Uppababy

[SophieStripe]

Hi, I am almost 20 weeks and after the 20 week scan am going to buy pram as its the thing I am most excited about buying and will be first baby purchase! I really like the uppababy vista and have read countless amazing reviews...online. Saw it in the flesh the other day and it just seems bigger than what I was expecting?! So am now thinking about the cruz? We live in London in a fairly spacious house, have a car with a good sized boot so size isn't really an issue other than it just being a pain if it's too big. Will be mainly using it on pavements and in London parks. Limited public transport but will be some and we travel abroad a fair bit. Initially what attracted me to it apart from amazing reviews is ability to convert it to a double - all being well we would like to have second child be born when first is around 2. Plus the huge basket underneath! Any thoughts on the vista versus cruz? Or other suggestions similar to the vista? I have a weird dislike of 3 wheel buggies :-)

I bought a 2012 Vista second hand and I love it. I use it on grass at the park and it copes ok.

We bought it because it was suitable for overnight sleeping as I spend a lot of time helping my elderly grandparents.

Remember that you might struggle to get the old style adaptors to turn your pram into a tandem if you get the 2015 or 2017 versions.

If I could go back now, knowing what I do, I would buy a Babyzen Yoyo for DC1 and then get an Out N About double (if needed) when DC2 arrived, although mainly try to use the Yoyo and a sling.

The addition of leather handlebars and bumpers, for one. Otherwise, not much difference.

With that in mind (little difference between 2017 and 2018 models) would you consider buying an ex display or lightly used 2017 Vista package from eBay?

Bear in mind OP that they have released a new version of the Vista each year for the last three years- ICabsy have also just updated the Peach (or Apple? Can’t remember!)

By the time you need a double, there will be a newer, lighter, more compact version of the prams you’re looking at now, and you won’t have had to spend 2 years + using a pram you were never mad about!

I sold my Vista package, lightly used, on ebay a few months ago. It was in immaculate condition.

By the time you need a double, there will be a newer, lighter, more compact version of the prams you’re looking at now, and you won’t have had to spend 2 years + using a pram you were never mad about!

Exactly.

Joolz Geo might fit the bill. We wanted a pushchair with a high seat and the Joolz models and the Vista were the highest we found. I’ve pushed friends’ compact prams and the baby feels absolutely miles away.

I do, however, agree with PP that you should ditch the future-proofing criterion. Buy a pram that works for one child from a brand which holds its value (keep an eye on your local selling sites to see which ones are popular in your area) and accept that you may need to sell your first pram and buy something else when DC2 comes along.

I know this might sound ridiculous and precious but I really want a new pram for our baby! It's the thing I'm most excited about buying and I just want it to be new and shiny. I KNOW it won't stay like that for more than 5 minutes but some things in life you just want to be new and straight out the box. Sorry if that sounds stupid to some. We have saved and can afford it so I don't see why not. (p.s other bits we are more than happy buying second hand/cheaply/having pass me downs etc!)

I have a bugaboo fox for when the little one arrives so can't give a full review yet. Did a lot of research beforehand and vista was near the top of the list but ended up with the fox. It doesn't convert to a double but I liked the fact it was a lot lighter than the vista and had a big basket and is great to push around. It's fairly new so is more pricey than the vista tho! The carrycot also converts into the seat via the fabric panels so you don't have to worry about storing the carrycot when the baby outgrows it. I'm looking forward to using it finally in a couple of weeks!

I love my vista, I have two children and they have both used it and loved it. The oldest now rides the piggyback board behind. It’s chunky yes. But you can fit a shopping basket underneath. I has a UV hood, it’s so easy to manoeuvre. Big chunky wheels for ‘offroad’ (park) I love it.
I’ve pushed friends prams and I’d buy my vista again in a heartbeat.
A pushchair is a personal thing, go for a test drive and buy the one you love. X

You don't need to justify buying new, OP! There's nothing wrong in wanting a brand spanking new shiny pretty pushchair.

It’s absolutely not stupid OP.

I know mumsnet can go mad for second hand bargains, but I wanted a nice shiny new pram for my PFB.

I think what me and some of the other posters are saying is that when it comes down to it, a pram is meant to make your life easier and any features or design flaws which prevent that are cause for a rethink.

There have been times I’ve avoided going out on my own or decided not to go to a particular venue because I just couldn’t be arsed dealing with our pram.

Now if only I could go back in time to this time last year and buy a Yo-yo or Cruz instead of my wayfarer...

I love my bugaboo cameleon if you like big sturdy prams. The bugaboo fox has just come out which also looks good.

I'm expecting DC2 with small age gap so thinking of the new icandy peach

You'll spend a fortune on a proper pram that converts into a buggy but in reality most people buy a Maclaren foldable and use that from around 7 months. It's light, easy to fold for public transport & takes up less space in the boot.

