Buggy advice please?

[Minicooper]

We have ordered an icandy cherry and are due to pick it up next week. My parents have kindly offered to pay, but my oh-so-helpful sister (older with 3 kids) has told them that buggys 'like this' are a nightmare as they are so bulky. I assume by this she means any of the topenders that have to be taken apart ie bugaboo, quinny, stokke etc. Presumably she's comparing to an umbrella fold. We think we're happy, but as first time parents don't really have a grasp yet. My parents are now wobbling over the wisdom of our choice. What should my feedback be?

the buggy you have is your decision. Its up to you what buggy you want and if you want that buggy than you have it.

(having used thousands (well not quite) buggies in my time i can garentee when i have my own chidlren I will have a 3 wheeler buggy (from birth) and a maclaren type light fold umbrella buggy for the car a bit later.

wouldnt have a travel system (and wouldnt have an icandy cherry either) but hey that will be my decision .... funnily enough on a nanny day out in the summer lots of us nannies were having this conversation about how when we have our own children, no way will we have the same buggies that lots of our babies charges parents have chosen for their babies (that we then push).... but then hey, thats a perk of our job to learn what we like (and hate) about buggies.

Every one of us concluded we would have a 3 wheel all terrain buggy (a 'proper' one not a graco etc) and a maclaren type buggy as well!

Sorry to hijack, but NannyL, what do you think of the Stokke Xplorer?

never used one (yet) and have no desire to use one either!

IME new parents seem to buy large, often travel system, type buggies at first. I have noticed a tendency to trade them in for something smaller and lighter when baby is 3/6 months old. Personally I owuld buy something like a MacClaren stroller. Not sure what it is called but there is one that is for newborns. Or buy very cheap large buggy for newborn and spend more money on a stroller at 6 months.

Just looked up the icandy as I had no idea what it was. It seems quite heavy. The chasis is 5.5 k on it's own! and with the seat usnit another 2.5 k for me it would be too heavy. I had one that was 4.5 kilos and loved it - not sure if they still make it though.

I have had a bugaboo for 5 years and I still love it. I don't mind taking it apart as it's quick, and I don't mind its size because my car has a vast boot. When DS is a little older and walking more I will get a maclaren type buggy to sling in and out of the car and the bugaboo will go.

Just get what suits you. Think about how you will use it, the amount of storage space you have, etc.

Blimey, there's enough choice out there!

Thanks, everyone, agree its our decision - but difficult as first time parents to make an informed choice! NannyL - interesting to have the opinion of a professional pram-pusher! We discounted 3 wheelers quite early because the ones we tried were so huge and so heavy - so shows what we know! We hope to use the carrycot to start with, like the fact that the pushchair part can face either way - and expect to get a mclaren later for more lightweight journeys.

hamabeads - lol that the drawback for you is the weight of the cherry - we were favourably impressed after comparing it to the bugaboo - twice the weight - and my friend's urban detour which is nearly 14kilos! I suppose it depends what you compare to - its certainly heavier than a stroller!

For me wieght was important as I get in and out of the car a lot. So was ease of folding. The one I had could be folded with one hand. However, it wasn't very trendy.

Minicooper - your buggy, your choice, looks nice and website shows it umbrella folded. looks v nice

"icandy apple technical specifications"

It isnt umbrella folded - it kind of folds in half. The Cherry is very much lighter than the Apple - I have a Cherry and a 8 month old baby - I have found it great - you do have to take the seat unit off the frame to fold it - but I put the baby in the car seat, remove the seat unit (dead easy - two grey buttons to press to release it), lift it off using the bumper bar, sling it in the boot, fold the chassis - again very easy, and sling that in the boot! I have a clio and the chassis needs to go in first, but I can hold either piece in one hand - I think the chassis is 5kg and the seat unit 2.5kg.

The only downside is the front wheels sometimes get stuck when bumping down a kerb, and the carrycot part is very small - DS was 5 months when he outgrew it. He loves the seat unit now as he can see everything!

tell your sister to mind her own business! Everyones needs are different and what suited her (which must have changed with each child she had) may not suit her! Is she envious of you getting a new pram??!!! You will probably buy a cheap stroller later on as everyone does, but so what! the needs of a newborn and a 8 month old baby are very diferent! Stick to your guns!

Thanks, andyrobo - good to hear from someone who owns a cherry - and good to hear that you like it. We shopped round quite a lot and are really happy with our decision, but good to have confirmation. Any tips on the front wheel getting stuck? Sounds a bit of a pain.

lilibet further to your hijack, i have the xplory. love it. has an amazing turning circle and can easily push along with one hand. depends on your lifestyle as it is very much a town/city buggy. but love how lo is up really high, can interact with him as i'm pushing him along. didn't get the laydown cot thingy, as the seat has a baby insert and almost folds flat anyway.

I have got the i candy cherry and I love it. It is my second pushchair as we were funded by the carers centre for one that would rear face. This is a big advantage and I searched for one(as have others on here I think)that rear faced and umbrella fold and there is not much about. There is the loola but to me that felt heavier than the i candy cherry. It is very easy to push and I don't find it difficult to fold down.

We also went for cherry as v light and can be rear facing. we think it's great tho have had probs with front wheels too but icandy provided new ones. only thing is dd really prefers the sling so although we love the cherry we sometimes think if we were doing again we'd wait and see personality of baby before buying pram.

Oooh, more cherry owners! Thanks girls. Good to hear you like it too. Good tip, noviceknitter - didn't really think about waiting to see what LO is like. Which sling did you go for?

We have the Kari Me and also a Coorie (from Brightspark Slings) absolutely couldn't have done without either. can't say same abt pram. did find v useful having travel system tho as in the early days (she's now 15 weeks and seems like a big girl!) she wd often fall asleep in car and was great to bang the maxi cosi on the cherry wheels.

Agree with person who said cherry carrycot quite small. She'll def grow out of it before 6 months which is when they advise buggy to be used from. HOwever, as she's quite strong wiht head etc we'll prob try the buggy in the next month or so.

BTW i've also always known I would eventually get a Maclaren Techno as well as they seem to be the really easy buggy of choice for city life. They do work from birth (as lie flat) but I really wanted DD to be able to face me while she was still very little.

HTH.

has anyone used a cherry with an older baby and if so is it heavy to push in rear facing mode?