help needed icandy strawberry

[klomax]

hi all - completely new to this and a first time mum2b.

need help re buggy/travel system. the only one we can find that we like is the icandy strawberry. unfortunately we have a small boot and so we have to pop the back wheels off to get it in. it looked really easy when the man in the shop did it!

however, i am getting a lot of my friends who have kids telling me to not bother and to go for cheaper pushchairs rather than spending so much money on an icandy as the baby will just grow out of it and I wont manage popping wheels off.

what do you think? does anyone else have to pop wheels off to get pram into boot? is it easy and managable?

I thought the icandy would be okay until 4 years? is this not the case and will I need to buy a pushchair sooner?

Do I need a carrycot? Some parents say not but I thought a baby had to be laid fully flat for the first 6 months - getting mixed reports on this.

is the icandy good value for money or not? I dont want to spend money for the sake of it?

Is there anything similar to the icandy strawberry which is smaller?

Sorry for all the Qs. Any help you can provide would be most appreciated as I feel like I am going round in circles and the husband is losing the will to live with all this talk of prams!

thanks kate

Hi welcome to Mumsnet

I don't know anything about the icandy but I do know that when it comes to pushchairs you have to pick one that you really like but I would be a bit worried about one I had to pop the wheels off all the time. Imagine it's tipping it down and blowing a gale do you really want to be fiddling with wheels?

Go and test some out in the shop, get a feel for them and then decide.

As far as the cost goes only you can decide that, if you can afford it you can afford it. It doesn't matter how good value for money other people think that it is.

Oh and just a little tip about your name...

you have signed off as Kate and your nickname is klomax, now I could be wrong but I would assume from that that you are Kate Lomax?

If so I would change your nickname and not sign off in your real first name, it really is best to be totally annonymous on these boards.

I love the Strawberry. Yes you would need the carrycot as the seat unit is not suitable until 6 months old. But I have to say, I think you will tire of popping the wheels off and seek something else after a while. Normally I would say an iCandy is something I wouldn't want to swap for something smaller, but I am sure you will. Plus have you got space for the carrycot, changing bag and shopping? There is also a long lead order time for the Strawberry.
Did you try any of the other iCandys? Did the Peach or Cherry fit in your car?
Have a look also at the Easywalker June, or Baby Jogger Versa. Both are due out soon and both should last you well. Also look at the new Mutsy Evo. It's got a very compact fold and good seat.

Can't really help with your specific issues but I have ordered the iCandy Strawberry for DC1 (due next month).

I can understand why you love it. I think it looks fab but first and foremost, it ticked all the boxes with regard to what I want from a pushchair/pram/travel system.

To be honest, having to take the wheels off every time I wanted to put it in the boot might well have been a deal breaker for me. Luckily, we have a huge boot so not an issue for us. I particularly wanted a pushchair that folded in one piece and could be folded with the seat facing in either direction so I could avoid any faffing and fiddling so I really wouldn't want one that I had to dismantle each time.

When is your baby due? If you do want to go with the Strawberry, be aware that iCandy are having major supply problems due to having had large quantities of stock stolen from their warehouse and from a consignment that was on its way to a distributor. I ordered mine in February was told that the average lead time was 8-12 weeks at that stage. The retailer I purchased from contacted me last week to say that iCandy cannot now supply in time for my due date and couldn't even give a rough estimate of when they might be able to fulfill my order. Luckily, I was the first customer to have ordered the Strawberry from that particular retailer so they have offered me their display model which I have accepted but other customers who have ordered for delivery in the next few months will be disappointed as they won't receive their prams by the time they need them.

Personally I reckon it depends on your lifestyle, how much you walk, how much you drive etc. I've always found it easier to have a pram up in the house and then a smaller buggy in the car that required no dismantling, just a straight fold. But I walk most places thus use the bigger investment - ie the pram more. If I drove most places then I would find something I liked that fits easily in the car boot. It's not that popping wheels off is impossible just a faff along with all the other baby faffing.

Just out of interest what was it about the strawberry that you liked that you didn't find in other things you have seen? If you identify what exactly you want then it's easier to search for other things you might like.

"Personally I reckon it depends on your lifestyle, how much you walk, how much you drive etc. I've always found it easier to have a pram up in the house and then a smaller buggy in the car that required no dismantling, just a straight fold. But I walk most places thus use the bigger investment - ie the pram more. If I drove most places then I would find something I liked that fits easily in the car boot. It's not that popping wheels off is impossible just a faff along with all the other baby faffing. "

100% agree with Ihateparties

LOL me too. Choosing a pushchair is all about your lifestyle and what you do and where you go. And as ihateparties rightly says, its nothing like putting a pushchair into your car outside a shop (where you probably have help to do it) than trying to put a pushchair into a car when the baby is crying because its hungry, or your toddler is threatening melt down because they are tired, and you put your older baby into a car seat protestingly! Plus you have an array of shopping bags, changing bag, handbag as well to put in. And you are tired after sleepless nights. Believe me anything that makes life easier is worth doing.

thanks so much everyone for your contributions. I really appreciate it. Went back to the shop today and we managed to get the icandy strawberry in the boot with the wheels on but it was tight and leaves very little space for anything else. will have a think, do like it but completely agree re making life easier and all the other things I am going to need to find room for like changing bags etc...

Ecumenical - if you need a quicker delivery of the Strawberry, just to let you know I ordered mine from John Lewis in Southampton and it was delivered no problems within a month.

Thanks Blushing, but the shop has already boxed up the display model for us (it's in pristine condition) and are storing it until we're ready to collect.

Good tip though and might hopefully help someone else who's looking for a Strawberry in a hurry.