the 'perfect' travel system?!?!

[sillyily]

Hello, i'm 26 weeks with dc2, and am searching for the 'perfect travel system'. Not that i'm fussy but these are my specifications: carry cot, car seat, pram.... big, strong basket that is easily accessible (preferably even with carry cot)..... suitable for buggy board.... front and rear facing..... fairly chunky wheels cos I live in the country (my mum has a quinny so this is back up if i want to go for country walks so not essential...) but not too wide for when I nip to town. Also car seat base and carry cot stand is preferable. And obviously I don't fancy anything ugly as sin. I have a big boot so folded size isn't really an issue... I'm sure there are more that I can't remember...

Soooo, like I say.... not fussy and I have been looking for the past few months but haven't seen anything yet so any recommendations with about 80% of these specs would be amazing

Thank you! xx

Bugaboo donkey in mono mode - basket at the side and bottom then?

I think the Britax B-Smart should tick all of your boxes.

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

If not too wide is an issue, then the iCandy Peach Jogger or 4-wheel, or Bugaboo Cameleon (though I think this only comes as a 4-wheel, but they are 'lockable', but then so are the 4-wheel peach)...I've seen both on buses ok, and haven't seen anyone having any issues in town with them. Both fit your requirements otherwise.
I went for the 4-wheel Peach over the bugaboo as DB has issues with their Cameleon's front wheels (but this was a fair while ago), I didn't like the hand-release on the breaks on the bugaboo, and I just liked the look of the Peach better. Both had fairly large baskets underneath.
I went for 4 over 3 wheels as, well, I'm not likely to be taking my LO hiking/jogging in it.
Both fit the maxicosi carseats, with adaptors if you want...though if you're specifically wanting a flat cot (like the cameleon and peach offer), for the reasons I want...as in better posture and less likely to get harness fatigue (can't think of the actual term) so early on, then this may not be a high-priority, but it's useful for nipping into supermarket etc.
Another advantage of the peach over the bugaboo is you can adapt it to carry 2...so "Peach Blossom"...if you find yourself pregnant again very quickly then it'll do buggie/pram, pram/pram, carseat/pram etc... have a look but again, depends on your needs there...not something I'm planning on needing, but it helped.
I chose by going to John Lewis and pushing them about, along with MIL and Mum (both can fold easily etc) and then wiht DH as he's significantly taller than me...he came to the same conclusions I did. They have a weighted baby doll in most JLs so you can get a feel for how heavy it'd be with baby in, to lift off and on it's base with a baby in etc...
I'm sure there are many others that I didn't look at though (I was getting mine from JL either way, so only went with the brands they stock IYSWIM).
You might want to try the products section too...see if anyone there can give their penneth!

Thanks -
silverangel - Can that be used as a double then as well? (Got a 26mo, but wanted to avoid double cos he seems to be hating the pram atm) Is it too wide to take into shops? Seen to many poor mums struggling through aisles with doubles!

Root Beer - How did I miss that one when looking?! Do you know if a buggy board could fit on though..? Doesn't look like much room by the wheels.

Thank you so much for the help! x

Hi Silly,

Yep it can be mono or double, I think it takes a buggy board too. I've got twins so use it as a double but I love it!

Just thought I'd let you know saw a britax with the extra seat for only £129.99 on eBay with 9h left, the same seller is also selling the carrycot for £29.99 this weekend only have a look see if you can get a bargain!!!!

Have you seen the Uppababy Vista? It is compatible with the maxicosi car seats and comes with carry cot and pushchair. I did soooo much research before deciding to get this travel system, it has amazing reviews. I can't wait til mine arrives!

Maxi cosi mura 4 might tick most of your boxes too. The basket on the Cameleon is virtually inaccessible in carrycot mode

We're going for the Britax B-Smart 3; hated the Bugaboos and the iCandies (and I am not spending more than my car is worth on a travel system) but 'test-drove' a friend's Britax and it ticked all the boxes.

Babystyle Oyster - I've had tons a few prams and it's the only one I've been completely happy with. I found the icandy too wide at the base and struggled around shops with it. Never get a silver cross, they r awful to steer!! I would only recommend something parent facing as it's lovely to see your baby but when they get older they almost always want to face out instead. The oyster can take a buggy board, compatible with maxi cosi car seat (with adaptors) and is lightweight enough to still be easy to push once baby is heavy but has also been fine when I was using for a small baby in high winds, didn't feel like he was going to blow away!

We have this and you can get a buggy board on the back (apparently!)

