Joolz Geo 2 or pram recommendations

[Lee54]

Hello,
This is my first time starting a thread so I am not 100% sure on what I am doing sorry. I am currently trying to decide what pram I would like to purchase and would like some advice. I didn't have a clue where to start but have come across the Joolz Geo 2 and was wondering if anyone had any feedback from it? Or does anyone recommended a pram of a similar price range?
Thank you

We've bought a Joolz Geo 2 as it seemed a good fit for our needs: fairly compact and light, suitable for city and countryside and has the possibility of becoming a double in the future. Baby isn't here yet so haven't used it other than pushing it around at home.

I have been drooling over the Joolz Geo2 aswell - but I don’t know anyone who has it! Interested to read opinions too :-)

Thank you Mariposa123
Tefiti2 there are some good reviews online it is just hard to know where to start isn't it.

It’s important to think very practically about what your day to day life is like, even though you have to guess a little bit as obviously it will be a bit different to life without a baby!

For instance:
Do you live in a busy city, suburbs, rural? Urban life usually means a lighter, more compact, easier to fold buggy is important (as you’re much more likely to be going around on busy pavements, public transport etc). If you’re more rural, do lots of country walks, drive etc then the wheels will be especially important for handling grass/lanes/mud etc, but also the ability to fit the buggy in your boot (and for folding not to be too much of a faff!).

What is your type of usual leisure activity/plans for time with baby/mat leave if you’re on leave? If you’re one for going to cafes/eating out, shopping, then a more compact buggy is easier for parking next to a table or getting through shop spaces (loads of shops can be a surprising pain to navigate around!).

The Geo 2 (afaik) might be one to consider if you’re planning to have another DC relatively soon after, but otherwise it’s not necessary. DC1 and DC2 are 2 years apart (nearly to the day!), with newborn DC2 I had him in a baby carrier and DC1 in a lightweight stroller, when we stopped eg to eat DC2 would sit at the table and DC1 would sit in the stroller. When they got a bit bigger DC2 became the main resident of the stroller and DC1 went on a buggy board. But we live in the inner city, so the mobility of a lightweight stroller and a baby in a carrier was much better for me than a larger stroller that would take two DCs.

I’ve probably not been very helpful at all other thing is really take into account the weight of the pram, especially if you need to lift it at all (eg up stairs, into boot). We considered the Joolz Hub but it’s so hefty despite the carry strap and it’s much more of a faff to fold than it seemed in the video, I knew I’d ultimately be fed up of it! However again that’s in part because of where I live, I know I’ll sometimes have to fold and lift it. I know a lot of mums who buy gorgeous well made prams but they’re eg 12-14kg and even if they’re easy to push, because we live in a city they find the constant lifting etc a real hassle and couldn’t possibly fold them when out as there’s too much going on (eg need to detach seat etc).

For reference, we’re getting the Bugaboo Bee 5 which is pretty much the buggy of choice around here it seems (inner city). Lightweight, folds in one, decent enough wheels for urban life, but has some nice pram options like parent facing. Costs £500-570 approx. (depending on where you buy it and the fabrics etc you choose, they’ve also introduced a much more expensive frame but afaik the main difference is it’s black ). That’s not including either a cocoon or carrycot, cocoon is what we’re getting which is £70-80.

When DC1 was a baby we used the Baby Jogger City Mini as it was fairly light and very easy to fold, but also comparatively cheap (£200 at the time). Fantastically sturdy thing and great hood etc, but lighter on other features (eg no parent facing option). We later moved on to a very lightweight (4kg) Maclaren as a run around stroller with toddler, which served us well and we used with DC2 as a toddler also. This was the Volo but I think that’s since been discontinued.

Thank you so much beforeihite30, you are definitely more experienced in prams than me! You have given me some things to think about it. We do a lot of walking but also go in to the city so would need something suitable for both ideally. With us doing a lot of walking I think we will have to look carefully at the type of wheels. We are not planning on having a second for another few years so wouldn't need the double pram benefit. Does the Bugaboo Bee 5 have good hard wearing wheels?

If you’re walking in areas where it’s a bit less urban (eg possibly some mud, grass etc) I’d say there are people who still recommend the Bee for that but most feedback I hear is it’s not best suited. The wheels on the Bee are good, but need a bit of TLC especially if they get muddy etc, like cleaning them and spraying with a bit of oil. Most parents in reality don’t want to both with regular wheel maintenance! On the other hand the wheels on the Joolz buggies are much more robust (as are the larger Bugaboo pushchairs, but they really spike in price comparatively).

Baby Jogger City Mini and City Mini GT have great wheels for outdoors and good for the city too (especially the GT, better wheels and collapsible handlebar), but, it depends what style of pushchair you want (as before, no parent facing although you can get a parent facing carrycot for 0-6 months). I rate it and it’s consistently praised, but some people want more of a pram-style pushchair so it comes down to your preferences. Super easy to fold and light.

It is this moment which has shown me I’ve spent far too much of my adult life researching buggies