iCandy - which model?

[emeraldgirl1]

I've (finally) narrowed down the brand (unless any MNers tell me iCandy are awful!!) and now am just trying to work out which model. The Apple strikes me as the best option but according to John Lewis iCandy are discontinuing this and replacing with a newer Apple that they don't have a release date for yet... Is the Apple so good that it's worth tracking it down in a smaller store (though I know they're hard to get hold of)?

My other options are the Peach or the Strawberry. Peach is VERY expensive but I like the idea that it's easily convertible into a 2-seater if you end up having 2 babies close together. And from what I gather, Strawberry doesn't have this option...?

Does anyone have either model and have any good/bad opinions of it? It's such a lot to spend and I feel like I'm bound to make an expensive mistake and end up with something I hate...!!

Quick question - why are you deciding on a specific brand first? I would work out what you want in a pram first and then identify which models across different brands meet your requirements and compare them.

What are your requirements in a pushchair?

I have a Strawberry and think it fantastic but that's because it ticks all my boxes - I wanted something that could parent face and fold in one piece with adjustable handlebar height and a large basket.

How do you think you'll use a pushchair? Are you in an urban or rural location. Do you walk most

I agree, I would definitely work from the features you want, your lifestyle etc. Then look at all the models that offer your specific combination of requirements. I candy are having terrible stock issues at present, plus not all of their pushchairs are problem free, there can be long waits for spare parts etc. should you need them.

(oops...posted too soon)

places or drive? Use public transport?

sorry - was obviously not clear in OP!! When I said I had narrowed down the brand I didn't mean I had narrowed it down BY brand (ie just picked the brand I liked best) I meant that I had looked at a lot of the different brands and the iCandy seem the best overall for me in terms of weight, ease, folding easily etc... That obviously didn't come across!!

We are in an urban location and I will be walking more than driving BUT will be doing some driving and have a smallish car boot. Of all the brands I looked at, iCandy seemed to be the most suitable on that front but maybe other people disagree...?

I need lightweight as I have very bad neck and back problems and again I think the iCandy seemed lighter than other brands I tried out.

If it's lightweight you're after, then I'm not sure that the iCandy's you have looked at will fit the bill. They are light to push but that doesn't equate with light to lift/carry.

The Apple chassis alone is 10.5kg. Add the pushchair seat (4.5kg) and you have a hefty 15kgs to hoik into the boot. And the Apple is pretty chunky...might not fit your small car boot?

The Peach is a little lighter (10kg chassis, 4.2kg seat) but still hefty.

The Strawberry is lighter again at 8kg chassis + 3.4kg seat unit but I can tell you as someone who is fairly strong with no back and neck issues that I wouldn't like to be lifting it in and out of the car too often. I know it feels and awful lot heavier than my Baby Jogger City Mini GT which is around 9.5kg which is the one I tend to sling in the car when I need to just because it's much lighter and more easily portable.

The Cherry is the smallest and lightest (and cheapest) of the range and comes in at just under 10kg with the seat until attached (6.2kg chassis and 3.6kg seat). It might suit you better in terms of size and weight.

There are probably lighter puschairs on the market.

I had an icandy peach that i used as a double. To use it was very nice but the seats are small and there is no way any child would sit in the lower seat after 4/5 months without crying all the time as its to small, to flat and to close to front seat.
When mine was about 2 months old i was walking with it and the handle literally snapped in half, when i saw inside it was very shoddily built.
Icandys attitude to the problem was horrendous. They said i had to send it back so they could do tests to 'prove it hadn't been hit by a bus' !
Leaving me with no pram. In the end the shop gave me an ex display chassis but icandys customer service is a joke especially when you consider what they are charging.
I would avoid like the plague, over prices tat.
Have you considered any baby jogger prams? Ive got one and the build quality is amazing. Also the frame has a lifetime guarantee. I know they don't look as nice as icandys but they are so sturdy and lovely to push, and comfier for DC in my opinion.

I got that you had narrowed it down by brand. It doesn't make sense to me to pick the brand first as not all models within a brand will meet your requirements and by choosing a brand first you'll miss out models that are different makes that may work best for you.

Personally I went for the strawberry. I'm in London, walking and public transport mostly. I wanted both forward and rear facing, relatively light and compact with good storage and an easy fold. The other options I considered weren't the other iCandies as they didn't do what I wanted.

The main alternative contenders were the bugaboo bee, but I wanted something sturdier, and baby jogger versa, but I decided it was too bulky for me. I didn't get to see the uppababy Cruz until I'd already decided on the strawberry but that may have been an option .

I can't comment on how good my choice actually is yet as it's still in the box waiting to be used in about 8 weeks time. Getting hood of it was a bit problematic though.

Thanks brugmansia - I have also decided firmly against the bugaboo bee, but I was seriously considering the baby jogger versa until a friend of a friend put me off it by saying it was a pain to fold.

It's probably worth another look at the versa though.

I haven't had the chance to look at the Cruz... could be an option.

I like you am looking for something front and rear facing and pretty compact.

I have now done a bit more online research and found that some people say the iCandy peach has a very small seat... Might need to go back for another look at babyjogger versa...

This is such a hard decision! I don't kow anyone who has been happy with their bugaboos or their babyjoggers - people moan a lot! - so I have an instinctive bias against them but that may be unfair.

I've just received my uppababy vista which ticked all my boxes - all in one price, front + rear facing, big basket etc. Did initially order the cruz but then felt vista was better.

Good luck x

If weight is an issue then the Uppababy Vista is unlikely to suit. I loved it and really wanted it but it is big and pretty heavy and you might struggle to fit it into a small boot, let alone getting any shopping in alongside it. It is a really lovely travel system though and at a decent price.

