Is a ~£1000 Travel System (SC Pioneer / M&P Ocarro) really worth it over something cheaper?

[punjama]

We visited several shops today as well as doing some online research.

We really liked a 10 piece bundle (raincover, parasol etc) for Silver Cross Pioneer for £850 and a 5 piece bundle for £950 from M&P Ocarro range.

Both seem to have great reviews from all the past forum threads, magazine reviews etc but just wanted to get an idea - are they really worth x2 more than e.g. travel systems from Jane Epic; Recaro Citylife or Roma Vita?

Ideally we would want to buy something that lasts 2-3 kids but if we are buying a new system after 2nd kid it almost seems as if might as well do e.g. 3x300-350 spend each time rather than 900 & then another time potentially.

If these 2 really are worth it we'd love to consider any other thoughts people have especially at these price ranges. The SC deal seems really good but weve read that it might be due to them phasing out this particular Pioneer model? is that an issue?

Does the Ocarro become bad value comparatively when you consider you'd be spending another £200 or so getting a changing bag, parasol, footmuff etc making it £300+ more expensive (or £225 if we book personal shopping experience) but i think with 3 vs 2 years warranty...

The other thing that we like about SC is that its from newborn to 25kg so potentially dont need to get stroller...

Would love any thoughts / opinions. We dont drive so public transport will be more of a concern although sometimes PIL will sometimes drive.

Many thanks.

I've got SC pioneer and love it but wecalso got car seat and isofix base with the pushchair, changing bag and seat liner for £800. Mothercare normally have offer bundles on them

@lazypuppy - thank you for your reply. The SC bundle were looking at has the car seat but no isofix base (no issue for us) but does have everything else.

what made you chose SC over Ocarro? Do you think this is a no brainer considering the price difference?

I didn't look at the ocarro, i picked silvercross because the back tyres were big and had decent tread for me to be able to use it when taking our dog for a walk. I also liked all the parts of the travel system and its light to get in and out the car. Find it easy to manoeuvre as well.

I think its worth spending more as its an item you'll use multiple times every day

The other thing that we like about SC is that its from newborn to 25kg so potentially dont need to get stroller...

I don't have specific experience of either of these travel systems but I just wanted to say that I'd be a bit wary about this thought. I think the reason most people end up with strollers isn't because their children exceed the weight limits of their original pushchairs but because they get fed up with the bulkiness of them!

My one nugget of advice about buying baby equipment is that if something promises that it will be suitable from birth to toddlerhood, there's a good chance it's lying. The needs of a newborn are so far removed from those of a 2/3 year old that the chances of a single item being equally suited to both are quite small.

@YouAndMeAreGoingToFallOut

thank you for your reply. thats a very fair point. i guess i was just hoping that if were spending ~1000 we can then get away with not spending another 100-150 for a stroller, but you are right it probably will get tiresome having a bulcky item for so many years.

what are your thoughts on these more expensive systems being able to last for 2-3 kids? are we just as likely to be buying something new on kid#3 as we would be with a cheaper system?

many thanks for all replies & advice!

I spent £600 on a Jane Epic travel system with all terrain pushchair and a lie flat car seat. It has just been absolutely brilliant. The car seat can also be used as a carrycot for overnight sleeping as it's fully ventilated and you can get a ventilated mattress. The pushchair is so manoeuvrable, folds down fairly small. If you don't need all terrain then the Jane muum travel system costs a little less. The only downside is that the lie flat car seat is noticeably heavier than other infant car seats but you can get a standard infant car seat as part of the travel system instead.

As well as the pushchair and car seat being brilliant the customer service from Jane was exceptional when an item arrived damaged after being beaten up by the courier.

I went shopping with two other mum friends and ended up having to move their pushchairs while they were in the changing room, both Silvercrosses and I was really surprised at how heavy they felt to move one-handed. My pushchair has been the envy of the antenatal group whenever we've met up for walks in the countryside as the wheels don't clog up with mud etc.

I'd recommend a trip to a big shop that sells a better range of brands than Mothercare. It is so important to try the pushchairs out and feel the difference.

