All terrain pushchairs - any recommendations?

[Elderberry]

We're thinking of getting an all terrain pushchair but I'm finding the choice confusing to say the least!

We want something reasonably rugged that will put up with country walks (fields etc, nothing too extreme) but that will also fold down small enough for the boot of our Peugeot 306.

Any recommendations?

Does anyone know of an outlet in the Oxford area where you can look at a range of vehicles?

Thanks

Hi Elderberry, we have got a Bebbecar Raider AT. We find it brilliant and very easy to use. We use it to go to the ponies fields (all bumpy), to go to the beach, there is no where we cant go with it. It has air tyres, car seat for new baby and turns into a push chair. Folds down flat and the wheels can also be removed very easily to enable you to have more space in the car (they just clip on and off). The hood also comes off. It is quite expensive (luckly my dad bought it) but it has been worth every penny for what we wanted a pram for.

Thanks Joe. Where did you get it from?
Any other recommendations out there?

We have an All-terrain Mountain Buggy, which is great but also expensive (Mum & Dad bought it for us, although we bought the accessories). It also fits a car seat (you buy a clip which allows you to use the Britax Rock-a-tot in it) and it also has a wee travel cot which you can swap into it (having said, I think we used the cot once in the ATP and the rest of the time as ds's "daytime" sleep place!) It's an NZ make which we bought via a distributor in the Borders (but I am sure there are other distributors in the UK - I seem to recall that it did quite well in a Babyworld.co.uk survey and I'm sure it would have details).

I'm not sure how well it would fit into the boot of a 306 though as it is fairly bulky. You can take the wheels off fairly easily, although not as easily as Joe desribes for the Bebe raider and it's not something you want to have to be doing regularly! It fits OK into the boot of an Avensis and a Passat, but didn't fit into the boot of a Mazda.

We're just back from a week in Skiathos and we bought a wee stroller to take with us - which we cursed the whole time as it couldn't cope with gravel, soft ground, cobbles etc - all the things the ATP takes in its stride!

Elderberry

We too have a Mountain Buggy all terrain buggy - but I am a kiwi and so I wanted to buy NZ made!
You can get them here via www.mountainbuggy.com which will give you the contact details of your nearest distributor over here in the UK. (we found it cheaper to buy in NZ but only because I happened to be over there when pregnant...)

We have a Peugeot 306 and it fits in the boot no problem at all.

One brilliant feature is that you can get an extra swivel wheel to go on the front (that when not in use flips easily underneath the buggy)that allows you to wheel it anywhere using one finger only! This is an absolute godsend when in shopping malls/supermarket type places with smooth floors.

I also jog with my buggy (after all that's what they are designed for) and it still looks brand new and my daughter is 17 mths old. She still goes to sleep in it no probs if we need a bed in the evenings if we are out. It has also been off road alot - lots of bridleway walking - and it copes really well.

The only small problem with it is that it doesn't fold up in length very much but as long as it fits in your boot you are fine and no I wouldn't want to take the wheels off too often.

Otherwise I would be lost without it - we are off to Portugal soon and it is coming with us and to NZ again in January.

Good luck - I know there are so many out there - try and go to a local NCT baby group with Mum's with their buggies and have a look at them and try them out (I did in NZ - took a friends one out for a walk with her baby).

Elderberry, I got mine from a shop in Portsmouth called Kresta, but I dont know if they have a website listing outlets. Are you far from the South Coast. I think now, if I remember from the new catalogue, you can now get it with spinny front wheels for more ease of use.

I have an all terrain Mothercare three wheeler. It was reasonably priced at £119, can fit in the boot of my Polo hatchback, is suitable from newborn and looks pretty snazzy. It also has a lockable front swivle wheel, and the rear wheels are easily detachable if you cant fit it in your boot.

We used it last weekend at a country show where the ground was really rough and it was fine.

Kiwibird

How do the Mountain Buggy wheels come off - do you need a spanner?

I'm really tempted by one of these, but cost is almost the same as a Landrover ATP, even before I add in the cost of a cot attachment. So I'm interested to see whether the ergonomics are better.

