Pram confusion....iCandy Cherry, Bugaboo Bee or a different model?

[daisylou79]

Hi

This is my first post - I'm expecting my first baby in early March and have got bogged down in pram confusion. I wondered if any city dwelling mums could offer their opinion on the iCandy Cherry and Bugaboo Bee - or any other designs they recommend.

Just to explain - we live in a second floor flat and I'll have to carry the pram up and down the stairs every day as there's nowhere to leave it in the main hallway. As we have to keep it in the flat, it will need to be folded up each day for storage purposes.

The main criteria for me is that the pram is light enough to carry up and down stairs. We loved the Bugaboo Bee for this reason but I was put off by it not having a carrycot. We have a Moses basket so it's not that I will put the baby down to sleep in the carrycot at home but I just prefer the security of a sturdier carrycot when out and about. So that brings us to the iCandy Cherry....we loved this as we could buy a separate carrycot but I'm worried the frame is bulkier to carry.

I hadn't originally planned on spending so much - I had my heart set on the Mamas and Papas Urbo and it was discounted as well - but then I tried it out in the shop and could barely lift it!

I'd appreciate any helpful advice - one other thing is that we don't have a car and use public transport so whatever we get needs to be bus/train suitable. Oh, and we're probably moving out of London in the next six months so this whole stairs thing will no longer be a problem!

Thanks.

I think if you're moving in 6 months then tbh spending so much on a pram might not be wise (unless you want to of course). If it were me, I'd get a wrap sling to use from birth (so much easier and very comfortable for baby and you) and get something like a Maclaren XT. We have one and were it not for the fact I'm 7 months pregnant, could easily carry it up the steps to our first floor flat with ds in if he was asleep, and he's 3. Folds up small and we keep it behind the door. I think you;re going to get fed up with lugging anything up that many steps every day, and by the time you move you'll most likely buy a Maclaren anyway. It's not parent facing which is an issue, but with the option of the sling as well, that's what I'd go for. And then you can spend the extra money you've saved on cake something lovely for yourself after the birth.

I woudnt worry about a carrycot. To be honest your baby would probably be safer harnessed into a Bee cocoon than not harnessed in a standard carrycot. That's not to say I would necessarily choose the Bee, but don't let that put you off. But a carrycot would mean you juggling carrycot, chassis and baby whereas you could scoop the baby up in the cocoon and have two things to carry upstairs?

The cherry is 11.5kg with the carrycot and 9.8kg with the seat unit, and the Urbo is only 9kg with the seat but I don't know about with the carrycot, so I'm surprised you could lift the cherry but not the urbo. I found the urbo really easy to lift when I tried it. And it's a lovely compact and flat size when folded.

The cherry seat unit is suitable from 6 months so you'd have to have the carrycot for it. But then it's not going to be easy to carry up the stairs like that.

What you really want is a seat unit suitable from birth with a pushchair that folds in one piece. Looking at those requirements I'd say the Bee and Urbo would be good. And the Bee is only 7.7kg, so that will be much easier to carry.

IMO it's better to have a baby strapped in than in a carrycot without a harness. Especially if you're getting on buses.

I would be concerned about the weight of the pushchair most as you could barely lift the Urbo. The Urbo weighs 9kg with the seat unit, the Bee+ weighs 8.6kg and the Cherry weighs 9.8kg with the seat unit, 11.5kg with the carrycot.

I think I would personally buy a Micralite Superlite (6.2kg with the seat) with a carrycot fo now at least. It's a lot cheaper than the ones you're looking at, weighs less, has big air tyres for dragging upstairs if necessary, pushes nicely, freestands when folded, is fairly compact and you can have the carrycot you want.

I have bee and to be honest I don't love it.

It does everything I would want it to (apart from having a proper carry cot) : front and rear facing, fully reclines, compact and light but I also have the bugaboo chameleon and it doesn't come close.

Tbh if you really need a pram (and whatever you get is going to be a hassle) I would go for and umbrella folding Mclaren, they may not be as stylish but they are brilliant, light weight and easy to manoeuvre and store.

OP think again about the Bee. I had one from birth for DS and he slept like a dream in it. I had the Bee Cocoon and DS was sooooo cosy in it and he did just about lie flat (150 vs 180 degrees). Having seen carry cots on top of pushchairs, I don't understand what stops the baby falling out if the pram were to tip, eg going up a kerb. In the Bee the baby is strapped in and lying flat and it all folds up in one piece as well. If space is limited then it also means that you don't have to store a carrycot as well, some of which are huge.

I love my Bee and still use it most days ( DS is now 2 ) and it's ability to lie flat means that he can still grab a comfortable snooze lying flat, rather than tipped a bit backwards.

