Best pram for public transport

[Blueberry1990]

Hi!

I'm trying to decide which pram/stroller to buy for my first baby due this summer. I'm currently leaning towards the Inglesina Aptica.

I don't drive, I used busses and trains a lot so ideally something that is easy to manoeuvre and not too heavy (would also like a carrycot that can used as a stand in the living room in place of a moses basket)

Not heard of that one but I swear by the babyzen yoyo. There is a reason you see them everywhere in cities. Small, light and easy to manoeuvre. DS is 20 months now and I can still easily carry him up a flight of stairs in it.

I’m probably going to go against the grain a little, but we initially bought an easily foldable lightweight pram, and I hated it for the newborn phase!

It was great for getting in and out of the car, but for lots of walking and getting on / off buses I’ve found sturdier is better, as I never folded the pram down anway. The smoother push was actually much nicer and more useful. (We have the Bugaboo Fox5)

Once my LO is bigger we’ll get something lighter, but I’d only use it if we were driving to somewhere and using the pram minimally, or to a restaurant once LO can go in a highchair.

Any outing with a decent amount of walking I’d still use the Fox 5 as honestly the smoother push of a big pram is much nicer.

Remember that you may need to fold it if the bus/train is very busy and particularly if a disabled person needs the space. Get one that folds small enough so you don't get kicked off buses. Not a week goes past here without someone moaning that a wheelchair took priority here (one one accessible spot on our buses)

I live in London, and in terms of popularity on public transport, it’s:

• Babyzen Yoyo
• Bugaboo Bee
• Maclaren XT

I have a Bee, which I like because it’s narrow and light enough to fit comfortably on the bus, but has an adjustable handle unlike the Yoyo. it’s easy enough to fold that if you have to, you can collapse it and sit with your child on your lap.

YMMV, but if I was planning on using public transport regularly I wouldn’t get a £1.5k travel system, it’d break my heart the first time someone scratched it.

You need narrow (to fit easily down the bus aisle, and so that 2 or even 3 will fit in the allotted space; trust me, there will be days - usually wet ones - when you really won't want to have to wait for the next bus, or the next).

Foldable even better - then you can shoehorn yourself on regardless of number of other pushchairs. It's something every mother did with elan not so long ago. Very achievable with one hand umbrella fold (such as the McLaren - which with shoulder strap is a cinch to carry), but some forward folds are manageable too

I'd say it depends a lot on whether you might need to access stairs in the train stations. We have the Yoyo and like pp, it's brilliant for going anywhere on the tube as I can carry it up stairs with my toddler in it. I'm not the kind of person who wants to wait around for someone to help me carry it up, or to walk miles to a station with lifts because the nearest one has stairs.

The pram you mentioned is very large and heavy in comparison. It's not something I'd ever choose but perhaps would suit if your local buses have a lot of buggy space, the train stations you'd use all have lifts, and the shops and pavements you'd use are nice and wide.

The YoYo definitely. You can get it with a bassinet but personally I would go for the newborn pack instead so that baby is strapped in, it’s lighter and you can fold it flat- all important features for public transport. Get a separate moses basket for use at home, it’s not like they’re particularly expensive and I wouldn’t get a less good pram that I’d end up struggling with every day just to prioritise the baby being able to sleep in overnight for a couple of months.

You can get whatever one you want as long as you are prepared to get off if someone needs the space. I got a pram I liked rather than one that was easy to fold but I was always prepared to get off and did.

Whatever one you get - it MUST fold in one piece. No having to remove a carrycot and fold separately.
One piece and if possible one handed.
The YoYo one seems best for regular public transport. The Bugaboo Bee is sometimes slightly to wide to get down the aisle on some styles of the buses.

Bugaboo bee or yoyo is what 90% of parents have around me in London. I lived my bee. So sad when I stopped using it actually!

The yoyo was too lightweight for me as I live near woods and I didn't like you couldn't do parent facing. I got the bus every day with my bee and never had any issues. Also never had to fold it personally and I've used it for 4/5 years

Bugaboo Bee. Excellent and designed to be able to fit through the barriers at train station. They’re phasing this pram out so you may be able to pick one up cheaply.

I have yo-yo and while it's very light and compact, it's also very flimsy. Dc including a few other toddlers I've seen tip sideways. They have very small basket space, tiny wheels that get stuck everywhere and worse pushing it when the child gets heavier and heavier. While it's good to be able to carry it on a plane, but during short European flights they might tell you leave it at the aeroplane door anyway as there aren't enough cabin space and also it's a nightmare to navigate if you end up going somewhere that doesn't have smooth pavements and surrounded by cobbles. I personally got it as i used to live in a small flat with no space to store it but regret missing the parent facing mode. Look at bugaboo bee and cameleon which is phased out now where you can pick it up for 250/300 brand new from cost co. Look

A sling or a foldaway light weight buggy.