Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Shopping

From everyday essentials to big purchases, swap tips and recommendations. For the best deals without the hassle, sign up for Mumsnet Moneysaver emails.

Original poster

buggy for a heavier child (age 4 - 5) - any recommendations?

110 replies

donnie · 22/02/2009 16:40

I want an umbrella fold job, nothing flash. All the ones I have looked at are up to a max of 15kg which my nearly 4 year old already weighs. Any suggestions?

TIA.

------------------------

Hello,

We've noticed this thread is quite old and some of the product recommendations are a little out of date. We've spent weeks speaking to parents and testing out pushchairs and buggies. Read our round up buggy reviews to see which stroller was crowned best buggy [spoiler alert, it has a 25kg weight limit].

Hope that helps! Flowers

MNHQ

OP posts:
differentID · 22/02/2009 16:44

why do you feel he needs a stroller? Does he/she have special needs?

Original poster
donnie · 22/02/2009 16:46

no, not s/n but for longer walks etc.Is it weird for a 4 yr old to be in a buggy?

OP posts:
DivamakesKimchi · 22/02/2009 16:47

mountain buggy or nipper for older children.
everyone will praise on them

LadyGlencoraPalliser · 22/02/2009 16:51

Yes IMO it is weird for a child of that age to be in a buggy if he has no additional needs.

Lulumama · 22/02/2009 16:53

my 3.7 year old still goes in a buggy from time to time, as she often falls asleep in teh car on teh way to pick DS up from school, so i stick her in the buggy..

not weird, just practical

differentID · 22/02/2009 16:54

I find it very unusual for a child of 4 to be in a buggy. Just turned three i can understand, especially when going around town/ shopping, but for any other reason it looks strange.

Original poster
donnie · 22/02/2009 16:55

ok my daughter is a weirdo then. At the age of 3.9. Thanks for that.

OP posts:
sarah293 · 22/02/2009 16:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

janeite · 22/02/2009 16:57

Yes - v strange for a child of that age, with no special needs, to be in a buggy. Sorry to be judgey.

differentID · 22/02/2009 16:57

doesn't she get uncomfortable scrunched up?

LadyGlencoraPalliser · 22/02/2009 17:00

Nobody said your dd is a weirdo, Donnie. You asked if it was weird for a almost four year old to be in a buggy. IME it is very unusual and not good for her physical development. She should be walking everywhere at that age. You are laying down the foundations for her future health at this point and encouraging her to be as physically active as possible as part of her day to day life is important.

onelittlelion · 23/02/2009 04:19

I can only think of 3 wheelers so not sure if any good but anyway ... My friend used an easylife for an emergency buggy on hols. Seat really is huge and they tend to be cheap too. Others with higher weight limits are baby joggers, bob's and mb's. I think the xlr is prob best bet if just want a stroller for size. If do want to encourage dd to walk more she might love a scooter if not got already? I've got a mini micro put away for ds's third birthday as his older friends are really good on theirs and use them to get to school and back etc..

Lazycow · 23/02/2009 04:46

We still have an umbrella fold up thingy for ds (4.2 yrs) but we havn't used it for about 3-4 months. We are keeping it for our next holiday abroad in the summer where we like to have the odd night out so ds can sleep or sit in it if he is tired. After that we probably get rid of it.

It only goes up to 15kg and ds now weights a bit more than that (he is quite light) but it is quite a sturdy one and I figure he'll be fine in it as long as I don't put anything else on the handles etc.

I have seen many 4 year olds in buggies in RL and in fact a few of my friends with dc the same age as ds still use them quite often, though others don#t at all.

It really depends on your lifestyle if the dc still has a sleep in the day sometimes etc.

I think most of them do have a 15kg limit though and when I was looking for a new one when ds was 3.1 yrs old I tried to find one with a higher weight limit but couldn't. Some of them didn't actually say what the weight limit was so I couldn't work out if they had a 15kg one or a different one.

