11.5kg pushchair - too heavy for long-term use?

[Growingyou]

After much deliberation, my DH & I think we've settled on the Uppababy Cruz V2. I haven't pulled the trigger on purchasing yet because I can't stop the niggling worry in my mind that 11.5kg is pretty hefty once you have a quickly growing infant inside. I have a very pedestrian life - walk pretty much everywhere, occasionally using trams. Would love people's thoughts on whether you've tired of a stroller this heavy.

We have one and it’s great, not too heavy at all. The vista is even heavier, the cruz is the lightweight one

I have one too and love it. Can’t say I’ve noticed that it’s particularly heavy at all.

I suppose it depends on how strong you are. If you are weakling like me getting a heavy pushchair into the car is a pain.

I had a cossatto pushchair that I’ve just looked up that weighed about 8.5kg and I found that very heavy to push around. If I walked particularly far it gave me shoulder ache. After 5 years use I’ve swapped to a cheap stroller for my youngest and it’s so much easier to push.
Can you have a try out the shops once they’re open to give you an idea what it feels like to push?

I didn’t have an uppababy but had a Bugaboo Fox which is a similar size but slightly lighter. I didn’t find it particularly public transport friendly and switched to a Bee. My DD is now 2.5 and I can still lift her in it up and down stairs when needed and it’s so much easier to manoeuvre around tight spaces.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts/experiences I think I'll try to get to the shops and trial them out.

@ShirleyPhallus and @StopThisTrain28, as Uppababy Cruz owners, do you have second pushchairs? Or does the Cruz cover all bases?

How often are you going to actually carry it? IME more important than the weight is the handling. I have a really light buggy which is utterly awful to push, it's so cheap and has no features at all so it's really heavy to push with a toddler in. Whereas my heavier Mutsy Evo and Britax B-Agile are much much nicer and lighter to actually push around, even with a 15kg toddler in!

Most people do end up with a second buggy eventually because it's nice to have something less bulky to sling in the car/potentially push around empty once your child is walking more. But IME if you get a from birth one that is easy to use, fold etc you won't need this second one until they're more like 18-24 months old.

The one we most often use currently is the Britax. It's not the most lightweight buggy ever but it's light enough to be easy to use, the fold is quick and easy and it fits in the car much better than the Mutsy which has to be folded in two parts realistically. And because it's only forward facing, the seat is bigger for my 2.5yo. The reversible seat units tend to start looking a bit snug once the children get older unless they are small for their age.

@Growingyou it’s covered all bases for me so far. However baby is only 7 months so I can’t say I definitely won’t want something lighter at some point. I think I would buy something a bit lighter if we were to go abroad.

Agree with pp that discomfort (eg cosatto) is the handle position and handling not the weight.

Weight is only a problem when you lift the buggy ( eg car boot)

Do you need to fold it to get on and off trams?

I have the abc zoom, it weighs a ton but turns on a dime. I love it so much. My eldest turns 5 next week, we are still using it! He has special needs and I probably won't need a special needs buggy at this rate!

You want nice big wheels if you like to walk fast and go on uneven ground

Also consider carefully the basket size and handles (height and type of handle)

Some types of handle you couldn't slip a shopping bag over. But you can get a large carabiner clip and hang shopping on it in that way.

My city mini GT is apparently 9.8kg and its much easier to handle and carry folded than the lighter pushchair at grans house and can be pushed one handed. You definitely need to try them to see his they feel to push, gold and carry before you buy.

Can it go down a tram or bus aisle? Can you fit it into a cafè without taking up a tonne of space? Honestly I’d get a bugaboo bee - all the other fancy prams seem to get dumped for a mclaren stroller once the kids are bigger.

It really depends what you will use it for. Our travel system was heavier than that; it had carriage suspension and big wheels plus an adjustable handle, which meant it was great off road and for walking long distances. Getting it onto a bus was hard work (I think I did it once!) due to the suspension, but that wasn't something I did much.

On the other hand, if you have to get it up and down stairs regularly, then you want something as light as possible. Thankfully we don't have steps to our house!

I bloody loved the Cruz. Really easy to push, very easy to use (sounds basic, but the straps aren't fiddly) and a massive basket. Used it on the bus and tube with no issue. I don't have a car though, so it might be a faff if you need to put it in a boot.

I borrowed it for a year and now have a Cosatto Woosh, which is lighter but feels no easier to push.

How often are you going to actually carry it?

This.

Sincerely,
Woman who had to bump a Cosatto up three steps twice a day for two years

Gotta have that one hand push so I can sip my macchiato

I have an uppababy vista abs I love it. It's really light to actually push. It's great as a double as well. My chunky 2 year old still uses it and it's fine

I have a mamas and papas ocarro which is an equally chunky affair, we have used since birth and currently still going strong with a 1.5yr old.
It’s very easier to handle and I think ‘carries it’s weight’ better than a cheap, light stroller would, however I don’t use public transport and it is heavy to lift into the car. We bought it to be rough and ready though so it can take a beating when I lob it into the boot (I often need a bit of momentum so it thuds in!).

You know, if a stroller is under 12 kg, it's not that heavy actually. And if you're not goingto carry it up stairs, it should be just fine if it's a quality stroller - which the Uppababy Cruz is. Even the guy is speaking very highly of Uppababy pushchairs.

I had a Valco Snap once, and after that, a 1 kg heavier Oyster Zero, and the maneuvering was SO MUCH better on the Zero. The center of gravity was simply better made. So I wouldn't only look at the weight, but also the quality, reviews, and maneuverability.

We have a bigger pram that's just under 10kg. Our buggy is 6kg. Both Cosatto. There's pros and cons of both. The heavier pram is nice to manoeuvre and seems very comfy to sleep in. The lightweight buggy is super handy if we're needing to carry things upstairs and it packs away nicely for taking away etc.

Thanks so much everyone. Still haven't made my mind up - definite case of analysis paralysis - but think we'll invest for the benefit of wheels that can go anywhere.

If I can suggest two articles that summarize all I've learned about how to pick a stroller: Here is all you need (and shouldn't) consider when picking a stroller and here the need for priortization - you can't get everything in one pram. One thing better means another thing worse, so that is important to count on. I personally like simpler, lighter pushchairs more, but if you need it to tackle all, a very lightweight model will last less, and take time damages worse. The stroller price also is a very important factor that means not just quality (sometimes it doesn't), but also how it sells later.

Btw, the Cruz you started with is truly a good choice for an everyday walker. I wouldn't go for something more wobbly if pedestrian life is the main priority.

A couple of friends had an uppababy and on the odd occasion I was asked to take care of pushing momentarily I found it very heavy and cumbersome compared to my baby jogger elite. That was light as a feather to push.

Three-wheelers are always so much better maneuverability-wise... The City Elite is a dream to push.