@INeedNewShoes

thank you for your reply. there is a jane i really like but we didnt get a chance to see them in any of the stores sadly

it seems quite cheap compared to the other ones.

www.mothercare.com/pushchairs/jan%C3%A9-epic-micro-koos-travel-system/LGD507.html?cgid=cat_prams&dwvar_LGD507_color=Red

my OH is quite petite @ ~ 50kg but she had no issues with the Pioneer but admittedly it didnt have a kid in it yet :-)

I absolutely love my Ocarro - but the extras such as footmuff, parasol, change bag etc are unnecessary. Parasols constantly need to be adjusted to be effective so I gave up and just pull down the large hood for shade. I shopped around for change bags and got one that best suited my needs (a BabyMoov one, though I also liked Babymel), there is no need for it to match the buggy! Ok you will probably need a footmuff but again we chose a different brand (wish I could remember the name as it’s so useful, also can be used in car seat, over sling etc, had an elephant pattern),

Ocarro has great all terrain wheels, very sturdy, easy to steer, can be folded up one handed, and has a massive basket underneath. I can walk for miles with it, but equally it fits on the bus and folds down for the car easily.

We can’t have any more children so that isn’t a factor for us but I can definitely use it until DD is 3+. She sleeps so well in it that I’m not even bothering with a lighter travel buggy for our forthcoming overseas holiday.

also, @INeedNewShoes sorry for the stupid qs but which stores would have a bigger / better range than e.g. mothercare? we live in SE London and the only other shops nearby are M&Ps and Baby-Nest.

are you recommending e.g. a big John Lewis?

@Blueroses99 - thank you for your reply. Did you consider the SC when choosing? do you think Ocarro is worth several hundred £ more?

I don't know anything about the SC and I've never used the Ocarro with a baby in it as mine hasnt been born yet but definitely shop around. We paid £810 for the Ocarro 6 piece bundle which includes the isofix base.

John Lewis in blue water has tons to try!

I didn't have either of the ones you mention but did spend over a grand on a bugaboo donkey and car seats (twins). Got rid of it when they were nine months old as it was just a pain in the arse but the carry cots were great in the beginning for naps and I resold it for nearly what we paid for it.

We got the venicci mini travel system but upgraded the car seat to a maxi cosi
-all in for £650. Ds is 2.3 and still use it occasionally as though it's bulky he fits more comfortably in It than his stroller (£55 mothercare nanu)

@OliveOrTwist that sounds like a great deal. just did some browsing via google shopping and think i might have found the bundle you mentioned @ ~ £800. just need to make sure that it has the same type of warranty!

@unintentionalthreadkiller - sadly we dont drive so cant go so far. is there anything in Westfields thats worth going to?

many thanks for all replies :)

It doesn’t appear to have been mentioned on here yet, but we bought a Cosatto travel system about three years ago and it was fab. It was the only one we both agreed on which was super light and came with everything, including a carry cot/cosy toe/raincover etc. It was also around £500-£700, I cant remember which, but do recall we felt is was really reasonable at the time. Plus we didn’t want a boy’s or girl’s pushchair. This was unisex in it’s colouring and very light too. I often see babies nowadays with the new versions. We have kept ours for baby number 2 (hence the unisex one from the outset).

@punjama Yeah probably one of the same, there were quite a few options available and quite alot of retailers price match too so its definitely worth looking around for bundle deals before you buy. I know some other travel systems we looked at had similar bundles available so I expect the SC will too.

@OliveOrTwist - been doing lots of looking and we have now even found bundles at around £700 range for 5 piece. the difference seems to be mostly in car seats...whether its Aton Q or M or MaxiCosi...

whilst Car seat isnt massive priority for us since we dont drive we dont want to get something thats e.g. £100 cheaper because the car seat is worth £150 less!

do you think its realistic to call M&P branch and get assurance of a price match and then combine it with a personal shopping experience to get a further discount?

Personally I'm not a fan of the big buggies unless you genuinely know you're going to be doing a lot of 'off road' walking. Yes, a lot of them can last until.baby is 3/4 but realistically between the child and the buggy, it's so heavy! If you're looking for something that will last you, the bugaboo bee, or mountain buggy nano are both good shouts. You can get adapters for a maxicosi/cybex car seat (if you drive as well), the mountain buggy can have a bassinet attached if needed, the bugaboo has options of lie flat, cocoon, or bassinet, and you can buy a footmmuff when you need it. Baby bags ,- you'll end up with at least two, so it doesn't matter if it matches the pram. Parasol - I've rarely seen people use them, they're always at the wrong angle, they block the view of the child etc etc. You're better off buying a hat fot baby!

