Which travel system to get?

[Josiejo12]

Hi,

This is my first baby due in July and I was hoping to go and look at some prams in person. Obviously with everything going on that's not possible so I've been doing research online but finding it's a bit of a minefield and so hard not being able to look at them in person. I was wondering if anyone could give me their opinions on travel systems that they've found to work well?
I would like:
Something easy to put up and down
Something suitable for most terrains as we live in the countryside and have a dog
Something that will last
A good quality/safe car seat
Price up to £900 but would prefer to pay less.

I've looked at the nuna mix online which seems to have good reviews. I really like the look of an egg but they're out of my price range! I've also heard good things about the icandy too but again they are rather expensive.
Has anyone had a bebecar? I've seen them online but can't find any reviews for them.

Thanks in advance

Following - interested to see what people's thoughts are re prams/ travel systems.

I'm due in October and have no clue where to start, there's so many options!

Have you thought about getting a good quality second hand pram/pushchair then just buying a new car seat separately?

That's what I'm doing....you can buy adapters so most car seats will fit most puschair frames if that makes sense?

I had similar requirements/budget to you and, after much research, i have ended up going for a Joolz Day 3. I looked at quite a few and this was the standout for me as I'm quite tall and it has a higher chassis than most with adjustable handlebars. It also looks really stylish (IMO) and feels sturdy/substantial for long walks on different terrains. It's second hand but less than a year old and in immaculate condition with brand new wheels. I got a bargain as it was just before the lock down came in so they were keen to get rid.

I am currently shopping around for a good quality car seat which I will buy new.

If i could get away with a single I'd get the Ocarro or the Baby Jogger City Premier without a doubt

We have a Nuna Demi Grow and have so far been impressed

If you're looking for something to do dog walks I'd recommend an out and about. They lie flat so can use from newborn and great off road.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone, I will have a look at those online now. I had thought about getting a second hand one but it seems a bit trickier now with the restrictions on place. I was also not sure how it worked with getting a different car seat so that's good to know that most car seats will fit on to the frame with adaptors. So gutted that I can't get out and look at them in person!

We have a venicci and it's great.
Good big wheels/suspension, compact fold, large basket and comes with everything you need!

I've just bought the full travel system, but tbh I really like the look of the Oyster 3 which is in your budget. I was torn between the egg and the oyster and went with the egg in the end. But I tried them both out in the shop and the oyster was just as good!!

We have an Oyster 3 - haven't used it yet but it's really easy to put up and take down, folds up fairly small for a travel system, and works with various car seats using adaptors. Love it so far!

I loved my uppababy vista, wish I’d bought it for my 1st child but I just chose something I liked the look of that time. Not my best move! The uppababy was awesome and I loved it, my son was in it til he was 4 (for many reasons) and I never felt it too heavy or big or anything. It was ideal.

We went for the occaro from mamas and papas.

We use ours every day so we'll worth the money we spent.

Decided on occaro as it folds really small, that was what swung it for us as we could fold it without having to take the seat off. Couldn't do that with the icandy or egg which were our other top picks.

Can't stress enough though...shop independent as they tend to buy pushchairs when deals are on with the manufacturers and will pass the saving on - a week after we had delivery of ours from mamas and papas directly we saw the exact same bundle from our local independent store (didn't even know it existed until then) and it was less than half the price. We have since used them to buy a lot of items from as they are always either cheaper or will price match.

Do you definitely want a pram for dog walks? By all means get a sturdy pram, but if you’re going off road a lot, it really is easier to get a baby carrier. Any kind of pram over a bumpy surface is a bit of a bugger, especially if you’re trying to get the baby to sleep.

I highly recommend the mamas and papas ocarro. You can get a 6 piece system for £750 here.

www.babyplanetonline.co.uk/easter-2020/travel-systems/mamas-papas-ocarro-6-piece-cabriofix-bundle-black-diamond

It's good on all terrains and the pushchair part lies flat so the carry cot doesnt need to be used, although probably more comfortable for a newborn. Would work best if you dont need to use public transport regularly as it's slightly heavy. It has a one handed fold, can be collapsed in rear facing or world facing views which not all do. Has a really big sun hood and big basket.

I've heard from others that babies grow out of the egg prams quite quickly and once they reach a certain weight it is only works facing.

If you are thinking dog walking I second a carrier.

We use the carrier at least 2-3 times a week.

Had the caboo when baby was small and have since switched to a mamaruga.

Try visiting a sling library (once they are back open) we found it invaluable for trialling a huge amount of slings before commuting to buying one.

We have a Venicci travel system, we used it with our daughter and are going to use it with our next daughter (due in May) I’m so happy with it, it’s VERY easy to turn and push and the suspension has put up with a hell of a lot from us (we’re mad and enjoy 20+ mile multi terrain walks for fun!)

Everyone else I know who has a non venicci travel system has either bought a different one quickly (my cousin for example bought 3 before her daughter turned 6 months) or stopped using it after a while. We have only used our one! Only thing I will say is fork out for the filled tyres, the air tyres seem to puncture quickly but the filled ones (look exactly the same as air ones) have been going 2 years with zero issues and still look relatively new!

All the venicci travel systems (even the top of the range ones) are well within your budget. It’s honestly the best decision we made, we even bought a white one and although it needs washing occasionally (we’ve only needed to do it 3 times in 3 years) it’s still immaculately white! The basket underneath is large and takes a basket shop easily and curbs are no issue, the break is easy and I like that it’s in the middle.

Very easy to fold and getting the carrycot/car seat off is easy as you don’t have to push buttons in and lift at the same time, can do it one handed, button on either side then lift off, brilliant in the beginning as you can get yourself in a strong position for lifting rather than having to lean over the handle.

Apologies for the long reply I just really love our pram 😂🙈

I have the Ickle Bubba Stomp v3, it's easy to collapse and assemble, fairly light, suspension, can collapse it with the buggy seat attached, big storage basket. 12 piece bundle for £500. Really happy with it!

Mamas and papas flip xt3. One handed fold too nice and easy.

Do you really need a travel system? We live int he country and found it would be an entirely pointless purchase for us. For most walks we used a good quality, ergonomic carrier (woven wrap or Tula), and them had an off road running buggy for longer walks (not used that often tbh) or runs. His car seat was permanently installed in the car and never removed. We just popped him into the sling to go into the shops etc.

If you’re not getting on and off public transport, walking around town with shopping etc. A travel system seems pointless.