My short list and research

[anthonys]

After quite a few months of researching and testing I've come to my final short list of pushchairs. Thought I'd post it in order to seek some final advice but also hopefully it will help others. I have waited longer than I thought I would as there were a number of models due for release that I wanted to see. Baby due next month now!

The main requirements:

Light weight for use on and off London buses
Reversible seat for the flexibility
£500 budget (approx)
4 wheels for maximum stability
Decent storage basket
Easily folded (prefer with seat on)
Suitable for newborn in winter
Relatively narrow and agile for navigating city streets, small apartments, taking on holidays (car boots and planes), cafes etc
Built to last

And lastly .. be able to test it in a showroom in London which I thought would be easy, but it wasn't for all the candidates. I'm still not sure whether I take the risk and buy something unseen. At the end of the day most of these pushchairs meet my requirements and I'd probably be happy with any. I just started to nitpick in order to cross some off!

The final list (after a lot of reading, weight with seat and cost is approx with carrycot):

Bugaboo Cameleon (9.3kg £770), Uppababy Vista (11.5kg £600) ? both a bit too bulky and over budget
Bugaboo Bee (8.5kg £560) ? newborn carrycot doesn't offer much protection from the weather and lots of reports of faulty wheels
Babystyle Oyster (10.5kg £350) ? reports of poor build quality and warranty not as long as others
Graco Evo (9.5kg £380) ? iCandy cherry seems to have the edge for my needs at a similar cost
Silvercross Surf (11.3kg £600) ? badly designed storage basket and over budget
iCandy Strawberry (12.3kg £545) ? too bulky when folded
Easywalker June (9.9kg £600 without cot) ? over budget and unable to find anywhere that stocks in London

The short list:

iCandy Cherry (9.8kg £460)? can't fold with seat and Cruz just beats it in features if a little more expensive
Jane Muum (11kg £450) ? can't find stock in London and Evo has better reviews so it seems like the Evo would be a better option if I take the gamble on an unseen model
Babyjogger Versa (11.9kg £520)? really nicely built but otherwise similar features to Cruz but a bit heavier, larger and more expensive
Mutsy Evo (11.9kg £400) ? been unable to view ? on paper it looks good though suspect maybe too bulky?
Uppababy Cruz (9.9kg £500) ? meets all the requirements plus it's got a nice high position, it's just a little ugly :)

So looks like the Cruz wins (just) and may put an order in this week but just wanted to see what the consensus was around taking the gamble on the Mutsy, it's £100 cheaper and think it's a nicer design.. or any other model on my short list for that matter.

I know it probably doesn't feel like it now but it's probably better to get the right pushchair even if it does happen to come after the baby!

I don't have a spare from birth single to send you temporarily or I would, still marooned in tandem land. Try choosing a tandem, that's even more fun...

In all seriousness if it came down to it London should offer you plenty of local ebay options for the short term.

Thanks Ihateparties - That's very kind.

TBH I think I'll use a moby wrap for the first few weeks anyway, esp as it'll be winter. I'm not going to let myself rush into the wrong decision.

Yep London is great for picking up second hand stuff.

You are right, it's worth getting the right one.

Good luck with your Bee/Cruz comparison Diamond. I think either is a great option (Cruz is just not short person compatible sadly for me). I'm probably not going to bother with the baby show tbh but have fun if you go!

yy loads of second hand options in London but often not bargains - though I did see a "well used" Bugaboo Frog for sale for £50 here but may be gone by now.

Thanks Mini.

Yeah I was looking at the Bee second hand but realised it was 'cheaper' to buy new and sell on that buy second hand. I have considered the frog/gecko.

I have manged to pick up a few things cheap second hand like a pregnacy pillow and sheepskin.

I made a trip from London up North to check out the June today. As mentioned before, it is quite difficult to tip up for kerbs and that has really put me off. I had such high hopes and was disappointed because on paper I was convinced it would be the one for me. I'm sure it would be great for others as everyone has different needs and priorities.

I am now leaning back towards the Bee, which I found to be easier and lighter to manoeuvre. Although I had been really trying to find an alternative to the Bee, I can really understand why so many Londoners do choose it!

For what it's worth, I had ruled out the Cruz because you can only fold it with the seat on if it is forward facing. Also it is quite long when it is folded - the Bee seemed to have a more compact fold.

This is indeed why there are so many bees on the street! People search and search, complain about the low seat then end up getting one anywhere because there just isn't a comparative product. It's a shame the June has (probably) turned out not to be