And of course many London bus routes are too busy for a carrycot type pram you have to fold and that is a million times easier with an umbrella folding pushchair

Thanks for all the advice - I really appreciate it.

I forgot to say that what I was planning on doing was carrying the baby up separately in the carry cot and then going back down for the frame which I'd fold before carrying up the stairs. Whereas with the Bee, I thought I'd have to carry the whole thing up as one piece which worried me a bit.

Not sure why I found the Urbo so heavy and bulky - I just really didn't get along with it, which I was gutted about after building it up so much in my head. We're going to have to go back to try them all again. Obviously we need to make a decision soon!

We did consider the Maclaren but were put off by the fact that it is not parent facing. I will definitely look at the Micralite Superlight - I hadn't heard of that one.

Cheers!

Have a look at the Toro too. Although it might be a bit wide for a bus, especially a London bus!

I did this with a Bee. You can't carry the baby up in the cocoon really, you're looking at carrying the baby up in your arms, sticking it in cot/moses basket upstairs and going back for Bee. I started off folding it to carry it up, but quite frankly it's so tiny that I now just pick the thing up bodily and carry it up. We have a spacious interior hall, though, so I can leave it standing in the flat.

Now that's a good idea. A Baby Jogger City Mini or a Britax B-Agile (with a carrycot or not!) would work pretty well. You coud put a Bugaboo Bee cocoon inside if you just use the seat if you wanted baby to be snugly and have that Bugaboo feeling / colour :)

You can get a soft carrycot for the Maclaren XLR so the baby can parent face until around 6 months of age.

The new baby jogger Citi mini 4 wheels with the carry cot
Bjcm is the best buggy ever. I sold my bee to get one.
I had maclaren as well, hated two handles and the fact it's so old fashioned. I got rid of it because I have very short arms and very long legs and I kicked it constantly.
I use l London buses every day.
Bee was the best as its narrow. I kept it till DS was 1 as he is a big boy. I had older bee, new one bee+ is a bit bigger but won't last till child is 3.

My bjcm is fab, huge comfy seat, great footmuff for winter and i recommend the bag they sell to clip on frame. On busses, it's ok but the wheel base is wider than bee so it's a jiggle depending on the bus.
If you buy a bee you will need something else later although it is fab.
If you buy a maclaren you will possibly always have buggy envy
If you buy a baby jogger, you have. Are a sound investment and will never need to change when they get bigger or have buggy envy!!

iPhone! Made a sound investment! Sorry

Sorry, meant to say that I liked urbo, dismissed it immediately as no one has anything good to say about mamas and papas least of all the reputation of their buggies and customer care.
And they creak! Constantly. Would drive me batty.

Sorry me again.
I think you should get a sling, there is a cocoon one with no straps or clips. That way you can pop baby in it whilst you fold your baby jogger one handed and carry it and baby upstairs in one swift motion!!

I work in a pram shop, and tbh its nearly impossible to tick all the boxes all the time! I went for the M&P sola, but would have gone for the urbo if it had bigger wheels, it's much lighter! (I'm not in the city). If you are not carrying with baby in you will manage the frame fine, I carry the Sola up my stairs and into house just fine, you will have 2 hands. So in that respect anything that sort of weight should be ok?
Have you looked at the maxi cosi streety? folds up super small with lay flat seat, and takes carrycot, as does the loola, but thats much heavier.
If you are using public transport I would recommend using the carrycot or carseat, nothing worse than folding a buggy with baby in one arm due to lack of space! x

I have the iCandy Cherry and I love it but we don't have the same stairs issue that you will have every day. The frame does fold down really easily and is quite easy to lift but it really would get tedious carrying it up and down stairs every day. We also bought the carrycot top for it which my 7wo uses every day and I think is fab too, however I would never carry her around in the carrycot. It has a handle in the middle of the hood but apart from that there are no other handles to carry it with. I think it would be awkward to carry using just the sides and I'd be terrified of stumbling and having her fall out. Whilst I love my Cherry I'm not sure it's the right option for you right now.

Thank you for all the advice. These are now all on the list of possibles for pram shop round two! Much appreciated. Fingers crossed we'll get it cracked asap.

ps: only thing I'm a bit sad about if we don't get the Cherry or Urbo is that I really loved the purpley shade that both prams come in - but I'd rather be able to carry the pram without breaking my back.....priorities and all that!!

I also recommend the Maclaren XT. Suitable from birth, folds easily, only weighs 6.5kg and will last till your baby no longer needs a pushchair. I was more or less in your situation when I had my first baby and that's what I went for. My DS is now 3 and still using it. Our new DC is due in a few weeks and will go straight into it and DS will be turfed out onto a buggy board.

The BJCM is available in purple!

Whoop! Will investigate....