Which.co.uk - Best Buy Travel Sytem - 06/11

[DingleDangleDiva]

Took out a trial the other day to look at washing machine's and am going to cancel later but thought this might be useful to someone before I do. If you need more info feel free to ask.

85% - Uppababy Vista - RRP £525.00
80% - Babystyle Oyster - RRP £238.00
80% - Bugaboo Bee Plus - RRP £420.00
78% - Bugaboo Bee - RRP £351.00
78% - I'Coo Vario - RRP £340.00
78% - ICandy Cherry - RRP £274.00
78% - Nurse Hello - RRP £289.00
77% - Maclaren XLR - RRP £390.00
77% - Britax Vigour 4+ - RRP £245.00
77% - Cybex Topaz - RRP £210.00
77% - Quinny Buzz 4 - RRP £380.00
76% - Mothercare Xcursion - RRP £365.00
76% - Maxi Cosi Loola Up - RRP £275.00
76% - Maxi Cosi Streety - RRP £300.00
75% - Maxi Cosi Elea - RRP £200.00

Oh happy days! thank you, i just placed my order for the Uppababy Vitsa, seems like I chose well.

Yup looks like you made a good choice :o

I've had a Vista, Bee Plus and 2 Vigour 4+...Was thinking about buying an Oyster but now found another Object of Desire, so holding off on the Oyster...Pleased to read it did well for future reference though...I was going to try the month trial, just to read the buggy reviews but i know i'd forget to cancel and end up paying for a full month.

are there any double or tandem reviews on there?!

Ooh please yes doubles and tandems if you possibly wouldn't mind and haven't cancelled yet? Would be most grateful....

Hi Frigg and Spag will check the site now for you :)

Bebecar One & Two-
The Bebecar One&Two, which should be in the shops by summer 2011, offers a versatile chassis that can be used as a single, easily converted to a double and back again. We give our first impressions.

Multiple combinations
The innovative One&Two allows parents to adapt from a single pushchair to a double for twins or two different aged children with the addition of an easily attached click on adaptor to the chassis.

When this is attached the chassis can accommodate an impressive number of different options. It can hold two reclinable seat-units or two compatible car seats. In these different modes the seats can face in either direction so both children can be parent-facing, facing the world or they can face each other. The One&Two can also take a single carrycot with either a seat unit or car seat but the carrycot can only be rear-facing.

If the second seat is no longer needed the click on attachment can be easily removed and the pushchair is back to being a single again. The chassis of the One&Two has a longer wheelbase than most single pushchairs to enable it to safely accommodate two units but in single mode it didn't feel unwieldy to use.

A long tandem
Unlike many doubles this isn't a side-by-side tandem or a two-level inline, both children are at exactly the same level lengthways. The One&Two is only 62cm wide, similar to or narrower than a number of single models on the market. However, it does make the system very long in double mode so the person pushing the pushchair has to be very aware of what's ahead of them quite some distance away which might be awkward in busy areas. Despite its length it has good manoeuvrability and turns well.

Suitable from birth
Parents can buy the compatible carrycot separately but the seat units are both suitable for use from birth. They can be fully reclined to flat and the fabric can be pulled over the bumper bar in this position to create a cosier carrycot-style environment for a newborn.

Other features and folding
There's an adjustable handle bar, a rear brake which is light and easy to click on and off although you do have to use your toes, the shopping basket is of a reasonable size. There's no viewing window in the hood.

Folding the pushchair does require you to remove the seats but you can leave the double adaptor on. The seats are easy to click on and off and the fold is pretty compact. The seat units also fold which is a very useful space-saving feature.

Prices and accessories
The Bebecar One&Two comes in two chassis colours and three fabric colours. The package includes the chassis, the attachment to make it a double, under seat shopping basket and two seat units with hoods and aprons and costs £888. It's not available as a single pushchair. It's compatible with the Minibob carrycot and the Easymaxi car seat.

There's a range of other accessories available including changing bag, raincover, parasol, footmuff, changing bag, PVC weathershield for wind protection and mosquito net.

