Tiny Car, Tall Husband - Which Pushchair?

[Twittwooo]

Hi everyone. We're finding the options out there when it comes to pushchairs overwhelming, and wonder if anyone has any experience of the ones we're considering? We would like a travel system that can take a maxicosi car seat, and the pushchair must:

• fit in the boot of my tiny car (VW Lupo)
• have handles long enough for my 6'4" husband
• be convenient for use on buses
• be convenient to carry up 2 flights of stairs and store in a small flat
• be suitable from birth

We've looked loads online and are going shopping at the weekend to hopefully look at some different models. The ones we are thinking of are:

Baby Jogger City Mini
Icandy Cherry
Quinny Buzz
Bugaboo Bee
Mamas and Papas Luna

If anyone has experience of these which ones do you think would fulfill our needs? Thanks!

Bugaboo bee would be best for you...the baby jogger might work,but the handle may be a little low as it isn't adjustable-I'm 5'8 it's a good height for me.

Also look at the uppababy vista,not quite as small,but bloodly brilliant!

If you have time until your due date, look as well at the Baby Jogger City Mini GT with the adjustable handle. The Uppababy Cruz should be here in May too or could be imported.

Boring I know but Maclaren techno - I am tall as is DH and I like really tall handles and this extended really is the business. I always padded with a sheepskin so was fine from birth. Micralite superlite also worth a look too if you want a pram from birth as carrycot comes off really easily - I used it up 3 flights of stairs when DS was born and this and maclaren best for carrying up stairs - esp with baby in. You can get the mph extra handles for the micralite to extend as the standard ones don't go to that high

Sling also great for early days

I also have a MyChild Pinto AKA the John Lewis travel system, and that has a tall handle. Kiddicare and Very have a version too.

Thanks for the advice everyone. We went to look at a Baby Jogger City Mini yesterday and think it might be the one. The handles were a comfortable height for DH, it will fit in the boot and we like the look and feel of it. A lot of the suggestions on here look great, but some won't fit in the boot.

Do you think a carry cot is needed from birth for the BJCM? I know the seat reclines and it suitable from birth, but a couple of reviews I've read suggest that newborns look a bit lost in the seat! I also have to find a way to carry the baby up to our second floor flat, and I'm thinking it might make sense to have the carrycot for that reason. I'm not keen to use the car seat in the stroller on a regular basis unless using the car, which I won't be all the time.

Thanks!

Baby Jogger City Mini - I have one and it is fab. I use it with a P&T Cocoon (soft carry cot) with my newborn. Folds very quickly, easily and flat - brilliant for buses.
Step away from the Buzz - I had one and struggled to get it in my
Polo, not sure how you'd get on with it in a Polo. Also big and clunky to fold on buses.
I know a few people who have had Lunas and they have all had quality issues with them.
No experience of the others you have listed.

Go for the BJCM, you won't regret it. It'll fit in a Lupo. My DH is 6'2" and has no trouble with the handle height.

Thanks BikeRunSki! We're pretty convinced about the BJCM but your post has convinced me further! So can you use other brand carry cots with it? I just assumed we'd have to buy the matching brand, but I'm new to all this! If there's an option of getting a cheaper one that might be better. Also, this might be a silly question, but if you're on a bus with the carry cot do you just fold the stroller and take the carry cot on your knee? Thank you!

The P&T Cocoon that I use (because I also have a P&T) is a soft carry cot, a bit like a gym bag - here. I just lie the BJCM seat back as far as it will go and pop the Cocoon on there (this is how it works "properly" on the P&T too). Then, on the bus, I fold the BJCM (easiest buggy ever to fold) and put the Cocoon on my knee. Not sure how easy this would be with a "hard" carry cot.

I see, thank you. So is it fairly secure? The P&T cocoon is certainly cheaper. I'm not actually sure how the BJCM carry cot fits in as we didn't look at it yesterday when looking at the stroller itself. How do you feel about using the standard seat with a newborn? Would it work or do you think a carry cot or cocoon is necessary?

Others have used the Petite Star or Graco soft carrycots which are much cheaper and can also be carried. Or a Bugaboo cocoon which is lovely and cosey and can be used as a footmuff as well up until about 12 months.

The P & T Cocoon plenty secure enough, it évent has velcro straps on the bottom/sides which match up with D rings on the BJCM. Is barely everything use them, as am usually also trying to keep hold of a three year old too. In theory you can use a BJCM from birth as it lies flat, but the seat is pretty big and a newborn would rattle around.

I like the look of the BJCM.

I have a Bee Plus and really like the fact you can use it rear facing or front facing. It was perfect having it rear facing for the first 15-16 months. After that DD rebelled and demanded it be switched around.

twit does your dh fit in your car though?

Ha! Yes, just about! He's used to it, but it is a bit of a squeeze. We're hoping to get a bigger car sometime soon but we won't be able to for as long as I'm on maternity leave. I'm fairly sure the BCMJ is the one, still undecided about cocoon / carry cot option but hopefully will get some advice when we go shopping tomorrow. Thanks everyone! x

Just thought, a hard carrycot may be a squeeze in a Lupo.

If you put a P&T cocoon in the BJCM which way does it face?

In her Cocoon in the BJCM dd's head is at the "parent" end of the pushchair.

There will soon be a choice of three carrycots for the BJCM. The hard and the compact carrycots are already on sale and the compact plus carrycot is out this year. I am sure the Compact one would squash down?

I thought about that bike, it probably would be a squeeze. However my car has been in the garage this week and isn't in a good state, so it looks like we'll be car shopping rather than pushchair shopping tomorrow! Not the best time for this financially, ah well. Will probably still go for the BJMC, it just means we may be able to fit other things in the boot too. Maybe it's a blessing in disguise!

So, we've decided not to get the carry cot as I don't think the baby will be in it for long enough to justify the cost.

I'm thinking of getting a wallaboo newborn footmuff:
www.hippychick.com/index.cfm/product/wallaboo-newborn-footmuff-581 They seem small enough for a newborn not to get lost in, but do you think this would be too hot in the summer months? I'm due at the end of May.

For those of you who have the BJCM, what do you do about a changing bag? I'm not too keen on the BJCM ones, although the design for attaching to the pushchair looks good. I'm not sure it would be possible to use any other bag safely. Anyone with experience of this?

Thanks so much ladies!

I bet you still use a footmuff in May but it does depend on the weather. You may not in July/August but I ad my footmuffs firmly back on at the start of September this year. I can't speak for that particular one though.

I just use a large handbag as a changing bag but I do have individual Pacapod pods which do push through the sides and into the basket and have been great. We have the rucksack outer bag for other outings. If you buy a changing bag with a long strap and experiment you should be able to work out a point where the BJCM doesn't tip - I doubt it would anyway - but I hang my bag low down. Even under the recline if necessary or it may fit well above it.

I just use a handbag with a long enough handle to stretch over the handlebar. I had a changing bag for the first couple of months until I realised it did no more than a handbag does and my handbags are much nicer!

These are useful for hanging any size bag from the nadlebar.

I've never had a buggy specific changing bag. Always had a courier type bag or rucsac and carried and carried my bag on me.