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 have a 2.5 year old and a 8 month old and we have the vista. I love it and I spent a lot of time testing buggies when I was pregnant with #2 - I used the baby weights in the shop plus put the toddler in it so I could feel how they were to push in real life. The vista won hands down over all the others. For baby #1 we had the Cruz and I also loved that but omg how I WISH we’d bought the vista in the first place and saved ourself some money! I bought the Cruz because it was smaller and I thought I needed it for London living - I didn’t. People take enormous buggies on the tube, and tbh it’s not like I used the tube loads even with just one baby. The vista is absolutely fine (in single at least, I’m not sure id take it in double but I’ve seen people do it) Like a PP we also have a yoyo and I can’t recommend that enough for travel - ours lives in the car so I never take the vista anywhere in the car, I swap between baby in sling/toddler in buggy/baby in buggy/toddler walking. But day to day I use the vista. It’s big and comfortable for my toddler.

We live in London zone 2, I walk pretty much everywhere and have to lug the buggy up and down a small flight of stairs just to access our front door. I take the baby off (now in rumble seat but used to be carry cot) and pop her back on once I’ve done the stairs. It’s a double buggy, it has 2 people in it; it’s not going to be light! But the new vista is lighter than many of its competitors. It’s so flexible - it takes seconds for me to convert it into a single if I’m only taking one out, it’s super easy to take the baby’s seat off if she’s asleep (this was especially useful with the carrycot) and I want to bring her into the house etc. My friend had an icandy and used to get enraged with how tricky it was to take the handlebar off to remove the carrycot. Being able to covert it from double to single so easily is the main reason we got it tbh - we are completely future proofed for when the toddler nonlonger wants to go in the buggy; im not left with a double we don’t need, and we’re all set up if we ever have another and #2 still needs the buggy.

I find it easy to push and we are surrounded by crappy kerbs and dodgy Pavements, and I love the big basket. But it is really down to personal preference - I just think a lot of the features of the Uppababy models make them so user friendly - same with the yoyo!

Also just to add, we have the 2015 Cruz (now lives at my parent’s house!) and the 2017 vista which is the newer lighter/narrower model, so possibly a bit different to those of pp. Both of my children hover around the 50th centile, and both have fitted happily in the carrycot until 6 months. The baby still sometimes naps in it if we are visiting someone for the day, and she’s almost 9 months. I was like you and set my heart on the Uppababy when researching buggies and I really have been so happy with both of mine. It is defo worth testing them all though!

Total Uppababy Vista fan here. Live in Brixton and found it so sturdy and safe bashing around the streets and on the tube.

We didn't drive so weight wasn't an issue as never needed to fold it up and lift into a boot.

All the great design details such as in built sun canopy and one button eject for the bassinet were lifesavers.

The best baby purchase I bought and now recommend it to all friends.

I love my Vista. I live in a big city too and use it with a buggy board for my older DC. I am however tall and strong so have the heft to push it fully loaded. (Snow this winter was a bit of a struggle though.) I do however keep a smaller buggy for the car / travel / nipping about. I took the Vista on holiday once... never again!

Cruz is longer than the Vista when folded down

I've got a Cruz..we bought it in 2012 and used it constantly til DS was around 3.5. He cried when I told him be was too big for it! Just started using it for DD.

I wanted the Vista but it was too wide for my front door at the time. Absolutely love it. It ticks every box for me. It fit in the boot of our Corsa, easy to use etc etc. The big basket is a huge plus for me as I love shopping! We bough the snug seat for it too. I feel like they seem much more secure in the snugseat than they would have in a carrycot! Terrain is sometimes an issue if we go for walks but we live in the city so not too much of a bother. I was walking 15 miles a week for a time with DS so it's held up well. Couldn't wait to use it again with DD and didn't even consider buying a new pram.

We considered icandy at the time too but wanted something a bit different (Uppababy was v new back then). Haven't regretted it for a moment.

I didn't know it could be used as a double though, so can't help there sorry.

I have an old style vista and love it, except for the wide rear wheels which they've fixed on the newer models. Though I love my sling more!

Dc is now 5 so a bit of a while ago but I had a lovely travel system (maxi cosi elea - fitted in the boot of my mini) - smaller than the vista and I absolutely loved it until my friends all bought buggies. I switched to a maclaren techno xt and my life was instantly so much easier.

One of my friends let her dp choose their original pram & she moaned loads that hers was so heavy at the side of mine.

A long way of saying pick something that suits you now.

Also I had a 2nd hand side by side buggy - silver cross pop for ds and dn when we were on family days out. Not sure I'd want to take it in a shop ever. If you have 2 of different ages I would have thought you would be better with something that suited the ages of the dc's and also took into account whether the older dc is (by then) a good Walker (a buggy board would be enough) or less mobile (would need a proper buggy seat).

Pick something that suits for now & reassess as things change. I second selling on later when your needs change but I had 2 brand new I don't blame you wanting brand new ones x

I have an Uppababy vista and love it.
It is sturdy, the carry cot and normal seat are fine, it runs amazing, it’s smooth, the shopping basket is huge and you don’t need any extras like umbrellas and what not.
It is however big if you’re in London have you looked at the Cruz?

