long term review of bugaboo buffalo

[omama]

Can anyone tell me how the bugaboo buffalo has fared for longer term/toddler use? Does there come a point where it becomes too heavy/cumbersome to get out of the car & you think 'I need rid of this thing'?

When DS was a baby we got an Oyster. To cut a long story short, it broke & we replaced it with a M&P 03 sport & Maclaren Quest as we wanted an off-roader & something quick to use for shopping trips.

Fast forward 5 years & we now have a 5 month old dd & 3 buggies, none of which do everything we need. Maclaren not lie flat or parent facing. Oyster (now fixed) is okish but not a particularly smooth ride, no good for off road, basket too small for outings with a family of 4. 03 sport is nice to push but heavy & doesn't fit in my car boot (Audi A1 sportback) so is only used for walks from home or outings in DH's car. Plus DD slumps in it so its only good in lie flat position & she wants to see! Having 3 takes up so much space in the house/car boot that I'm thinking of getting rid of them all & trying to find one that will do all we need.

A bugaboo buffalo has come up for sale locally & it seems to tick all the boxes. Capable of off roading, large shopping basket, large seat unit that will last longer than 12 months, bucket seat which will be more supportive/snuggly for dd to sit in, a dream to push. Dimension wise it looks like it may fit my car boot though yet to be tested. But my big concerns are....

Will it be so heavy that I'll want rid of it by the time DD is 1 & end up getting another umbrella fold? Is the seat unit really big enough to accommodate a 3 year old? Is it actually good for off roading with (say beach or forest/woodland trails)? Any common faults with the chassis etc on the first version (its 18 months old)?

We have a buffalo. DS is 10 months now, he's on 98th percentile for length and weight, but he still has lots of room. It is sturdy, and has held up to off road walks over bumpy rugby grounds, gravel, the beach and woodland trails, and it is a dream to push. The hood is also massive, which is great as DS hates the sun in his eyes, and you can fit loads in the basket. However, it is big folded, and takes up loads of room in our car boot (Renault Megane), though we can still fit our shopping in the boot with it, just about. It's also heavy to lift, especially if folded in one piece. For us, it's fantastic for most of the things we need to do, but I'm after a lighter pushchair for when I'm out with DS on my own and have to lift it in and out of the car, I just have to convince DH to let me get one!

Love love love my buffalo. My 18 month old has used it daily since birth and she's quite big and there's loads of room left in it. My husband moans about the lifting of it in and out of the car etc but I genuinely don't mind this. I'd recommend and definitely will get loads more use out of it

thanks for the replies. Its useful to know its still spacious as they get older & that its been great in terms of handling. My main concern though is the lifting it in & out the car on my own. I need to remove a wheel to fit it in as I have a small boot (audi a1). I already have to do this on my current pushchair (oyster) but its far lighter. plus the buffalo frame doesnt have a lock on it so concerned it may unfold as I lift it in/out & damage the car. has this been an issue for either of you?

Also have you found the extending hood a problem ie annoying for the child as they cant see?

I haven't had any problems with it unfolding as I've been lifting it. I also haven't had any issue with the hood either, as I've only used it when DS has been squinting because he's had the sun in his eyes, or I've used it to shade him when he's been asleep.

I love my Buffalo. (It's not my only pushchair though - I also have a Bee which I tend to use for day trips and shopping).

It IS good for off-roading - we walk to the beach a few times a week with our 18 month old in it and occasionally, our 4 year old will hitch a ride back up in the basket - that's how sturdy it is. It's simple to fold - really easy. Quite heavy to heave into our 4 x 4 car but I manage fine. Easy to steer, super comfortable for bub and great for sleeping in too. Love the UV cover / mossie net for holidays and the cosy-toes washes really well.

The only issue I've had with mine is the foam on the handlebars got damaged when it went in the hold of an aeroplane and they've been a bugger to replace but that's more down to the John Lewis online team than the pushchair.

I'm always recommending the Buffalo. (Mum of 4 - have had Stokke, Phil & Teds and Maclarens in the past. Stick with my Buffalo and Bee now)!

thanks for the comments crossroads. I am curious about one thing though - if its not too heavy for lifting in & out the car why do you need a second smaller one for shopping etc?

dh will only agree to us getting a new one if it replaces all 3 of ours. the oyster which I use daily for everything (but which struggles with rougher terrain than pavement), the maclaren (which is sitting in the cupboard unused at mo but may be used when dd is older) & our 3 wheeler (which is fab to push, single piece fold & dh loves & doesnt really want to part with, but isnt parent facing & doesnt fit in my car, so I cant use it for outings on my own).

I feel at the minute like dh gets to enjoy pushing a nice pram when we have family days out at weekends but that I have potentially 2 more years stuck using one that isnt so nice to push & is struggling to do what I need it to do, yet I am the one who uses the pushchair the most. In the holidays when i have both kids at home on my own & ds wants to go to our local country park/farm park/ forest/beach its a struggle to manouvre the oyster, and there is no space in the shopping basket for everything we need to carry ie changing bag, picnic, bucket & spade etc.

the buffalo would manage these things with ease, and be much nicer to push, but its also got to function as an everyday pushchair including daily in & out the car boot (removing wheels & bumper bar) in order for it to fit & I'm unsure if it can do that given its weight.

Our local town is mostly cobbled, full of tiny alleyways, chocolate box shops and narrow doors. The Bee is smaller, takes up less floorspace and seems less selfish to use there somehow.

I also travel very regularly (we live on an island) and with the little ones on my own so I find the Bee quicker to collapse when I'm boarding a plane.

I use the Buffalo when I go to London - I much prefer the Buffalo - personally I feel like I need two but my circumstances are probably a bit different to most. My husband does not see the need for two but I ignore him ;-)

What car do you have? We have a 4x4 and a Golf. I have to take the handlebar off to get it all in the back of the Golf but don't find that particularly annoying. I've never taken the wheels off but can try later for you if you like and let you know how easy it is?

I should say, always take the seat off before I collapse it and stick it in either car. Not sure why, I just always have. It's really easy to get the seat on / off.

ah I see.

I have an Audi A1. The boot is small. only the likes bugaboo bee/babyzen yoyo/m&p armadillo flip will fit in without the wheels needing removing. I already have to take the seat off & one wheel off my current pushchair so not much different to the buffalo, but the chassis is much lighter and locks when folded.

what makes a good buggy for walking & days out just isnt very compatible with small car boots

am going to go & try it in my car boot (yet again) tomorrow & probably dither some more.

Can someone recommend a travel system for bmw 1 series 2011 I've heard car boot not big enough and not sure what I should go for . Any help will be appreciated . Need pram that I can use day to day from newborn to fit all terrains as live in the countryside.