Pros: Children travel at exactly the same level, narrow enough to fit through doorways, reasonably compact when folded

Cons: Quite expensive, very long

BRITAX B-DUAL-
The B-Dual, Britax's one-in-front tandem pushchair, gives a smooth ride even on rough terrain but most of our testers found it too heavy and impractical for everyday use and awkward on public transport. We've only tested it with one child at the moment but will be testing it with two children later in 2011.

The B-Dual is a modular travel system that can change to suit a growing family by adding an extra seat behind the main pushchair. The standard pushchair has integrated adapters and can be used with a Britax Baby-Safe carrycot (£180) or car seat (£84). We've tested the Baby Safe care seat and found it good enough to be a Best Buy when used with or without an Isofix base.

When your next baby comes along, you can buy a second seat that fits behind the first. Both seats can recline flat, so it's suitable from birth even if you have twins.

It's possible to have the top seat facing forward or back, but the child in the bottom seat will always be facing away from you. There isn't much side protection on the lower level pushchair and the space for the child on the bottom isn't as good as for the child on the top - but we think you'd expect this on an inline (one seat behind the other) tandem pushchair.

The pushchair's reasonably easy to fold, but at 14kg is heavy enough with one seat attached, let alone two. Happily, you can remove the seats to make it easier to get in and out of a car boot, and it folds down to 37x104x68cm, which isn't bad for such a big unit, and should fit in the boot of a mid-sized car.

The spacious storage basket is cleverly designed with zip fastenings so that it can be accessed from all sides - however if you have a child sitting on the lower level their feet will be sitting in or above the basket.

You easily click the brake pedal on and off even if you're wearing flip-flops, and the adjustable handlebars have rounded contours which ensures they're comfortable to hold even for long periods.

Pros: Lots of different configurations suitable for one child, twins, or two children of different ages, good storage basket with easy access, excellent on rough terrain, easy to recline, easy to attach car seat

Cons: Large and heavy, awkward to use on public transport and stairs

BUGABOO DONKEY-
Bugaboo's much-hyped Donkey double pushchair is due to hit the shops in April. We gave it a quick spin at a nursery trade fair to bring you our first impressions.

Aside from its fashionable brand-name, the key selling point of the Bugaboo Donkey is that it can be converted from a single pushchair to a double pushchair. This is easy to do, and there are several configuration options, so the pushchair is flexible whether you have twins or two children of different ages.

However, this flexibility doesn't come cheap. A Donkey configured for two kids of different ages costs £1,099. And in twin configuration, it's £1,219.

On either side you can choose to attach a seat, carrycot or car seat, and these can be positioned parent-facing or forward-facing. The memory lock system - which means you can press the buttons on each side of the seat one at a time - makes attaching each unit easy, even with one hand.

In single configuration, the Donkey is the same width as the Bugaboo Cameleon, (60cm) and in double configuration Bugaboo says it is 'the narrowest luxury side-by-side duo stroller' at 74cm wide. The average width of side-by-side pushchairs we've tested is 104cm, and the slimmest was 84cm.

The Donkey in action
The Bugaboo Donkey feels very easy to steer and manoeuvre. However, unsurprisingly for a double buggy, it does feel quite heavy.

It has lockable front wheels, and you can also use it in the 'two-wheel' position, which Bugaboo says is designed to be used for pulling the pushchair over sand or snow. This could also be useful when getting up kerbs.

You can fold the Donkey with the seats on, and when folded it stands up by itself, which is useful. However, it is quite big when folded, and while there is a bar you can use to carry it, the Donkey feels too heavy to carry very far.

Plenty of storage space
We really like the on-board storage that the Donkey offers. Not only does it have a large shopping basket under the seat/seats, when in single mode it also has a large attachable basket which sits alongside the seat unit.

Each seat has a removable bumper bar, and the one-handed seat recline is easy to use and feels smooth. When parent-facing the seat has three recline positions, and when forward-facing it has two recline positions.

You need to use your toes to take the brake pedal off, but this feels very light, so shouldn't be a problem if you are wearing flip-flops.