I’m a vista fan too, I find it great on bumpy pavements and up and down curbs, I’ve walked for miles with mine, I got mine out of the loft last summer when my ds had chicken pox so I could take him for some long walks and still be able to see him and it made me realise how much I missed it, that basket!
Agree with whoever recommended it as well as a yoyo for travel, you can’t beat a yoyo as a travel pushchair, nothing else can touch it.
The third pram in my trifecta of perfect prams is a city mini gt, used mine when my ds was too big for the vista and I needed something more sturdy than the yoyo (bumpy pavements)

@ratbaggy I'm very close to you and the Vista has been perfect for the streets of brixton etc. No problems with size and transport.

I have a cruz. The basket size is good. It even fits in the boot of a micra if you pop a wheel off. I loved that the carry cot was approved for overnight sleeping. I'd definitely recommend it.

I have bought an uppababy Cruz a month ago ready for when baby comes in November. Two people I know have them and recommended them as they fold down well for a car and are light they also have a big basket underneath. When we opened thw box I thought oh no we will have to build it but no building involved u just slot in the wheels and pop the carrier in and away u go. It moves around really well control wise and the baby carry cot also folds down flat. Really happy with my purchase and as I ordered the 2016 version I got it a lot cheaper for £350. U also get adapters with the pram for the maxi cosy pebble seat.

We got a huge megabuggy and while it was fab for walks in the snow from the house it was an absolute shit for anything where you needed to fold it or use public transport.

The problem is that no one buggy does everything. We’ve ended up with a few for different things - a double for now we are expecting the second, a tiny fold up for travel etc and our day to day one

We ended up buying an easywalker mosey as the day to day which I love to bits. I think for me the criteria for a good buggy are as follows:

Easy to fold - one handed if possible
Stable in forward and reverse mode
Reversible seat
Good basket
Good hood
Not too heavy.

Forget the big travel systems - you can’t keep a baby in a car seat for long anyway. Get a reversible seat buggy that you can pop the seat off and use a bassinet for the first few months.

I’d recommend having a look at:

Easywalker mosey
Babyjogger citymini / city premier ( all babjoggers are fab.)

Bugaboo bee
Nuna mix

And go see it in the flesh. Fold it - can you do it quickly and one handed? and pick it up - can you pick it up easily? Measure the back axle- can you fit it through the bus aisles etc? Can you get stuff in the basket In forward and reverse? Can you stride with it? Will the wheels work with whatever terrain you are in day to day?

It’s so tempting to go for one big one that will last an entire family but from experience, get something that’s fairly nippy and lightweight and then if and when you have another, look at doubles. Don’t buy a convertible when you only have one.

Thanks for all of these comments and reviews! I am also not far from Brixton so after your feedback I'm definitely going to keep the Vista and Cruz top of the list. I will be doing similar type journeys around similar type neighbourhoods, albeit we do have a car. Just wish 20 week scan would hurry up and get here (and all be okay) so I can go buy things! I'm in a bit of a phase where I don't really have a bump and nausea has pretty much gone and I just need a bit of reassurance that there is still a healthy baby in there! Fingers crossed, its all very exciting!!!

Good luck with the scan @SophieStripe and enjoy trying them all out!

Love love love the Vista pfb is 9 months it's fab and what I particularly like is that I didn't have to buy extras it comes with everything- good luck with your pregnancy x

Have you looked at the iCandy Orange? I loved the vista but it was too wide for the Hall way in our old house. I ended up with the silver cross pioneer for dd. I was pregnant earlier this year and would have needed a double and came across the iCandy Orange. It's definitely future proof and looked lovely. I still love the vista though, if we do have a second I'd look at it again now we've moved!

Another vote from London (zone 3) got the Cruz here.... Bought ours in 2016 and it's been brilliant. The big basket is a huge selling point for us, and it's not the smallest fold but it's so easy. We're now due our second, there will be just over 2 years between them and we're planning on using a buggy board or pram + sling combo - if that doesn't work (but my daughter loves walking) I'll maybe buy a lightweight double buggy but I'd agree with PPs not to buy for 2 years ahead... One of my nct group bought the vista, most of us bought the Cruz, and she regretted her choice having tried the cruz out.

We have a lightweight stroller (the G-luxe, we love uppababy z!) for travelling abroad and the nursery run.

I totally understand the desire to buy new, I was the same! You could consider buying just the carrycot second hand as it potentially may only be used for 3 months, it is very expensive. But the whole thing will easily last you two babies, it's a real workhorse and I still think it's better looking than most on the market!

Friends have the yoyo and love it but it's so low, I'm not sure I'd like it for a newborn (and rubbish basket too).

Oh and I skimmed your post about the travel bag for uppababy but I'd avoid paying for it. You can get a lighter weight cheap stroller for the same price and that will likely be more convenient to carry, and not such a pain if it gets damaged. We got the g luxe £100 second hand and it's half the weight of the cruz. Good luck with the decision making!

I have a Bugaboo Donkey, bought before our DD was born and will buy a second seat for when DC2 is born. DD will be 2y3m when baby arrives so I love knowing I can switch quickly between 1 and 2 seats if I need to. Local walk, can have it as a single and DD walk, if on the bus then can throw on the second seat. The side basket is wonderful for carrying things/groceries. We also have a second hand Bugaboo Bee we keep in the boot of the car and we use for travelling. The woman I bought it off also gave me their old buggy board so we're already set. I'm so so glad we're not looking down the nose of forking out ££££ for another buggy. Was also a nanny before I had DD and most of the other side-by-side prams are either super wide, or the children are too reclined, or they can't parent face. The Donkey is perfect for our needs.

@SophieStripe what did you decide in the end? We're having the exact same dilemma.