Advice on a travel system - 2nd floor flat, small car....

[Nyborg]

Any ideas? Key considerations are:

• needs to be suitable from birth so I'd like a proper carrycot

• will it fit in the boot of a Yaris?

• we live in a 2nd floor flat without a lift (though there's a hall cupboard on the ground floor) so we'd like it to be light and to come apart easily

• ideally sold by John Lewis because we've got some vouchers

All suggestions very welcome.

I'd forgo the carrycot and get a bugaboo bee!

Will carry on thinking though for a carrycot option.

Hmm the maclaren XT has a soft carrycot but it's quite long folded so not sure about fitting in your boot.

John lewis sell Ergo slings. Buy one of those with a newborn insert and get a cheap umbrella fold pushchair (i also live in a flat. My buggy is a big off-roader that lives in the car and is used 2-3 times a month. It's just not worth the hassle of carting the damn thing up and down the stairs, plus where do you put the baby while you do so!)

Cossatto giggle fits your criteria I think but no personal experience!

Yes, a bee. Apart from fitting your other criteria it's one of a v small number that fit in a yaris boot without removing the parcel shelf.

Don't get a giggle

I had two which both broke within a week

I would go for the bee then (could probably live in the boot anyway) and yes a sling for going up and down the stairs.

Thanks all for the sling advice - we'll be doing that too.

One other thought I've just had - I'm 5'10" and husband is 6'3" so we'd be better with a pushchair which has either tall or extendable handles.

Bee had extendable handles and you can have it rear or forawrd facing. They do a nest for it to make it more like a pram.

We lived in a 3rd floor flat with no lift. We also had a storage cupboard in the hallway which was our saviour. We opted for a Baby Jogger (v popular on here as very long lasting buggies). John Lewis stock Baby Joggers I believe.

I used to take the carrycot off and take baby upstairs in the carrycot, and leave the buggy frame in the hallway cupboard. If you don't want to fork out for the carrycot you can use Petite Star Zia Cocoon - can be bought inexpensively from nursery value but won't last quite as long as carrycot.

Car seat did attach though I think I did that twice as I walked everywhere and didn't like to leave baby in car seat for long.

Can't promise about fitting in the boot of a Yaris but maybe someone else here can answer on that one - the frames of the Baby Joggers are not huge - dimensions might even be on bestbuggy.co.uk

As to which Baby Jogger to choose - unless you have lots of off road walking, City Mini or City Mini GT (latter has handbrake, variable handle height and better wheels but is heavier) will probably be good. Fold is so so easy. Seat is huge -I see plenty of large 4 year olds still fitting in. Easy to travel with - fantastic canopy to protect from sun or light showers.

We were very happy with our arrangements.