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Pushchairs

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Should we go for the Cybex Balios S?

32 replies

MammaCat · 14/06/2018 15:31

Hi lovely mumsnetters. I am well on my way to becoming a first time mum, and am looking for a light-weight pushchair that's a good all-rounder, hopefully to see us through from birth to the toddler years. We have almost settled on the Cybex Balios S, but before committing I wondered if anyone has any good/negative experiences with it to share please? Thank you :)

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BertieBotts · 19/06/2018 07:56

You won't find many reviews on it because it's new, so if anyone has one, they won't have been using it for very long yet.

We also loved this pram and it was our finalist except I found something else second hand for such a good price I ended up picking that up instead!

But just going by my experience first time round + trying this out in the shop, we were really impressed with it and defo would have bought if the good deal hadn't come up.

MammaCat · 19/06/2018 17:03

Thank you BertieBotts. That's really helpful :)

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emelsie · 21/06/2018 12:36

Have been considering this pram but I can't find it anywhere in store to test , it looks like it could be great though!

BertieBotts · 21/06/2018 13:08

Have you looked at the list of stockists on the Cybex website? We found a stockist this way to test it but we are in Germany and as they are a German brand they might be more popular here.

You could phone the listed stores before making the trip if you wanted to make sure.

MammaCat · 21/06/2018 13:09

Hi emelsie. We found that problem too - no one has it in store! We have decided to go ahead and get it, with the view that we can always send it back if we find it's not suitable on trying it out at home.

Top tip: Mothercare is selling the Balios S travel system as a bundle with £100 off - this is the cheapest deal we were able to find! :)

Good luck, hope you find your perfect pram :) :)

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MammaCat · 21/06/2018 13:18

Hi BertieBotts. That is a good suggestion, but I would recommend checking with the UK retailer before making the trip.

I called the listed stockist in my area just to confirm that they had it in store before making the journey there, and the person I spoke to told me they didn't have any in store but might have it on the website...not helpful! :(

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emelsie · 21/06/2018 16:35

Hi thanks for the suggestions, have plenty of time ( not due til November) so May be stocked in more stores by then.

Also please let me know when yours arrives how you find it , would be great to know!

Kmatkins · 27/07/2018 21:21

I have had mine since March and love it! I had a Bugaboo Camelon 3 that I loved but was no good as its a 2 part fold, I car share a fiesta so needed a buggy that fitted in a small boot and a buggy that was easy to collapse when on the bus, I decided to get the Bee5 but I hated it, was horrible to push, the basket was useless, Lg never looked comfortable in it and the raincover was a nightmare so I did a lot of looking and come across the Balios S, the quality is amzing for the price! I chose the grey, the seat is so high, the leg rest is brill my Lg loves it up, the seat lays completely flat, the hood is huge and has been a life saver with this heat the past month or so, it is parent facing and world facing, the buttons are memory so you push one and it stays till you press the other side, this is brilliant when your hands are full, the basket is huge! It isnt sheltered much but its never been an issue so far, the raincover is so easy to put on its completely stress free, the seat moves with an easy pull on the handle thats located on the top back of the seat, very easy to change from sitting to sleeping, it collapses with one hand which is brilliant when im holding the baby on the bus, when you do collapse it theres a handle that pops out and makes life so much easier to carry, it also locks closed so no pinching fingers when moving around, back wheels pop off with a button so goes even smaller, the suspension and push is better then my Bugaboo, that was 1000+ and this £280 is better its unbelievable, it glides effortless and iv even had my 5 year old nephew jump onto the front plate and pushed both of them with a breeze, it goes over any surface very easily but not been on sand yet, I really do wish I had this from the start I could have saved a lot of money, the only con I have found is the leg rest gets causght in the basket when unfolding, I am now use to it so automatically pop it out before putting up.
Hope this has helped, its been the only buggy to tick the many boxes my circumstances have created Grin

Silvita33 · 28/07/2018 21:18

Hi, I just got the balios s recently ! And I agree with Kmatkins.
I have one issue though, can you please tell me about the raincover, I do not know if mine is the proper one , it’s too big . I mean it fits on the hood , but it’s way longer than the legrest and I am worried the wind might blow it off. Do yo have a picture of yours on the prom by any chance????

