Lightweight strollers that have a carrycot option?

[minipie]

Can anyone tell me some strollers that have a carrycot option? I am looking for something that will be a good lightweight stroller but which I could also put a carrycot on for the newborn stage.

Extending handles would be a bonus as I am short and DH is tall.

I know the BJCM fits this bill but are there others? and are they any good...?

thanks

PS Tiggy is your June here yet?

[Ihateparties]

Oh I SEEEEE yes, the Cam is definitely bulkier than the June, I think size wise you are spot on, it's inbetween the cam and the bee but weight wise not so. Tiggy will probably do us that exact line up when she gets hers next week if we ask nicely. There's nothing like seeing things side by side. She also has a Versa so can throw that in too. I'm pretty sure that's easily as big as a cam though if not bigger.

Whoever was talking about the distribution of weight and lifting, that's a good point actually. I have a little sub 6kg pushchair that i LOVE (babyhome emotion xtreet) which folds like a book with the seat outwards like a baby jogger but there is literally nothing to carry it by. It's always awkward to handle because of that, despite being so light.

[milk]

Easywalker June:

Open pushchair length cms:
79
Open pushchair width cms:
55
Open pushchair height cms:
106
Folded pushchair length cms:
93
Folded pushchair width cms:
55
Folded pushchair height cms:
24
Pushchair weight kgs:
7.5 Chassis; 2.4 Seat Unit; Total pushchair weight 9.9kgs


Bugaboo Cam:

Open pushchair length cms:
60
Open pushchair width cms:
84
Open pushchair height cms:
60
Folded pushchair length cms:
84
Folded pushchair width cms:
60
Folded pushchair height cms:
30.5
Pushchair weight kgs:
9

[Tiggywunkle]

There's a UK shop selling imports from Europe - but with less than a week to go squeeeeeeeeeeeeee there's no point. On the June I would prefer to have a proper warranty with a UK company. Some pushchairs I wouldn't bother about, but its a lot of money on a brand new product to risk when we are so close.

LOL re me doing a line up....I am not entirely sure where my Bee currently resides....or the Cam....I think they are both in the bath!!
The Versa and June would be easier!

I luffs my YoYo...you can't get easier than that to carry :o The Xtreet was lovely, but its an awkward shape. Although Baby Joggers are relatively heavy, they are so easy to carry by the handle - and yet the B-Agile which is a similar principle, I found awkward because the handle is off centre. I personally would rather be carrying a Peach - chassis slung over one shoulder and seat hooked on one arm, and a child in the other arm, than say the lighter Cruz which is tall, pointy and unweidly and I got my finger caught trying to hold it where the instructions tell you is a non slip holding place!!

[DeeDee77]

I asked at Huggle Swiss Cottage if they would be getting the June and I got a blank look.

My short list is:

• June
• Versa
• Cruz
• bee

Huggle do stock the Cruz and will be getting the Versa, so if they would only get the June too it would be a great place to compare! I will go and canvas there this weekend!!!

[Ihateparties]

Sommat ain't right with the Cam stats there, I'm pretty sure it's not 84cm wide or 60cm long!

I have no excuse for a yoyo, I'm normally fairly inventive but I just can't do it, I hardly ever get in the car let alone on a plane. Maybe when DC3 is walking a lot but still needs a something. Could you carry it with you like that?

[Tiggywunkle]

Yes, it would easily sling over your shoulder with the carrying strap or go in the right shaped rucksack! There don't appear to be as many pointy edges as the Yezz!

[Tiggywunkle]

:(
Someone has just messaged me to say the June is really hard to get up kerbs parent facing :(
This is exactly why I have been slightly cautious....because its not something you would try at a show....you need to learn these things in real life.
I will find out how bad it is next week :(

[Diamond7]

Fingers crossed it's not.

I find the bee crap with curbs but my friend doesn't.

[Tiggywunkle]

Fingers crossed its not too....

[minipie]

Oo er. First negative about the June. Sacrilege

The low handle is still calling me though.

Those who have seen the June - how low is the seat? Is it as low as say the Bee or higher up like the Cam/cruz/icandys?

[Tiggywunkle]

It is low down...I would say more like the Bee than the Cam etc.

[Diamond7]

The low seat does worry me a little. We're both quite tall and loved the higher seat hight of the cruz.

Not ruling it out because of that though, presuming it ticks all my other boxes.

Ruled the bee out because it's low but I also don't like the feel of it and the fact it's purely a urban pushchair.

