Baby Jogger Elite or Versa GT?

[Yespleasetotea]

Hello I really hope you can help me with my pushchair dilemma.

I have a Baby Jogger City Mini which I love but am finding it harder to push now my large DS is growing up (18 month old). It's hard going over anything that isn't super flat and is making my wrists ache a bit.

However I love Baby Joggers (the hood, basket, fold, build quality) and am looking at a Versa GT. I thought it would be perfect but now I've read that the Elite would be even easier to push? I'm a bit nervous about going for another three wheeler after the BJCM as I think it's the middle wheel that doesn't help the push. Would the front wheel wobble about a lot as it tried to find its way? I think I'd also like the Versa as the parent facing mode may come in handy if I have another baby.

I have a Quinny Buzz 4 (now too small for DS) that was lovely to push over anything - kerbs, forest tracks etc - so am quite keen on going back to four wheels.

I think I want the GT rather than the normal Versa as I like the look of the chunkier tyres. My real problem is I can't try any of these out as none of my local (East Midlands) shops seem to stock them. So if you have any experience of the ease of push on either of these that would be amazing.

Really hope you can help me! (-:

Ok, first of all there is no comparison between the push of the City Mini and the GT. The GT is so much more 'grounded' - hard to describe, but I never have any fear of it feeling tippy. Having an adjustable handle on any pushchair always gives you the ability to find a hand position which is comfortable for you. There's no doubt that the Elite is easier to push BUT at the same time, thats being really nit picky! There's absolutely nothing wrong with the BJCMGT to push say a 15kgs child in - its simply that the Elite is even lighter. Does that make sense? If you didnt try the 2 or 3 pushchairs back to back, you wouldnt be able to tell the difference!

The Versa meanwhile is fab. I have a BJCMGT, Elite and a Versa GT. I used the GT and Versa differently though. The Versa feels heavier to push than the others and to be honest unless you need parent facing, I would choose one of the other two, and then debate whether you want a Versa for your next DC when it happens. I dont notice any difference in the wheels / stability between the Versa GT and the BJCMGT - if anything the BJCMGT is possibly the nicer push but I dont think I have ever stopped to analyse them both....maybe I should!

Thanks that is so helpful. Sounds like they would all be ok really? It's only the BJCM that is a bit of a hard push? Did you own one of them? I sort of prefer the look of the Versa but the fabric quality on the Elite looks lovely. Although worried the Elite will be a bit wide. Hadn't considered a BJCMGT. Hmmm! Also really wanted a kicker raiser as DS doesn't look comfy with his feet down to sleep.

I pushed my friend's Uppababy Vista the other day and it was so smooth and lovely and easy to push. It just seems a bit big to me though - and doesn't have that lovely BJ fold.

Thanks for replying. I'm obsessed and my DH is fed up of hearing about pushchairs!

The Elite and the Versa GT are both fab - I don't think you'll have any trouble pushing either of them! I have a BJCMGT and an Elite - both push so easily and are so light - the Elite is slightly lighter to push, and it has the raised kicker so looks mega comfy for my LO. I think you would probably find the BJCMGT or the Elite would last you longer than the Versa as the seats are really big. The Versa seat is big for a parent facing pushchair which is good but the other ones are better I think... Depends how much you still want your LO parent facing? To me the BJCMGT is the perfect pushchair so I'd really recommend that but you'd likely be fine with any of them!

Ooh thanks. Wish i'd gone for the BJCMGT initially now! Sounds significantly better than the BJCM.

Do you find the Elite's width a problem? I don't really use public transport but shops can be tricky. It's bigger than my old Quinny Buzz 4 and that seemed fairly wide. Was always getting stuck in the Co-op.

I'm not really bothered about parent facing for my LO now, it does his head in to be parent facing as if he sees me he wants a cuddle. I was just trying to think about the future! (:

I have the BJCMGT and used to have a Bee+.

The BJCMGT is in my opinion the best stroller on the market. I have tried out a load of strollers and love this one. I went for it especially because of the GT wheels and even my teeny weeny mum, who struggled with the lighter Bee+, finds it a breeze to push over anything and everything.

I agree after seeing the Versa up close that the seat is a put off when you are buying for a toddler. I bought mine just after my daughter turned one and the seat size on the Versa was definitely my biggest con. Although if nothing better has come along by the time I have baby No2, the Versa is top of my list of purchases.

I love having the parent facing option too but if you are not that bothered I would say get the elite or mini GT.

I didn't get the elite because of its size BTW. To me the mini GT is the best.

I have the Elite, my DD is 2.2 and a big girl! She looks so comfortable in it and there is still plenty of growing room. I have not found the width to be a problem. I live in a village and have no trouble getting it into local shops or our little supermarket. I have had quite a few different pushchairs over the years, and the Elite is without a doubt my favourite. Even though DD is heavy it is so easy to push and manouvre, it glides along.

I have had almost all the Baby Joggers yespleasetotea - singles and doubles. As I said I still own the BJCMGT, Versa GT and Elite. I dont tend to use the Elite in shops but it is a fair bit wider. The Summit is narrower than the Elite if you want the big wheels.

