Car seat and pram recommendations for small car (mini cooper) and 2nd floor living (no lift)?!

[Hbo112]

We're expecting soon so are looking to get a car seat and pram - we have really specific requirements and after hours of research I can't seem to work out what will work for us !!

Car: Mini Cooper, 2 door, v small boot
Flat: second floor, no lift, limited storage.

We live in London so will also be taking public transport a fair amount.

Can anyone recommend a car seat and pram combination that will work for us ??

Any help or advice will but very much appreciated!!!

The maxi cosi coral could work as it has a detachable insert that would be much lighter to carry up and down stairs with a sleeping baby inside. As it's a maxi cosi it has adaptors that can attach it to most pushchairs. Hope that helps a little!

Get a YoYo with the newborn nest- it folds in one even with the newborn bit, shoulder strap to carry up stairs, excellent on public transport. It’s the pram you see most in London and there’s a reason why. Love ours, it was a lifesaver when we lived in a 3rd fl flat with no lift.

Car seat- I’d personally go with a small infant carrier. Put it behind the passenger and don’t plan to take it out the car very often. If you’re like us and park on street the car seat is one more thing you don’t want to drag with you and it’s not used that often so you rely on the pram more.

I’d second the Maxi Cosi Coral and Babyzen Yoyo combo. Bugaboo Butterfly & Joolz Aer are also good, similar pushchairs that take Maxi Cosi adapters.

We’ve got a Joolz Aer & it folds so small that it fits into my Golf’s rear footwell behind the driver.

The Avionaut pixel Pro is one of the best car seats on the market and it's long lasting as has a great height limit for an infant seat. It works with maxi cosi adaptors so will fit most pushchairs.
When buying an in infant seat check it can be fitted with a seat belt and not just isofix if you plan to use taxis and a range of cars.
Just be mindful that a car seat shouldn't replace a lie flat pushchair or a carrycot. Newborns shouldn't be in a car seat longer than 30 minutes without a break for oxygen level reasons and once bigger the limit is 2 hours then a break is needed.

No recommendations but don't go for the 'car seat on a pushchair base' that is normally recommended on these threads. Buy a bigger car before risking safety

I saw a tiktok where the inner lining of the car seat came out. It was like a rigid formed foam with a cushion. This was a revelation to me as car seats are so heavy. Sorry can't remember the brand.

Also in case it help re taxis- you don’t need a car seat in London taxis, you push the pram into the back and apply the brake just like you would on the bus. You only need a car seat for Uber/mini cab. Which tbh I just avoid with the kids.

Doona?! No I wouldn’t touch those. Also with a 3 door small car it’s going to be a pain to get the seat out and you aren’t going to want to carry something that heavy up so many stairs. Living in London I drive so infrequently that the car seat never comes out, on the odd occasion I do just use the pram or carry baby in my arms to/from the door. If you want the option of a transfer though then the Coral insert looks really good!

I have a maxi cosi (family fix base) behind the drivers seat. I am 5ft 7 and can drive comfortably. The drivers seat goes back further than I need but not all the way? I have an axkid behind the passenger seat. This is almost all the way forward so not much room. I think I could have moved the axkid back a bit more to make more room in the front. My 5.5 year old has plenty of room! I have a yoyo, which fits easily in the boot (takes up hald, or in the front foot well. Hope that helps! 2006 mini one 2 door

Also with the yoyo, I can lift it with my 1.5 year old in it to carry down into tube stations etc

Chicco Goody. Folds up in half and the bumper bar is a handle. And it's light weight. Winner

If I were in your situation right now I'd be buying a Bugaboo Dragonfly (out next month). Super lightweight, compact fold but unlike most lightweight/compact buggies it can be either parent or world facing, and has a bassinet attachment. It has a simple one handed compact fold with either the seat or bassinet in situ. It is also compatible with the Nuna turtle air car seat.

You can get car seat bases now that spin completely 360. Get one of those.
Then you can spin forward to put baby in and spin back for driving. Ie maxi cosi do a variety of options

Get babyzen with newborn nest ( not the carrycot). It then folds in one piece for car, carrying etc.

Babyzen Yo-yo is popular for a reason - when I had my first they didn't do a carrycot for it, which I didn't like, but I think they do now.

We had a lightweight Maxi Cosi Laika when we lived in a second floor flat and had a Fiesta. Would recommend on the whole - even more sensible if you get a compatible car seat, which we didn't. Good fold, lightweight to get up the stairs if needed. But in the end, we ended up storing it in the back of the car more than I'd anticipated, so the compact fold mattered more than the weight really. Could get a reasonable carrycot for it. All much cheaper than the Yo-yo.

You can get car seat bases now that spin completely 360. Get one of those.
Don’t without testing it first. Ours didn’t have room to spin in a land rover behind a 6ft2 DH driving. Think it was a maxi cosi.

Hello @JustKeepSw1mming thanks for the post - does the maxi cosi with family fix base swivel ? If not how do you get the kid in and out of the rear facing seat without it being a complete faff? Super grateful for any info here, I just can't get my head around how it all works !!

@Hbo112 if your looking at a fixed seat which isn't a infant seat I would look at the besafe stretch B, Avionaut Sky and Axkid ONE2 they would last a long time if you expect baby to be an average size and not small. Not many spin seat's fit babies well from day one and it's bad marketing from companies. Spin infant seats normally have pretty bad toddler seats that fit the same base for fit and price.

Spin seats that can't spin would get hardwork over time as they have higher sides that you would have to lift the child over. 25kg rear facing seats have lower sides for easy access and after a couple of years the child will climb in themselves. My daughter has since 2 year old.

Don't forget if your front airbag can go off and you get a seat that can be belted in the front seat is an option. In the UK we don't like using the front but other countries with better car seat safety use the front all the time.

No the maxi cosi doesn't swivel. If I am putting both kids in then I strap DS1 into maxicosi first while I am in the house (but dont put him in the car), then put DD5 into the axkid which is on the passengerside, (going in through drivers door), then put DS1 into the car also through drivers door. The maxi cosi clicks easily into the base. I can also reach through the boot to do up or undo DD5 if I need to.
Its been pretty easy. I can lift DS1 in the maxicosi and carry him reasonable distance (eg into swimming lessons if he fell asleep)

Easywalker mini is designed to fit in a mini (I had the first generation). I used to put DS in the front seat (mini's are little tanks) or if he was in the back basically sit on the back seat holding him and then strap him in to the side of me if that makes sense :)

I should add, I am doing extended rear facing, hence the axkid. Just to let you know that it is possible even either a mini. There are Facebook sites if you are interested 🙂

Thanks so much for this info @JustKeepSw1mming !! Would you mind sharing the exact model of maxi-cosi and base you use ? Thanks again!!