Can you help? I've no idea what I should be looking for in a town pushchair

[PickledLily]

I've been using a Bugaboo Cameleon up until now, but have fallen out of love with it now that DD (9mo) only uses the pushchair bit. I've no idea what I should be looking for in a pushchair, but things I liked about the bugaboo:

• adjustable handle height
• easy one handed steering

What I now hate (and want to avoid):

• 2-handed, origami style manoeuvre required to fold the bloody thing up, whilst it tips everything out of the basket and the frame lands on my toes
• needing 2 hands to release the brake
• needing the hood down to fit the rain cover (DD can't see out and creates merry hell)
• having to split the thing into 2 parts every time I need to put it into the car or fold it up
• DD sliding to the front of the seat and not being able to sit herself up properly

So what else should I look for in a pushchair that will be used in town in all weathers, on buses occasionally, have 30 other pushchairs dumped on it at nursery and needs to vanish into thin air when it's not being used?

Lol.. I think you have described very well what almost everyone wants!

You don't mention whether you care if it faces you or not?

If you don't then the world is your oyster, there are plenty of good pushchairs than fold easily in 1 piece, are robust enough for nursery buggy jenga etc. The obvious answer is a baby jogger city mini, if you really want a parent facing seat then a city versa but with parent facing comes a chunkier fold almost always, the versa isn't exactly chunky but it's not light and airy either.

As an aside you can use the cam raincover without the hood can't you? You could on the gecko you just put it on the other way up with the boned bit at the top?

If you're going on buses then the need to be able to fold it one handed is paramount.

Buggy jenga, love it!

I'm after outward facing as DD made it very clear quite early on that she wants nothing to do with me when out and about . I've not heard of a baby jogger, tell me more...

Re Cam raincover - I don't think it fits the other way around or I've been swearing at it for the past 3 months for nothing I do use it without the hood fully extended but it flops around and DD likes to pull at it.

I didn't know the rain cover went on backwards on the gecko. That's news! I've only been using mine for four years! I just slip the hood fabric off and use the hood rods on their own. Then the child is in a big bubble

Can Maclarens be folded one handed?

I think maclarens sort of do fold one handed but it two steps? Not totally sure but someone will definitely be around who knows..

Baby Jogger citi mini ticks virtually all your boxes, bar adjustable handle height.

• easy to steer with one hand (I rarely have two hands on the buggy!)
• one handed fold: pull off the side tabs, grab the strap in the middle, and WHOOSH flat buggy
• flippy foot brake thing
• hood goes so far over you rarely need the raincover (but you can out the raincover on without needing the hood extended). The hood is one of the best thing about baby joggers IMO. Has little peekaboo flaps so you can check if they are asleep
• fits easily in the boot, even small cars, and is very flat
• I've not had any problems with DS slipping down (he's only a smallish 8mo though), but the 5 point harness is very good

4 wheel version is more stable than a 3 wheel.

The only downside I find is it is very long, so on the bus it doesn't exactly tuck away neatly - but having said that, with a bit of fiddling about, I have managed to get it tucked round that bloody pole in the disabled space. But I get a little neurotic about people potentially knocking DS' head if he's lying flat in it as it sort of sticks out into the gangway a little bit.

Baby Joggers all the way :) Probably the City Mini GT for the adjustable handle and handbrake. I agree with TeaandHobnobs tick boxes :)