3-wheeler prams - is this best for 'off road'!!!

[Janus]

Another pram question!!!
I am 18 weeks and although this is my third the choice still seems so difficult!
This time around my difference is I have a big labrador that needs walking every day and we are moving to the New Forrest so her walks may be a little bit more 'rustic'!!, ie not on proper paths.
Would a 3-wheeler be the way to go or do those wheels puncture at any given opportunity? I have had a look at the Phil and Ted ones, look lovely but the price may sting a bit so any other recommendations would be gratefully received.
Appreciate this is a difficult one and may only be able to be replied by people who also have dogs but thought I'd ask.
Thanks.

Yes the Urban Detour is a pushchair/range of pushchairs similar in style, made by Mothercare.

The Urban is the model of Mountain Buggy with the swivel wheel - Mountain Buggy also make a model called the Terrain, with a fixed wheel, which is meant for true off roading but not so easy to steer in a town setting. They also make the Breeze as Fairytale was saying.

There's a Breeze on ebay at the mo. Cheaper than a Terrain, the Urban is the most expensive of the three. (though I got mine for £20, and won't let anyone forget it!!!)

Urban Detour pushchairs are very cheap on ebay. But not quite as well built imo. Still a good workhorse.

mothercare urban detour is a good one to have and doesnt break the bank. ive got the pinnicle one which has lasted really well though im replacing it with a bugaboo for this little one.

Have you looked at the instep nipper I had one if these and loved it! It is the lightest 3 wheeler there is and is a tad more reasonable that the others her is a link Nipper

Okay, I have an Urban Detour but I also have an Emmaljunga pram with the big wheels and I have to say that the pram is VASTLY better than the 3-wheeler on rough ground. It has much much better suspension providing a more comfortable ride for baby and is very much easier to bush over lumps and bumps.

Whenever we go to the park it is the pram that goes. It has survived such heavy going use by 5 children and still has plenty of life left!

I have the Jane Slalom for dog walking on bumpy, muddy country paths and fields, and have been a bit disappointed (although I have nothing to compare it to). It has been used very intensively (1 0r 2 walks a day for 19 months), and I've had umpteen punctures and had to replace the front wheel. It struggles with wet clay soil, long grass and, as I've discovered this week, frosty grass (although I'm not at my strongest at the moment).

Mountain Buggy seemed better to me, but I'm too short for it.

I bet you're not mm. You know the handle is height adjustable don't you? You can have a go with mine if you are thinking of switching.

I tried one in a showroom before and struggled, but then it isn't the same as out and about with a 12kg weight in it.

I thought about getting the double one though, but it is too wide for walks that I do (really narrow access at the start of the paths). If they did a tandem one I'd probably be tempted. Going to have to make do with a Phil&Ted, I think.

Ooh apparently the double Nipper is brilliant, recommended more highly than the P&T actually on a recent thread

Could you maybe get one of those?

Oh sorry I misread your last post.
Hope you get on Ok with the P&T, I love them, mine are too far apart in age for one

Ah ha, now I understand!! Thanks so much for your opinions and twinkly you've made it crystal clear for me, I think the Mountain Buggy Urban is probably the one for me as it will have to go 'off road' and a fair amount around the high street, etc, and I hate fixed wheels for that. I would also like something that is going to last but agree with others that I can get a very good second hand one for around £200 off ebay, which is what I will probably do.
Many thanks again for all your thoughts.

No problem! Obsessed here so any opportunity, ya know

You can also lock the wheel to a fixed position for when you go off road x

Enjoy!!!

mm - I have the mountain buggy and I'm 4"11!

Maybe it wasn't the mountain buggy I tried after all. Was before ds1 was born, and all memories of before that time are hazy.

Baby Jogger (and american brand) that you can buy from ebay (keep looking) relatively cheap (I got mine for £50!) or from www.kidsense.co.uk work really well off-road (despite the "jogger" in the name)
Also Mountain buggy can often be picked up off ebay for less than £100 - these are so durable, even a 5y old one will serve you well! I bought a twin terrain for £75 - it's brilliant.
Landrover is another one to look out for - again can often be bought off ebay for little.
The other good off-roader is the out and about instep nipper (available in single and double).

I would avoid anything with a swivel wheel for off road - this includes the swivel wheels that can be "fixed".

I had a P&T's and it was RUBBISH off-road in my opinion. I tried it on park-land, woodland, mountains, the beach, moorland etc. I found the front wheel would "bounce about" on rough ground - and not point in the direction I was going. If I "fixed" the front wheel so it wouldn't swivel, it was too heavy to press on the handlebar to lift the front wheel to change direction see this page for info on the difference in weight distribution over the front wheel on both swivel and fixed 3 wheel buggies:
www.chariotsatp.co.uk then click "ATP intro guide" from the menu and the rh side of the page. Then from there click on "swivel versus fixed wheel"!

I also had other issues with the P&T - that my toddler in the front seat could force her feet down hard enough in that fabric footwell to stop the buggy from moving (rather like the brake being unexepectedly applied - so annoying!). Also the shopping basked used to scrape along the floor if I put anything in it (even light things!), the mesh in the seat wore through, it was very difficult to manoveur - finding even kerbs a challenge! Oh, and my toddler even undid the harness claps and chucked them away (they were not sewn on!). You can tell - it's not my favourite buggy!

i've got a chicco s3 travel systm, solid tyres to avoid puncture problems, regularly gets an airing on dartmoor with our dog and adjustable suspension is excellent. we got ours forunder £100 including delivery brand new by bidding from an e-bay shop, so because of the price there was no contest! only downside is the size when collapsed (takes up whole boot of vw golf, dog has to go on back seat with baby) and the frame is heavy to lift (esp if you have had a cs)

happy hunting, its a minefield isnt it?! got myself in such a state over prams when pg.

i've got an out'n'about nipper 360 which is fab both on and off road. its very light and manoeuvrable so good in shops. i recently did a fairly tough off road walk and forgot to lock the front wheel and it was still great.
I nearly bought a p&t but the nipper was significantly cheaper and imo better, for me at least. I didn't know where i could try a mountain buggy so can't comment, but since then my local shop have started stocking them. If you are in south london, the a3 baby barn has a great selection and very helpful staff.

another vote for mountain buggy got single and double terrain models and they are amazing - nothing that buggy cant cope with! also had a carrycot which clipped on for a bit with my newest baby
bought my double off ebay and even very old ones worth it

Didy you were very unlucky with your P&T! I have NEVER experienced any of the problems you had and regulary go off-roading in all sorts of terrains (living in Perthshire!)

Our straps are firmly sewn on, and use the shopping basket every day, handles it very well in my opinion (and I am talking shopping that includes 4 pint of milk etc!) there are no rips or tears and after 2 years of daily use looks as new! Also, I am 8 months pregnant and find it easy to lift the front wheel for fixed-tyre steering or getting up steep kerbs.