[minipie]

Hmmm. June is sounding less amazing tbh, I am not v keen on the low seat height of the bee so if the June is similar and possibly hard to get up kerbs that might be enough to dissuade me, certainly enough to dissuade me from buying unseen! Still would definitely have a look if there was a London stockist though. I still like the cruz, just such a shame they didn't make the handle go lower for short people like me.

brugs if you are set on a short handle there aren't many out there. Bee goes down to 86cm I think and June down to 88cm. The others I know are all 95cm plus and quite a few are 100cm plus. Unless anyone can think of any others with a short handle? (Ideally extending rather than rotating as low rotating handles feel weird to push to me, it feels like I'm pushing down instead of forwards)

[Brugmansia]

We went to JL yesterday and had a play with a few different models. I had previously discounted the iCandys, although not for any real reason other than feeling they were probably too heavy. Both DP and I really liked the Strawberry though which has made me even more confused. It was the fold mechanism that did it really. It was so easy, and even though overall pretty heavy I really liked the way it was then possible to carry it folded by the bumper bar, which for me was a lot less awkward. Height wise it felt ok for me, whereas the fixed handle of the Cherry was too high for me.

I like the Bee but it does just feel very insubstantial. I was talking with a local friend who has one who said that it was also not great over dodgy London pavements around where I live. DP didn't like how flimsy it felt, hence his appreciation of the Strawberry.

They didn't have the Versa in yet but I played with some other of the babyjoggers. Even though they fold easily and carrying them by the handle is probably great for lots of people for me it was awkward. The folded length meant I had difficulty carrying it high enough.

This new found love for the strawberry has now added to the confusion. If that's what we decide on I guess we better order asap (due end of January), but that would probably mean ordering before seeing the June.

[Tiggywunkle]

I think you have pretty much summed these pushchairs up right. The Strawberry is beautiful to look at and to push. I find the Bee insubstantial - I must remember that word - I usually say rickety! I hate the way I often see a Bee wheel off the ground when cornering or on slopes.

Before ordering a Strawberry do a really good phone around your local stockists and quiz them all about their current stock, expected stock, free stock and their waiting lists. Some shops have Strawberries sat in their showroom, others will have huge waiting lists extending into next year. Do not assume all shops are the same!

When I get my June I will give you an honest run down. I have handled a Strawberry a few times, and have one on order, so can't totally compare, but can have a try!

I will see if Suzie is around for low handles....she's the expert on those!

[Tiggywunkle]

Oh and just to add, if the Baby Joggers are long folded then the Versa will be too long to carry.

[Brugmansia]

That had been my assumption about the versa, a shame as the fold on them looks great.

If I went for the strawberry I'd order from John Lewis probably - my parents have kindly offered to buy our pushchair and my mum's a John Lewis addict. Yesterday they suggested it would be about an 8 week wait, but what I've heard about supply still makes me rather cautious.

[minipie]

Yes I agree the bee feels rickety insubstantial. My DH also didn't like it for that reason plus the low seat. Plus I kind of want a carrycot for winter pfb.

The strawberry handle goes down to 95 cm I believe, which is the same as the bug cam and a little (5cm) lower than the cherry or cruz minimum height. It's not much but it does make a difference IMO. The strawberry is a lot heavier than the Cam though (c 2kg heavier), but the Cam feels bulkier to me, due I think to its square design vs the more rounded shape of the icandys.

You say the fold sold you on the strawberry - how much will you actually fold it though? I'm a fellow Londoner and don't drive much and I reckon my pushchair will only be folded maybe once a fortnight if that... But maybe you need to fold it at home or use the car a lot?

One thing I have heard about the icandys is that the seat is quite small so your child may grow out of it quite quickly, however if you reckon on switching to a lightweight stroller anyway (which is arguably more likely given the weight of the strawberry) then that doesn't matter so much.

I spoke to my local pram shop (peppermint) recently and they said they only felt comfortable taking icandy orders 6 months in advance at the moment given how unreliable delivery has been! Lots of people have been let down. So do quiz the supplier a lot as Tiggy says.

[Brugmansia]

I agree I may not fold it that much. Being a novice I really don't know. I'm not sure whether the ease of being able to fold something may also affect how much you fold it - there's probably quite a lot of situations where it would be handy to fold but not completely necessary so you wouldn't bother if it was a faff.

I think I probably will fold quite a bit though as our hallway is narrow so it would be useful to tuck it out of the way. We also have stairs up to our front door, so being able to carry the chassis up and down while folded and then take the carry cot separately may be useful.

[Ihateparties]

It's a shame more pushchairs don't have more adjustable handles, I never really thought about this as they all work for me usually, short or tall I generally don't even notice. Also a massive shame there isn't something to rival the bee that is more substatial, soooo many people would buy it.

The strawberry seat really isn't small although I agree with the liners in icandys do look small as tiggy always says the tape measure doesn't lie, with the liners out they are as big and infact bigger than a lot of comparable things. What you would consider outgrown with carrycots and seats will vary from person to person, I know lots of people who considered moses baskets to be outgrown at 5 weeks, biggish sized DC2 slept in hers till she was 8 months at which point I forced her out!