The wheels just unscrew - very easy, done just with your fingers. However, I always find it a faff putting them back on (there's also a spindle on the back wheels that you need to be careful about) - but my husband never seems to have a problem!

The other thing abut the Mountain Buggy is that it is very light and beautifully balanced. We found that once you got used to the different steering technique (ie you lift slightly to turn), that we don't even notice that we're doing it any more, it's so easy. (Definitely easier than the stroller, especailly if the ground is at ALL uneven!) I didn't know about the extra swivel wheel though - although we do very little mall shopping with him, so the fixed front wheel is not an issue.

We're off to South Africa soon for ds to meet his great granny - and this time round the ATP will be going, rather then the "convenient" stroller, even if it IS bulkier!

Thanks for the recommendations - the Mountain Buggy sounds pretty good.

Kiwibird - was it significantly cheaper to get the buggy in NZ? We are going next month so if it's a lot cheaper we will wait (& do you know any good outlets in Auckland?!)

I emailed an NZ distributor and got the following prices:

M.Buggy Urban N.Z.$550
M.Buggy Terrain Recline hammock N.Z.$490.
Accessories for both:
Storm cover N.Z.$35, sun cover N.Z.$45, Carry cot N.Z.$190, car seat clip
N.Z.$49,travel bag N.Z.$90, Sleeping bag N.Z.$190.

I think the exchange rate is about 0.28 to 0.29 at the moment, so multiply by this to get pound equivalent. This means they are a lot cheaper if you buy in NZ and don't have to ship. Maybe you could get me one as well!!!

These prices are from Winkalotts who I think are based in Akld. However if you look on the NZ MB site it has all the NZ retail sites, and you may find it cheaper "on the ground".

Donna

Florenceuk

Thanks for this - the best price I've found over here is £300 for the Terrain incl. storm cover - i.e. it's more than £100 cheaper in NZ. Do you know if the price includes GST? Where did you get the e-mail address from? I looked on the MB site but it just had phone no's. I can give you the number of the UK place if you like.

I think we'll be a bit bogged down with luggage to bring another one home - sorry! I'm already fretting about the excess baggage charge! Have you had your baby yet? If not I'd recommend waiting then you can try the baby in the pushchair and you'll have a better idea of what you want. We managed to borrow a pram for the first four months which meant that we won't need the carrycot attachment for newborn, which reduces the cost a bit.

Elderberry

£300 is a good price for the Mountain Terrain, although I'm tempted by the Urban because of the swivel wheel - so yes, if you could give me the UK number that would be good. Unfortunately I don't know anybody to borrow a pram from (combination of being an expat NZ'er and not knowing very many people with young kids), butwe have some time to make a final decision - baby is not due until November.

The website is www.winkalotts.co.nz. My guess is that the prices quoted are pre-GST as it's for shipping, and unfortunately GST in NZ is non-refundable. If you are over there in October, it might be worth checking out the Parent and Child Show (on in Wgtn this weekend and Akld 12-14 October), which apparently has good specials. Tell us what you decide to buy! I can't work out why these are so expensive in the UK though given NZ price.

I was only joking about bringing back me a buggy, although if anyone was offering I wouldn't say no...! I think though somebody told me a buggy is not counted as part of your baggage limit, so that should help with the excess baggage worries.

HTH

I forgot - once you are over there, you will find a few more options. My sister has a Kiwi Explorer which folds up smaller than the Mountain Terrain, with quick-release wheels - but it is more expensive.

Florence

Not more choice! I'm pretty sure now that we'll wait til we go to NZ given the savings so I'll decide what to get once we're there.

The phone number is 01235 771866 - it's called Sporty Strollers and they are based about 20 miles SW of Oxford. I think she does the Urban too but don't know what the price is. She also stocks a brand called XTS which I don't know for £200.

Did you see Kiwibird's comments about the castor wheel that you can get as an extra for the Terrain? If I get the MB I'll probably get this too as she was saying it was really useful for shopping.

The MB website has a list of UK distributors with phone no's so you might find a better price - I had only phoned outlets in our area.

Thanks for the info and good luck with the baby!

