Disappointed by the Baby Jogger Versa... Have I got it wrong?

[Sunnysummer]

I was so sure we wanted a versa, as lots of my friends love their City Minis, and I liked the idea of the reversible seat... BUT when I finally got into the shop to compare them today, the Versa felt much heavier, really hard to imagine actually folding one handed, and a fair bit bigger. The city mini felt like an all round easier option...

However, the sales lady was a lot more experienced with the City Mini, and was also trying to upsell us to a Bugaboo (grr), so I thought maybe I didn't get a fair representation? What would you guys recommend?

Our needs are:

• Lots of walking in a hilly but urban and paved area, car journeys maybe once a week (so we're not too bothered about capsule compatibility), public transport journeys maybe twice a week (out of peak hour)
  
• *most challenging bit* 15 outdoor steps to get in and out of our building, so need to either take a bassinet in and out or be able to bump up/down
  
• usable from newborn (another feature that makes the mini more attractive, as it looks like we'd definitely have to buy a bassinet/capsule to use the versa early on)
  
• quite a bit of flying around to see family in year 1, so robust enough to withstand luggage handling!
  

Thank you for any help you can give us! :-)

[Tiggywunkle]

Rooney :) Believe me compared to 90% of the pushchairs out there the Versa hood is absolutely fabulous!! Most pushchairs have the basket issue RF TBH. Again some are worse than others. The Stokke Crusi PF is one of the worst for access. I would love someone to invent basket clips to hold your handbag safe in the bottom of the basket!

PLEASE also do not use the seat unit for your 6 week old. Please get a wedge or carrycot or even use a car seat for short periods of time. But having a baby in such a deep bucket seat squashes their inner organs and does not allow for lungs etc to expand fully. Given babies grow whilst asleep, its vital they are allowed to lie flat. Also for good spine development.

Have you seen the City Select - the Versa is really the hybrid of the City Select and the City Mini. Its exceedingly clever as a pushchair, and no offence, but maybe you dont understand how remarkable the Versa is as a pushchair IYKWIM. Its ground breaking TBH.

[Rooneyisalwaysmoaning]

Viv I am glad you like it - sounds like a positive first impression!

ikwym about the weight, but then it seems so beautiful to push doesn't it? Did you get the ordinary wheels? How are they?

Tiggy, thankyou so much - I didn't realise about the developmental effects of sitting him - it seems very supportive, straight back, reclined to almost flat, just it holds his bottom iyswim - so he doesn't slip down, and his little legs are always in that froggy position anyway, especially when I use the Ergo carrier so I didn't think it would be a problem. He's really not slumped at all.

But I have the wedge from my Britax first class somewhere so will try it with that.

I think my issue with the hood is the sort of lack of positive clunks, you know with some buggies you get a click every time you shange the position of a part - like it has proper positions, and when you put the hood there it stays there. The Versa one is nice and solid so that when you do move it up or down, it kind of seems to stay but I worry about it slipping when it's half way.

One thing I'd like to tell manufacturers is to make their buggies have positive positioning. I think that's what made bugaboo so successful - that everything clicked into place and stayed there.

[Vivienne52]

Definitely positive. I really love it. I love the hood. By comparison to a few I have tried it is pretty good. I love the seat position. I also love the compact fold. For trips away it will go in the footwell of the back seat no problem, by comparison to the quinny and sola - you need an extra car just for them! It also folds well with my footmuff attached which lots of buggies don't. I always found that a pain with other buggues, especially a maclaren.

It is so heavy though, but I think I will just need to get better muscles. DH loved it and the kids have spent the morning putting toys in and out of the enormous basket. I got the normal wheels, I prefer the idea of 4 wheel suspension. And my off roading isn't too off road iykwim.

I guess my only issue is whether I will use it enough to justify the cost. Another travel system type buggy wasn't really what I was in the market for but it might just be too lovely to return.

[Sunnysummer]

Vivienne52 - that's so good that you love it, hope it goes well!

It's interesting that after playing around you think it's definitely a travel system... It seems like what so many of us really want is somewhere between a city mini and a bee (reversible, manoeuvrable, transportable and newborn-friendly, but also relatively sturdy) but the versa is more like somewhere between a city mini and a cameleon/select, which is lovely and no doubt revolutionary like tiggywunkle points out, but still leaves a bit of a gap in the market . Maybe their next iteration!

[Rooneyisalwaysmoaning]

Oh that's great, Viv

I've just had a long outing with mine. It's super.

The hood does work its way back down when it's up, but not if you put it to maximum so the front is tipped toward you - then it stays put. But you can't see the baby if you're tallish! (5ft7)

Kerbs are Ok, not difficult BUT very heavy - and it feels heavy to push imo. as well as to carry.
However I did manage to lift ds out, hold him in one arm and still take off the safety straps and fold it AND then lift it up over our awkward big step, round a corner and into the hall without dropping ds. It weighs a fair bit but it's not non-doable iyswim.

Was lovely to push if heavy. And I put a cushion under the footmuff, Tiggy, so ds was a bit flatter. I really liked being able to look at him all the time and the basket held a huge changing bag, (went to clinic) and my ordinary handbag and nothing fell out.

Very happy with it really.

[rootypig]

hmm sounds like we have similar needs to you - 3mo DD, live in London, one flight of about 15 steps to flat. I looked at every and I do mean every pram on sale. I was sooo excited about the versa and when I saw it, immediately discounted. So heavy.

we have the Bee and it's great - my only complaints are (1) how low down it is and (2) small basket. I don't think parent facing is overrated, not for my DD anyway. she is awake a lot in her pram and likes to interact. friend has the BJCM with cocoon inside and this definitely wouldn't work for us.