I've done some research this morning on the Uppababy vista and I think I will go and have a try at John Lewis at the w/e. Weight could be the issue. Also if it is bulkier than the iCandy models, it might be an issue with narrow terrace/flat entrance door... does anyone living in a small terrace or flat have any experience of this model?

I discounted the Vista because if its size. A our of my friends have it and mentioned how big it is. It's marginally wider than the iCandies and bugaboos so can be a problem on London buses I believe.

The people I know with bugaboos really like them. I want keen on either personally. The strawberry isn't any lighter than the Cam but it seemed more compact and the folding mechanism was so simple that it won us over. I also really liked the additional zip up storage compartment.

John Lewis had the iCandies, bugaboos, versa and Vista so you can compare them all.

The vista is huge! Other than that it ticks all the boxes.

The Strawberry has a very small seat. DS is 8mo and takes up most of it. although the basket it big, the sides are low, so you wouldn't get that much in it as its more like a shelf IYSWIM.

Hi! You sound like you are looking for what I am!
I have a 14 month old big boy and I am mainly urban but so go off road, with occasional use of car. The answer to your question I feel is you can go down the route of 2 pushchairs, one to sling in the car or always in the car and another for at home for countryside. A mainly urban pushchair that has awesome reviews, I've looked and looked for bad reviews but am yet to find one, is the baby jogger city mini, it's a best one on here under three wheelers.
If you want an all rounder I'm waiting for the versa to view as you have to compromise on something. Very few pushchairs fold amazing, very few are large and lightweight. The versa is heavy, you need to pick it up and see if that's an issue for you! Everyone is different, same with the fold. What I can say about the bugaboo, I tried both bee, in my opinion flimsy and I could not for the life of me work the seat, and my cameleon is a dream to push, but the fold is a continuous nightmare....
If you want it to fold all in one this narrows your search, if you hate 3 wheelers this narrows, if you want a big basket this narrows, a big seat..a fully reclines seat..you get the point lol
Personally the versa seems like a dream on paper..I'll await to see the product though! X

P.s get stuck in in the store, pushing it round on smooth ground is not the same as lifting onto a kerb!

The Strawberry seat isn't that small. There are good pictures and information here which show it with a large toddler.

And the Strawberry basket holds a fair bit. I can get approx. 4 carrier bags worth of groceries packed safely into it.

I tried out my friend's tall 3 year old in the strawberry and he was fine. It also has the 2 separate storage areas, the basket and zip up compartment which is pretty big, stop I felt the shallow nature of the basket shouldn't be a problem.

I've got the Peach Jogger & it is great. So much sturdier than most. We did have a problem with delivery, though. Ordered in March straight after 20 wk scan & it arrived in Sep when my DS was 10wks old.! Luckily, we bought the carry cot off the shop floor in the sale (last year's colours) & our (independent) retailer lent us a chassis whilst we waited. iCandy's attitude was pretty bad; that they had never guaranteed a time frame for delivery! They did give its a changing bag to say sorry.

The Strawberry does have a small seat compared to the others. That pic of a 2yr old looks so cramped!

By measurements I believe the strawberry seat is average if not on the larger side. The liner is padded and on photos unused, makes it look small. I had a peach blossom with a used upper seat and brand new lower one and the liner was soooo much poofier. The versa was fab, not hard to fold at all, the recall issue was with the fold mechanism though so can't comment on how it will be on the new chassis. The only nnegatives for me were it doesn't stand up folded, it's long folded and they took it awaaaaay :''_(

Please dont take this the wrong way, but I think you almost need to start again. I am a huge iCandy, Baby Jogger, Uppababy, Bugaboo and more fan....and you can not pick a pushchair by choosing a brand name because as someone else has pointed out you can't compare a Cherry with an Apple or Strawberry any more than you can a Bee with a Cameleon or a Donkey. They are different "classes" of pushchair. Whatever you do, don't discount pushchairs based on what your friends have told you. The Versa has had an issue with its fold, but all first batch Versas have been recalled and the new ones are due out next week. I have to say, you will have a long way to go to beat a Versa on functionality.

Think carefully about what you need the most whether its fold size, size in your hall or car, basket size, budget, ease of use on a bus, one handed fold etc.

The iCandy's overall have huge seats, and the Peach and Strawberry ones have ways to make the seat bigger for an older child. But in my vast experience, I have only found a couple of pushchairs that I can't get my tall 4 year old into, and believe me, by 4, you really shouldn't be needing a pushchair much, if at all. So I wouldn't worry about buying a pushchair from a good brand. If you really need measurements then Best Buggy has seat measurements - Try the 'Compare Pushchairs' tool.

What do YOU think you need a pushchair to do?

I love that website! Awesome pics my dh gets annoyed how much I'm on it...definitely recommend that for you to get comparison ideas.

Thanks Tiggywunkle - having conducted a ludicrously exhaustive study (uppababy, iCandy, bugaboo, babyjogger) over the w/e, and all over town (!) I think we've worked out that the Strawberry is our best best, will fit most easily into our flat (though I did love some of the larger buggies) and folds easily, a huge thing I was concerned about. The weight of it felt right to us as well, not too heavy. We were tempted by a babyjogger City BUT as we're mostly NOT looking to use a v light buggy on public transport etc - I'll be in the car or walking most of the time - it feels better to get something a bit more sturdy. I also need it to be front-facing.

So, I think on balance the strawberry it is, thanks for all comments and advice!

Have posted a separate thread but does anyone know if the strawberry is OK to get into a BMW 1 series boot...? That's the only final concern really and DH has taken the car for the next 4 days so I can't measure up!!