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!

Haha niki I’m pretty certain OP is joking.

I still use my icandy daily 14 months later so I don’t think everyone regrets a travel system.

There's a reason I chose this MN name...

'Tis a minefield! I also loved my Stokke, but I had one of the first ones in the UK (this is back in 2005) and the coating kept peeling off the handle so eventually, after several replacements and a couple of years, I got a refund! I then fell in love with my Mountain Buggy. Brilliant for stomping London streets and out in the countryside. But my youngest is now 9 1/2 so I am very out of touch with the buggy market. And happily so

We deliberated for ages on the Uppababy Vista vs Cruz. Went for VISTA and love it.

Nearly 4 years later, we are using it for 2 kids using the buggy board which works really well. Sometimes the 3.5yo still sits in the main seat for a nap, evicting his baby brother. (Today instead he curled himself up on the buggy board and fell asleep with his head in the basket.)

It’s a real work-horse. We use it on stony paths all the time, it’s been dragged through fields and beaches, we’ve put ridiculously heavy things in the basket. Never had any problems with wheels or needed to do any maintenance on it at all.

The wheels only fit through our narrow kitchen door with 5mm to spare so you might need to measure. We got used to pushing it with precision through our hallway!

Never had an issue with it being wide when out and about, or in shops. Having pushed friends Cruzes, I find the Vista is slightly easier to manoeuvre in tight spaces, it can be turned 360’ on the spot, with one hand.

Although easy to put up and down, it is a bit cumbersome to lift in and out of the boot, and the large wheels mean it does take up a lot of room in the boot (wheels can pop off if needed) - maybe if you are going to be driving every day this aspect would grate.

I was like this. Drove myself bananas googling etc. Travel system, non travel system etc. Cup holders or not etc.

Eventually went for a travel system, glad we did as can just move baby from car seat straight to pram without unstrapping her.

In hindsight I'd have probably got a jogger stroller though with chunky wheels as we used ours for two kids and do lots of parks and long walks. Also live abroad where the winter is harsh, lots of snow etc and the types on our current pram are a bit knackered now. Still after four year's use I'd say we've got our money's worth!

Uppababy are huge and heavy. And spendy. What’s the point. It’s just a status item.

If I hatch another baby it’s the smallest pram possible for me - with baby oyster or bugaboo bee. Bee is the favourite.

I had a quinny buzz - ok if you only walk places with big doors. A Quinny zapp - actually pretty good. And a babyjogger city micro - much lower centre of gravity a brilliant instant fold - it’s been through a few kids too.

I also had a Phil and teds dot - shit and weighs a ton and a bugaboo cameleon - effing ridiculous folding procedure

Had a 2015 uppababy... wheels were crap!!!!!

Had a new frame and wheels and it was still crap!

Got a refund and went second hand ... wondered why I even bought a new pram!

Now have a baby jogger city select! It’s fab!

But looking forward to the day I won’t be using a pram!

Haha thanks @HermioneKipper and @cynthiasheep - I’m more confused than ever but I appreciate your help! I definitely want an Ergo for later stages so will maybe treat myself to the newborn insert anyway and then try out a stretchy one at a library as a PP recommended and see how I get on with it.

Anothe Bee for London vote. Loved mine, still using it 5 years on. Haven’t needed to buy a maclaren either when they got bigger. Not flimsy at all.

I was the same with pushchairs, drove myself crazy with the research, although the final decision was more straightforward.
I had very similar criteria to you and the Uppababy Cruz was a close second. I bought the Mamas & Papas Armadillo Flip XT which has a few advantages over the Cruz: it can be folded with the seat parent-facing (If I remember rightly, you have to remove the seat and switch it forward-facing to fold the Cruz), it's cheaper (you can get good deals on previous year's colours and also buy nearly new / reconditioned from Mamas & Papas) and the pushchair seat has more growing room height-wise (didn't know it at the time but DS is tall so would have grown out of the Cruz faster).

Sorry to make yet another suggestion when you are already sick of the whole dilemma (!) but do look at Mamas & Papas as I think they make great pushchairs (they have brought out a few new models since I got my Armadillo Flip XT) and often overlooked.

I bought a slightly beaten up buggy on eBay for £20 - it was great knowing that if we didn't like it we could just get b another. Ended up loving it and still use it daily. Can only recommend the approach. Also saved us about half a grand compared to buying it new.

