XT has a good seat and hood but is appalling to push in comparison to any of the above. Virtually impossible one handed if you’re not going in a set straight line. It’s not a patch on any of the ones mentioned above.

Bugaboo bee is fab, my 4 year old fit in ours! The seat is extendable!

Cybex priam with the lux seat. Can be used from birth but big and sturdy enough for a large toddler too (our 3 year old still fits for occasional rides). There are a choice of wheels including some big ones for more offroad type use. Rear and forward facing. Can fit a buggy board on easily.
It's tough as old boots. We had ours for our first child and its still going strong on baby no 2 almost 4 years later. It is big and quite heavy but it folds up quite well.

The Bugaboo Bee sounds like just what you need. My son is 3 and still likes it.

It's been a while but Baby Jogger City GT is a fab workhorse of a pushchair. It isn't parent facing although I'm sure there's an add on for that, but it'll last you years and cope with anything.

City mini even

Thanks everyone, I'm looking some of these up now.

I candy peach can still fit our almost 3 yo DD. You can adjust the hood as they grow taller. It's fine and will last us as long as she needs a pushchair. I've loved it- it doesn't fold in one piece though you have to remove the seat to fold

Like others have said the Mountain Buggy Duet is brilliant. I know you’re not after a double but it fits through pretty much any door as it’s narrow and it was a life saviour for me with my two (two and a half year age gap). The eldest didn’t always need it but if you’re big walkers like we are it’s brilliant to be able to have somewhere they can rest once they’ve done a lot of walking. Even when he was 5 and able to do 10k walking it was great to be able to sit him down when we needed to carry on.

I have a mountain buggy duet. It can fit both my 4 and 2 year olds in it (with loads of room in the basket for shopping). I can also get through every door with it and it fits well on the bus too.

I have a mountain buggy duet, fits my tall (but very lazy) just turned four year old and my 8 month old loves it. He's been using it since 5 months.
When DS1 isn't with me, I use it as a single - the chairs switch out for a shopping bag.
Bought it on FB marketplace for £100 and it's the best buggy I've had!

It’s the best buggy I ever had too, really miss it! I was a bit of a buggy addict and chopped and changed a lot until I found that. I had 9 all added up!

I love(d) my Uppababy Vista (my 3.3yo still fits but doesn't really need a buggy now). It folds in one piece in forward facing mode and pushes like a dream. Handles off road very well - my shortcut home from preschool is a muddy grassy field then basically a dirt track rear wheels are a little wide, is the only very slight issue.

Baby Jogger City Mini.

I had the twin one, it was by far the best buggy I had. Seats are huge, sun shade is huge, lies totally flat. Went through a normal door, on public transport and a one handed fold and it folds flat.

It isn't parent facing though.