Help! Need stairs friendly, parent facing, lie flat...!

[pinegel]

Hi all,

Have a tricky buggy dilemma... We live up two flights of steep stairs, no lift and need something that can be either folded one-handed whilst I carry the baby up OR something that can withstand getting dragged up and down stairs everyday whilst keeping baby secure!

I'm a big fan of parent facing to promote bonding and keep an eye (!) but there doesn't seem to be much out there that ticks both lightweight and parent facing. Also, I'd really love it to have a carrycot or be completely lie flat for those newborn days. And be budget friendly :)

Joie Mirus ticks all the boxes except carrycot/completely lie flat. I'm happy to get more expensive suggestions so I can comb ebay for a second hand!

Thanks everyone... x

Do you have a car? I know a few people who leave their buggy in the car and carry baby up and down each day.

They're not popular on here for some reason, but I found my Quinny Buzz fantastic for this situation. We're up one flight of stairs and also have no lift. I chose the Quinny originally because it was very light so when he was small I could carry the base up in one hand and the baby/carrycot/car seat in the other, and it folds down and back up really easily. Also nice and small for the car boot.

But actually, when he got to a few months old and was in the big seat, and he took all his naps in the buggy so we did a lot of walking, I realised my buggy was perfect for getting him up the stairs - it has massive, air-filled back wheels and is super light, so with a sleeping baby I could bump it ever so slowly and gently up the stairs backwards and he never felt a thing. Then I'd just wheel it inside my front door.

It has quite a small shopping basket, but honestly that's all I can fault it for, I just bought one of those big clips and that problem was solved. I think if I'd been living in a house my pram-choosing priorities would have been different, and I did have my eye on an icandy, but honestly this was the best choice for us living where we do and definitely worth a look.

I'm not sure how the baby jogger city select folds. That may be worth a look as it's parent facing.

Ooh, actually the baby jogger versa should work.

Baby Jogger Versa is parent facing, one hand fold, can be used with carrycot or wedge to make suitable for newborn and its fairly compact and lightweight for this type of pushchair.

Tbh even the most expensive pushchair will suffer if its being bumped up and down everyday as the suspension will end up shot so I wouldn't advise that for 2 years.

It might be worthwhile looking into a sling too for quick trips out or even just to keep baby secure whilst lugging the pram up and down

Thanks so much for comments! Have got my eye on a few city selects/versa's on ebay as they are above my price range new... If one comes up will snap it up! The select especially looks genius as has so many combinations with the second seat...

Don't have a car, live in central London so it needs to be happy on public transport too... And yes, a sling is definitely going to be purchased!

Thanks for tip on the Quinny, didn't know about that one, will check it out.

The city select is huge and weighs a ton lifting and pushing so I'd rule that out tbh.

Oh Bugaboo bee may work?

Or the Petite Star njoy Bubble

Versa is pretty heavy too, not sure if you can bump it or not. We've bought one (still pregnant), but prob wouldn't have gone for it if we lived up a couple of flights of stairs.

Few different options bugaboo bee is a good one as u can collapse it one handed and very lightweight very similar to that is a stokke scoot one hand fold again little bit heavier. a bugaboo buffalo and stokke xplory you can shut the sets of wheels together making them able to drag up stairs obviously this is isnt recommended by both manufactures but if needs must it is possible todo so which is a nice bonus as you wouldnt have to carry it hope that helps :)

I've had the versa for a year. Got it when dd was 8 months old. It's a great pushchair, smooth ride over bumpy surfaces, huge basket but I don't think it would fair too well being bumped up stairs and I find it heavy and I only lug it in and out of the car.... not up stairs. Just thought I'd give you my opinion :-)

I love the versa but wouldn't choose it for an upstairs flat. I would get a yoyo 0+ And a sling, then re assess when the newborn fabrics were outgrown. When we lived upstairs we had an Icandy cherry, I envisaged carrying the chassis and carrycot up at the same time. In reality I didn't very often do it, a one piece pushchair was easier for me. The buzz and select are very big singles, very wide, something to keep in mind in Central London imo.

Have a look at the phil and teds smart lux? (not the regular smart) I have only seen it online but i think it meets your needs.

Have you got one Ihateparties?

We live up several flights of stairs and have tried out a few different buggies with the DCs over the years. Something with air-filled tyres will definitely bump up a lot more easily for you (esp with a sleeping baby on board that you want to stay sleeping!)

Without a doubt the micralite buggies we've had have bumped up the easiest. It's the way they are weighted as well as the way the wheels are configured I think. Lovely carrycots too, but no parent-facing option unfortunately.

Oh and I meant to add you are unlikely to want to bump up and down stairs with a newborn.

Hazchem sadly not, I would almost certainly have tried one out a year ago, it looks really good. I do like a drop down carrycot too. I haven't seen one around anywhere either, I would like to. I don't like the regular smart, the only part of the lux I'm not sure of is the handlebar, which is the bit that bothers me on the normal one.

Micralite is a great idea if OP can compromise on parent facing past carrycot stage.

Great tips everyone. Its frustrating- so many things I want in a buggy are very rarely all found in one! Think I might just go and design my own :) Mum-designers would do it a lot better I think!

Love the micralite but sad there's no parent-facing past the carrycot stage. Smart lux also looks good actually but looks like you do need two hands to fold it down (gonna be difficult with baby on hip!)

Yoyo 0+ babyzen is an interesting one. Super light and one handed fold. But again no parent-facing after 6 months...

Used micralites are often great value, it could be a good starting point if you're willing to then swap in 6m or so when you have a better idea of what works for you. Ultimately the stairs are going to be an issue one way or another, it might be easier to figure out what your most urgent needs are after you've been living it for a while. The same goes for anyone really, until you live with your pushchair you don't really know precisely how well it will work for you. Potentially a genuine one handed fold/unfold will be more valuable to you than light-ness for example?

This could work www.samueljohnston.com/en/Jane-Solo-R/m-109.aspx?gclid=CKeV--v60L4CFWTlwgodvG8AcA&utm_source=google&utm_medium=shopping&utm_campaign=UnitedKingdom

So I've just got a Stokke Xplory at super cheap on ebay, all inc! Hopefully it lives up to the hype and can be got up the stairs... Thanks for all the input ladies... We'll see if I'm back on here if it doesn't work out!

I realise I'm late to this, but thought I'd chuck in my experience.

We have about 30 steps between our front door and the street. for newborn DD, we got a cheap second hand Cherry. We left DD in the house in the carry cot, bumped the chassis down the path, then came back to get DD. Once she got into the seat, we either left her in the play pen and did the same thing, or strapped her in and bumped her down.

Then when she was about 12 months, we got a Micralite with the extended handle things that are designed to be used with a buggy board, but we pointed them upwards. We love it.

But I only take the buggy if I want a portable bed (e.g. if I'm going out for lunch and think she'll sleep through it). Otherwise, I use slings. Get a decent one (find a sling library and see what suits you) and you're good to go.