To purchase a buggy that doesn’t parent face

[Meredithwho]

I am currently 5 months pregnant and am trying to decide between buggy’s. We need something all terrain, as we do a lot of dog walking in the woods, beach walks etc. I also run quite a bit, although I do not know currently if I will want to run with a buggy and baby or keep it as something for me.

Currently stuck between:

Silver Cross Cove or Reef 2
OR
Thule Urban Glide 3

Size is not an issue. Both are actually quite lightweight to push. The advantage to the Thule is that is is running buggy as well as being able to be used as our every day buggy but the big thing that I am not sure about is that it doesn’t parent face once you stop using the car seat or bassinet.

Do I

a) IANBU: just get the Thule as parent facing doesn’t matter anyway, and may as well have one buggy that does everyday and running

or

b) AIBU: get a conventional buggy/travel system that does parent face, and then potentially get a separate running buggy later if I need one?

Thanks everyone for your comments, whether helpful or unhelpful and unbiased or judgemental! I think it has helped me lean towards the more expensive option of possibly having 2 systems but it has been really helpful to discuss it with other people!

dd1 screamed facing me but was fine as soon as I turned it around, I never bothered having it parent facing for dd2. Get the pushchair that suits your lifestyle eg fits in your car if applicable, can be folded if applicable, think about rough terrain, running, public transport, but don’t worry about being reversible

Back in the dark ages DS had a pushchair that could face either way. Once he could sit up he developed an alarming habit of leaning forward and lurching round so he could see where he was going, which wasn’t the safest option in a crowded place or a narrow path, so I flipped the seat to face forward thereafter.

Didn’t stop him developing language and social skills… 🙄

We live semi-rural and looked at the Thule and the the Mountain buggy but got the Uppababy Vista V2 in the end, which is definitely not as all-terrain as the others, but can handle gravel, woodland, footpaths etc quite well. We are not runners but wanted the option to take it on dog walks.

It can be parent facing or world facing, and I regularly switch my 15m around in it depending on his mood, or if I'm trying to get him to nap etc. I would recommend it, but it's definitely not a running buggy, and probably quite expensive for a town buggy if you're looking to get 2. But just my 2p worth!

In your situation I'd prioritise the all terrain aspect and not worry too much about the other stuff. If you find you need or want a parent facing one you can get one later. Second hand is fine, and you'll know what you want more after actually having the baby.

IME the proper all terrain ones from manufacturers based in outdoorsy countries like Sweden or Germany tend to have big carrycots that you can use for ages. Here in Germany carrycots often have an openable section at the front like a plastic or mesh window, so once the baby is about 6 months old you can open this up and put them on their front in the buggy to look out. It's like tummy time every time they're in the buggy! German midwives are quite obsessed with not sitting the baby up until they can sit up by themselves unaided and I think that's also a recommendation which is present in much of Northern Europe.

One which was quite good that I liked was TFK Mono, which has a reversible seat for younger children which could be converted fully into a carrycot, and then a seat for older children you bought separately which was much bigger but didn't reverse.

Definitely see if you can look at it, as I really liked it online but in the shop it looked so bulky with the carry cot added on; and the whole thing felt very heavy; and didnt fold up that small. We Have a Mountain Buggy Swift it’s pretty light and compact for an outdoorsy type buggy. I ended up using the carrier mostly for the first few months anyway; I’d really recommend researching those to, our Ergobaby has been great and you can get decent ones on Vinted. Mine hated parent facing once she was a few months old anyway.

Oh and don’t compromise on a car seat jf you are looking at those ‘travel systems’ bearing in mind thst babies should not be in car seats unless travelling in a car; it’s a bad position for them to spend too long in - they need space to move, and have their head flat.

There are tonnes of all-terrain buggies that aren't Thule. It's not "this all-terrain running buggy or an urban buggy with some off road capabilities", is it?

How have you arrived at these two, quite different options? Not that it matters as you seem to have come to a decision, but you'll generally get better advice of you can explain your needs and thought process.