Donkey price and accessories
Bugaboo says the Donkey will be available from April 2011 in a range of shops including John Lewis, but this pushchair is one of the most expensive we've ever seen. It is available in a range of packages; for each, the seat unit and carrycot use the same frame, and you just add your chosen fabric to the frame to create the seat/carrycot.

In 'mono' configuration (one frame, one seat fabric, one carrycot fabric) it will cost £899, in 'duo' configuration for two children of different ages (two frames, two seat fabrics, one carrycot fabric) it will cost £1,099, and in 'twin' configuration (two frames, two seat fabrics, two carrycot fabrics) it will cost £1,219.

The Donkey is compatible with the Maxi-Cosi Pebble and Maxi-Cosi Cabriofix car seats - so if you want to use the pushchair as a travel system, you'll need to buy these separately.

There are also a range of Bugaboo-branded accessories you can buy, including a parasol, footmuff, bag, wheeled toddler board and cup holder.

Pros: Very flexible for one or two children, lots of shopping/storage space, easy to manoeuvre, reversible seats, one-handed seat-recline

Cons: Feels quite heavy, big when folded, very expensive

GRACO STADIUM DUO-
The Graco Stadium Duo double buggy is a tandem pushchair which has an extra seat behind the main pushchair. Both seats are adjustable into different positions - but is it a reliable, versatile pushchair? We put this double buggy to the test to find out.

The Graco Stadium Duo is an average tandem pushchair. Like other tandems it's difficult to lift, to move when folded, or to use on an escalator. It's a bit uncomfortable to push and unwieldy to manoeuvre, too.

With the exception of some minor differences in the buckle type, fabric and accessories, it's identical to the Mothercare Phoenix.

Tricky to carry on stairs
The Stadium Duo pushes smoothly in a straight line on pavements and is fine up and down kerbs. It's harder to push on gravel paths and the length makes manoeuvring around obstacles difficult. It's difficult for two people to carry up and down stairs because there's not a good grip at the front.

Both seats have a backrest recline operated by a lever. The front seat (6+ months) can be set to two positions and the rear seat (from birth) has four positions. A Graco car seat can be attached very easily to the rear seat, but it's more difficult to remove.

Not easy to get second child into pushchair
Placing a child in the rear seat is slightly more difficult as the play tray gets in the way. The shoulder restraints are height-adjustable to suit different ages, but it's time-consuming to use the buckles. The seats are well-padded and have newborn head supports. The hoods are easy to adjust.

Easy to fold
The Stadium Duo folds in the concertina method to 56x123x57cm (186 litres) and has a self-catching clip and a carry handle. It is easy to fold, but difficult to lift once folded because it's heavy (14 kg) and a bit bulky.

It stands upright when folded and will go in the boot of a mid-size car with the parcel shelf removed. You can just about get it on a bus without folding it.

Other features
The storage basket will take 5kg of shopping and is easy to access. Accessories include child play trays and cup holders, two hoods and foot muffs. The seat covers are removable but are not machine-washable. Cleaning the fabric is a bit tricky, but it doesn't stain.

Pros: Adequate tandem pushchair

Cons: Big, heavy and difficult to manoeuvre

Maclaren Twin Techno-
The Maclaren Twin TechNo double buggy is a side-by-side double pushchair which comes equipped with some handy accessories such as a rain cover, bottle holder, two hoods, foot muffs, reflective panels and newborn head supports. But does this double buggy perform well in our expert tests?

The Maclaren Twin Techno is a bestselling side-by-side double pushchair, but the features that make the single Maclaren buggies timeless classics don't transfer so well to a double pushchair. It's awkward to manoeuvre, difficult to recline the backrest, and hard to move when folded - but, even so, most of our testers said they'd consider buying it as a double pushchair.

Rear suspension
The buggy has six sets of wheels with suspension on the rear ones. It is comfortable and easy to push on pavements and reasonable on gravel paths, but it's heavy to manoeuvre with two children in the pushchair, and doesn't fit in tight spaces easily.

It has two fixed-height foam handles (109cm), providing quite a large gripping area, but these are placed too far apart for some people.

