Best off road buggy?

[RainDancer]

I'm expecting my first baby in December. Just started looking around at pushchairs and wanted MN words of wisdom! I live in the country and have a dog that has to be walked twice a day, so the buggy needs to be able to handle mud and off road! I'd prefer a travel system where the buggy has a carrycot and a carseat that is compatible so that I can use the carrycot occasionally for baby when I'm in the house. Doesn't necessarily need to be particularly lightweight but I would prefer one that folds down to be relatively compact as, although I've got an estate car, the dog takes up most of the boot! Have been looking at the Phil and Teds range as they seem to be a good combination of everything. Any words of wisdom for this pushchair virgin would be gratefully received!

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Hello!

We've noticed this thread is quite old and some of the product recommendations are a little out of date. We've spent weeks speaking to parents and testing out buggies. Read our reviews to see which we crowned best buggy.

Hope that helps!

MNHQ

i would buy an old (pre p&t takeover) mountain buggy terrain and carrycot

agree or even the urban model as you can lock the front wheel for off roading.

I'd suggest a Mountain Buggy. You can fit a carry cot or a car seat to the frame, it's brilliant off road around the fields, excellent to steer in town, easy to push one-handed for dog walking, brilliant in the snow. The seat is suitable from newborn to four-ish.

I've got the single and double Urban - can you tell I'm a big fan! I often think I should get commission from MB for the amount of praise I've given them.

The quality of them has gone down hill though since P&T took over though

like this

I love the Nipper 360. Cheaper than the Mountain Buggy . I also found I couldn't find anywhere that stocked the Mountain Buggy for me to try . We walk our dig often across fields, and take the Nipper. Not sure what its like with a newborn , because I used a sling for the first 3 months .

Dog!

Baby jogger Summit XC. Bloody amazing. Never failed to handle any terrain. Mega easy to fold, one handed folding no problem. Wheels pop off really easily to make it take up less space.

It's ACE.

Or one of the Landrover or pegasus ones, like gold dust so featherweight compared to mountain buggy, or an original nipper with the fixed wheel

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rare-Original-Pegasus-All-Terrain-Pushchair-/150844431262?pt=UK_Baby_BabyTravel_Pushchairs_GL&hash=item231f075b9e

Fixed wheels are better than locked swivel ones on rough terrain.

Mountain Buggy and Nipper are best IMO. I have a Mountain and currently on baby no2 and it has lasted brilliantly since 2009. only criticism is that it is fairly heavy compared to Nipper.

I've heard mixed reports of PnT from friends - I would only consider one if I'd had kids close together and needed a double buggy. If your main requirement is a 3wheeler, I think there are better options out there.

Brilliant, thanks everyone. I'd seen the Mountain Buggy which looked great but was a bit worried about reports I'd seen about quality since they'd been taken over by PnT (see, I've even learnt the lingo!) Only problem is, I'm quite keen to buy something completely new for my PFB :) Does anyone know the best retailer to try out these types of buggies - don't just one to buy one straight off the internet.

I had an Out 'n' About buggy with big (kids bike size) wheels. Twas the ugliest thing ever and folded up like some strange tree dwelling insect but was AWESOME. We took it everywhere and it never failed to deliver. It was also as light as a feather which is a consideration if you are attempting any sort of hills.

It does not have the travel system though and I confess to buying a small umbrella type buggy to trundle round town as it was so cumbersome in the real world and was frequently covered in cow shit

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-IN-BOX-OUTNABOUT-NIPPER-SPORT-STROLLER-VERSION-2-IN-BLACK-RAINCOVER-/310410131186?pt=UK_Baby_BabyTravel_Pushchairs_GL&hash=item4845e2b6f2

Apologies if the link does not work, I have never done one before :)

Where do you live? It is def worth going along to look at one to see size, how to put up and down, weight etc. I know a good place to look in London and Dorset...if that helps. You won't see MB/nippers in normal retailers, you need to google and find specialist baby store.

I'm in Surrey so I can easily do London.

Wow, that outnabout is a piece of kit TopBannana - check out the size of those wheels!

Oh yeah I had one of those huge wheeled nippers - they were ace.

Go to babyworld in Fulham www.baby-world-london.co.uk/. Topbannana is right, you'll probably end up with easy fold down pram too for holidays/public transport/cities. I went for maclaren quest at 6 months and would highly recommend it.

Have a good look at the Baby Joggers because there are a variety of wheel sizes on a similar sized chassis - starting with the GT, Elite and Summit XC - and the fold is second to none both in terms of it being one handed and easy peasy, and also once folded, especially if you remove the wheels (easy peasy as well) the chassis is small. Mountain Buggies are pretty good but the folds are much larger and I dont like the way the recline fabric bunches up when you sit the child back up. But IMHO both are better than a P&T's. The Easywalker Sky is worth a mention too.

I have a Nipper 360, it's ace. I've been looking at new pushchairs myself recently and can't see how Mountain Buggies can justify being double the price of one.

as someone with dogs and having had lots of buggies - i would recommend a good 3 wheeler for dog walks (ours generally is pretty muddy, but was 2nd hand!) and then a smaller buggy/travel system that can take car seat that lives in the car (so for trips without the dogs!) we had an icandy cherry as took a pram top and a car seat xx

I think out and about make Nipper ? With regards to hight , the Jogger was to tall for me, and the handles didn't adjust . The Nipper is really easy to adjust , and the wheels are excellent . Can push it through mud and grass easily . Also manage unsmooth terrain .

There are several Baby Joggers - some have adjustable handles and some don't.

I would say the BJ Summit XC is for taller people.

I am 5'7 and I would go so far as to say for anyone my height or over it cannot be beaten for an all-terrain.

Another vote for Baby Jogger :)

I have a summit too so far it's fabulous.

In order to get here I got through a Herqules which I thought would do everything (which it does, just not well enough) and an urban detour which was ok, but the baby jogger is streets ahead.

It will take a carrycot (either a baby jogger one or a soft one) and when you fold it and pop the wheels off its the same size as the city mini.