In the end my friend gave me her old one (with 15kg limit) and I just used that until he was nearly 4 (weighed 16kg by then)

EyeballsintheSky · 23/02/2009 07:15

We went to New York a couple of years back and took a buggy for my niece who was nearly 5. It was her old Maclaren Techno and she was just fine in it so a second hand one off ebay might be ok. I guess that makes us super weird but it was far too busy and very long days of endless walking. But hey, no one laughed at us so I think we got away with it.

mrsleroyjethrogibbs · 23/02/2009 11:03

Well I guess some children like to have a ride every now and again. My 3.5 year old will still get in the buggy for a ride if he sees it out not because he needs to be pushed. I can understand the OP wanting a small umbrella fold

Sadly I cant recommend one though as I have no idea. I have an easylife which is still good for my big nearly 6 year old who likes to pretend she is a baby!!

Original poster
donnie · 23/02/2009 12:14

thanks for making me feel like a relatively decent parent folks- after yesterday's responses.

Funnily enough it is for a holiday that we want the buggy. Long walks at airports at 6am when dd will still want to sleep and so on, like you lazycow.

Thanks for the comments.

OP posts:
mamadiva · 23/02/2009 12:18

The Babyjogger City mMini is good, it's not an umbrella fold but is the easiest fold and quite small to but HUGE seat!

Fizzylemonade · 23/02/2009 12:41

My 2.9yr old vacates his maclaren XT and my 5.8 yr old gets in for a ride on the way home from school

His friends also do it too with their siblings prams.

My 5.8 yr old has also sat on my 2.9 yr old's knee, I can't work in KG so will tell you that combined they weigh over 5 stone!

I wouldn't recommend it but my maclaren is still going strong after all that. It isn't huge seat wise but a good make of pram should take the weight of a heavier child.

I second the ebay suggestion.

mileniwmffalcon · 23/02/2009 12:45

easylife is fab 3 wheeler my large 5yo can still ride in, not lightweight or umbrella fold. we got it for festivals.

AnarchyAunt · 23/02/2009 12:52

Bollocks is there anything wrong with a 4yo being in a buggy! If they are tired its far easier to have them in a buggy than make them walk. I don't drive and DD used the buggy for long trips or days out until she was 4.10.

A lot of the journeys we made were ones that those with a car would not have dreamed of walking, so I don't see the difference between a child sitting in the buggy for part of the journey, and sitting in the car for all of it

happywomble · 23/02/2009 12:54

I would look for a secondhand techno xt for a child this age.

I hate the way some people are so judgemental about using a buggy for a child over 3. (on this thread and in real life)

There are times when a buggy is still handy such as if you are out past childs normal bedtime (maybe on holiday) and they need somewhere to dose. Some children might still nap in one after lunch if you are out and about. I also sometimes need to use the pushchair if I need to walk over a mile in a hurry as DD can not keep up on foot.

If I walk my older child to school it is a 2 mile round trip. If I go on foot to pick him up it is another 2 mile round trip. I think its a bit much to expect a just 4 yr old to walk 4 miles a day at adult pace.

I wonder if those who never need to use a buggy for their over 3s live right by shops/school or drive everywhere and don't need to walk more than a few 100 yards at a time?

To go back to OP it might also be worth getting a scooter for your DC if they don't already have one. I have found this a good way of weaning DD off her buggy.

Othersideofthechannel · 23/02/2009 12:58

Wouldn't a buggy make travelling by plane/getting around the airport more hassle?

When we went with DCs aged 4 and 2 to the USA we didn't take a buggy. At the airports, there were chauffeur driven electric vehicles to transport people.

But then we ditched the buggy early on and have always been in favour of making them walk and giving them a shoulder-ride if their little legs needed a rest.

AnarchyAunt · 23/02/2009 12:59

Oh yes scooters are fab!

EyeballsintheSky · 23/02/2009 12:59

I don't have a 4 year old DD so I don't know what I'm doing on this thread really but doesn't a scooter wear them out? It would me, all that pushing.

Othersideofthechannel · 23/02/2009 13:01

I hadn't thought about the sleeping thing happywomble. Our DCs have never really fallen asleep in buggies but a lot of children do.

I still think it'd be a hassle taking it with you on a plane.