babyjogger city owners...

[banjaxed]

...I am unnecessarily infatuated with the babyjogger city mini. And, in fact, have just come across the city elite and may have fallen in love over again, but is it probably a pretty penny too far judging by ebay prices. DC2 is 18 months. I want another dc, but DH says no. I have a Quinny Speedi and a Maclaren quest for nipping to the shops from dc1. I want to be able to justify to DH why I -want- need to replace the Speedi with a new pram that essentially does the same job.

So, in your humble opinion, why would I need a BJCM?

Would I be able to rid myself of the need for 2 prams? Is it nippy enough for shopping trips? Is the fold good enough to slot into a packed boot like the Quest can? Is it nice enough for a brand new dc3 if the baby gods shone on me? (I am suspecting that the quinny carrycot is still a better bet for Northern winter babies, which is what I seem to produce). Are those wheels as smooth as the pneumatic ones on the quinny on gritty pavements?

I have ongoing pelvis issues and I am finding the quinny a bit of a hulk to steer at times, so I am fancying the one-handed steer of the BJCM.

I bought a BJCM for my then almost 3 year old and passed it on to my friend for her newborn which she still uses 2 years on so it seems to be fine!

They can be expensive BUT you would be able to get rid of your Quest and Speedi and any accessories so you may well be able to recoup something towards it, don't be afraid to look on here/netmums for one as I posted a Wanted add and got one for £80!

The BJCM is genuinely the lightest and easiest fold I have ever had so tell your husband it is soo much easier and more compact for you just to have one pushchair rather than 2. Also the seat unit is HUGE so it will last until 4 years quite easily.

My friend used hers from newborn with a sheepskin liner under a buggysnuggle because it is not the most padded of things but it's was fine because it fold flat in half rather than umbrella you don't have to worry about bulk.

Like I say the one I bought has been used for constant walking (no car here or with friend) and have never had an issue but it's not great in snow or sand so you'd have to find a way round that.

All in all though I'd be happy to use it from birth, you can buy a carrycot and car seat adapters too and would definately recommend for toddlerhood!

Thanks diva. Interesting what you said about snow and sand. We bought the speedi for that, but ended up using the sling instead when dc2 was tiny in the snow. And when we got to the beach we tend to end up taking the quest due to room in the boot, and it is rubbish in the sand too. Does the BJCM pull ok in the sand on the back wheels?

And, would you say, is it a noisy ride like the maclaren or a smooth ride?

I love ours. We've had a few! Dh actually chose it as he hated the ones I had bought. One example of why I love it- this morning I had to fold pushchair on bus. I managed to.do it while holding ds (21 months) and changing bag.

Personally I don't feel the need for another.

I love our BJCM. We have a house full of pushchairs but the BJCM is the one we use every day mainly because you can put it up one handed with baby tucked under the other arm. The baby sleeps in it because the huge hood makes it dark for him. The fold is quite incredible. However a few things. I find it tips when I push one handed. Having spoken to Baby Jogger about this, the BJCM isn't meant to be pushed one handed (but what else do you do with a walking toddler in tow??). So I am absolutely delighted to see the four wheel version is coming out soon which will give greater stability and yet everything else will be the same. Secondly I have an Elite double here at present and I have to say there isn't much difference between the two doubles and I think I may look at buying the Elite single in the future for the extra features like thick padding, parent console and larger tyres. I wouldn't consider taking my single on the beach and off road but the Elite is built for it. However for a new baby you can get the carrycot now to fit a BJCM which is brilliant. I used a Bugaboo Cocoon in my BJCM when my baby was tiny and it worked really well. The fold is lovely and flat (and the wheels pop off easily to make it flatter). Everything said the BJCM is probably the best stroller type pushchair I have met to date. It works brilliantly.

My speedi tips when pushing one handed too, it must be a 3-wheeler thing.

I can see myself wasting hours online trying to find one cheap enough for DH to agree to

But we'd have to see the speedi, and I have to say having the detachable carrycot was a godsend in the early baby days when asleep child needed to come inside and stay asleep (no room for prams in our wee hoose). It's a bit too much like admitting defeat over dc3!

Another thing, I found my quest really handy for dc1 being able to walk along holding the buggy without tripping on the wheels when about 2-3. Possible with a BJCM?

Banjaxed -

I would say the push is really smooth and for us the suspension was great, it coped well with parks, cobbles and hills and still does as where we live is quite rural.

I'm not sure how it would pull across sand but it would be worth a shot.

The expense really is the main issue with the BJCM but Ebay sometimes have decent offers and preciouslittleone.com can be quite competitive and price match too.

There is a carrycot and you can add a maxi cosi/graco car seat as a small travel system but obviously extra expense. Although if you are stuck for space it would be ideal so again may be an option for bribing informing DP :o

Again my friend has a 4 year old who has walked holding the pushchair for over 2 years and it has never tipped so you would be fine if he was at the sides.

Thanks for all the help and info. I gave in to impulse and got one from JL the other week and I love it . In case it is of any help to anyone in the future, I love:
the hood
the tight turning circle
easy manoeuverability (sp?)
the fold
the unfold
its weight
the easy adjustability of the straps, and dd can't wriggle out of them as easily
the ride - it is not quite as smooth as the quinny speedi, but the suspension makes it pretty good, and easier to bump up kerbs.
the uprightness of the seat and good view for dd
the lie flat option and everything in between
the mesh pocket at the back for all those bits and bobs that blow out of baskets.

Compared with the quinny speedi, I'm not so keen (but happy to get used to):
the access to the basket is pretty rubbish. I am used to being able to chuck a box of 4 tins of formula from the chemist into the basket. Not any more!
the fold is easy and small, but bigger wheels than the Quest make it less of a compact option in the boot.

Not a big gripes list!

Does anyone know if cheapie standard 3-wheeler raincovers work ok with the BJCM?