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Pushchairs

Join our Pram forum for pram advice. Plus read our round up of the best pushchairs currently available.

Original poster

Pushchair with a big hood, recommendations please!

42 replies

strawberryswing · 31/01/2014 21:24

In the 18months my DD has been in the world I've made numerous pushchair mistakes. Worst being paying £525 for a bulky silvercross travel system that I hated and I'm totally gutted because I could have gotten something far better for the price and sometimes I cry when I think I could have had a bee instead :(.

Anyway, a Britax b mobile, mothercare jive, icandy apple and cosatto yo later, I am in need of another (final) pushchair. My dd is 18 months and I;ll be using it until she is fully walking so I'd like something light (under 10kg) and a big/extendable hood is really important to me for the shade in the summer after various parasol fights.

And my budget is £200. Baby joggers and bugaboos arent very much in the minority round here so would struggle to get a second hand one, so looking from new.

I've been looking at the mama and papas sync, armadillo, the cosatto supa and the britax b motion. Any others that I should be looking at?

OP posts:
TribbleWithoutATardis · 31/01/2014 21:27

The hood on the baby jogger city mini is fabulous, its one of my favorite things about the pram. All other hoods seem a bit pants in comparison.

Pascha · 31/01/2014 21:29

Bjcm wins hands down. The hood is enormous.They are about £230 new but always lots of second hand ones on eBay.

Panzee · 31/01/2014 21:32

I came on hoping you meant a lovely shady hood like the BJCM. It's ace.

missmagnum · 31/01/2014 21:32

Agree with the bcmj, biggest hood I have seen, I have the micro version which I love, hood is smaller but still bigger than most buggies. A lot cheaper too.

Panzee · 31/01/2014 21:34

Boots.com have got one for £260 plus 10% off. And you get 1036 points too, which is another tenner. So it's very nearly 200...

Original poster
strawberryswing · 31/01/2014 21:48

The hoods on the baby jogger are fabulous, I agree (from what I've seen anyway). I've just shown my partner it and in his word 'it's ugly and I don't like three wheelers'.

He's ridiculously hard to please when it comes to pushchairs, he has decided he wants the britax b motion and thats that, refuses to consider others! Whereas I dont want to make another mistake ..

Has anyone had a britax b motion? We've had a b mobile which for me had a few issues which seem to have been resolved but I'm not sure

OP posts:
OMGiwonacar · 31/01/2014 21:53

Look at the baby jogger city mini 4 wheel version..... Very similar.

MiaowTheCat · 31/01/2014 21:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

goodbyeyellowbrickroad · 31/01/2014 21:56

Have a look at a Rayshade. It fits on most pushchairs so doesn't really limit which ones you could go for. I have one and have found it a lifesaver in the sunshine.

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B007U4V2OC

delasi · 31/01/2014 21:57

You can get 4 wheeler BJCMs too. On first seeing the BJCM I thought it was ugly and would never have one... but couldn't deny how practical and reliable it was. We've since used a BJCM from birth! DS is now 14mo, top of the centiles and it still looks like new, very comfy, we walk most places or take public transport and it's very good. I quickly considered it lovely/not ugly and everyone I know thinks it's great having seen ours in action, I have friends pre-DC who are noting it down for future. (I'm such an advert for BJCM...)

Ihateparties · 31/01/2014 22:02

I had a b motion and a b agile a while back... The b motion is great but the seat doesn't sit full upright (fixable by getting or making sit up straps or removing the stitching in the recline strap that limits the seat position) and it's hard to steer IMO, you need two hands to turn corners. It's pushes very nicely and feels good but turning is an effort. It's also not light, I very much doubt it's under 10kilos. The sync and the armadillo have both nearly come home with me on occasion, the armadillo looks better IMO. The britax b agile is pretty good imo, the baby jogger city lite could be just what you're looking for too, similar features to the city mini but lighter, cheaper and a little more modern looking.

After 6 years, 3 children and a lot of pushchairs I'm down to a red kite zumi and a babyhome emotion xtreet. The red kite has a big hood, the xtreet doesn't but I forgive it that because it's otherwise so brilliant Grin

GwendolineMaryLacey · 31/01/2014 22:05

If you're on Facebook join the baby jogger selling page. Some great pushchairs to be found there. I echo the baby jogger love. I have the bjcm gt and the four wheeler and the four wheeler will be the one I keep as the car pushchair when dd2 is too big for an everyday pushchair. I love them and can't recommend them enough.

