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Pushchairs

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Original poster

How easy to take carrycot off BJCM frame to carry up stairs every day?

21 replies

JasmineLondon · 13/07/2014 18:49

Hi all, can anyone advise please how easy / difficult it is to remove the compact carrycot from the baby jogger city mini and then fold the frame?

Is it easy enough to do every day?

I have 4 flights of stairs to my flat, no possibility of leaving pram at bottom (even if folded) as literally nowhere to store it in the narrow stairwell.

I don't want to bump the buggy up with a newborn, so am looking for an easy folding lightweight pram. BJCM looks great for easy fold from about 6 months, but I want parent-facing til then, hence thinking carrycot for the frame.

Other question - how do you remove the fabric seat from BJCM frame? I can't find an illustration on the web!

Thanks all, much appreciated.

OP posts:

moggle · 14/07/2014 08:23

Taking the carrycot off is pretty easy - I was testing it out at mothercare the other day. You keep the adapters on the cot, just press buttons either side and lift up. I wouldn't do it with baby in though I don't think.
A lady at John lewis took the fabric off for us and it didn't seem too hard but I wasn't really paying attention to all the steps I'm afraid!
One thing I'm not clear on is how easily the frame folds without fabric on, because you have to take the one step fold handle off in order to take the fabric fully off. It may just clip back on again though.

Haahoooo · 14/07/2014 08:34

I've never taken the fabric off ours so can't advise on that.

The carrycot is very easy to insert and remove. My top tip on inserting is to make sure you push the elastic fabric bits of the seat out of the way so they don't get stuck where you insert the carrycot, otherwise the carrycot won't click into place.

Also agree I wouldn't carry the carrycot with baby in it. Another thing worth bearing in mind is that I did not make the carrycot last for six months with either of my DC, even the smaller one. She grew out of it at 3-4 months. I was happy to put them in the BJCM forward facing at that point but up to you!

beccajoh · 14/07/2014 08:40

The fabric is attached to the frame with poppers. Have you actually seen the carrycot? It's not huge - quite narrow. I'd be surprised if you could fit a baby in a six months. Both my babies have been out of the carrycots by four months and they were quite dinky - 6lbs 8oz and 6lbs respectively at birth. You don't need to take the seat fabric off to use the carrycot. We never did.

CharlesRyder · 14/07/2014 08:49

Yes, I came on to say the BJ carrycot is pretty small. Massive DS touched both ends at 6 weeks!

You can put your car seat on it though- depends how long DC is going to be in there, obviously lying flat is better if it's going to be a long time.

It is easy to get the bits on and off once you've got the hang of it. Practise indoors though instead of trying to work it out in a rain storm like I did!!

lentilpot · 14/07/2014 11:47

I've seen it suggested before that you can lay a soft cocoon style carrycot backwards on the seat of the bjcm (attached my d-rings), I can't remember which brands though as we ended up going with a different pushchair but might be an idea for you!

Ihateparties · 14/07/2014 13:26

There's a new bigger carrycot on the way, I'm not sure exactly when though.

The current one is narrow but not unusually short at 78cm. It may be quite shallow, which along with the width is possibly why people are having issues with it. In terms of length 78cm is quite considerably off the top of the growth charts for a 26wk baby (99.6th centile is 73.5cm) and 10cm longer than a 50th centile baby boy (67.5).

I planned to carry ds upstairs in a carrycot whilst carrying the pushchair frame in my other hand. Even just carrying the cot and leaving the frame wasn't ideal. If I was doing it again I would either get a babyzen yoyo 0+ and aim to carry the whole thing up or I would get something lie flat and light and make two journeys. I would use a sling a lot too personally.

Cupoftchaiagain · 14/07/2014 14:01

We did exactly as u plan with a different kind of pushchair, carrying baby dd up and down in carrycot and clipping it on and off frame with her in. We were just careful and mindful of slipping risk! Taking her out would have defeated the entire point of leaving the house, surely...

Cupoftchaiagain · 14/07/2014 14:02

Mind u I would take baby up and then go back for the frame, gives u a hand for the banister. Plus heavy weights, stretched muscles...