I genuinely think your lifestyle comes into it a lot - what do you do most days, where do you go? Are you walking distance to the shops/local playgroups or will you have to drive? A bulky pram is fine of you're never collapsing it and take it out twice a day. If you're mainly driving, you're probably better off with a lighter frame.

We went for the Aton Q.

I do agree with pickle though. I live in the countryside and plan to be walking off pavements regularly but wanted something which wouldnt take up too much space folded in the house which is why I went for the Ocarro. We still have to drive to shops, visit family etc so car seat and isofix is essential.

If I lived in London and used public transport I don't think I would have gone fpr the Ocarro, its too heavy as is the aton q. I would have gone for something lighter amd easier for carrying and folding, maybe the bee or a baby jogger as whilst the ocarro folds well, it isnt light. But hey, thats just me, its such a personal decision. When is baby due?

what are your thoughts on these more expensive systems being able to last for 2-3 kids? are we just as likely to be buying something new on kid#3 as we would be with a cheaper system?

That I don't know - I have one 2 year old and no plans to have any more!

It's a bit of a minefield really - it's hard to imagine how life will be with a baby and I think with so many options on the market it is easy to find you have prioritised the wrong feature! I'll tell you my thought processes and what I found:

I live in Edinburgh: we live pretty centrally and don't drive. I walk and use buses. We chose to get a Baby Jogger City Mini, and bought a carrycot for the first six months. I chose this pram because of how easy it is to fold, and how comparatively lightweight it is.

I then discovered that actually, I hardly ever needed to fold the damn thing. Buses here have a dedicated pushchair space as well as a wheelchair space, and they are very frequent so if the space is full it's usually no bother to wait for the next bus. It's also often possible to just walk to where you are going! In 2 years I have never folded my pushchair on a bus. I don't fold it to go in a car, because I don't have one. I don't fold it to bring into the house because I have a big hallway. I would have been better off in the early days with a pushchair that had a big easily accessible basket and bigger wheels to more easily handle all the cobbles!

So I guess what I'm saying is try to think really hard about how you will use your pushchair. I fell for the idea that folding was vital for public transport users, but actually that doesn't apply where I live. It probably does in London!

I got the mamas and papas urbo2 for my first and really like it. I used it for over 2 years and now using it for my second and it's still fine. Not sure if it would be ok for a third but probably would be if looked after.
I got it on a half price deal so would a good price. Think it was the colour that was coming to the end. M&P often have deals on certain colours or patterns so worth looking out for.
I would choose one that isn't too big or bulky. I don't use mine on public transport so can't help with that but it does wheel round easily in shops etc.

I have the SC pioneer and love it. Love it, but only thing I didn’t love was the car seat. Perfectly adequate, but I think the maxi cosi that my friends had looked far comfier. I bought from an independent store (who were cheaper than anyone else) and they would offer any car seat and adapters.

The pioneer is so well built I hope to use for any future children or pass on to relatives for use again.

We went for an Ocarro bundle with isofix base from an online retailer and got it for less than that. Matching changing bag isn't necessary - I got a lovely grey one for £35 off Amazon. I will probably buy the foot muff though.

I got the SC pioneer bundle and love it. DD is 13 months, it’s been used virtually daily since she was born, and it’s still going strong. It looks like new if you ignore the grubby food splatters. I’m pretty sure it’ll do DC2 if we decide to have another.

We did buy another stroller though recently, as the pioneer is very bulky when folded up. It takes up our whole boot so was no good when we had a few nights away. Also, DD is quite tall and is getting snug in it with the foot muff on, so while I’m sure she’ll be fine in it next summer minus the foot muff, I’m concerned she might be too long for it over this coming winter when she needs wrapped up. The car seat in the package lasted us less than a year too.

So yeah, to me it was worth the money and I’m happy with the quality, but don’t count on not having to buy anything else.

I guess if you can afford it and it suits your needs then go for it. Personally I think £1000 on a pushchair is overpriced- you can get good ones far cheaper. Like anything, a lot of the more expensive ones are overpriced because your paying for the name.
We budgeted £500 for travel system and got a mid range silver cross.