To have LOST MY MIND trying to choose a buggy

[ElleMcElle]

I've spent hours in John Lewis. I've accosted pram-pushing Mums on public transport. I've read reviews online until my eyes bleed. I've even been to the testing track at the sodding baby show. Yet I still can't decide. Now at the point where I despise them all and despise myself. (OK - slightly dramatic. I blame the pregnancy hormones)

Was on the verge of buying Uppababy Cruz (relatively narrow which I need living in London, but still sturdy with bassinet you can use as occasional travel cot and a large and accessible basket underneath). I thought I was sorted... But then I read reviews saying that the wheels on the 2015 model are crap - reports of them getting stuck, making it impossible to turn the buggy etc.

Can anyone reassure me so that I can buy the sodding thing and get on with my life? Does anyone have the 2017 model - and can you tell me if these wheel / steering issues have been resolved in the newer version? Or would I be letting myself in for years of cursing the cruz?

Please help - I have become a buggy bore!

If you use London busses, a narrow buggy is a must. I chose a Bugaboo Bee but Cruz was my second choice. Looks like a nice buggy.

I got a deal on a Bee ex-display so chose that as it was cheap. Many stallholders at the baby show at Excel sell off their display models on Sunday lunchtime, so you can get a good deal there (buy tickets off ebay if you can).

Maclaren xlr here too. I had a mothercare travel system before that. Can't remember which one but they are all pretty much the same. Wish I had just bought the xlr with cattycot and a car seat that was compatible to start with.

Though ds spent more time in the caboo sling then the ergo than any pram. Xlr is now with my niece and she loves it too after an expensive travel system. She is saving it for the next one and just buying a new carseat.

Thanks so much for all of your responses - massively appreciated!

@thiskittenbarks @NoParticularPattern & @peachgreen - it’s good to hear I’m not the only one driving myself mad with this stuff! Although believe it or not, I was fairly decisive about everything else!

I guess no buggy can do it all, so whatever I buy will be inappropriate in certain situations. I plan to use a sling as much as I can, but I’m sure I’ll need a set of wheels at some point…

Thought it’d be simple and I’d just buy the Bee - as pointed out, they are everywhere in London - but I really didn’t take to it when I tried it out. I found it a little flimsy and it felt like the baby would be too far away. Cruz seemed to be almost as nippy but a bit more robust with a more accessible basket - and only 3.5cm wider than the Bee.

Think I’m going to go for the Cruz but won’t have chance to buy it for a week or two - so there’s still time for any disgruntled Cruz owners to warn me off and plunge me back into John Lewis!

I know how you feel - I was similar with my first.
I’m not in London, so got an iCandy Peach but I’ve since had various buggies and often go down to London. The Bugaboo Bee is fantastic for the Tube/buses but I’ve heard that the YoYo is even better.

Don’t get anything forward-facing with a teeny - they’re horrible (in my opinion). I’ve had a Maclaren and bloody hated it. One-handled buggies are SO much easier.

I’ve now moved to a BJCM and that’s amazing - but I’ve got a toddler, so I’m looking for different things. With my first, I used the Bee rearfacing until nearly 2.5, but my second likes to face out and watch the older one.

Does the Cybex Mios have a bassinet? They look really nice and light.

If you're thinking Uppababy you're probably fine,but I just wanted to warn you off the shitty Phil &Ted Smart Lux. Piece of crap I am now stuck with as we've spent money on the cocking crappy rattly shitbag. I am still lugging my 18lb baby in the sling most days because I hate it so muuuuuuuch 😤

Babyzen yoyo is amazing - can't recommend it enough. Lovely and light but does everything you need. Folds up tiny to go in the car etc too.

In terms of sling, can't recommend the ergo baby 360 highly enough either. V comfy and has options for more positions as they get bigger. Don't bother wasting money on anything else first - wish we had got it from newborn

Silver Cross Pioneer,iCandy Peach and Bugaboo Cameleon 3 all have good carrycots and aren't too Bug and bulky but will see you through from birth to outgrowing a pushchair altogether. Peach and Pioneer have really big baskets but the Cameleon doesn't have a huge one sadly but other than that very popular with Londoners and city dwellers as small and compact but a really big carrycot and big seat unit will last until 2-3 years old.

I haven't had a child in a buggy for about 4 years, but bugaboo are the best and the bee is best in London. If I was pregnant right now, I would get a bee.

@HermioneKipper I was looking at the Ergo today - would you recommend it over a stretchy wrap, even as a newborn? I’d like to breastfeed (if I can) so thought a wrap might be more flexible.

My eldest would scream when he was put in his very expensive pram... bought cheap the next time around 😂

Try mamas and papas zoom - not expensive and really great.

