Prams/travel system for VW Golf

[Reenalondon]

Hi all.. I'm new to this all and expecting my first baby in July .. have been trying to research these 3 in 1 travel systems .. any recommendations for which are most practical, lightweight and can easily fit in a VW Golf? I've heard brands like uppababy icandy and bugaboo are good? Any specific model recommendations? Thanks in advance! R

VW Golfs are pretty standard family cars and most (but not all) buggies should fit in - though the amount of space that's left will be pretty variable! Maybe worth double checking on here again once you've chosen one / a shortlist. Some shops also allow you to try them on your boot before deciding.
I think the biggest lifestyle factors that determine the best choice of buggy are probably:

• urban or rural or in-between? Many buggies are very urban and can't cope well with muddy tracks etc but have essential features for urban living (such as being narrow which in cities is really important).
• do you have your own ground-floor hallway that you would be happy to leave the buggy unfolded in for the first few months? If so then don't limit yourself to just those one-handed folds that fold with seat parent-facing.
• will you be mostly walking or driving? If mostly walking then you'll want a good sized accessible basket (and probably an adjustable handlebar unless the fixed height is perfect for you). If you'll be mostly driving then weight and ease of lifting (in and out of car) will be important.
• be realistic about the need for a travel system. I bought one too but used the car seat in the buggy chassis about 3 times in 5 years (though I live in the city and walk mostly, and my son wasn't a good car sleeper anyway so always just transferred him). Also, there are lots of really good car seats that now go all the way from birth to 4 years but won't clip into buggies.

Thanks very much for your advice! Is there a particularly brand/model you would recommend? Live in London so a sturdy yet light and compact one would be useful ...

I'm in London too and have the Uppababy Cruz. I'm very pleased I went with that one as it's perfect for our lifestyle. I would probably not recommend it unless you have your own private ground floor hallway though.

Cruz fits in our polo

We had an oyster 2 and that fitted nicely in my golf boot, my nephews silver cross wayfarer (carry cot at the moment) also fits well with room for shopping