Buggies from birth - the great debate

[imjin100]

I'm quite sure this question has been raised many times but as a first timer I'm keen to ask advice and thoughts of the pros on MN who have the real experience of which ones are good. On the march thread (as I'm sure has happened in others) there are lots of really useful points made about different buggies but spread throughout the thread and I can't remember who said what about which one so I thought I'd raise a thread (am i doing it in the right place?)
Obviously everyone can add questions/thoughts but the main ones I'm considering are
Mamas and Papas - Pilko
Phil and Teds
Micralite
Bugaboo....

(I think!) There are millions but all thoughts gratefully received.

Hi. I'm considering Phil and Teds mainly because we may well have another baby very soon after this one and it has the doubles kit. I think it's the only one that is adaptable in this way. If I'm wrong, anyone, please tell me!

What people say generally is that they love it. Those that don't buy tend not to like the look of the infant carrier and the fact that the baby doesn't face towards you.

Silly question, but have you seen the reviews bit?

pliko- good all-rounder, not a massive fan of M&P- customner service is pants but of the buggies listed it seems the most sensible all rounder!

We need to know how you live, where you'll be taking it, will you walk everywhere, drive everywhere, public transport.

Do you need it to fold up to nothing, or carry it up stairs etc??

loads of buggies have capabilities of turning from single into double- icandy & mutsy are some more examples

We are going for the Bugaboo gecko. Is fab, buying ours at the weekend.

I knew about the icandy, but it seems impossible to get hold of. Will look at mutsy.

i have ordered the mutsy ( 4 wheeler ) dont think it dows the double thing but am hoping i have done the right thing

goodness, very quick responses thank you.
Preggersagain I didn't mention my stuff as I didn't want to seem to be 'hogging' the question as I know so many people have questions but....as you've asked!
Live in london, will mostly walk or drive so need to be able to put in boot of car. Would be keen to be able to easily fold up so we don't have so spend everyday tripping over it in the house, have been offered a light maclaren when the bump is big enough which i can use for public transport and travel. Walking, street and in the parks....lots I hope...
Somewhere mentioned umbrella fold up - what on earth does that mean, and is that good or not?

Put off Mutsy because it's heavy and, to be frank, a bit confusing!

Phil and Teds still in the lead here.

i wouldn't bother spending too much then- you seem to have realised that you will dump whatever you buy in favour of using a maclaren- what about hauck infinity with a carrycot? better value for money than anything else on your list- ok its not tiny when folded but it makes up for it in practicality, and its quite bugaboo-like.

Or a pramette like the pliko is a good idea, but you couldn't use it for sleeping overnight which is where a carrycot can come in handy (believe me when you take lo out for a walk to get it to sleep then have to transfer to cot etc- NIGHTMARE!!!)

If you want one that is car seat compatible (the infinity is with a few brands) the chicco trio or cossatto mobi? pramette wise there is a fab one from cosatto at babies r us, pramette and car seat for £280- bargian and its lighter than the M&P!!

You will appreciate getting a prsam which faces towards you for the first few months- one of the things i hate about the phil and teds!

the hauck infinity looks like a good one, goes both ways, carrycot included, fairly light, folds fairly small and only £200 at kiddicare. the only thing that puts me off is that its a net buy so you cant try it out first which i thinks important.

for me the most important things are that the pushchair part goes both ways, that its fairly light and isnt huge when folded up. at the min i like the buzz and new mamas and papas herbie.

imjin - my sis had a piko and it was ace, really light, takes a car seat, folds up small, goes from pram to forward facing pushchair. but doesnt face mum in pushchair mode so not for me.

phil & teds -my mates got one, and if this dc had been any closer to my dd2 i would have gone for it as it is a good pushchair and you can use it as a single, even though it doesnt face you.

micralite - seen it wasnt ken on the way it looked, have heard good reviews on here though

bugaboo - i like these, but they seem like a lot of money.

best advice, go to a pram shop/mothercare and road test loads. then buy on line and save a packet xx

preggers - do you stock the hauck? what do you think of them?

i like the zooper zydeco.

even better i have one in my garage!! i love it, and often reccomend them! for the money you can't go wrong, they are very popular, the carrycot is a very generous size and they are reliable.