Seats are narrow and shallow
The seats are quite narrow and shallow, but have an adjustable legrest that is easy to operate. The hoods are fine too, and it is nice to have a separate one for each seat.

The harness is easy to adjust, but the push-button buckle is very difficult to undo without a lot of manual strength. The backrests recline to four positions using sliding bar mechanisms located over the baskets; these are difficult to access and operate even using two hands.

Balances well on escalators
You'll find it difficult to get down a bus gangway, but it's surprisingly easy to use if you fold it first. It also balances well on an escalator.

The pushchair folds down to 41x103x37cm (156 litres) and is quite long for the boot of a mid-size car; it fills a lot of space. It has a self-catching clip and carry handle, but weighs 14.4kg which is very heavy, so it is slightly difficult to lift and move when it's folded.

Other features
The shopping baskets have a capacity of 2kg each, are quite roomy but difficult to access with the backrest reclined.

Accessories include a rain cover, a bottle holder, two hoods, foot muffs, reflective panels and newborn head supports. The covers are not removable, which is a shame as food dribbles leave noticeable marks behind.

Pros: Reasonable twin stroller

Cons: Very heavy and a bit awkward to manoeuvre, difficult to recline back rests

MOUNTAIN BUGGY URBAN DUO-
The Mountain Buggy Urban Double has plenty of room for two small people and comes equipped with a 5kg capacity shopping basket and accessories including a rain cover and hood. We put this double pushchair to the test to see how well it works.

The rugged Mountain Buggy Urban Double is lovely to push on rough ground and is quite reasonable to manoeuvre, unless you're in a tight space. But it is huge - folded or unfolded - and extremely heavy.

It is otherwise an easy double buggy to use, and, despite its size and weight, parents liked the fact that it's easy to push.

Easy access
It is very easy to put your children in, adjust and secure the harness. The seats are a good size for a double buggy and the shoulder restraint options make it suitable for children of different sizes.

The backrests recline by releasing the straps that support the seat. This mechanism is not overly simple to operate, even using two hands, and the child would probably find it disturbing and uncomfortable as they sit there during adjustment.

Adjustable handlebar
It has an adjustable handlebar (81-107cm) which provides a massive, comfortable area from which to control the pushchair. The buggy has four pneumatic wheels, with suspension on the rear ones. It is comfortable and easy to push on pavements, kerbs and off-road. Turning tight corners is more problematic because it is so wide.

This is not one for public transport; it's so massive even when it's folded that you couldn't get it on a bus. You can balance it very easily on an escalator, but because it weighs 17.7kg and is wide, it's a challenge for two people to carry it down stairs.

Bulky when folded
The pushchair folds down to a massive 50x73x105cm (383 litres). It will not fit in the boot of a mid-sized car and is very difficult to lift and move when it's folded. A better strap to keep it folded wouldn't go amiss.

The shopping basket has a capacity of 5kg and is fairly easy to access. Accessories include a rain cover and a hood, which falls closed a bit too easily.

Pros: Reasonable twin stroller, good for off-road surfaces

Cons: Hood is a bit temperamental, awkward recline mechanism, not good in tight spaces, very heavy

Thank you. The Bebecar is a new one on me. Lol re the B-Dual - it's not really a single pushchair (well it is but I doubt it would be top of anyone's list as a single?) so how can they talk about it being heavy etc. With two children in, compared to other tandems on the Market, it is without doubt one of the best to push, great all rounder. Yes it is wide, yes it is heavy, but it's not much different to other tandems. It's thoroughly practical and whilst not a style icon, it's definitely not the worst tandem out there! The Donkey again, whilst it is fine to give initial impressions I am surprised that Which hacve done a report based on a quick spin at the trade fair. It feels as light as a feather to push without any children in. It doesn't mention the 22cms that each car seat adds to the width ie 44cms if you have newborn twins! You need to use a pushchair in real life to truly know how one performs! Thanks for posting these though!

Thanks for the other two. The Duo sounds a beast - I hope the Duet isn't :(

Thanks so much for that DingleDangle! I hadn't heard of a couple of those. Nearly fell off my chair at the price of the bugaboo! :o