Bugaboo bee or city mini jogger?!

[Sastra]

Live on the first floor, not huge amounts of space. Will need to go on London's fine public transport and not be too much bother to get in a boot.

I've always thought I'd go for the bee but everyone talks about the mini jogger!!

Would be from birth.

Help!!

The mini jogger will last you a lot longer I think. If you want to consider a Bee, look at the Bee Plus which is slightly bigger.

I would go for the bee, more versatile (rear-facing option).
or simple umbrella (there are loads suitable for new borns) + sling/good quality carrier.

Umbrella? I think I might be being a bit stupid...

I would have said the City mini jogger, except for one thing. I had a play with it yesterday. When it's fully reclined (which it needs to be for newborn) I found the hard back of the seat bashes against my legs when walking. So did DH (even tho' we are very different heights). So that put me right off it for a newborn. It would be the same with a carrycot as the reclined seat stays in place with the carrycot. Do try it in store and see if you have the same issue. I've never heard anyone else mention this issue, so it may just be us, or it may be that v few people use the BJCM for a newborn.

So for that reason I'd say the Bee. Also the Bee can be parent facing after the carrycot stage whereas the BJCM can't. That said, I find the Bee a bit rickety feeling, whereas the BJCM feels more sturdy. And the fold is reputedly easier on the BCJM. Sorry not helpful!

Maclaren also do some options that are suitable for newborns though I haven't tried those. You could also look at the Micralite range - lots of those are suitable from birth (but only with a carrycot or car seat I believe) very light and easy to fold. Quinny Zapp Xtra also fits your bill I think.

Umbrella = one of the really simple pushchairs, usually used for older children, that fold like an umbrella i.e. they concertina vertically rather than folding in half horizontally. Like a Maclaren.

minipie you can remove the seat from the BJCM while you are using it with the carrycot or carseat, so it won't bash your legs.

BJCM :)

Pony I asked about that and it seems the top bit (the bit that bashes) isn't removable, just the bottom bit...

like in <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=baby+jogger+city+mini+with+carrycot&hl=en&sa=X&rlz=1C1LENN_enGB495GB495&biw=1366&bih=667&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=jR6lM6jnYGHhqM:&imgrefurl=www.online4baby.com/for-baby/823/Baby-Jogger-City-Mini-GT-Single-Carrycot-Pram-Raincover&docid=IGoV6y6MI7k5tM&imgurl=www.online4baby.com/arinclude/dl/uploads/wpmainl/mainimagelarge_823oqINqX7j5j.jpg/as/baby%252520jogger%252520city%252520mini%252520single%252520carrycot-pram%252520raincover.jpg&w=468&h=477&ei=tEIeUMrHCKmY0QWE-IDoAw&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=519&sig=113700663688386786643&page=1&tbnh=111&tbnw=107&start=0&ndsp=26&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0,i:85&tx=39&ty=72" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this picture

you can see in this picture the bit that I mean - it's the bit that sticks out further back than that handle!

sorry for the slight tangent OP

I love my Bee but then I've not used any others so guess I can't really compare. I find it very easy to manoeuvre around shops, in town, city streets and a doddle to fold and chuck in boot of car. It's really light too so up stairs is easy.

Oh dear, I sound like an advert for bugaboo!

Ah right, I see what you mean. I have the GT but my baby isn't due for 4 weeks so haven't tried taking the seat off yet.

I'm sure my friend used the bjcm carrycot without seat covers.

I had a bjcm for my 2 year old and loved it.

I have the bee plus and I'd say it will last you as long as you need - my 3 year old still fits in it very well. My friend had the BJCM for her DS who is just 2 (but big for his age) and he doesn't fit anymore (he does fit in my bee though. I do like the BJ one handed fold though... but the bee isn't exactly difficult. I love how easy the bee is to push - would like it to be a bit smaller when folded but otherwise no complaints (apart from perhaps the price!) Difficult call - I think they'd both be good!

I don't get how a big 2yr old could fit in a bee plus but not a city mini My 98th centile nearly 5yr old fits in a b agile, I got him to sit in it for reference. I suppose it depends on your definition of fit!

You definitely can take the fabrics off the city mini though, there are poppers all around.

The bee is as narrow a reversible seat pushchair as you're going to get,, the city mini is almost 10cm wider. With public transport that would drive me nuts but width is my personal bugbear, the fold is waaaay easier.

Rear facing and a 1 piece fold there is a real lack of choice at the moment, especially when it comes to more compact things.

I would go to a shop and drive some things, see what you like and dislike IRL

I have just bought a BJCM having had a bugaboo chameleon, Quinny and umbrella. Personally it is the best of them all. I have been on London transport with it too and find it really portable. It is wider when folded than an umbrella but is also shorter so for me that was a real plus as I am fairly small. I have a newborn and have had no problems with the reclining position. Also got the maxi cosi seat adaptors which are fiddly to start but easy when you get used to them. My only apprehension is the footmuff - not sure how easy it is to fold with footmuff on.

You've got me doubting myself now!! but I've checked and it was definitely the BJCM that she had - I think it was to do with it being more kind of enclosed than the bee - he fitted in the bee just fine! Admittedly her BJ would be a couple of years old now - I wonder if they are bigger now? Anyhow - that was my experience! I'd still choose the bee personally but it is so personal

I took my bee+ on holiday to Florida with my almost 6 yo earlier this year and she fitted just fine even with the hood. It still steers with 1 hand too.
I would go with the bee just because of the parent facing option tbh, mine were parent facing by their choice until they stopped using the pushchair regularly about 3yo.

For a newborn I would go with the Bee+

BJCM is great, but I don't like a newborn in the seat. You can get the carrycot of course, but then folding isn't an option.

Really depends if you think you will have to fold to go on buses etc. If you do, then there is no doubt that the BJCM is a super easy fold when its just the seat. Def one handed.

Mini pie, you can certainly remove all the fabric like the first fabrics here but you have a choice of carrycots. The BJCMGT would probably solve any leg knocking if it was a barrier to buying a BJCM.

My big 4 year old fits well in a BJCM and a Bee so I wouldn't worry about the size of either seat. Both are easy to fold - both fold fine with footmuffs on but the Bee one ends up inside the pushchair, the BJCM one ends up outside.

The bee feels more rickety and light. The BJCM is more solid feeling. The BJCM handlebar is quite high. The Bee one is more adjustable.

I don't like the way a newborn is exposed in the Bee seat, I prefer a carrycot for a baby.

Have you seen the Baby Jogger Versa? It's very similar to a City mini but gives you parent facing too.

thanks so much Tiggy! The people in the shop clearly didn't know what they were on about about the hard carrycot. I will definitely have another look at the BJCM in that case, as that carrycot would solve our leg-bashing issue.

Another vote for the Bee here. We got one for similar reasons to you - because we were in a small house and needed something that didn't take up too much room. I absolutely love it.

My 2.5 year old DD still fits in it easily.

Tiggy, I see in those pictures the hard carrycot with the seat fabric removed on a BJCM, but what about the compact carrycot? I have bought the compact carrycot but am bothered by the lack of rain cover for it, and if I used the bjcm without the seat fabric on, I couldn't use the big rain cover over the carrycot. Could I use a generic universal cover for compact carrycot do you think?

The compact carrycot can have the fabric removed too. It just needs fitting to the frame not he fabric. Kiddicare used to have a photo of a double sidewalk with two compact carrycots fitted with no seat fabrics.
Personally I would just fling the BJCM raincover over the carrycot but I am sure you could get a carrycot one. If you leave the hood in situ on the single it covers most of the foot of the carrycot, with the carrycot hood covering the head end.