Choosing my first pram - M&P or Bugaloo?

[july23]

Hi all, new to this forum. Baby is due in July and I'm already looking at prams (figured in case there is a delay in delivery...) and can't make my mind up! It's our first baby so it's all new. First I had my mind set on a Mama&Papas Skate, now I'm thinking of a Bugaloo Bee or Cameleon. My dilema is that I want something that I can take public transport with - so easy to handle, not too heavy - but also take to the park or by the river, where the paths are sometimes muddy and a bit rough. The sales person at JL told me the Bugaloo bee was an all terrain so would be fine on rougher surfaces but can't quite see how that would be as good as having one with bigger wheels. Should I get the bigger one and another one as a stroller? Also will I need a carry cot??
Thank you very much for any advice!

Hi, it's Bugaboo
you will find many fans of both.
Possible slightly more bugaboo addicts.
The bee is criticised for being too small for older children so not lasting as long.
The cameleon has a carrycot part.

bee. i took mine to the farm and it was fine.

i love my skate though. but its v v v big and defo not good for public transport.

The Skate converts to a pram or a stroller, so you won't need a separate bit. But like Misdee says, it's very heavy!

The Bee can be used from birth, but you'd need a carrycot for the Cameleon.

You might want to check out the Britax Vigour. The 2009 model lies flat so no need for a carrycot.

I have a Chameleon and for the money I think it is a bit of a rip off.
After 2 years' use one of the wheels broke. Fortunately John Lewis agreed to replace it for free (we were just outside of the warranty period). Now, 6 months later, another wheel is knackered. I have a friend who has one too and her frame snapped after 2 years.
The Chameleon does come with a carrycot though so it is not like you would need to buy that seperately.

I just think if you are paying £600 for a pram it should last more than one child...

Hmmmn, I loved my bug cam and whilst on maternity leave would walk 10 miles a day 5 days a week (school run for my sis and to town and back inbetween) and 2 years later it was still as good as new. I sold it in pieces and got back nearly 400 pounds. I hated my Bee, defo NOT all terrain but walks over grass in the park then yes would be fine.

I used to love M and P but the lack of quality now is shocking and that did majorly put me off.

Why not get a bug cam for walking then a pliko say for on the bus/folding easily??

bugaboo

Just keep in mind that when the baby is about six/eight months old you will be changing to a Maclaren anyway... everyone does.. can't be beaten for weight and transportability (if there is such a word)

For public transport I'd go for the M&P switch personally, it's quite light and buggy like, it's rear facing and is substantial enough for farms etc.
I loved the Bugaboo but do agree it's a lot of money, nearly £700 for all the bits and bobs.

I found the switch quite heavy. Only tried it out in a shop but it felt heavy to be lifting into the car. Felt quite plasticky to me too.

bugaboos are not good for buses, too wide, and can't be folded down. get a second hand mamas and papas or silvercross for walking first few months, then get a maclaren quest. also have you seen micralite buggies? much better for public transport, lighter than bugaboo, but fold down, and have all terrain back wheels for the park

I had the bee and was generally quite happy with it. My big requirement was that I definitely wanted a parent facing buggy to start. The bee was also brilliant on public transport (and totally manageable heaving up and down stairs). The bigger prams have a hard time on buses.

I have since switched to a Jane Energy (like a Maclaren), since I did find the bee too small for my now toddler. I had hoped the bee would get us all the way through toddlerhood, but given my requirements of parent-facing-ness and public-transport-ness, I wonder if any from-birth pram would. Now I have 1 pram and 1 buggy ready for the next little one (God willing), and both are good quality. So I don't regret either purchase.

I have a bugaboo bee which I love and chose because I wanted baby facing me. However I wouldn't recommend it for what you are describing. It's not that easy to fold unless you are with someone else to hold the baby and the front wheels feel a bit flimsy and small over rough ground. I am constantly finding myself jamming up against a rock and that's just along playground paths not really off -road.

also check out britax vigour- rear and forward facing, takes a carseat and bassinet, around 200/250 pounds. then you won't feel such a sucker when you downgrade to a lightweight buggy.

I bought a bugaboo (frog) off ebay and sold it 18 months later for almost the same price! Loved the bugaboo for those early days, baby facing you etc, but after awhile i wanted something smaller and more nifty on transport. I live in london, and some buses i could only get on where people get off, so had to run to bus driver let him/her knowing i was getting one, then fight to front of bus to show ticket etc! Also if more than one big pram on bus, quite hard to fit yours in ....
So i sold bugaboo and got a mclaren .... nifty, easy to use, and can fold if needed with one hand ....
think about getting a second hand bugaboo which you can then re-sell if you want .... just a thought!

britax vigour and mothercare Quantum urban travel system are worth a look. Both chunky 3 wheelers.

Wow! Thank you very much for all your responses! More food for thought but definitely very helpful! We're going to check alternatives.