Have a good time in NZ! It's a great place to go for a holiday - I won't go back there until next year Xmas time probably though. You can tell us about flying 25 hrs with a small child on return...

I am also looking for a good all terrain pushchair.Have been considering the german make'hauck-roadrunner shop and drive'.I would be grateful if anyone has tried this make or model and has any comments.My main concerns are is it good quality build ,is it robust,is easy to push and is it comfortable for baby!
Last question is does a three wheeler need a swivel-wheel for easier pushing or is this not really necessary.
Any comments would be much appreciated as i would like to buy the best pram first time round.
thankyou jenny(jenz)

HI, Jenz. We have a three-wheeler by Maxi-Cosi which takes the carry-cot, car seat and then converts to a buggy. The big problem is that the wheels puncture easily, we are forever having to get them repaired at a cycle shop. The man in the shop says that this is common with all makes of three-wheelers and I've since heard of other people having problems. Apparently you can now get three-wheelers with solid tyres (a bit like wheelbarrows) so if you are going to be walking in the country a lot I'd look for one of those.

dear elderberry , about the hauck prams I mentioned in the last message if you would like to look at them they are on littleduck.com (the company is called Knight and Thomas based in Swinton-online only).
Obviously I can't make any recomendations as I am in the same boat as you,so many choices,decisions decisions!
The three wheelers on the site look like quality and value but is impossible to know for sure! Im just hoping I can find somebody whose tried one before I buy.Will keep you posted if I do.
Thanks for leting me use your board for asking my own questions! Jenz

are the air tyres on the mountain buggies good on rough ground/stony tracks or do they puncture? is the folding mechanism good and easy to use?

thanks ionesmum , seems impossible to find a buggy with all the features I would like in a single model.The mountain buggy terrain looks great but it has air tyres.It is very light and can fit any carseat.The hauck roadrunner looks v.comfortable , but is it too heavy for hillwalking would i lose control downhill!(very likely!).Ive spent a week looking at the pros and cons of every type and model available.Think Id better go and de-stress!my boyfriend cant believe how mch one woman can talk about prams in one week !

Jenz - a swivel wheel is a godsend in town etc. We have an XTS 3 wheeler, where the front wheel swivels but can be fixed for 'off-road'. I can't be doing with all that lifting the front wheel to go round a corner!!

We have a Mothercare Urban Detour, Pinnacle pushchair. At the time we bought it, it was the only 3-wheeler we could find with a swivel front wheel. Anther useful feature is a height adjustable handle,but I believe the most up to date model does not have this. The swivel wheel is a Godsend! Honestly, I have driven my sister's 3- wheeler around shops, and it's a nightmare! My only complaint about it, and it's entirely my fault, is that it doesn't easily fit into the back of our Polo Saloon. The clever sales-person, who'd clearly had a lot of practice, whipped it into the back of the car without any difficulty, for me its a bit of a struggle. Now, when we come to get a new car, an important consideration will be whether or not it will accomodate our pushchair.

Jenz- looking again at your posts I see that your planning to use the pushchair up and down hills. The new model of the Pinnacle may not have a height adjustable handle, but I'm almost certain that it does have a handbrake mounted on the handle. This is vital for downhill on rough terrain!

ionesmum, we have a three wheeler, there is fantastic silicon strip you can buy that 'lines' your inner tube and protects it from most punctures. Since dp did it we have had no punctures at all (thats for about 8 months). Can't remember the name off hand - he got it from Halfords, I'll ask him when he comes back if he can remember the name.

Its much better to have pneumatic wheels if you can as it improves the ride over bumpy terrain.

Jenz - buy a good off-road three wheeler AND a lightweight buggy for town shopping. Its really worth it if you are planning to do a lot of country type walking but you need to get round the town as well. I keep my Maclaren Daytripper in the boot of the car, and we use our 3-wheeler (Boogie) almost everyday for long country walks (dd used to walk but has regressed lately!). Swivel wheel or no, I found my 3-wheeler are a nightmare in shops as it is so large. also the Boogie is splattered in mud and looks very, well, rustic, and I am so vain I like to have a cleanish one to go into town! HTH.