Rear facing prams / pushchairs

[Samraves]

Hi there,

I am clueless and while I have looked at a number of prams / pushchairs, I still don't know what to get.

I need something fairly lightweight as I have a bad back, and have been thinking about getting a pushchair, rather than a proper pram as they seem lighter and not so big. I also have a bit of a tight budget - can't really afford more than £200 tops and want value for money - i.e. something I don't feel like ditching after 6 months as soon as I get the chance.

the main thing putting me off the pushchair type / strollery things is that they all seem to be forward facing and I am not sure whether that is a good idea for very little ones... The only other alternative seems to be the ones which can fit a car seat rear facing, but then you can only use this for a couple of hours at a time...

I am very confused... I would be more than happy to but second hand / on ebay whatever, to stay within budget, but must be lightweight and also must fit through a door only 60cm wide. I feel like I am being too picky. Has anyone got any comments / advice?

Thanks

S x

I've just ordered one off Mothercare - it's rear facing (both the car seat part and the pushchair part can be used front or rear facing), it's lightweigh and compact (as we live in the middle of nowhere, it will live in the car boot). You can use the frame on it's own with the car seat, or clip the car seat over the pushchair part. It does from birth to 4 years and includes rain cover, foot muff etc.

It's £275, the "bebe comfort streety", various colours.

It was the cheapest travel system I could find that ticked all my boxes - rear facing, light, birth upwards, compact enough for my small car boot.

We got the bugaboo bee as its the lightest one with a parent facing option there is. (At least that's what john lewis told us)

Its really lightweight and has amazing steering.

While it costs more than 200, there are some deals to be had atm, have a look at the mothercare website. When you are finished with it it has a really good resale value so you can just flog it off on ebay and get most of your money back.

Our Britax B-Smart is rear facing, and it is cheaper than the Quinnys and the Bugaboos. It is a bit heavy though, I think about 13kg, and it is 62cm wide... I do think it's a good pushchair though, and it folds down to fit in the back of my corsa.

www.britax.co.uk/pushchairs/b-smart

Quinny have released the Zapp Extra here.

You can use that from birth, I've pushed it around and the handles are at a good height (i'm pretty tall) and it feels quite sturdy to me.

Get on ebay for sure, and keep an eye on Gumtree and Friday Ad. Also, make sure you go into a big Mothercare / ToysRus to try out the different styles.

I have just bought the Mothercare Spin (cost me £308, I saved for ages!) and its wonderful. I had a forward facing for months, then changed to a very bulky rear facing, then bought this one. I love having DS facing me, and have similar (with some other) requirements to you due to be disabled. It ticks all the boxes.

Good luck - its a mine field!!

Seriously buy something 2nd hand that is rear facing that fits your requirements, buy it locally where you can view it before paying or at least see it and have a demo if though ebay. Then when you want something smaller and forward facing buy a new maclaren buggy or similar.

The M&P prammette is great for the first 12 months and is rear facing until around 6 months and are about £50 on ebay 2nd hand.

Thanks for the advice :) Anything else people have been very happy with and think I should take a look at?

The Stokke Xplory is the mutt's nuts! It's forward and rearfacing, is suitable from birth although they also do a carrycot as well, but the best bit is that it's height adjustable so it's fab for people with bad backs! (That's why we got it!)
If you're out and about, you don't need a highchair as the seat sits upright right up to the table, and also lies totally flat too. It's compatible with the maxi cosi car seat and although it's pricey, it's the only pram/pushchair/buggy/stroller you'll need. My friend's 4 year old fits in it comfortably!
Because they've just brought out an updated version, the secondhand price of the older model has dropped hugely, so you can pick them up easily on e)bay etc. All the fabric comes off and goes in the wash, and the design is fantastic!
I can't fault it at all!

www.stokke.com/en-gb/stroller/stokke-xplory-concept.aspx

How easy is to collapse the Stokke? For example, if I'm getting on the bus and there's no space so have to put the buggy down? Are we talking 'wait for the next bus' or 'hey presto, thank you driver'.

I would definitely try them out before buying. One of the most common complaints about the Quinny Buzz in reviews is that it's not good for buses - anything that collapses in 2 parts will be a nightmare in that situation as you can't easily hold the baby in one arm and the pushchair in the other. I never get a bus so it doesn't affect me.

If you need to get buses alot, you may have to sacrifice parent-facing options to get an umbrella-folding stroller.

There are a lot of buses where I live, so the next bus would probably only be 5 minutes away. I really want something with an adjustable handle as I am 5"5' and husband is 6"2' with a bad back.

It's entirely possible I won't ever want to collapse the buggy for a bus, and would just wait for the next one anyway.

The Stokke is odd because it doesn't collapse. The back wheels tuck under the front ones so it becomes very thin and you can put the brake on and lean it on a wall! It's like a golf trolley somehow! It's not like any other pram out there - this picture explains a bit! Sprry it's such a long link!

www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=www.nurturedfamily.com/images/Stokke/Stokke-Xplory-Stroller-Positions.jpg&imgrefurl=www.nurturedfamily.com/stokke-xplory-stroller.aspx&usg=__eDciFHqhIzIk1xUEawCz2WXHEec=&h=142&w=578&sz=12&hl=en&start=0&zoom=0&tbnid=8LieU4gQDpbpbM:&tbnh=33&tbnw=134&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dstokke%2Bxplory%2Bstairs%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1260%26bih%3D615%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=557&ei=0FCFTLe0HMWOjAfBr_gP&oei=kVCFTMmXKNvPjAe7yqWQCA&esq=6&page=1&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:17,s:0&tx=29&ty=26