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Buggies - Need advice please!

39 replies

Haribosmummy · 27/01/2009 12:47

I want to get a new buggy but am clueless as to where to start, so hoping MN will offer some advice, please!

  1. Baby 8 months old - would like it to do him for quite a while...
  2. Want it for urban use only - I have a big old pram for walking the dog and a Quinny Zapp for travelling, so no need to be extremely durable or extremely lightweight IYSWIM...
  3. Want it to be small / flexible enough to manuovre around shops / cafes etc.,
  4. Want it to look cool...

What's my best bet?

thankyou!!!!

OP posts:
Qally · 27/01/2009 18:25

I have a Stokke Xplory, and I LOVE it.

My husband likes the look, I don't. I think it looks like a bastardised office chair. But he's very tall and it has no kickbar to annoy him, as well as a telescoping handle. It sits the baby up very high - great for traffic fume avoidance, as well as giving the baby more than legs to look at. The seat can be laid right back completely flat for naps (has ababy insert for small/younger ones), or very upright, and it has front and rear facing. It's also designed for good posture for the child, with adjustable footrest - kids often look really uncomfy to me in seats where their legs are cramped up or dangling down. It's very slim (we live in a Victorian worker's cottage with a narrow hallway - Quinnys just squeak in, but the walls are marked from such visits...) and it also works as a high chair in cafes and restaurants, as the height is so adjustable. And it has solid rubber wheels, so no punctures!

My mother hated the look of it, but is now in love, just because it's so easy to use. It's hopeless in all terrain, but as an urban pram/buggy IMO it can't be beaten. It's so light and maneuverable, and brilliantly designed - you can use the big wheels to pull it up stairs with no trouble at all. I do, and I have a pretty bad back (Stokke started out designing ergonomic office chairs, I think) in fact I find it easier to go for walks with it than without, tbh.

The downside is it is horrifyingly expensive. (But you can get them for halfprice second-hand on Ebay, or sell yours on to get that back, after use, while benefiting from the guarantee.) We have no car and live in a compact city with narrow pavements, so it's worth it to us - and I'm someone who gets as much as possible second hand, and believes most baby stuff is a gimmick designed to rip you off.

Haribosmummy · 27/01/2009 18:27

Qually - In real terms, what age can the Xplory be used from / to?

HM

OP posts:
Qally · 27/01/2009 19:03

My LO is 3 months next week, so I can't say more than it's been perfect for him so far - but apparently you can use it to 3 years old, and I know someone who did so. The baby insert means it's flat for mine, and it's quite deep after you remove that. We aren't planning on using anything else till he's walking independently. For an honest answer to "oldest" though I think you'd need to ask a parent who's had first hand experience?

Miamla · 27/01/2009 19:05

another vote for the M&P luna. i love mine (4 wheeled one)

Haribosmummy · 27/01/2009 19:06

Thanks Qally...

I think that's my worry - that it's great for younger kids, but not so good with elder ones, especially with it being higher up - How would an older child be able to jump in and out alone?

OP posts:
CarGirl · 27/01/2009 19:09

the mountain buggy breeze is very very compact and built to last.

maclaren quest or ryder both suitable choices and if you want to splash cash there are plenty of "designer" ones that maclaren sell if you want to stand out from the crowd.

Qally · 27/01/2009 20:04

They have 5 positions, so the lowest, frontfacing, isn't that high - a good demo is here. The seat slides up and down the main bar.

I would say though that I don't think I'd have got one if we lived more rurally, with wider pavements, bigger hallway, husband was less tall, etc. etc - it's a specialist buy! But it suits our circ.s perfectly, and it's carried on being something we enjoy using.

Tootlesmummy · 27/01/2009 20:06

I would def get a Techno XT, it has different recline positions and does lie completely flat so would be suitable for your little one. My son loves his and will happily sleep in it for a couple of hours if we're out and about walking. It also has a built in sun shade which is great as well!

Haribosmummy · 27/01/2009 20:17

My friend has just offered to lend me one for a few weeks

Will be great to try it out!!! (the Maclaren XT I mean)

OP posts:
Umlellala · 27/01/2009 20:34

what about the [[http://www.icandyuk.com/products_detail.php?id=cherry_stroller icandy cherry]? it's unusual enough that you hardly see anyone with it, it's rearfacing, light, pushes nicely, big basket, v smart. i put my baby in at 4mths (though it is a bucket seat).

Just be careful buying a second-hand one and only buy the new model

Umlellala · 27/01/2009 20:37

sorry try again find the cherry stroller

buggylovinmummy · 27/01/2009 20:40

Another vote for the maclaren xt, they are fab and you can get lots of different colour accessories to jazz them up. The Lunas are nice but i think you'd still have to get a stroller later on once your baby is a toddler as they look a bit small for a toddler. With an xt it will go from birth right up until they no longer need a buggy.

SweetApril · 27/01/2009 20:54

Hi. We have an Xplory and I don't think it meets all your criteria, esp if you are travelling around in London. I found it a pain on Tube and bus, particularly if crowded. Steps can be tricky - there is a mechanism to turn it in to a two-wheeler to negotiate stairs but it's quite awkward to do that with a heavy child and a load of shopping on board. Also it's not a small or all-in-one fold and takes up a substantial part of the boot of the car. We ended up buying a Quest too to chuck in the boot when in a hurry and for travelling, hols etc.

BUT, like Qally, I just love it. DD has been in it from birth and is still comfy in it despite being a pretty hefty long-legged 2yo - and it's still a doddle to push. She loves to be high up. It looks big but easy to manoeuvre in shops and stuff. Huge shopping bag. Have used it many times as a highchair too.

If you have a stockist nearby go and try one out just for the fun of it even if you don't want to buy. Stupidly expensive but, as Q says, good resale value.

Qally · 27/01/2009 23:31

Have to agree that on a bus would be a nightmare - and getting it in a boot needs a decent sized boot, too. Luckily we borrow my mother's when we really must drive anywhere, and she has an estate. I was under the impression you used your Quinny for that, though? It's a mare to dismantle & assemble, though.

I find it easy to drag up stairs - lucky, as our GP is up several - but my LO is 5 months, not 2, which I suspect is why!

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