Travel system or buggie ?

[LaurenH0893]

Help please !!! 
Expecting our first child & currently going through the minefield that is the pushchair purchase.
Is buying a full travel system a waste of time & money ?
Should we just buy a buggy ?

Currently looking at the new Icandy Peach 2018. Is it worth the price tag ?
will we be buying a buggy after 12 months ?

I personally like to have a parent facing option. And a single piece buggy. Back when I bought my first push chair, that meant the bugaboo bee. It just so happens that you can put the car seat on it, but I never used that option with my first (did for babies 2 and 3). My friends who got the big systems (Icandy, bugaboo, uppababy) had all bought strollers by 12 months. Mostly maclarens. The two of us who had bought bees stuck with those Until no push chair needed. Mine did eventually die after 6.5 years of continuous daily use.

Travel system just means you can put the car seat on the frame, which the vast majority of pushchairs allow you to do these days, unless you mean one of those umbrella type strollers that are rarely suitable for newborns anyway.

Unless you’re looking at the Peach because you need something sturdy with bigger wheels because you do a lot of country walks, your best bet is probably to go for lightweight travel system like the Bugaboo Bee or the Babyzen YoYo (there are other options too) that will see you all the way through from newborn to the toddler years.

Yes we do a lot of walking on different t terrain & want something with decent wheels & sturdy that isn't going to get stuck in abit of mud.
I will have a look at the bugaboos now.

I had a Joolz Geo travel system but used it for 13 months max before swapping for a baby jogger city mini GT which is great off road.

A bugaboo bee will be useless if you walk anywhere or than super smooth roads and shopping centres.

I would look at a Bugaboo fox and decide if you would be happy collapsing and putting in your boot even when your child is a toddler. I swapped for the CMGT because my toddler makes the Joolz heavy to push and it’s heavy to lift in the boot and takes up lots of room.

If you’re looking for sturdy wheels check out the Baby Jogger City GT (or something like that!). Strollers are great but crap in mud, leaves, country roads etc. The Baby Jogger takes a car seat, bassinet etc and has great wheels, but doesn’t cost 1K.

In that case a big all terrain buggy probably is worth it for you. If you feel the need maybe look to pick up a cheap stroller when your LO starts walking but I definitely would jump straight to it if you need a pram that can stand up to a country walk!

I think you’ll find a travel system useful - the icandy all terrain is a brilliant one and you’ll pick it up second hand on eBay/Facebook for £2-300. I wouldn’t spend money on a new one as you’ll probably want to get a stroller after a year or so.

I've found a bargain BNIB on ebay but my partner is concerned with buying off there or buying 2nd hand for such a big purchase.

Do you guys have any experience ?
It would be over £400 saving from a new shop brought !

I got a travel system because everyone said I should and as a first time mother I didn't know any better - and I hated it! Too big, cumbersome and heavy, hard work to put up and fold down. I'd bought a light, easy buggy within months. I liked the idea of being able to put the car seat onto the pram so she wouldn't wake up by being moved from car seat to pram but that was a waste of time because just the act of opening the door and unhooking the car seat woke her every time anyway.

I think it's largely down to how your baby and lifestyle are, but I'm due with number two and will be buying a separate car seat and a light weight buggy suitable for newborns with a carrycot insert this time around. Much more basic, not sophisticated or clever and much, much cheaper. It wouldn't work for everyone but there's no way I'd buy another travel system.

We bought a travel system (silver cross surf) and it just got so annoying having to take it apart (take the seat off the chassis) and set it up again. It was so heavy too! I bought a buggy and from when our daughter was about 6/7 months old it’s all we’ve used, I would definitely just go for a pushchair / fold up buggy

Definitely go second hand if you can. I have a mountain buggy (also worth considering - great off-road) and there's a great Facebook buy/sell site, and I'd imagine there is one for most of the main buggy producers.

I wouldn't risk eBay for the sake of a few hundred. You're screwed if there turns out to be a problem with it.

I bought a Jane Epic and it's been absolutely brilliant as an all terrain pushchair. It did develop a fault but as it came with a 2 year warranty that wasn't an issue and the service centre fixed it with no stress whatsoever.

I think it's worth a trip to a big shop that sells a few different brands that are strong contenders. I very quickly ruled a few out when I did this.

If I was starting over and boot space wasn’t an issue I’d definately get the baby jogger city mini and bassinet and buy the adapters for the car seat. I’ve used many many prams in my time and it’s been my favourite to push. I never put the car seat on it though since babies aren’t supposed to be in them for long anyway. If I did need to quickly nip into a shop and baby was sleeping I just put the seat in a trolley.
I have a maclaren umbrella fold purely because of boot space when I needed to use the 2 seats that are effectively in the boot of my car. If I’m a strict budget I’d have just gone for the umbrella fold but it’d be rubbish on any ground other than footpaths!

I have the icandy peach - I bought it for DD who is now nearly 2 but have both seats so can use for DS who is 4 months. I have the Blossom bassinet so can fit them both on at the same time too. When DD was newborn I used to put the maxi cosi car seat on the chassis if I was making a super quick trip.

I don't regret buying it and still use it everyday but we did but a Babyzen Yo-yo too - they're just good for different things.

Another vote for baby jogger city mini gt - with the car seat adapter and deluxe carrycot it essentially becomes a travel system without the hefty price tag. It’s easy to push and fold, houses a large toddler and lies flat for toddler naps which a maclaren won’t do. Goes off road with the GT wheels.

What’s the catch? It’s not parent facing post 5 months.