Prams and travel systems

[baby2due]

Having a nightmare trying to decide what travel system to get.

Ideally want one that's 2 in 1 that's interchangeable with pram and car seat. Not fussed about a stroller as won't need one for a few years anyways but like being able to clip the car seat on to the base when shopping etc.

Also looking for one that's a bit more compact and neat. The ones I've seen so far are massive and very bulky.

Anyone got any recommendations?? I'm 30 weeks just now so I should really start getting my pram and things now

Baby zen yo-yo. Can buy a newborn cocoon or carrycot with it, and use car seat. Folds into hand luggage when needed. Will last newborn-4+ years

We’ve got Oyster 3, which I would not recommend. Could just be ours that is really stiff but it’s almost impossible to get the car seat to detach from the pram frame to put it back in the car.
Quite heavy and bulky too, getting the frame in and out of the boot.

If I did it again I’d get the most light weight one available.

I went for the Nuna Mixx and I love it, really lightweight 😊

Are the prams all the same size when it comes to travel systems?

I mean the carrycot part , are they us usually just a standard size?

No, the carrycot can be different sizes.
It’s doesn’t really matter tbh, as most babies are outgrowing in terms of sitting up or wanted to see out more so ready to move out before they actually outgrow in terms of length.

I think bugaboo was one of the biggest when we looked. But we ended up with mountain buggy.
The babyzen we bought as travel high after, so we use both. But that’s only as we needed off road day to day, otherwise would have just had babyzen from birth

We have a cybex mios - it’s very compact and light

Bugaboo bee. Small in size. Good city pram. Similar to the yo-yo but feels more robust. I had the car seat adapters and clipped the car seat in in the early days. However tbh I wish I had just got a lightweight stroller instead for 6+ and used a sling more. The bee folds well and isn't bulky. Not the best proper off-roading but has managed ok with walks in the park.

I had a Cosatto Giggle. Loads of great fabric choices!

I can't recommend a compact travel system (ours is an uppababy vista and quite big) but definitely recommend going in store somewhere like John Lewis to try out the feel of the buggy. I had my heart set on an icandy before we tried it but I absolutely hated how it felt to steer! So wouldn't recommend ordering online without trying first

We got the Joie Versatrax which is perfect for us. Light weight, easy to fold up and down and not overly big as some of them are.
You should go to a shop and try a few out and see which you like best

I second the bugaboo bee!

I had a massive heavy bugaboo buffalo for my first - all bells and whistles but totally overkill and wide and heavy.

The bee is small and nippy - you can buy a separate bassinet (I did) or use a newborn cocoon and it becomes a stroller later on! (So expensive at first but good value overall and better from an eco point of view)

It’s all the quality and solid engineering of bugaboo but dinky. I can pop it in and out the at easily but it doesn’t feel rickety ever.

I don’t work for them - just like their quality.

If you want compact, Bugaboo are ditching there Bugaboo Ant, and launching a new version apparently of a smaller folding Bee next week that will face both ways.

We have an egg travel system, it's lovely to push and I'm pregnant with our 3rd and it still looks smart and is going strong! However, it's huge, like most travel system you fold the chassis and the seat separately and it takes up most of the boot. If I had a do over I'd have tried to get one where it folds in 1 piece like the mammas and Pappas ocarro. Or knowing we wanted more kids close together id have got the bugaboo donkey so it easily converted to hold 2 kids. Go to John Lewis and mamas and papas etc and try them, but also fold them down and see how easy they are to pack away etc x

The ocarro, it folds up with the seat attached (which can be used from birth so no need for a carrycot). It is heavy though.
I had it in 2017 for DD and still using it now with DS.

Agree with pp, definitely the Ocarro. I originally had a Venicci travel system and as great as it was off-road it was an absolute pain when it came to packing it in the car and I have a qashqai, so relatively good boot space.
By the time DD was 7 months I'd sold the Venicci and replaced it with the Ocarro. I'm planning to use it with DC2 that is due in September too x

I love the Ocarro but the two people in my NCT group with one have had to upgrade to the pram a lot earlier than recommended as their babies are too long for the bassinet. I’ve got an iCandy and the bassinet is so much bigger, my very long baby is still absolutely fine.

As for length of bassinets- I wouldn’t worry. Your baby will fit into it until they need to. My 98th centile for height baby fitted into his small bassinet until he was 5.5/6 months.

Agreed about the bassinet, both of my girls were out of them by 3.5 months as they didn't want to lay flat, the stroller seat laid back is generally fine for them by that age

@TakeYourFinalPosition

I love the Ocarro but the two people in my NCT group with one have had to upgrade to the pram a lot earlier than recommended as their babies are too long for the bassinet. I’ve got an iCandy and the bassinet is so much bigger, my very long baby is still absolutely fine.

They might needed to have changed to the seat unit but they wouldn't have to have upgraded, the ocarro comes with the seat unit as standard as it can be used from birth, in fact you have to pay extra for the carrycot.

They will never outgrow the carrycot for length before use.

My son is 98% height, he’s 86cm long. In 2-3 year old clothing. He’s almost 2 years. The bugaboo carrycot is 90cm! So even he could technically still fit ( would just leap out in 2 seconds)

@Caspianberg

If you want compact, Bugaboo are ditching there Bugaboo Ant, and launching a new version apparently of a smaller folding Bee next week that will face both ways.

This makes me so happy! I have been looking at the bee as I had a cameleon with my son 10 years ago but found it heavy. The fox 3 seems bulky for what it is and so I wanted something like the bee but both rear and forward facing. Hope I like the new bee! X

@handbagsandholidays - the bee will remain. it will have a new name ie Bugaboo Butterfly ( or whatever they choose, I think this is best name imo for a travel pram though)

[quote Caspianberg]@handbagsandholidays - the bee will remain. it will have a new name ie Bugaboo Butterfly ( or whatever they choose, I think this is best name imo for a travel pram though)[/quote]
Butterfly would fit really well as a name- you should suggest it as if they've not done it for this one, it would work well for the next! Lol it's obvious they are going to discontinue the ant as they have discounted it on the site too. Did you see they are also planning a price increase from 4th April? I wonder if this will tie in with the new launch too.

@handbagsandholidays - April 5th launch apparently from their instagram

Just saw your comment about wanting something like the bee that faces both ways -

The current bee faces both forward and rear too. Again, still not trying to sell it haha!