We don't have a big boot but it (just) goes in, and it's a bit big if you're planning on using buses regularly, but it's very sturdy, and has managed to survive DD pretty much unscathed! The pushchair part is forward facing, but the car seat and carrycot are rear facing when attached.

No doubt about it, the Vista is the one!

I have an Oyster and really like it, but the vista is better.

Don't get a B-Smart, it's not the best answer to these requirements by any means.

The peach blossom (or just peach if you want to stick to a single) is great but expensive.

I think you're best asking on the pushchair chat board for more advice.

Ditto the Uppababy Vista - in fact I've just been raving about it on the pushchairs forum - has all the things you specify - a MASSIVE basket, really sturdy, car seat compatible, carry cot, rear and parent facing seat, a great simple fold, ability to add toddler seat or buggy board as needed, PLUS have also discovered if you order direct from the US ( Amazon.com), you can save almost £200 on the UK price - a few minor differences to the UK model, but really nothing to distinguish - am really pleased. Plus, arrived in 4 days flat rather than the 4 week order time I was quoted in my local store.

Thank you everyone.... thats my evening sorted! Going to make pros and cons lists for all of them I think!

I second the iCandy peach. It is by far the easier to steer than any of the other prams I tried out. The carry cot is brilliant and I had DS sleep in it for the first two months. The base is very sturdy and the big wheels don't need pumping up.

While it's not cheap to buy everything, it is well worth the money and like someone above has said you can use it for the second child with a the blossom.

So are the peach and blossom the same pram...? Is the blossom just an attachment or something?

My SIL has a Mothercare MY3 (they also do the MY4 4 wheeler which is almost the same) and she and my nephew love it. It can be a carry cot or a pram very easily. It is forward and rear facing. I really like it and am looking to get one too. She says it's really easy to push and the MY3 has pneumatic tyres so very good off road. Comes in all sorts of lovely colours too. You can put a maxi cosi carseat on the chassis too.

The Peach is the single, then you get a blossom kit to convert it into a double. Then once it's a double it's called a Peach Blossom. Have a look here for more info. Their price list is on the website but brace yourself! ICandy don't allow their products to be sold online so you'll have to go into a store to order.

They are very good. The only issue is the blossom kit comes with a very small seat at the moment. The new blossom kit which has a bigger seat and longer arms for more space, is available in the US but not here. They will only be releasing the new blossom kit here in their new colours and not the existing colours. That means if you buy the current peach, you will never be able to add the bigger blossom kit, just the current one. But they will be discontinuing it in the next few months so you'd have to buy it before having another child. Or buy second hand.

My sister has just bought a peach blossom and I can't wait to try it out!

HTH

I also have a donkey and it can have a buggy board. It's not too difficuult to get around shops, although I'm a very complainy person and if it doesnt fit I complain very loudly to shop assistants. Not used it in double yet, but really looking forward to it!

I third the votes for iCandy peach. We did the pram testing in John lewis at the weekend and it came out tops (our criteria is the same as yours).

I'll add a vote to icandy we had the apple-pear with ds and then ds and dd, loved it, ticked every box for me and I am fussy and icandy have great aftersales care.

silyvilly - great question. I am asking myself the very same!

Uppababy Vista fans - how much off-road can it take, do you think? We are in the countryside and I want do a lot of muddy walks on uneven surfaces with the pram. We had settled on a three-wheeler (Mountain Buggy probably, although it doesn't have all the features I wanted) but now hearing that the Uppababy can be good on the rough I wonder if we need to go back and look at it again...

Thanks for your advice!!

I have the Bugaboo Cameleon which does all of that OP, and works with the Maxi Cosi car seat. Have had it for nearly 3 years now and using it for second DC, and have the buggy board. The great thing is you can also buy any spare parts - have replaced a wheel & basket over time. Very sturdy. I didn't have any problems accessing the basket in carrycot mode, but then only used the carrycot for 2-3 months each time as after that age babies hated lying down and I used it with the car seat. Definitely worth the money IMO.

Another vote for the Bugaboo Cameleon. I love mine, am sad that I have to part with it for a double, just hoping I can fit the Donkey in various car boots.

My DS was happy in the carrycot up until seven and a half months, and he was a long baby, my friends babies were out of the i-candy and quinny carrycots by 3 or 4 months. It doesn't come with a stand but I did successfully put mine on a moses basket stand a couple of times.
I would say the only box it doesn't tick fully is the basket, it's basket can take loads of stuff but it is tricky to access in carrycot mode. It helps if you only velcro it at the top not at the sides as well so it can swing a little allowing easier access. You could always look at the donkey though which has the side basket in mono mode.

HotPinkGingham Have a look at this thread about the Vista.