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Pushchairs

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Original poster

First pram/travel system - help needed pls

21 replies

k4mi · 31/10/2011 15:38

Hi,

We are looking for a travel system to suit living in a a second floor flat...we will leave the pushchair / pram in the hallway on the ground floor of our flat and so needs to be compact in size (when unfolded) as it's a communal entrance and i do not want to block our neighbour's entrance.

Weight wise i know the Bugaboo is fantastic but expensive and I will only be using the car once or max twice a week and so folding / lifting not a huge issue.

We also need something that OH can use with ease (he is 6ft 1).

I am happy to buy second hand for the right thing but the bugaboo still comes in at £400+ for everything second hand which is a bit pricey...

Can anyone recommend anything else that's easy to manoevre in shops / around London (the occasional bus journey / train is likely) and that my little one will be able to face me in for at least the first 3-6 months. After than i am happy for forward facing?

I have looked at Icandy, Bugaboo and Britax B Smart (not so compact..) so far but would really appreciate some first hand knowledge.

Thanks :)

OP posts:
HauntedPramsScreamsGalore · 31/10/2011 16:19

would a pushchair be completely safe left in a communal hallway, it only takes one passerby to see it and the door left unlocked or ajar and its gone, i would be looking at a pushchair i could fold easy and carry up stairs, like the baby jogger city mini with a carrycot

or a bugaboo bee when they are on sale again, but don't buy a bee second hand they have wheel issues. city mini on the otherhand are fine to buy second hand as they have a life time warrenty on the frame and wheels and this seems to cover second hand ones as well.
Original poster
k4mi · 31/10/2011 16:22

Yes the pushchair will be safe as we only share with one other person who is a 65 yr old man! We live in a very safe and quiet area so i am sure no passer by will be nipping in.

I will have a look into the baby jogger city mini though as haven't looked at those much and good tip on the Bugaboo wheels.

OP posts:
Tiggywunkle · 31/10/2011 17:46

Have you thought about how you will carry the baby up and down the stairs / keep them safe whilst you fold and unfold the pushchair. The reason I ask is that at least with something like the City Mini (or even the Elite) you wont have to do any bending down (eg if baby is in a sling) to flick it open or fold it. But you wont get parent facing with these - but you could add a carrycot to the City Mini. Also a two part pushchair will be harder to store and to put up and down and generally takes two hands.
I too would be suggesting you look at something like the City Mini which is a one piece pushchair that folds very flat and you can leave freestanding on its side. Other one piece folding pushchairs are the Uppababy Vista or iCandy Strawberry but both are in your pricey price range. I dont know if the Britax and maybe the Oyster fold in one piece.
The best advice I can give is to go to at least three independent pram shops and have a really good play. Dont be afraid to pull the pushchairs apart, ask questions, try it around the shop etc.

HauntedPramsScreamsGalore · 31/10/2011 17:53

the oyster does fold in one, but the front wheels buckle when going down kerbs and the plush i think would be better with air tyres and you would have to have the carrycot, as seat is not from birth.

Original poster
k4mi · 31/10/2011 18:08

I will not be folding the pushchair, i will leave it set up at the bottom of our stairs. I will then use either a sling or baby bjorn to carry upstairs. Do you think a carrycot addition would be better so that i can remove it and carry upstairs with me? That is an option also i suppose?

OP posts:
aswellasyou · 31/10/2011 18:29

What's your budget then? The Oyster has a small footprint and apparently the wheel issue has been fixed. My new interest is the Jane Rider, which fits your criteria too.

stripeybumpinthenight · 31/10/2011 18:31

Mamas and Papas Sola worth a look - I love mine, denim and multicoloured stripes

Original poster
k4mi · 31/10/2011 18:38

Somewhere around £450-500 for a full travel system and accessories, Bugaboo comes in at more like £750 with all the additional bits.

I will have a look at Oyster and Jane Rider, Is Jane Rider a new one?

OP posts:
bubblebubblebubblepop · 31/10/2011 18:49

We've used a Maclaren Techno XLR travel system. Forward facing pushchair but clip car seat in to face you. Used the car seat clipped in for 3 months or so but you could use for longer (obviously they still used the car seat in car till 9 months or so anyway , but they were more interested in watching the world go by from 3 months so that's why we stopped putting it in the pushchair). A little bigger than other Maclarens but not noticeably.

aswellasyou · 31/10/2011 18:50

It is pretty new. I think it came out earlier this year. There's one on eBay at the moment. Which Bugaboo are you looking at? Either the Cameleon or Bee should be a lot less than that second hand.

bubblebubblebubblepop · 31/10/2011 18:52

Oh and has adjustable handles so ideal for us as I'm 5'2" and DH is 6'.

sleepevader · 31/10/2011 21:05

When is baby due?

If not force while wait for the baby jogger versa

Original poster
k4mi · 01/11/2011 12:54

Baby is due mid Jan. When is baby jogger versa out?

OP posts:
Original poster
k4mi · 01/11/2011 13:18

I've narrowed it down to the following:

ICandy Cherry
Bugaboo Bee
Oyster Plush

Any reviews on any of these? Oyster is affordable from new so that is looking like the best option at the moment but would welcome comments!

Thanks

OP posts:
stripeybumpinthenight · 01/11/2011 14:02

I was going to get Oyster, it's got really good reviews and is good value - went for Sola as it seemed a lot more sturdy for the same cash. Oyster does look a bit plasticky in comparison - have you had a look at Sola? It works out the same cost as Oyster.

Original poster
k4mi · 01/11/2011 14:17

Will check out Sola too, think we did look at these a couple of months ago in M&P but someone told me M&P's pushchairs often break which put me off.

OP posts:
Tiggywunkle · 01/11/2011 14:17

At the minute I wouldn't buy a second hand Bee. There have been huge problems with the front wheels. I am not sure what would happen if you bought a second hand Bee and it has the wheel issues? Can you buy the wheel packs?

Original poster
k4mi · 01/11/2011 14:19

Yes you can buy the wheels seperately but you're right it would be better to avoid needing to do so!

OP posts:
pramsgalore · 01/11/2011 14:26

mamas and papas customer service is rubbish and yes their pushchairs often have issues, the solo being one of them. i have heard bugaboo not great to deal with if out of warrenty or bought second hand as well. i would get an icandy but again i would buy new if not then the oyster plus, did aswellasyou say they had addressed the front wheel issues with new models, but then i did hear they only had a 6 month warrenty, although not that that counts for anything as goods have to last a reasonable time by law.

Tiggywunkle · 01/11/2011 14:33

My caution with the Cherry is that older ones ie 3 years-ish or less, had front wheels that didn't make contact with the floor when you pushed a newborn in it ie with a light weight in. It was a bit disconcerting. Apparently this has been fixed on the latest models but I don't know exactly when they were changed.

Oldhands · 14/11/2011 17:47

Have you looked at the quinny buzz ? You can a get a new one of these with a compatable maxi cosi car seat for around £400 which would be better than a second hand bugaboo. Here's a link : www.pramsupermarket.com/compare-quinny-buzz-3-travel-system

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