I find I very rarely fold my pushchair at home but it depends on your available space and layout. When you have a carrycot that needs to be somewhere, on the frame is often the easiest place.

Have you discounted oysters, the handle on that seems to go pretty low and it's pretty narrow.

[Diamond7]

Is it Thursday yet????

[Tiggywunkle]

Even one or two cms makes a real difference to me being comfortable with a handle or not. I have been left boggled at times as to why a low handlebar feels fine and a high one doesn't when realistically I prefer a high handlebar. We have had a debate about handlebar height because it makes no sense and the outcome was that its more than just the height - its the angle the handlebar rises, the way the handlebar rotates or extends, the pushchair suspension or any give in the chassis etc etc which all impact.

We fold pushchairs ALL the time - they are in and out of the car constantly and for me a good fold, and also a neat package and one I can handle well is critical to me liking a pushchair or not. I dont mind a long fold as long as its sensible to carry or pull to the car / house. I don't even mind 2 part folds because its easy enough to detach a seat unit and put it in the car - its worse really when something like the Vista only folds forward facing, but we use it rear facing. At least with a 2 part fold, I decide before every outing which way my son will face that day. Its the ease of the fold too, whether I have to bend down to pick a pushchair up off the floor when folded. Whether I am having to protect the chassis from folding on the floor etc. Whether there are annoying self locking clips with several notches on (looking at Britax and Baby Jogger! Grrr!) which drop into place when you try to open the pushchair!!

Thanks ihateparties for sticking up for my tape measure. It is complete rubbish that iCandy seats are small. The smallest ones are the Pear ones and thats only height wise. All the iCandy seats are a really good size - both width, height, depth and leg rest wise.
The Strawberry suffers from a puffy liner - but if you remove the liner it reveals a huge seat. The liner is all puffy air so really shouldn't make the seat that much smaller for a child once they are sat in it - its more puffy than the Peach one. But the Strawberry and Peach both have very tall seat backs - and both have the HUGE advantage that the hoods slide up the chassis and then unzip off the back giving BAGS of room for growth. I have had an 11 year old in my Peach seat - and he had his head under the hood still and the harness did up too!! Yes his legs were too long but he said he was fine in the seat!!
As ihateparties also says, what people percieve as small is often very very personal. I have had my 25 month old in an infant car seat recently - purely to try it out - but in theory he's still within the weight limits for an infant carrier and height wise he's fine. I have also had him in carrycots recently too - and aged 2, he's still got room to lie and sleep in them!! There are only a few carrycots that I consider small and it does make me wonder when people say their child is growing out of theirs at a few weeks old! I would rather have my child laid flat and snug in a carrycot than sat in a bucket seat aged 3-5 months old. I am not sure what people expect at times TBH.

My message, is don't look at a pushchair and say its too small, get your tape measure out, measure other pushchairs around it, work out if the one you are looking at is bigger or smaller (seat or carrycot) and be logical about choosing. Liners can be removed, hoods often move up the frame even if they aren't supposed to or can even be removed when the child is tall, footrests are adjustable. If you can take an older child along - a 3 year old - sit them in the seat, look at them sideways on to see if they look comfy with no slumping. Ask them how they feel, if they like it etc. My eldest will always give an opinion!!

Oh and remember there is no perfection out there....yet......!!!

[minipie]

Ok ok I stand corrected on the icandy seat size ! was just going by what the woman in the shop said - but I suspect she may have been trying to put me off icandys because of the supply nightmare

brugs yes if you have steps to the front door and/or narrow hall then I can see you might want to fold up more often.

If anyone (Suzie?) can give any steers on low handled pushchairs that would be great. The manufacturers seem to be cottoning on to adjustable handles but they only adjust upwards iyswim, very few are doing ones which adjust to a low height as well as high. Gah.

[Diamond7]

Just spoke to the guy from Tommys.

They can order the June in but not looking at stocking. He didn't feel there was enough benefit over the cruz. He said heavier then bee and others and size and fold like Cruz?

He's going to look at it again as I said the June fold is one of the smallest.

I have just looked up and the June doesn't seem much smaller than the Cruz, although the fold is.

There's only .079 difference in the weight.

Cruz:-

9.979kg
74.9 X 56.5 X 100
Folded - 94 X 56.5 X 27.9

June
9.9kg
79 X 55 X 106
Folded 88 X 55 X 25

I think that's right.



I dont think I'll fold the pushchair much. Are the air tyres going to be worth it?

I want it to be Thursday!

[Ihateparties]

I'm struggling a bit with the idea that the Cruz is 56.5cm wide... maybe it is, it looks wider.