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Original poster

New pushchair?

44 replies

aloha · 10/02/2004 13:35

I think my Maclaren Volo has had its day. The brakes have broken, the wheels no longer want to go in the same direction as I do, it spontaneously collapses from time to time and ds in his winter coat is a perilously tight fit. BUT ds is 2.5. He is a little klutz and still finds it very hard to walk for any length of time (he's my brilliant boy but not the most advanced child physically) so I can't do without a pushchair unless I'm prepared to carry him everywhere. So what do you recommend? Should I buy a new one? Ebay? I want a lightweight collapsible pushchair to fit a round little chap in comfortably (so need a reasonable seat size) and I'll probably use on and off for another year or so at least. What shall I do, wise ones?

OP posts:
fairydust · 10/02/2004 13:40

Have you looked at kiddicare - they have some brillant ones and most r on offer - delivery only took a couple of days for ours

Original poster
aloha · 10/02/2004 13:51

ooh, thanks for that Fairydust. The Quest looks good. Does anyone have one? Are they quite roomy?

OP posts:
Coddy · 10/02/2004 13:52

super cheapy from whereever. Bet you he refuses to go in it once you buy it! O)

fairydust · 10/02/2004 14:04

my friends has one - she loves the straps as there quite big - so her dd fits in lovley with her big winter coat.

Do u have a mothercare near you at all - maybe you could try ds init and then buy from kiddicare as they see to be the cheaper store - and i really like them.

ha i could be a advertiser for them

Original poster
aloha · 10/02/2004 14:06

He has chickenpox at the mo so don't think we'll be welcome in Mothercare! But a good idea to try before I buy, unless lots of mumnsetters have giant children in Quests....?

OP posts:
Twinkie · 10/02/2004 14:09

Bought DD a pink one from mothercare - the umbrella type, lightweight and easy - she is 3.5 but terribly lazy sometimes - it was 35 quid and I know they do a boys one.

You can oreder them from the mothercare sight - I think they are free delivery too.

stellar · 10/02/2004 14:14

I need some pushchair advice too please

I have a new baby due in 5wks and also have a 3yr old who still likes to sit in a buggy. He goes to nursery weekday mornings but is usually a rush as we have to drop my 2 DDs off at school first before dashing off to his nursery (downhill on the way there and uphill on the way back).

Can't decide if I should buy a double pushchair OR push baby and make him walk OR pop baby in a sling and push DS?

The pushchair I have is on its last legs so I'd need to buy a new one anyway (I have a 3 yr old cosatto kiwi)

what do you think?

Stella xx

bundle · 10/02/2004 14:18

buggyboard?

stellar · 10/02/2004 14:20

I really don't want to get a buggy board as I have big feet and long legs and kick the back of most prams as it is without having a child/buggyboard in the way iykwim

Stella xx

allatsea · 10/02/2004 14:36

I've got a M&P twin aria for dd (2) and ds now 10wo. Initially I carried ds in a sling and used my Maclaren single buggy, but ds is now getting a little heavy for me to carry in the sling. I do really like the twin aria, but it can rather heavy and thus difficult to push/steer when they're both in it. There are often double buggys advertised in the local paper, perhaps you could find a cheap one there..?

Lesley76 · 10/02/2004 17:31

I've been using a Grace Mirage for 3 years now. Its pretty lightweight, about 6-7kg I think. Seat is plenty big enough for my 16kg 100cm toddler, much wider than the MacLarens. Bar at the front comes off ( check this with any new models as its a big no no for toddlers.) Its a fold down one, not umbrella type so no good if you use the bus. OK for car boot or train travel. Curent cost is about £70 from Mothercare, perhaps you could get it cheaper on the Net. Suitable from birth as reclines fully. Big hood, comes with apron but no rain cover I think.

Original poster
aloha · 10/02/2004 20:23

Any more suggestions? I'm terribly impulsive and might be about to make an expensive mistake...