@peachgreen

I recommend the Ergobaby Adapt. I chose it over the 360 because it's a bit cheaper, no need for a newborn insert, and I wasn't too bothered about having the option to face baby forwards - it's better for the baby and more comfortable for you both if the baby is facing towards you (whether on your front or back). And if I remember rightly the waist buckle of the 360 had Velcro (rather than the Adapt which has a clip) and that annoyed me... they might have changed it to a clip now though.

We've used the Adapt since DS was about 8 weeks old I think, although it's suitable from birth. I would have liked to borrow a sling or stretchy wrap but the sling library near me was no longer running so I didn't bother in the end, and I didn't feel I needed one enough to buy one.

You can breastfeed baby in an Ergobaby (there are tips and videos if you Google it) but I've never actually done it myself. DS is huge and I prefer to feed him sitting down, although he is my first so I don't have another child to run around after (which would make feeding in a sling/carrier very handy!)

Just buy one. Find one that looks nice. It’s almost impossible to go wrong.

I would (kindly) suggest trying not to take this approach to parenting trends. Friends of mine who obsessed about researching buggies also obsessed about car seats, sleep training, weaning, breastfeeding, etc. It’s a really unhealthy habit. Just do/buy what’s easiest for you and stop overestimating the consequences of each parenting decision.

Yes Armadillo Flip XT is worth a look. Afaik it's a bit like a Bee but with bigger wheels - if so that's the holy grail! (However it may have downsides I'm not aware of)

Oh yes agree about not obsessing over every decision. I obsessed about buggies and it turned out to be very unimportant in the grand scheme of things.

If you're a control freak like me, you've probably got Gina Ford or some other baby routine book. If so, do yourself a favour and burn it now. Or at the very least, ignore it until the baby is at least 8-10 weeks old.

I think when you are expecting a baby you focus on something that actually doesn't matter, as a way of avoiding panicking about all the very real stuff that's about to enter your life!

Buy whichever pram you fancy. If you've the money for a fancy one the chances are you'll like it. Same with wedding dresses IMO - no dress that costs £1000 is going to be actually hideous. So just get it and enjoy it. And your baby!

I think my sister has that armadillo thing - she hates it, the steering is shit.

I wanted to just chip in with another vote for Silver Cross. We have the Pioneer and I absolutely love it. Really comfy, the carrycot is great for overnight sleeping (we never bought a travel cot) the basket is huge and it's just lovely. Not helpful with your Cruz dilemma sorry!

Whatever you end up with will be fine, each buggy has up and downsides. x

Another vote for the bee here. When my DC was really small they tended to be in sling especially if I went on transport. Everyone who didn't get a bee ended up buying another buggy. Ours is still going (with my sister in law) now so that's three babies and 7 years continuous use. I think my hub had to fix something with a part but got it online easy. London here

I had a silvercross linear freeway travel system.
I looked for comfort and security for a newborn in the carrycot part. Mine came with a padded newborn insert that also had a T shaped padded restraint. Some of the prams I looked at seemed so hard.

Yes southeastlondonmum (I'm a SELondon mum myself) everyone I know who got a Bee only had one buggy. Those that got something else (including Chameleon) ended up with at least one more buggy.

Mine has been used for two kids, every day since 2012, it's done a hell of a lot of miles. And I run with it now, 3 times a week with a bulky toddler in it. Not flimsy at all, although I can see why you'd think that.

Re slings, prob best to go to a library. I liked the close Caboo to start then an ergo or ring sling.

Thanks @NameChange30, that's really useful. This thread is Mumsnet at its best!

Uppababy are huge and heavy. And spendy. What’s the point. It’s just a status item

I disagree completely! It really isn’t a status item it’s a good solid travel system. Wasn’t it a Which Best Buy?

Also have a 2015 Uppababy Vista and have had no problems with wheels - I am also rural!

I think "spendy" and "status item" apply as much to the Bee, which that poster was recommending! Of course they're also good pushchairs. Just depends what your priorities are.

If I had to do it again, I'd get the bugaboo chameleon for first 6 months then trade in for a bee.

I love my chameleon when DS was tiny and had no problems with it on London transport (admittedly, I was mostly on buses). And it's great for more rugged terrain (we lived close to hampstead heath).

But once you need to fold it down for nursery, it's a pita and the bee comes into its own.

The reviews about wheel are for the old model.

I have the Cruz and I liked it but my tall baby out grew it at 9 weeks. It is heaven and my 14 months I started just using a stroller.