I thought they were ugly as well at the start! :o

Original poster
strawberryswing · 31/01/2014 22:12

Thankyou everyone!

I think the B-Motion does have the big hood with the mesh panel in the middle, unlike my B-Mobile which is the one of the reasons I hated it. If it's heavy and difficult to steer I think I'll cross that one off my list (for now lol).

I never knew you could get 4 wheelers BJCM, you rarely see them down my neck of the woods, there are no stockists to try them out etc I'd love to have a play with one in the flesh. Oh and I love the city mini lite, its a lot better looking I must admit.

So the sync and armadillo are possibilites? I really like the look of both but for some reason the armadillo (in pictures) looks very cheap and plasticy, although this might just be me. I have read theyre quite sturdy though which pleases me a bit.

Any advice on cosatto supa? I've currently got a Yo with dodgy breaks and a broken wheel, but I love the quirky designs. Oh choices!

OP posts:
fruitpastille · 31/01/2014 22:16

What about a maclaren xt techno? Lightweight, better hood than other lightweight strollers and will see you through till you don't need it any more.

Ihateparties · 31/01/2014 22:18

I know what you mean.. I think the sync looks neater and less plasticky but the basket dragging on things would drive me insane. The armadillo looks less plasticky in real life IMO. Of the ones mentioned the baby joggers will feel the sturdiest, I just wish they made some narrower ones! The city mini is 62cm, the city lite 60cm. If width is at all important to you it's worth keeping that in mind.

Ihateparties · 31/01/2014 22:20

The joovy groove is an excellent stroller with a huge hood and big seat too... Cheaper than an xt. I have one, I love it as a thing but boy do I not get on with strollers so you'll get no sense out of me on that front :-D

AliceMum09 · 31/01/2014 22:22

I got a brand new BJCM 3 wheeler for £174 from Kiddicare last autumn. It was reduced to something random like £204, then there was another 15% off if you spent over £100. It's worth keeping an eye out for offers like that.

Unfortunately it was only the boring black one that was reduced. I really wanted the purple one, but after having 8 prams for 3 children (this purchase was going to the 9th!) I thought I would be pushing my luck with DH by paying £90 more just for the colour I preferred (I'm a SAHM, he has paid for all the prams!)

thejoysofboys · 31/01/2014 22:25

Have a look at the BAbyStyle Oyster. The hood has an extra section the unzips to give more shade plus an insect net that zips out but also provides even more shade. Fits your weight criteria but I think is slightly over £200 new. I don't know what they fetch second hand though.
I'm still using mine for DS2 (almost 3) and it 's great

Original poster
strawberryswing · 31/01/2014 22:26

Yes I definitely like the look of the sync better, but the armadillo looks to be the better basket, which is probably more important as i wont have the separate handles to hang all the shopping off. Thankfully the local pram shop are mama and papas stockists so I can have a play.

I haven't even factored in a maclaren, and now I'm drawn to the graco evo, but cant seem to find it in my budget, oh :(

The width is important to me yes, so something to bear in mind. It never bothered me too much before until I had my yo and realised I could get into so many more places Smile

OP posts:
Ihateparties · 31/01/2014 22:34

Have you seen the oyster jule? Can you tell I picked up an Argos catalogue today...

Original poster
strawberryswing · 31/01/2014 22:43

I work in Argos and even I didn't notice that! It looks very much perfect to be honest. And you have found something my partner likes (very much impossible) you are a fine lady! And it's in stock at work. Yes! I think I love you.

OP posts:
Ihateparties · 31/01/2014 22:45

Ahhh even better, staff discount! You have the same option on the bj city lite then. Excellent Grin

Original poster
strawberryswing · 31/01/2014 22:54

Love the look of the city lite, but its out of stock :(. The jule looks similar to the sync except it has a nice large easy accessible shopping basket, the hoods not huge but its very reasonable and a lot better than the current yo. Only thing is I can't seem to find a single thing about it other than at Argos, is it an exclusive?

I'm going to have a play tommorow :-)

OP posts:
MiaowTheCat · 01/02/2014 06:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Mumof3xx · 01/02/2014 07:05

I have a m&p zoom

These are 250

It had a lovely big hood which looks similar to the armadillo hood so I would away to that

If dd is fully sat up in zoom and I pull the hood out fully you can hardly see her!