Buying a new buggy for older toddler

[BigBlondeBimbo]

Slightly cheekily posting for traffic!

I am not being U, I don't think, as we really do need a new buggy for our large toddler! The old one was a beautiful big pushchair, which we got for £50 secondhand. Even DH who is extremely careful with money has agreed we need a new one as the old one is literally falling to bits. The chassis has started to come apart and it is just very well worn. This is the second DC in our family alone who has used it and we bought it secondhand in the first place.

Any who, can anyone please recommend a good buggy for a large toddler? It would need to be nice and comfy for him, lightweight and good to push around town.

I know he may not be in it all that much longer, but we can always sell on when he is out of it. He is two years old and tall, but not massive.

I had an out n about Nipper 360, I don’t drive so had DC in it until about 3 1/2 as they could nap in it on the way home from pre-school. Even put my 6 year old in it when they were too poorly to walk to the doctors. It did 3 kids and sold it after.

Thank you! I haven't heard of that one, so will look it up now .

We had a red kite one, really cheap...but brilliant in size for big kids. Easy to push, plenty basket space and easy to fold. Only downside was the back rest wasn't too tall but the hood attaches to it so they can still comfortably lie back and sleep. Can't remember the exact name of it but we got it in asda a few years ago for about £100. Three wheels. Wouldn't pass it up now.

I really wouldnt spend much at all unless you are planning a second child, or you dont drive. I would buy a very inexpensive/2nd hand thing, by time your child is 2.5 you will hardly be using it, and by 3 most children in the uk no longer nap so you wont even want it for that.

Baby jogger city mini GT. Light, one hand fold, big seat and hood. Best pushchair ever.

@NoIDontWatchLoveIsland

I really wouldnt spend much at all unless you are planning a second child, or you dont drive. I would buy a very inexpensive/2nd hand thing, by time your child is 2.5 you will hardly be using it, and by 3 most children in the uk no longer nap so you wont even want it for that.

He is our second! Not planning a third.

He is not showing any signs of wanting out of his pushchair yet. Unlike dc1 who wanted out from about 18 mo. Dc2 loves a walk in his pushchair, because it's comfy. I want something equally cushy for him so he doesn't want out! We prefer to walk than drive as well, so it makes sense to invest a bit in something he will be comfortable in and which won't destroy my back when I push it round town .

Ps I would also get your toddler a balance bike- total game changer for walks and cheaper than a buggy, eg a chicco red bullet is only about thirty quid and you will get a solid 2 years use out of it.

I also have a cheap Red Kite one, it’s been brilliant. Dd is 3.5 and I still take it for the nursery walk home (almost 2 miles).

Balance bikes etc are great, but 9 times out of ten you end up carrying tired toddler, bike and bags which defeats the object.

"He is not showing any signs of wanting out of his pushchair yet."

Hmmm but do actually make sure hes getting plenty of exercise? Children shouldnt be sitting in push chairs for hours each day when they can walk

My friends son was like this, bit lazy and didnt want to walk, and now at 4 she has got doctors saying he is overweight. It's much easier to get them in good habits now than try and get them walking at 4.

@NoIDontWatchLoveIsland

Ps I would also get your toddler a balance bike- total game changer for walks and cheaper than a buggy, eg a chicco red bullet is only about thirty quid and you will get a solid 2 years use out of it.

Sadly, I don't think this would work for our journeys, as we live in quite a built up area with busy roads and narrow pavements. He also will sleep in his pushchair if he is so inclined. Again, not something dc1 would have done, but dc2 is a different kettle of fish entirely!

Balance bikes etc are great, but 9 times out of ten you end up carrying tired toddler

Literally never happens in my house! Ds will ride miles on his, I've only carried it once and that's when he stopped in the woods to get an interesting stick, fell over and scraped his knee badly.

After wasting a lot of money on cheap mothercare buggy's for my first DC I bought a mclaren xt for toddler #2 it also saw me through toddlers #3&4
I have no idea if they are still around as toddler #2 is now 15. Also there maybe something better on the market now but I always remember it being a brilliant buggy.

@NoIDontWatchLoveIsland

Balance bikes etc are great, but 9 times out of ten you end up carrying tired toddler

Literally never happens in my house! Ds will ride miles on his, I've only carried it once and that's when he stopped in the woods to get an interesting stick, fell over and scraped his knee badly.

All children and families are different. If you are only interested in telling me I shouldn't be letting my two your old ride in a pushchair, then kindly, your advice isn't going to be very helpful, so suggest you scroll on by .

Thanks though. It sure has been interesting to hear how much better your kids are than mine and your friends for you! Bye now!

Buy one second hand and sell it on after, and it'll cost you peanuts.

I'm out of date now but the 2 I'd have recommended have already been mentioned.

I bought a Cosatto Supa as a back up pushchair for travelling on planes, grandparents to use etc and it ended up being our main pushchair. It's very light and easy to fold and unfold, and doesn't take up much boot space. I think it was about £150 on sale. You'll probably find a lightly used one second hand.

Try a Baby Jogger, I spent what felt like an awful £100 on ours second hand when my eldest was 2, best money I ever spent. They hold their value well too if you are thinking of selling in the future.

I had a mamas and papas Armadillo for my mammoth toddler. It was fab, lay almost flat, folded up pretty small with a one handed mechanism, light with a good big basket underneath and in my opinion, pretty nice to look at!

On and the biggest hood I've seen on a pushchair!

OP my little one is nearing 3 and is definitely still using her buggy. She will walk to start with, but then needs the buggy because her "legs are tired" which normally happens around 1 mile into a walk. I am a fast walker tho so it's probably a hard job for her to keep up. She'll sit in the buggy for 5-10 minutes and then walk again. I totally understand thr need for a buggy...especially when you need to be somewhere (my little one is a wanderer and can take ages to get anywhere)

I'm expecting another little one and I am considering a double buggy. My daughter will be 3yrs 3 months by then and the judging I've had for even considering a double is unbelievable. My response is always "well when she tires and I have the baby in the baby ill call you to come pick her up cos at 19kg I certainly can't carry her long!"

It all depends on your lifestyle, doesn’t it? We mostly walked rather than drove, and used our pushchair regularly for DS1 until he was past three. A new pushchair at 2 would have been an investment for us. For a family who mostly drive - maybe not.

We’ve just bought a Mountain Buggy Nano for our 8 month old and I would really recommend it. The seat is a reasonable size, it takes up to 20 kg and can recline, and it’s a one-handed push. Folds very small as well. I am really impressed with it. It was on offer for £149 in John Lewis a few weeks ago but you may be able to pick up one second-hand. The rain and sun covers are expensive but we bought a universal Little Life rain cover which works fine and only cost £10.

My only gripes are that it is easy to accidentally kick the brake on while walking, and I would have preferred a bigger basket. But I’ve yet to find a “stroller” type buggy with a truly big basket!

"baby in the buggy" that is supposed to read!

People get funny about toddlers in prams on here, they think if your 2 year old isn’t hiking 35 miles a day up a mountain then you’re making lazy children

Oh and we have an Armadillo Flip which has a huge seat, hood and basket. But it’s significantly heavier than the Nano (9 something kg vs 5.9) and is oddly difficult to steer, which was our main motivation for buying a new buggy.

I'd just get a cheap stroller. He'll be out of it in less than a year.

We had the Maclaren XLR which we got years out of. They are expensive but you might be able to get a secondhand one. It was roomy and had an extendable hood.