As for poking around in a pram shop (damaging display stock!!) and then buying online - take the rough with the smooth and either accept that the reason you are getting it cheaper online is because you are buying it blind- or support the shop you go into and respect the time and effort they put into running their business!

Sorry its a pet hate i have to comment on- it affects my business and many other local businesses, you wouldn't go into the ivy and order food, have a taste/look/smell etc then toddle off to sainsbury's because they do it cheaper

ahhhhhh, rant over..........

if its mothercare i don't have too many objections. it's not like they are struggling.

oops, wrist slapped. sorry preggers
may have to now consider the hauck infinity as it is a bargin. is it made well? i cant help but think that at such a low price your giving up on something and that after being used everyday for a year it might drop to bits!

preggersagain, I take your point and infact plan to try and buy in a shop but want to know as much as I can before hand!
hadn't heard of hauck infinity (is there no end to the numbers that there are!) but will check it out.
Spugs -thanks for this - buzz - who makes that and herbie - I shall check it out!

Also a question to add to my previous ones..this is our first baby but we plan (if we're blessed) to have another relatively quickly. Lots of people thing Phil and Ted's are brill when you have two but is it silly to buy with that in mind - is it better just to get one and that worry about another lo when/if it happens?
Sorry all I really appreciate words of wisdom

the hauck infinity for anyone whos interested

the only thing with the infinity is that the seat unit isn't really suitable from birth - more like 6 months cos it tilts. also when we tried it out ds hated having his feet sticking up in the air when it was reclined.

imjin100 I'm in exactly the same quandry and need advice too! Thanks for starting this thread.

Nobody has mentioned the Silver Cross 3D yet which is what is in the lead for me at the mo'. It faces towards you in pram mode and then turns round in pushchair mode, it fits with a car seat, folds up easily (apparently). Although the one down side I have heard is that it's a bit heavy at 10.5 kilos ish (preggersagain I think you mentioned that on our March thread). At £275 and with the accessories that are included it seems pretty good value otherwise? I've been round a couple of shops now, and it seems to be the one that the assistant has steered us to in the end.

We were warned off Mamas & Papas as apparently they are exactly the same pram as the Silver Cross but the M&P is sold at a much higher price just for the brand name, and doesn't come with the accessories...

Nobody has mentioned the Silver Cross 3D yet which is what is in the lead for me at the mo'. It faces towards you in pram mode and then turns round in pushchair mode, it fits with a car seat, folds up easily (apparently). Although the one down side I have heard is that it's a bit heavy at 10.5 kilos ish (preggersagain I think you mentioned that on our March thread). At £275 and with the accessories that are included it seems pretty good value otherwise? I've been round a couple of shops now, and it seems to be the one that the assistant has steered us to in the end.

We were warned off Mamas & Papas as apparently they are exactly the same pram as the Silver Cross but the M&P is sold at a much higher price just for the brand name, and doesn't come with the accessories...

the herbie is a mamas and papas and the inside of the carrycot and pushchair have really nice patterns, these pics are rubbish as you cant see them but we have one of their stores near us and they are lovely.

buzz is made by quinny, my friend has one and it is really nice

oops sorry, didn't mean to post that twice!

the infinity is very well made- the difference is you aren't paying for a little patch of fabric with a name embroidered on it. There are other similar versions- britax vigour 4, bayamo, musty literider, etc etc etc

I wouldn't buy a pram with turning it into a double in mind- especially the P&T, purely because i don't think it can compete as a single pram- and who knows what may happen- ttc no2 may not be so easy!!

The other thing is that even if you end up needing a double- there are always times when you will use a single- and if you don't spend too much on a single pram you can justify then upgrading to a double if need be.

oh yes the herbie is lovely. another one is the fisher price kuji which is in the argos book. not seen it anywhere else but they do let you have a look at it before you buy.