OP posts:
Coddy · 10/02/2004 20:28

I have had One maclaren mistal for 6 years (NB NUTTY!!) and its fine on its third boy, this is what mumsnet says about it :

In a nutshell
Users found the Mistral "life transforming after struggling with a big bulky pushchair." The only real gripe was that "the basket's not much use if the seat is fully reclined", but it's "easy to use even if you've got a child on your hip and keys in your hands". "Light and easy to fold", plus "it's one of the few strollers that lies almost completely flat", so it's "fine for older babies and sleeping toddlers". "Borrow a pram then buy a maclaren mistral" was the general view.

madgirl · 10/02/2004 21:13

DONT buy a maclaren daytripper, v nice and lightweight but the seat recline mechanism is crap. i am about to ditch mine and get another lightweight buggy for lazy ds who is 3. mind you, like you aloha i am also tempted by a double buggy, think it will have to be 2nd hand as SURELY (?) ds won't be wanting to sit in a buggy for much longer? famous last words.

nutcracker · 10/02/2004 21:15

Everytime i've bought a double buggy the eldest has decided to walk

Gem13 · 11/02/2004 06:30

Re the Quest - I've found it ok as a second (car) buggy buy my 18 month old in his winter coat is looking quite a snug fit now. He's a big boy (more like his 2/2.5 year old friends in size) but I would expect it to last longer than that.

Also, the raincover refuses to fit and so it is useless in wet weather. A friend has taken a pair of scissors to hers to make it fit.

Another friend bought the Triumph which looks to be a bit more roomy.

Podmog · 11/02/2004 13:31

Message withdrawn

Demented · 11/02/2004 13:56

I may be in the minority but I wouldn't buy a Maclaren Mistral, I have had three of them for DS1. The first ended up all wonky after we took it on holiday (I will admit to putting bottles of wine and packs of nappies in the back and dragging it up the beach), the second the lie-back didn't work properly, took it back for a refund and the third lasted 13 months before it's leg snapped. The brakes on them are rubbish, unless they have improved them any, you daren't take your hands off the buggy even when the brake is on.

My favourite buggy at the moment is the Mothercare Urban Detour three-wheeler, although it is heavier and bulkier than an umbrella buggy. There are one or two sellers on e-Bay who have these new.

silverxx02 · 13/02/2004 10:46

hi just like to say what are peoples thought on fabrics in prams pushchairs just in the 70s and 80s nearly all the time they were wipe clean vinyl why not any more so easy keep clean werent they were now with coton ect no wonder a pushchair looks gruby after say 1 year kids got eat and yes they do in there pushchairs but what about a vinyl insert for pushchairs can you get them

marthamoo · 13/02/2004 10:55

I've jut bought a Maclaren Triumph (£70 from Mothercare) and I really like it (my son is 2 too, aloha). It's lighter than the Quest, very manouverable, and I haven't had any problems with the raincover. I don't know how tall you are but I'm 5'6" and the handles are a good height for me. The shopping basket isn't much use - but then none of them are on smaller. lightweight buggies. Also, tying in with sliverx enquiry, it has a removable and washable seat (not that I am ever likely to avail myself of that facility!)

Also, if you order the Triumph online, you can have it in red!! Oh I'm so shallow

Original poster
aloha · 13/02/2004 11:22

Thanks Marthamoo. I'll take ds along to mothercare and see if he fits into one. It certainly sounds a really good tip.

OP posts:
nutcracker · 13/02/2004 11:39

I am definatly buying a new pushchair. May have to leave it until next month as i'm broke this month but that means i have 2 weeks to decided which one to get. Have read all through this thread and still can't decide. I really want a 3 wheeler but then i won't be able to use the bus unless i keep the buggy i've got now for bus emergencies. What do you think ??????

fairydust · 13/02/2004 12:57

nut - we borrwed my sil's three wheeler for a week before deciding to buy one.

And i was so glad we did - I use to have to catch the bus in to town - doctors etc and couldn't because i couldn't fit the three wheeler in the buggy bit which is fine when the weathers nice but if it's pouring down with rain and you've got to walk it's a nightmare.

Also carrying shopping is nightmare although the baskets are fairly big they will probly only fit two carrier bags and it's harder to hang shopping from the handle - i konw handles aren't designed to do this but we all do.

So after a week we decided not to bother and brought a maclaren tehno from kiddicare for £99.00

LOVE FAIRYDUST

nutcracker · 13/02/2004 13:00

Cheers FD I think you are right. Plus, we have just bought a new car, an estate purely so that we can fit more in the boot. Can't see that i'd fit much in with a 3 wheeler folded up n the back.
Have you ever been on Babymart.com ???? I bought ds's car seat off there just before/after xmas but now the site seems to of dissapeared.

fairydust · 13/02/2004 16:33

here you nut

www.babys-mart.co.uk

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