Kmatkins · 30/07/2018 15:56

It does go down to the footplate but thats because toddlers feet would go to there and they need to keep dry, the velcro goes round the circle which makes it tight and never had an issue in bad winds with it coming off x

Silvita33 · 30/07/2018 22:39

Thanks , that makes me feel better. Maybe because I am comparing to te Uppababy I have which fits perfectly and has an elastic.

Silvita33 · 11/08/2018 20:57

But still...It does look too big, even the black part on the hood is bigger than the hood and when my baby is in , facing me, I can’t see her face Confused . Kmatkins- is yours like this ?

Should we go for the Cybex Balios S?
Should we go for the Cybex Balios S?
Daffodil77 · 19/08/2018 08:13

How do you guys find the fold? I tried it in store and couldn't do it. The handle didn't seem to register that it needed to bend, iykwim. Even the sales assistant was struggling. They said they'd checked with the rep to see if it was a fault with their version and apparently not. It just doesn't stack up with all the great reviews I've seen. Our top choice at the moment is the uppababy Cruz but it's so much more expensive. Plus I prefer the lie flat seat and big hood on the balios. TIA

Kmatkins · 19/08/2018 08:55

I have had a load of people say the same, I have helped a few, people are automatically applying pressure on the handles down towards the floor, when you push against the handle you need to apply pressure in the same direction that the handle goes into the buggy (towards the front wheels) once you realise its one of them moments lol it then takes no force at all and can be done with one hand, there is a Cybex FB page that I am in, you could ask for help and I would be more then happy to send over a video

Daffodil77 · 20/08/2018 07:03

Thank you! Maybe we'll give it another go. Our nearest store that stocks it is 45 mins away but the price saving is worth the distance.

AaaaaaarghhhWhereAreMyKeys · 24/08/2018 11:30

Not sure where you are OP but they have a Balios (as well as a few other Cybex) on display at Baby Nest in Croydon.

We looked at it too and did really like it however wasn’t too sure about the foam handle - it seemed to be made of really cheap, itchy foam. At the price, I’m not sure i’d rule it out just because of the handle though!!

Kmatkins · 24/08/2018 12:02

I was suprised to see the foam, I purchased lether covers, looks loads better so this is an option 😊 pics attached, second pic is left handle with covers and right foam

Should we go for the Cybex Balios S?
Should we go for the Cybex Balios S?
Kmatkins · 24/08/2018 12:07

Also Cybex has stated this so guessing an updated version is being released 🤔

Should we go for the Cybex Balios S?
AaaaaaarghhhWhereAreMyKeys · 24/08/2018 12:14

Oh wow, the leather covers look like they make a huge difference! Also love that colour matkins ❤️

How do you find it off-road?

We were very impressed with the Joolz Hub which is so smooth and compact but the price is ridiculous, plus all accessories are extra and the shopping basket is teeny.

Now I’ve seen those handles I’m definitely leaning towards the Balios

AaaaaaarghhhWhereAreMyKeys · 24/08/2018 19:13

Where did you get the liner and handle covers from Matkins?

Kmatkins · 24/08/2018 19:53

Its grate off road, the suspension is ridiculously good, been on park/woods days, I live on a building site at the moment and is easy to get over the gravel, I did have to pull back on sand but dont know a buggy that can be pushed forward, the leather covers was from Olive and Co creations and the Liner is Elodie Details, this is a designer swedish company but the quality is out of this world, got the footmuff in this print coming to, hope this helps 👍🏻

AaaaaaarghhhWhereAreMyKeys · 24/08/2018 22:19

Thanks matkins - yep that's really helpful. That liner goes beautifully with the grey....the footmuff looks like it'll be super cosy too.

JemmmaJ · 26/08/2018 08:36

Hello!

We are buying the Ballios S, BUT not sure about infant carrier options - seems pretty limited (?). Which infant carriers did you all plump for?

Seems there are only two to choose from?

Kmatkins · 26/08/2018 09:26

Im sorry i cant halp you there, my Lg was 18m when I got mine

BertieBotts · 26/08/2018 09:29

We found in the shop the key to folding is to make the movement very sharp. If you do it too gently it won't fold - it needs a bit of speed. That's actually good because it means it doesn't fold by accident when you're pushing it.