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Original poster

HELP!!! Aaah what pushchair do I buy???

21 replies

creamcake · 12/10/2004 14:12

Hi,

Do any mums have advice on the best pushchair to buy? Are travel systems really worth the money? I lead a very active lifestyle and want something that will fit in and out of the car easily and be good around town. Also how long can you safely leave a newborn asleep in the car seat attachment of the travel system?

OP posts:

pesme · 12/10/2004 14:19

If I was doing it again. I would just use a sling for round town when dd was v. small and buy a cheap as chips pram from a charity shop for long walks. Then when she was 5 months I would buy a maclaren techno. but everyone is different.

poppyseed · 12/10/2004 14:21

HHmm always a tricky one this.
We had a travel system with DD but to be honest it was a bit bulky in the back of the car. Fine for everyday but holidays were a no no. With DS I bought a mamas and papas pliko - one of the umbrella folding pushchairs but with a bit more protection/support - I find this good for space although the clasp is tricky when closing.
When I had DS (nearly 18 months ago) I was told no more than 1.5 hours a day for babies to be in the seats. I think that this recommendation was aimed at mums who let their babies sleep, eat and ride in the seats all day tbh. If you exercise some sense and keep them in it for the minimum of time possible and then lie them flat I think that spinal problems should be kept to a minimum. Most probably things have changed in the last few months - they always seem to don't they!! Hope that someone comes along to give you some more advice.
If you decide on the travel system I've got one to sell!! cat me if you fancy the details!!

Pidge · 12/10/2004 14:35

I got so stressed about this when pregnant - tears in John Lewis twice, and we ordered a pram that we then sent back!! And I was very calm about everything else pregnancy-related, just the pushchair thing freaked me out!

We ended up with a Mamas and Papas Pliko, which we're still using (dd is 2) and which we're really pleased with. It's comfy, brilliant for napping in as the seat goes nearly flat. But a big difference for us is that we very rarely use a car. We live in London and I'm out and about all the time, but always on foot or train or tube. And the routes I use I never needed to fold the pushchair up.

At the time we were buying we read a review in Which about the safest car-seats and the most highly recommended ones were not the type that could be incorporated in a travel system. Again this didn't bother us because of our low level of car use. So we just bought one of the highly recommended car seat only variety.

I'm expecting another baby in March and plan to use a sling as much as possible for the first 6 months, then hoping I can persuade dd to walk and the new baby can go in our pliko.

Like poppyseed I have read that there are limits on the amount of time a baby should spend in a car-seat. And I do think that in the great scheme of things there is probably a relatively short time in which you get the biggest benefits of being able to fit the car seat straight onto your pushchair.

woodpops · 12/10/2004 14:37

Another vote for the M&P Pliko Travel system. When folded it's not a bulky buggy and deoesn't fill the boot of the car up!!

grumpyfrumpy · 12/10/2004 14:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

hewlettsdaughter · 12/10/2004 14:42

I started with a sling and an old pram and am now using a Graco Citisport - see this thread .

Carameli · 12/10/2004 15:22

I got the M&P Venezia and I love it. DD is now 1. The best bit for me was it was a bit smaller than some of the big prams but also let you have the baby virtually flat at the start. I think there is a pliko now that also does the pramette thing, but you'd need to check on that.

I have to admit that I only actually used it with the car seat attached to it a handful of times. The car seat is very heavy to carry with a baby in it when they get a bit older. If I was going to buy now I'd get a pushchair and then a separate car seat.

deegward · 12/10/2004 16:11

As someone who has made SUCH bad decisions when buying prams etc, I would have to say think very carefully about the life you live, not the life youwould like to live (ie going for long walks with pram, if now you only walk to the car and back again), and ask what do you want from it? DO you want to be able to collapse and put in car, or is it going to be used up all the time? When it is up where will you be? In shops, countryside, or walking dog. All these affect what is right for you.

Rest assured no matter what you buy, 6 months later you will wish you had bought something else, or maybe thats just me!

Twinkie · 12/10/2004 16:13

We have bought a lovely M&P Pilko Travel System too and can't wait to get it out of the box!!!