I bought icandy peach cos i liked the colour! Very pricey but served 2 babies and sold for £350! It's a pram. The best bit will be the scrummy baby in it!

I have the icandy peach and love it although I'm not in London so that might make a difference. Have you looked at the icandy raspberry? I think it's the icandy version of the bee.

I have to say ds is 16 months and I can't see us moving to a stroller anytime soon. We do have one for travelling and as a spare in DH's car but I've never really liked putting him in it, he never looks as comfy and I still have him parent facing in the peach. Horses for courses as with everything but I'll certainly be getting more than 6 months use out of mine so don't regret buying new and spending a bit on it.

I would have this one.

It has unicorns on it. Yes.....UNICORNS 😍🦄

And a free car seat.

Agree BabyZen Yoyo looks great - as does Cybex Mios (which you can buy a bassinet for - for an extra £200) - might well get one of those second hand for travel, or as a main pushchair further down the line.

For our main buggy, I'd like something a bit more substantial than Bee . Yoyo / Mios - but not quite as wide and heavy as Silver Cross Pioneer, iCandy Peach and Bugaboo Cameleon 3 (which are by no means huge - but that bit wider and heavier than Uppababy Cruz).

Really not a fan of Bugaboo Bee after testing it a couple of times - realise it's incredibly popular in London, but it feels so low and flimsy. I can't bring myself to fork out that much for something I just don't like!

I think I'm answering my own question here, aren't I?! Cruz is a good compromise between the ultra lightweight ones and the more mid-weight ones. Plus - the large basket looks really useful for all the crap I will no doubt need to cart around with me.

I know it's only a buggy - but if I'm going to get one, I might as well try to make it one that's likely to suit me!

But actually - forget all of that, because... UNICORNS! Thanks @NikiBabe - that's the winner!

My friend had the Cruz and loved it. Her pre-2015 chassis was faulty and replaced with the 2015 one which was fine.

But actually - forget all of that, because... UNICORNS! Thanks @NikiBabe - that's the winner!

Really?!

Please post photos when you buy so I can live vicariously. I doubt I'll ever have cause to buy one.

It won mother and baby gold award recently too!

@peachgreen I had a stretchy wrap to start with and didn't get on with it at all. Got myself in a tangle trying to put it on alone especially trying to get a screamy newborn into it. The ergo is fantastic, has a newborn insert and yes I was able to breastfeed in it. Probably a little further down the line - say at a few months rather than very early days though when DD was good at it and could just latch on any old how! Recently saw a pic of Pink bfing her baby in it too! Sorry for fail link www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-4406836/Pink-beams-takes-selfie-breastfeeding-son.html

Buy the Cruz! You won’t need/want to buy a super lightweight buggy because it already is super lightweight. It’s amazing. I haven’t had any bother with the wheels - except when I’ve been over muddy grass: only my running buggy could have survived that! It was super easy to rectify with a twig and a well placed puddle! Buy the Cruz. You’ll love it.

peachgreen I didn’t like the Ergo for the early days - I found the stretchy wrap so much better. I found the newborn insert for the Ergo fiddly and it was a faff having to unbuckle and adjust straps etc every time I wanted to get him in or out whereas I could tie the wrap on at the beginning of the day and get him in and out (and even bf in it) without having to adjust anything. I started to prefer the Ergo around 5 months when he was spending less time in the sling and he was heavy enough to want a bit more support.

OP, mine wouldn’t tolerate a buggy at all for the first few months (hence the constant slinging) which was frustrating after going through a similar process to you! We are now happy with our choice (uppababy).

I love my uppababy Vista if that helps?

It's not really a free car seat because you pay extra for it.

But yes. If you like colourful patterns then the Cosatto beat all other prams hands down. I am a bit jealous because they only make them in the UK.

If not Cosatto and on a budget, Joie.

I don't know about more expensive fancy things because we wouldn't have a high budget anyway.

This is the result of my research. I'm not even pregnant In my defence I have spent a very long time trying to be pregnant and thought I may as well get some of the research out of the way to pass the time.

Cross post with HermioneKipper. Shows that everyone is different and it really is worth trying different things out to see what suits you!

My shortlist came down to Cruz vs Bee.

Cruz is probably better for the first 6 months when you want the baby up high but I really think the Bee is better thereafter. I know what you mean about the Bww feeling flimsy in the shop but it actually feels less flimsy the more your child weighs. It's impressively solid and well sprung, I sit in our Bee sometimes, it can take my weight no problem! It does get stuck in potholes but so does the cruz and anything with fairly small wheels.

If you don't mind selling or storing the Cruz and getting a lighter smaller buggy later then that's fine. I wanted one buggy that would see us through and the Bee is that.