The Versa seat is ABSOLUTELY HUGE!!! You will struggle to find pushchairs with a much bigger seat with such good length for long legs. The seat back alone (57cms) is 5cms taller than the Elite and the leg room is 4.5cms longer! The Versa seat is also half a cm deeper. Someone once told me that the biggest pushchair seat was the Joolz Day, but the Versa wins hands down on both seat back and leg length. My tall nearly 5 year old fits great in the Versa seat!!
I have been hunting around and I can find the TFK Joggster Twist has the same length seat back, but a shorter leg length (and I bet thats shocked ihateparties as the TFK seat is ENORMOUS); and a Phil&Teds with a seat back which is half a cm taller, but the leg room is 9.5cms shorter which is really where an older child needs the space. So the Versa is still the biggest seat which I can find so far.....throws down the gauntlet to find the biggest seat on a pushchair with good leg length

Ooh thanks so much, that's some super thorough seat research.

I'm really keen on the Versa GT just for the flexibility of dual facing for the future and also really want a raised kicker so that sort of rules out the BJCMGT.

If the Versa GT glides along nicely then I think that's the one. :-)

Hi can I high jack your thread?! I was pretty much a cert on the versa gt (after thorough research and trawling the wonderful tiggywunkles advice! I tried out the mini gt and versa (no versa gt in shop) and am now torn! The city mini GT seems utterly fantastic and I was SO impressed with wheels as would definitely suit rougher terrain, parks etc. my situation is having third baby, have a 5 and 3 yr olds do no need for double really and want this buggy to last birth to 4. I'm torn as love parent facing, seat positions (not keen on those strap recline seats as on city GT) versa looks sturdier with carrycot/ car seat attached BUT City gt is SO easy to fold and carry, lighter. What's your advice? If baby is in a carrycot until 4 ish months do I really need parent facing? I kind of feel I would like it but versa is a lot heavier to lift (not push though)

The baby should really be in the carrycot until 6 months if possible :)
Do you need parent facing? Did you with your other children?
I had parent facing with my eldest until about 12 months and then we ended up having her forward facing. However my youngest is still parent facing at the age of 3 - partly because I dont trust him not to wriggle out of the harness! He prefers it as well and can get upset if he can't see me. At one stage - around the age of 2, he would literally scream the place down if he couldnt see one of us. It was horrible and all our forward facing only pushchairs went at that stage.
To be honest, I think I would maybe get the Versa to start with - and worst case, I bet you could pretty much sell the Versa and buy a GT with the money or there's always plenty of people wanting to do swaps on FB groups.

Not sure i NEED parent facing but I do like it and had it with quinny buzz with other two and found it fab, the fact you can change to forward facing men's if they get bored of looking at you around 12 months you can change it so I think versa might be the one for me. I also have a petit star zia so kind of have the light weight travel option sorted. Don't use public transport but will be in/ out of car a lot with school run etc. that's why CMGT appealed as so light to lift.

Just to add, I know its an extra step, but if you did remove the Versa seat to fold (and you dont have to), it does make the Versa lighter. When you see the Versa and BJCMGT boxes side by side, the Versa box is considerably smaller than the GT one!

Try Diddyland in Nottingham. I tried out both Versa and Versa GT there as I do a lot of dog walking over rough paths etc. Went with normal Versa as light push and can still handle terrain.

Now if I could just find a way of buying GT wheels for occassional use in mud and ice, I'd be a very happy mum. Oh well...

Thanks Pugoff have just emailed them to see

If they have any in stock. Do you find the Versa handles farm tracks ok? I'm not massively outdoorsy, it's mainly grass and occasional forest walks that I'd use it for.

No, you can't buy GT wheels for the Versa. The reason is that the inside of the wheel housing - I believe inside the frame - had to be made differently to pass UK tipping safety testing. So although the wheels look like they are similar, swapping the wheels could lead to instability. There is a slight difference in wheel height.

I know they aren't inter changeable but sigh....

Farm tracks, okish. I go walking with mine on gravelly paths every day and bumpy grass. In the end I figured I would be using it more on pavements than off road so went with the push I preferred the feel of and the lightness of normal versa. Standard versa can handle a lot due to its great suspension I felt.

HTH

The standard Versa can handle a lot. I went over farmers fields with mine and lots of rough ground.

What's a farmers field? Muddy, ploughed? Maybe I will go for versa rather than GT, sounds like regular one can handle a lot? I'm thinking wooded dirt tracks?

Knee high grass with lots and lots of bumpy bits!

It's so hard to decide! Am thinking Versa GT as I fancy the tougher wheels. The Elite looks too big, I forced DH to watch a video of it and he thought it was large, and City Mini GT doesn't have a raised kicker.

Does the Versa handlebar feel better than the City Mini's? The CM's is very curved and means if you hold your hands at the furthest sides they are at a funny angle. With the CM every time it goes over a bumpy paving stone the central wheel wiggles and I have to correct it straight, which ends up putting a lot of strain on your wrists. I'm not a weakling, either! (:

DH saw video of the Versa and is now worried the handlebar is still a bit curved. I think it looks ok - but I think that may be because I really want the Versa!

I dont think the Versa handlebar is that curved at all. Not compared to the City Mini. I wouldnt worry about it.

Thanks!