I think i want a pushchair that can be parent and forward facing, which ones are any good?

[Missielovelie]

My DD is now nearly 8 months old and sometimes stays awake in the pushchair when we are out for a walk/shopping. The problem is i only have a forward facing pushchair and it has a large hood too so i cant actually see her very well and i feel she is missing out on eye-contact with me too. I would really like to get a pushchair that is parent and forward facing, but im not sure which one. Is it worth me getting one now as she is getting older, as im not sure upto what age a rear facing seat is for or does that not matter? Can anyone give me some advice on this please, thankyou.

I had a Silver Cross Linear Freeway pram. The seat clips onto the chassis both ways and we used to have it forward facing so we could have a chat together, then I'd lower the back flat and she'd have a nice snug nap.
She was a fairly small baby granted, but I used it until she was 1 year 8 months, by which time we only used our Maclaren Quest as she was too nosey and wanted to see out more.

My DD is small for her age too, and still lies flat in the pushchair, she doesn't want to sit up in it yet. I just wish i bought a parent facing one to start with.

Seats should be fine in either direction up to whenever she doesn't need a pushchair. It was around 8/9 months when I really started appreciating having a rear facing seat. Up to then my daughter would be asleep most of the time and wasn't interacting much. I can't imagine choosing to face her away from me any time soon at 19 months, but it's not a big deal if she has to face away. I have a Joolz Day which is great for interaction as the seat's so high. It's a really lovely pushchair and very light to push.

Tell us what you use your pushchair for and any requirements and we can come up with some suggestions. :)

Hi Hypatia,I use the pushchair everyday for the school run, then i walk into town to do a bit of shopping. So a pushchair with lots of storage space would be helpful, and it has to be comfortably padded on the seat for my baby as she still likes to lie flat, and i would prefer it to have a matching cosytoes and a decent raincover too. Hope this gives you some ideas for me, thanks.

What is your budget? Do you want new or second hand, or don't mind?

And do you go off road much?

I think the Joolz is fantastic and reasonably priced second hand. You can get an XL bag which attaches to the handle to give serious amounts of storage!

Hi Tiggy and Itsmylast, I would prefer a new pushchair costing no more than about 150, and i dont really do offroad country walks as i live in a big town. Im also not a fan of 3 wheeler pushchairs. Would be great if you can give me some suggestions, thanks.

Someone posted this on another thread, it was reduced recently - you could keep an eye on it see if it goes on sale again?

www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/7323058/c_1/1|category_root|Nursery|14417537/c_2/2|14417537|Pushchairs%2C+prams+and+carriers|14417542/c_3/3|cat_14417542|Pushchairs|14417543.htm

I have to say I know a lot of pushchairs but I don't know of a decent one which parent faces for around £150 new. I know £150 seems like a lot of money but in the pushchair world it just isn't unfortunately.

I think your best bet is to keep your eye on eBay for a nearly new one as you will get a much better pushchair for your money. If you do look for second hand the ones I'd look at are Babystyle Oyster, Mamas and Papas Urbo, maybe Mamas and Papas Sola, iCandy Cherry, Joolz Day (this would be my personal choice), I'm having a mental block at the moment but there are more which you could get second hand in decent condition.

I just think by buying new you will seriously be compromising on quality and features. And buying well now will mean a pushchair is much more likely to last till you no longer need it.

I agree to be honest. £150 new for a parent facing pushchair is a tiny budget and does leave you with the cheaper quality brands. I would rather buy second hand - look for a pushchair on EBay that's had a footmuff or liner on and I bet underneath is relatively clean. I've picked up a handful of good brand pushchairs all for under £100 and all have been fine.

I've had a think and you could get a Quinny Zapp Xtra for around £180-190 and mothercare are selling their My4 in Raspberry for £190.

hi you can get the imax adapt from kiddicare from about £180-£210 which faces both ways and includes footmuff and raincover

This is in price range but not sure if any good

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Maxi-Cosi-Loola-Up-Stroller-Pushchair-Kid-Art-RRP-290-/320894286532?pt=UK_Baby_BabyTravel_Pushchairs_GL&hash=item4ab6ca3ac4

I've forgotten how much the njoy/petite star bubble is going to be, is that £199 ish? Could be an option.

I completely agree about buying second hand. If you had a £200 budget then you could probably get something half decent like an OBaby Chase or ZeZu or a Petite Star Kurv, but you may not get the accessories you want included in the price.

Lesser known quality brands often go very cheap second hand compared to new prices. Eg. Concorde Neo, Norton Pure, Bebecar IpOp, etc.
Also look at older models in good condition like a Bugaboo Frog or Gecko, I'Coo Pluto.

Thanks for all these suggestions, i would definately prefer buying a new pushchair rather than a second hand one. Hypatia i have heard of the norton pure, i think it looks quite good and i have found one on the internet selling for £260 brand new with all the extras too. Think i may have to increase my budget