Urban Jungle vs Maclaren XT...

[thistlemuncher]

Totally stuck when it comes to buggy choosing so I hope someone can help me!

At the moment, we're looking between the Urban Jungle from Mountain Buggy and the Maclaren XT. Has anyone had either of these - would you recommend it?

We shall be living in a city so I shall be rarely using the car (DH will take it to work) so don't need one that can take a car seat. I'm not too keen on the idea anyway, would rather have one where the baby can lie flat.

So I need it to be able to go round the shops easily, and use/lift by myself on public transport. That's why I like the Maclaren as they seem to be the lightest (Maclaren XT is 7kg, Urban Jungle is 11kg). But we shall probably also do a fair amount of walking in the forest/around the lakes so on tracks rather than road surface so it will need to have a decent suspension and robustness (which the Maclaren looks like it lacks)

The things that worry me about the Maclaren...We live in Switzerland and so have quite cold winters and with the baby being a winter baby I'm a bit worried that the Maclaren won't be as wind/snowproof as a proper carry cot and that the baby will find it cold. Also it seems to me that you can't have the baby facing you in the Maclaren. Is this right?

Any comments? Or suggestions of other buggys I should look at?

Thanks

Hi. I do like maclarens very much but dont think I would put a newborn in one (just personl choice!) I prefer them to be lie flat in a carrycot. Maclarens are great for around town etc. Mountain buggy I have heard are very good for walking and you can put a carrycot on it. I have been through many buggies and now have a bugaboo frog (which the no longer make) and I think it's fab, carrycot for newborn and a nice snug buggy for older bby.

Maclarens are not rear facing.

I thought the XT weighed more than 7kg with hood on etc?

Have you looked at the MB breeze & swift, they're a bit smaller.

Thanks for the quick replies

True - that is the basic weight that is says on the maclaren website. But they don't say what they include in the weight on the mountain buggy website so I presumed it was also without all the extras so that it looks lighter!

I have asked mb about the swift (can't get the breeze where I am) because I assume that as it's narrower, it can't fit the carry cot in it. Am still waiting for an answer from them.

I did first look at the bugaboo cameleon, but have read some rather bad reviews about it. problems with the chassis and general bad quality, refusal for repairs if something needs doing and that it's not good if you're likely to have tall children as they outgrow it by the age of about 2. So we have discounted it.

how about a teutonia? it's a dream to push and is really snuggly for a newborn baby. is heavy to lift in and out of the car but is really light to push! and the baby can face you when it comes out of the carrycot. we have the spirit s3 and i love it. oh and it has foam tyres but really good suspension so no punctures in the forest!

There is definitely no carrycot for the Swift at the moment with no plans to introduce one in the near future.

i think these two you are looking at are so different and for totally different functions.

TBH you may well end up with both. many people have more than one pram. one for walking or off road with air tyres, then another small buggy type for shops, public transport and tbh the two you've chosen i'd say are best in their class, so i'd get both

Highly recommend mountain buggy they are very hard wearing, well worth the money have had so many of them and the seat unit is massive. It is a good all rounder.

but a choice of the two they are so different choices yr xt is a rough terrain at all where as yr MB is. but the downside does not fold a slim as the XT.

Still would recommend MB anytime.

can you get a second hard MB with carrycot and a new maclaren XT or quest?