Artandco · 14/07/2014 15:58

I would look at the babyzen yoyo. Parrmt faces 6 months and folds tiny with strap so you could put baby in sling or arty at bottom, fold pram and just carry up like a bag

Artandco · 14/07/2014 16:12

I mean the babyzen yoyo 0+

TeaandHobnobs · 14/07/2014 16:18

I used the BJCM (2012) with the compact carrycot - I found it dead easy to take the carrycot off the frame, even with a sleeping bubba inside.
The fabric seat is just poppered on - you have to disconnect the strap that you pull for folding (by unscrewing one of the brackets to unhook it from the frame) and pull it through the slits in the seat to take it off, but it was easy enough.
I took the fabric seat off the chassis until I moved DS into the seat at 6 months - he was prem and therefore lasted a bit longer in the carrycot than most babies.
Yes the carrycot is pretty narrow, but he never seemed to mind. I have heard a new carrycot is due out soon - I might look into that for hopefully baby #2.

TheDetective · 14/07/2014 16:21

Baby jogger have a new reversible stroller suitable from birth. The vue. It's on The BJ website :)

moggle · 14/07/2014 16:25

Tea with the fabric off, how does the chassis fold? Does the folding handle clip back on? Good to hear you can unclip the cot with baby in, I was clearly being over cautious.

I wish they'd hurry up and release the new carrycot or at least a date :-) I think it's the shallow depth of the current one that worries me- there's not much extra protected 'upwards' space in there if baby starts moving around a bit. Was watching my friends' baby in his uppababy carrycot at the weekend and I think even sitting up he'll barely be able to see over the edge. He'd tip right out in a bjcm one!

I have looked at the deeper discontinued 'deluxe' carrycot but I don't like how it sits a good few inches proud of the chassis, looks unstable though I'm sure it's not.

CharlesRyder · 14/07/2014 17:38

Yes, you can clip the folding handle back on. It is attached to the chassis not the fabric (obvs) so just unlip one end, whip off cover, clip back on.

However, as someone else said, you don't actually need to take the fabric off to put on any of the attachments.

Original poster

JasmineLondon · 15/07/2014 16:00

Thanks everyone for your feedback and ideas. If I've understood everyone correctly, it sounds like:
a) I need to keep the fabric on the frame in order for the fold mechanism to function
b) the carrycot is easy to clip on and off, but the baby may get a bit snug in there before 6 months old
c) for safety and comfort I may have to make two journeys up the stairs - first with the carrycot, and then go back for the frame

all of which means that ....
d) I might be better off buying the babyzen yoyo 0+ as a few people have recommended, and either carrying the whole pram up with the baby inside it, or putting baby in a sling and carrying up the folded pram.

Cheers all!

OP posts:

lentilpot · 15/07/2014 16:24

The fold works without the fabric! You just need to take it off in order to get the fabric off and then reattach it.

moggle · 15/07/2014 16:38

I realise this wasn't the OP's query but as it got mentioned: I emailed kooltrade about the new baby jogger carrycot and they said they were hoping to have it available in September, and RRP was £179.99.

RedKites · 15/07/2014 16:50

It sounds like you might be thinking of getting something different now, but just to add my experience... I used the Babyjogger carrycot with the BJCDouble. I don't remember ever taking the carrycot off with DS2 in it, but I took it on and off the frame every time I took it in the car for six months and never found it an issue. Also, DS2 was around the 75th centile, and I only took him out the carrycot at 6mo because I felt like I 'ought' to start letting him see more. I guess also if I had waited much longer, as he got more mobile it might have been an issue too. However, size-wise, it never seemed to bother him, and he napped much better in it than he did just in the pushchair.

TeaandHobnobs · 19/07/2014 08:37

moggle I don't think you are supposed to use a carrycot once a baby can sit up anyway? (Not like the old coach prams). So the depth shouldn't be an issue really?
TheDetective I really like the look of the Vue! Might buy one when I go to the states later this year...

moggle · 19/07/2014 09:00

Tea the Vue is basically the same as the Njoy Bubble which is available here, apparently baby jogger bought the factory?!
I was more imagining it rolling out of the carrycot somehow or pulling itself up if it can reach the top, but as a first timer I have no real idea about the different stages babies go through before they can sit up!

Ihateparties · 19/07/2014 10:26

I think you're right, 2/3 of my babies were fully mobile via rolling and pulling themselves on things before they could actually sit up so they had to be moved out of a carrycot once that happened.

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