Londoners, what do you actually use?

[Fuckedoffat48b]

We are currently considering which buggy to get our first baby. We live in SE London zone 4, don't currently have a car but are planning on getting one one and obviously use public transport, both trains and busses a lot, and will have to navigate narrow bumpy pavements full of other people. We are about to move into a small, two bed house.

I am wholly against big expensive travel system, and think they are overly cumbersome, unnecessary bourgeois status symbols that are an inconvenient menace on the Tube. I want something light, foldable and narrow. My husband has fallen in love with the iCandy Strawberry .

Whenever I ask staff in showrooms what Londoners who use public transport actually use they all swear blind they use the iCandy and Bugaboo. But then they would wouldn't they…

So Londoners, what did you actually use from birth. And was it any good?

Maclaren techno xt. It lies flat and DS naps as well in it as the icandy orange but the maclaren is amazing for London.

A sling then the babyzen yo-yo is a good combo though.

I wouldn't go on an escalator with any buggy - would rather walk/bus.

Slings are amazing. Getting a buggy on a bus is sooo annoying and I found it really stressful in the first few months. He much preferred being squdged up anyway.
I started with babybjorn, found it shit as he got bigger and now have a much better buckle carrier, I can't remember what it is but similar to Ergobaby.
Also I have got a quinny zapp flex plus which I love. It's a pain to collapse in parent facing mode though, which I didn't realise when I got it.

I live in z4 and we used a sling and/or an Ickle Buba Aurora (cheaper than YoYo, almost as small and light, British company, dreadful name) for days out and trips away. Our day to day buggy is a second hand Baby Jogger City Mini which fits onto double deckers easily but can be a pain on smaller buses. The really important factor is how you get to the platform at your train station, we have stairs down to the access corridor and then up to each platform so our BJCM is virtually impossible to manage solo without a sling.

Btw, showrooms will always promote Bugaboo as they get massive sales from them. I have a friend who works in one and she practically admitted that she would need to sell 3-5 other prams or a buga so it's not hard to decide which one to recommend.

We didn't have a car. I'm zone 2. Relied entirely on a sling as long as possible and then a Maclaren. I had to be able to fold it up easily for getting on the bus, etc. With a baby and a toddler, I used the sling plus the Maclaren. and when the baby got too big, the Maclaren plus a buggy board on the back.

I live in zone 2 & used a mclaren techno xt for 3 yrs. We live in a 1st floor flat (no lift) and used buses 2-3 times every week.
It was comfy for child, lightweight, sturdy & narrow enough to fit 3 on a bus if everyone had similar

Will you need to navigate gravel? Either on a drive, or regular walks in the park? If so don't get a maclaten or bugaboo bee. Get an out an about or mountain buggy. Small wheels just don't work on gravel!

I have a double but pretty much all my friends have the bee or yoyo. A couple have the oyster.
The bee is very popular round here but the yoyo is catching up

IME the Bee is much better on grass, gravel etc than the Maclaren or Yoyo. It is heavier but much much nicer to push, comfier for baby and bigger basket.

You need to balance what you will need most - foldable, lightweight, portable, folding up and unfolding with one hand is what I prioritised, so you can travel on public transport.

sling & umbrella type buggy, carrycot in buggy for the first few months.

Uppababy Cruz. We don't have a car and found the extra large basket invaluable

I had Armadillio flip xt, babyzen yoyo and baby jogger citi mini. All great and had different good and bad points, but if I had to choose one then I would get the baby jogger with the one hand fold with newborn carrycot for first 6 months. Yoyo folds tiny, but requires two hands, with BJ you can easily hold baby with one hand and fold with the other. It is also easy to push, roomy seat and basket, great hood. Slings are great but not for shopping.

I have an Uppababy Vista and a Babyzen Yoyo in zone 2 SE London.

I'd look at the Yoyo if I were you. I know lots of people who've started with Bugaboos etc (even the bee) and then got a Yoyo. It is a brilliant pram. So light and easy to manoeuvre (including one handed) but also feels sturdy. We use it for travelling, journeys into central London and will also use for nursery runs when DS is older.

I also love the Vista (so sturdy, easy to manoeuvre and huge basket) but if you want something small then I think the Yoyo is the best there is.

I should add that with the maclaren I could carry the whole buggy (with child in it) up and down stairs on my own.
This is very useful if no one offers help!

Bugaboo bee again! Though the Yo-yo didn’t exist when I bought it.
Brilliant buggy.

The yo-yo every time. I sold the City Mini for it. And a sling - I use a stretchy for newborns and then a Tula.

I've got the bee, had one version or another for all 3 of mine

I have a silvercross pop. I use public transport in London a lot and it's small , light and practical. Was only £125 as well.

I know a few friends with yoyos. Some have had problems with wheels and they are only really good on smooth tarmac surfaces. But they fold easily and you can take them on planes as hand luggage.
We had a maclaren techno XT and it was amazing. Easy to fold if you have to and shove next to you on the bus or in the luggage rack. You can carry it with one hand if you need to. You can pile a whole supermarket shop on the handles. It is light and folds very small.
We now have a Phil and ted dot and I have to admit, I really love it! It's not as compact as the maclaren but for two kids you can't beat it.
For the tube you definitely want a sling though.

I should add, the maclaren is very easy in audits by myself but I struggle with the Phil and Ted dot.

on stairs!
I have never audited my buggies 😂

I have a huge bourgeoisie Bugaboo status symbol Chameleon which I've used from birth and he is now 2.5. I live in SE London zone 3 and haven't found it too much of a problem with buses, tube nor train. Modern buses are extra wide and you just jump on at the back. Only thing is you have to use the lift for the tube as it's a monster to carry and doesn't fold.

We initially used our Bugaboo Bee which is fabulous and I can’t fault it for long days out and about in London and on public transport, but if there are going to be a lot of stairs and I’m on my own with dd I take our GB pokit fold up pram, we got it from John Lewis. We initially got it for going abroad as it folds up small enough to take on planes as hand luggage. It’s incredibly light and very quick and easy to fold down, I just take it around in a cheap fabric tote bag. It’s great for the tube, but isn’t as sturdy as the bugaboo. The pokit also has the option of car seat adaptors, but only for their own make of car seat - but may be worth considering. It isn’t useable from birth, but you could use a sling in the early months. I keep my sling with the pram in the tote bag, a sling is the best way to transport a toddler on the tube hands down.