Marina · 12/10/2004 16:22

"be good around town"...if you mean London buses as well as pavement pounding, then for my money the new Techno (older ones not suitable for newborns) is great. The Pliko, which I agree is a terrific pushchair, is just a tad wider and is harder to manoeuvre off and on buses. Stick a lambskin in the Techno for extra padding. It folds down very compactly.
And get a different car seat.
Views differ but my personal preference was to have dd flat out in a less-padded pushchair rather than have her spend any longer in a car seat than necessary. I'm sure no harm comes to babies who spend a lot of time in them, they are so well designed these days. But it never felt right to me.

bakedpotato · 12/10/2004 16:28

yes, yes, marina, re the new techno. i had the old one for dd from birth, it was meant to be for newborns but it didn't really go that flat (got lots of dirty looks). i did the lambskin thing though, to take the edge off and dd shows no ill effects... wheels finally fell off it so we just got a replacement (nearly 3 yrs later). this one really does go flat.
cheap as chips from kiddicare too, creamcake (google it)

hill · 12/10/2004 16:32

Haven't read all comments, as I completely agree with Pesme (first reply). I paid about 600 Euro for travel system, and I soooo regret buying it.

The baby sling (BabyBjorn)and now the baby-back carrier (BushBaby)+ our MacLaren Quest is more than enough for our lifestyle.

fairydust · 12/10/2004 16:47

we travel by way of public transport and walk most places we had a britax travel system to start and it was like pushing a bus - 3mnths in and we traded it in for a maclaren techno which is perfect and still going strong with 2 1/2 dd.

However personally i wouldn't put a new born in this as i feel it just isn't cosy / padded enuogh even with a liner and personally would go with either the M&P pliko or the M&P pliko pramette

It can be rather daunting and i think the best thing to do is visit JOHN LEWIS or Mamas and papas

best ofluck

Carrie (mumsnet) · 12/10/2004 16:53

Have you had a look at this ?

It's going to be updated in the next couple of months, but there are still some valid suggestions.

Whatever you get don't forget to send us a review
here !

finleysmum · 16/10/2004 23:16

I had a Chicco trekker with a clip on carseat which i LOVEEEEEEEEEEED!.It's like a pliko but without the price tag!.
Value for money,comfy and easy to use.10/10 in my eyes!.

Hazellnut · 19/10/2004 14:14

Has anyone bought a M&P Venezia travel system ? Looks lighter than the pilko pramette but similar ?

Chandra · 19/10/2004 14:21

I love the Graco City Sport I found him very flexible, is high enough to be used as a high chair but small enough to have baby sleeping at the side of a table even when having lunch at the tinyiest cafes. It's very light (4.5 kg), it folds with one hand and has a strap to carry it on your back while you are holding baby (terribly useful in Paris' Metro). It folds small enough to fit in the carboot and leave lots of space free to transport other things, it doesn't use much space to be stored which means is not laying at my hall all day long and... you can get it from Index for £40...

Carameli · 19/10/2004 16:43

hazellnut,
i have a Venezia. Its great but I am not sure if its lighter than the pliko.

Titania · 19/10/2004 16:47

chandra they have reduced it to 27.99 now.....grrrr just when i'd spent 40 on it!!!

MrsDoolittle · 19/10/2004 17:10

I have a M&P Pliko with a navetta carry cot. Dd has just grown out of the carrycot (6 months) and I have used it loads and loads, it goes in the car, overnight stays, downstairs during the day and she has been really comfortable out and about town/the village. Dd has been able to lie flat and comfortably.
Now we are using the buggy alone and we have bought a Britax car seat. The buggy fits neatly into the car and its light and slim around town.
Acting on advice I was adamant I wanted a simple, robust system and in the pliko I am sure I have got that. HTH

biketastic · 19/10/2004 17:28

i couldn't decide so had a free 2 in 1 which was great! ds slept in pram top flat bit for a while. then that was too heavy to push, so went for a cheapo mothercare buggy- great for shoppping/in and out of car
best buy so far is the mountain buggy urban. it is sooo light and easy to push in parks and fields and around town (tho is a bit wide)
it is so difficult to get THE pushchair, it is all a comprimise somewhere or other.

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