Weight / size + parent facing was our key criteria and the Bee was the only thing that fit. I am 5'4" with an arthritic hip and can lift the Bee + DD + whatever crap is in the basket up and down the stairs no problem.

I have no problem with the fold?

We got ours second hand for £250, on gumtree (I would recommend this route, we inspected it v thoroughly before buying and have had no problems) and bought a new cocoon (£70) and I have no regrets. I often see people struggling in shops / on public transport with bigger, heavier prams, and I have no idea how I'd manage.

Good luck - and congrats!

[Vivienne52]

I think the fact that it measures moderately smaller than the city is a huge plus. TBH, it is more getting in and out of places I am concerned about than the weight. Squeezing into nursery with the buggy as he hates to be felt in the corridor, in about out of shopes. If feels slim but tall so there is room for him to grow (dd aged 3 immediately jumped in it, she fitted!). I think we are all looking for it to be lighter, why woulnd't we, but it feels sturdy, unlikely to tip. Which was always a pain with my maclaren and given we have to go through some rough terrain, i think it will be a bonus. I am not sure how you would get a super light buggy that wasn't prone to a bit of flipping about. But maybe I am wrong.....

[Vivienne52]

*smaller than city mini

[Vivienne52]

Sorry for the ghastly spelling and grammar I am at work so typing in a hurry. What I would say is that I would probably discount the versa if I used public transport. I couldn't humph it about that much.

[Vivienne52]

Glad it is growing on you Rooney! Could it be a keeper?

[Badgerhoney]

Rooney and Vivienne, that's great that you're both enjoying the versa. I'm tempted but the weight could be a bit of an issue for me. Hmmmm.

Rootypig, thanks for the info on the bee. I'm stilll considering this one. Do you ever take your bee on slightly rougher ground? Ie beaten up pavements, river paths, etc. If so, how do you find it? Also, do you walk a lot with it and find it ok? I know it's by no means an off roader, but wonder if it copes or is total rubbish when faced with a bit of uneven surface. Seem to be conflicting views...

[rootypig]

hey Badger I walk miles with the Bee, we live in London and have no car, it probably easily clocks 40 miles a week. the only problem I can report is the front wheels occasionally catch on a kerb / ledge, but that's easily rectified because it's so light. I often take it on non paved park paths, canal side, across cobbles, and have had no serious issues.

but I wouldn't have wanted to pay £600+ for it (with the cocoon). that does seem overpriced for what is a well designed, multifunctional jazzy buggy. but the nice thing about the Bee in London at least is, there are lots of brilliantly good ones floating round on the second hand market. and if you bought second hand, and hated it, you could sell it for what you bought it for a month later iyswim. When DH and I got ours, that's what we thought - if we hate it, we'll sell on gumtree for what we paid no probs (£250 for like new).

In the end, if you won't give up parent facing, it's the versa or the bee, and the versa sounds lovely but is too big and heavy for where we live.

HTH!

[Vivienne52]

I think that is what it boils down to rooty, where you live. We live in a small village with mucky uneven paths. Plus we never use public transport. Although we go into the city occasionally but it is less and less now we have two bambinos to cart about. The bee is lovely but not for us. If I was more urban based I would have gone for that. Tbh all the people I know who have bees don't like them outwith the city.

[Ihateparties]

I live in the city and a bee would drive me nuts but I just like more suspension, bigger wheels etc for all the walking. LOADS of people use them daily here, they can clearly cope it's me that wouldn't!

[Badgerhoney]

Thanks Rootypig, that's really helpful! I'm city based, but not London, so not as many secondhand options available nearby. But local pram shop has a good deal on a new one for £440 inc cocoon and car seat adapters, which isn't too bad plus I guess it's quite nice to have the warranty. And if I could sell it on for £200ish when I'm done with it after 2-3 years I'd be pretty happy.

[rootypig]

oh yes Vivienne can easily see that Bee is not for you! we use sling for any mucky outings (already few and far between).

Sunny I agree, after months - literally - of research I can't believe there isn't something in this huge gap - more robust than Bee, lighter than Versa, like BJCM that faces both ways. how hard can it be?!

[youmaycallmeSSP]

I haven't read all the posts (sorry!) but don't get a Bee! Seriously useless on anything except hard ground. Mine just about manages wet lawn but that's as off-road as it gets.

[youmaycallmeSSP]

If no one has mentioned it already, have you had a look at the Oyster?

[poocatcherchampion]

to answer a question up thread yes you can fold the oyster with the seat facing both ways. makes it pretty long when parent facing however

[Ihateparties]

rootypig it's what everyone wants... it seems inconceivable no one makes it. The Oyster is probably the closest for sturdiness combined with compact. The seat is a bit... urrrr well not upright, not lie flat.. if you can live with that then it's certainly a good option. Again I found it a bit hard really but they have the air tyre option...

[Badgerhoney]

I checked the oyster out and quite liked it in the shop, but was put off by reviews about it falling apart after a few months...

[snala]

Badger- sorry to hijack but where did you find that bee deal please?

[Badgerhoney]

Snala-I ordered in a local independent shop in the January sales, but it's back to normal price of around £600 now I'm afraid. I ordered the versa in their sale too and they're both sitting at the shop now waiting to be collected, so I just need to decide which one to take.

[Sunnysummer]

Thanks rootypig, that's really helpful! It's also a good point about being able to buy/sell 2nd hand easily with the bee. I'll take DH with me next week to look at the 2 city minis and the bee as the wildcard, then hopefully we'll be able to get on with the rest of this having-a-baby stuff

[Badgerhoney]

Summer, I know what you mean, this pram business totally takes over doesn't it? I need closure! Good luck with your trip back to the shop to test them out again. I'm sure you'll pick the right one for you.