I have a Joolz geo but barely use it now in favour of my Babyjogger City GT or my Oyster Zero. My Geo is huge and heavy. Hard to lift in and out of the car and DS doesn’t ever seem comfy in it.

I don’t understand the hype about yoyo’s- the hood is far too small for holidays and sun protection, and the wheels are only suitable for indoor shopping centres!

You have all given me a lot to think about so thank you! Vista and Cruz are still top of the list and I'm going to go try them both out. Plus walk around our area and look at pavements and width of aisles in shops etc! Someone should set up a "borrow my buggy and baby" service free babysitting for parents, free buggy testing for parents to be! Because it's true, testing in John Lewis just isn't the same. It really just seems like it's such a personal thing and what works for one doesn't work for another.

@SophieStripe for what it's worth, despite a lot of use over 7 months our vista still looks almost new and resale prices seem pretty good. Car seat adapters were included when we bought our 2017 model.

We did have the same problem a a PP in that DS is very long and he outgrew the carrycot at about 3 months. But we got the insert which he's been comfortable in since then. The rumble seat goes flat so it wasn't a major problem.

Have you thought about getting a second had double should you need one? You can usually pick up a very good quality one for much less than half price as often they aren't used for long. I regret not doing that as I spent a fortune on a new one, which I am now selling in near perfect condition. It would make your choice for now less complicated.

Oh yes and I'm sure JL Oxford street had a fake baby you could try with slings so maybe you could put that in the prams and try it ?!

Although babies get big pretty quickly so You might need to pile up 3/4 to get a realistic feeling

We live in Zone 4 London and have a Cruz. We love it: narrow, light, easy to push and that basket is just amazing! My 6”3’ husband really appreciates the extending handlebars and we hoick it up and down the four steps to our front door with no problems. Out of my NCT group of 7 mums, I’m the only one who still uses and loves their original pram.

Save yourself some money and don’t bother with the extra expense of the carrycot; just buy the newborn insert for the pramseat from the get-go and hey presto! But I would caution against taking the Cruz on a plane, as it’d get bashed up. Instead, buy a cheap umbrella fold buggy that reclines fully.

The rumble seat goes flat so it wasn't a major problem

The Rumble seat is a bucket seat though. Yes it does recline, but it moves "as one", totally static (is that the word...?) in that the footrest isnt adjustable, neither is the seat back.
I used the Snugseat insert and rumble seat as soon as I could. I still wasn't impressed, unfortunately for me and to the annoyance of my husband (I kept chewing his ear off about the damn thing!l

Okay I will forget about future proofing and just buy one I love...whether that be the vista, Cruz, or some other brand! I've done a fair bit of nannying whilst at uni and a few other times (some years ago!) so do appreciate, a little at least, the struggles/annoyances of getting sleepy babies in and out of cars, prams, in and out of the house etc. So totally agree and understand the pram has to work for us and make our lives easier rather than more difficult! Our hallway is big enough that the pram could be left permanently set up without having to put it up and down all the time so I'm fairly lucky in the fact that a lot of the additional annoyances have been taken away already. But that been said, I still don't want to end up hating the damn thing! Oyster zero seems to look similar to vista/cruz so will check that one out more. City jogger type things... I just can't do 3 wheel buggies! It's just a thing I have!!

Another vista sold in less than a year here. I’ve got 3 DC and have had at least ten buggies in my time. 🙈 Still searching for the perfect one.

The Vista is lovely to push on flat ground. Pushing it around a supermarket- I don’t think you can beat it. However, my school run encompasses about twenty curbs, and I wanted to throw it away by the time I’d got to school. It’s very heavy, particularly if you have big children like I do.

The carry cot is lovely. Compact prams will never have carry cots as good. You can do away with Moses baskets.
Again, probably the best I’ve had. The hood is brill. The basket is big enough to do a weekly shop.

It’s a good bit of kit, if you have the room and you’ve not got to negotiate curbs or tree roots.

I did use it in double mode. I much prefer it in single. I’m still to find the perfect double- there’s something wrong with all of them. Currently got a Phil and Teds which is better than anything else we’ve tried.

Finally, I wouldn’t travel with a Vista. Much too big and it’ll get wrecked by baggage handlers.

What if you put it in one of those travel bags? I have read that if you buy an uppababy travel bag and register it with them, if anything happens in transit they will fix/replace. Saying that I have only read this briefly and not all the T&C etc. What about travelling with the Cruz? We MAY buy a cheapie/babyzen for travel but 99% of time will be travelling with husband so not overly concerned about being by myself. We will check it with bags and then just have baby in sling through airport. Even without sling I think we could cope with baby between us plus changing bag... My husbands parents live abroad and we go there a lot so it's car from house to airport, plane, then car at the other side and then a home from home. I'd like the have the proper buggy with me in their place rather than a cheap holiday one. Although open to changing my mind about that!

If you could use adaptors on a Maclaren XT to fit a car seat or carry cot I'd not even consider a new pram for dc2 😭