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Original poster

A pushchair for grandma?

17 replies

LunarSea · 03/03/2007 17:38

For grandma to push that is, not for her to be pushed in

#2 is due in the next few weeks, and we'll need to supply grandma with a pushchair she can use (she prefers to have one at her house rather than to use ours). However at this point it all gets a bit more complicated.....

Last time round she tried our 3 wheeler, but "I can't steer it", and a more conventional buggy, but "I can't push it".

Any suggestions for something which is easy to push, easy to steer, easy to fold, and not too heavy for them to put in their car boot? And preferably suitable for use from fairly early on - if not from birth, then from about 3 months or so.

I don't mind used (it's hardly going to be used a lot at grandma's after all) so am happy to search around ebay etc for a good 2nd hand one. But which one?

OP posts:
lostinfrance · 03/03/2007 18:04

This reply has been deleted

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TheBlonde · 03/03/2007 18:18

Given the difficulties last time can you take her to mothercare for a test drive?

Bucketsofdynomite · 03/03/2007 18:22

They will ALWAYS find an excuse so buy 2nd hand, do a search on Ebay for pushchairs within 25miles of you. I demonstrated mine to my MIL a hundred times and she'd just look in the other direction. (It's a Mclaren Vogue and it covers all your criteria!)

tassis · 03/03/2007 18:23

the older creche helpers at our church (and my mother for that matter) have a thing about not getting swivel wheels (like what's to not get??)

so suggest you get one with lockable swivel wheels (maybe all swivel wheels are lockable?)

graco citisport?

Original poster
LunarSea · 03/03/2007 18:23

Hmm - don't really want to let her loose with an unlimited budget though!

OP posts:
SecondhandRose · 03/03/2007 18:49

It's time for all those NCT nearly new sales so grab a bargain one at one of those and take Grandma with you. Go to www.nct.org.uk and put your postcode into What's on in your Area and then when you get to the next bit you can click on Nearly New Sales.

TheBlonde · 03/03/2007 18:52

Lunar - sorry I didn't mean buy her a new one from Mothercare but I don't really get why she had issues with your original 2

NCT sale could be a v good plan

zippitippitoes · 03/03/2007 18:55

what about this |link{http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=1375&threadid=286455&stamp=070302163354\here}

zippitippitoes · 03/03/2007 18:56

{http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=1375&threadid=286455&stamp=070302163354\here}

zippitippitoes · 03/03/2007 18:57

here

MrsApron · 03/03/2007 18:59

def a test drive situ then look for similar second hand.

Could well be a swivel wheel issue,
suspe ct she had large non swivel wheels in her day.

an older version mamas and papas or similar with the large bouncy wheels might be the thing. you can often pick them up in charity shops for about 20 quid.

Original poster
LunarSea · 03/03/2007 19:13

Yes - suspect the problems may well just be that they're different to what she had 40 years ago! It's not quite the lightweight/easy to fold option I had in mind, but following BucketofDynamite's suggestion this is only 10 miles from us, and would probably be more familiar to her. I could be tempted to gamble on it if the price stays where it is now!

OP posts:
Original poster
LunarSea · 04/03/2007 11:27

Had a look at a more traditional style pram this morning - but I couldn't actually tell the difference with the steering compared to our 3 wheeler, so am not convinced that that's the answer either

OP posts:
TheBlonde · 04/03/2007 20:46

Maybe giving her a choice is the problem??

What did she end up doing last time if neither were suitable?

Original poster
LunarSea · 05/03/2007 13:01

TheBlonde - she didn't so much have a choice last time, as just take against them one at a time. With our 3-wheeler (which both dh and I find very easy to steer) she reckoned she could only go in straight lines, and every time she wanted to change direction she'd have to put the brake on, go round to the front, lift the wheel, and physically put it down pointing where she wanted to go. So we got her a buggy style one, but she didn't like that either.

Anyway I've just bought a 2nd hand "Bertini shuttle" for her. Seems to fit the bill on all counts except possibly weight - big pneumatic wheels so it should be easy to push, and it's explicitly designed to be steerable so she can't argue that one either, suspension, suitable from birth, adjustable handle height. No doubt she'll not like the colour now, or demand a rear facing one.....

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twelveyeargap · 05/03/2007 13:07

My mam bought a travel system in perfect condition at the Oxfam she works at for £10. She's going to keep it at her house.

If Grandma isn't happy iwht your buggy, then I would tell her to choose a second hand one to the value of x and that you'll pay for it. Can't say fairer than that!

Original poster
LunarSea · 08/03/2007 11:14

Took the shuttle over to grandma's yesterday - and have to say that on first impressions she didn't seem overimpressed that it was physically bigger than the buggy style one (which she reckoned she couldn't push). Have left her with it - and the instruction book - to try out, and just pray that she'll get on with it ok. It does look a bit weird the way that both front and rear wheels move, but in opposite directions to give a tight turning circle, but I'm sure you wouldn't actually notice unless you were looking down at the wheels all the time.

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