NOW CLOSED: Talk to Central YMCA about the best buggies for exercising with....you could win a £100 John Lewis voucher.

[AnnMumsnet]

We've been asked by the team at Central YMCA to find out your best buggy for exercising with.

So if you are you a regular buggy exerciser please share on this thread the buggy you would recommend for mums looking to power walk, jog or generally push themselves fit while out and about with their baby?

Please say why you'd recommend it - what makes it good and why you chose it over others.

Please also state what age your baby/ child was in the buggy, any bad points and your overall opinion of the value for money you've had from the buggy.

Please post your responses below - the responses on this thread will be used by CYMCA in an exciting new free digital product for mums from Central YMCA. If they want to use your direct quote we may well be in touch with you to find out your name and location so this can be attributed to you - eg "xxx" said Jane from Bolton.

Everyone who adds their recommendation to this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one winner would get a £100 John Lewis voucher.

Thanks, MNHQ

[StellaAndFries]

Thank you Mumsnet and Central YMCA my JL vouchers arrived this morning so hopefully I'll be ordering my much wanted kindle shortly :)

[AnnMumsnet]

Hello - thanks for all the great tips. Am pleased to say StellaAndFries name came out the hat and she has won a £100 John Lewis voucher. Well done!

[vixo]

For proper running it's got to be the baby jogger performance. I've done a lot of miles with mine (which was second hand and already well used) and ran with my older daughter until she was at least 3. It's not had quite as much use second time round because I just don't have as much time, but it's still great!

For walking I think any pushchair will do as long as you're comfortable pushing it. I prefer something with bigger wheels that doesn't make that awful rattle as you push it along on uneven paths, but that's just fussiness - if it pushes, you can walk with it, and therefore exercise!

I definitely wouldn't run with a baby in a sling - way too jiggly for their little heads - and I wouldn't run with a baby in a pushchair under 4 or 5 months for exactly the same reason.

[hytheliz]

I love my Phil and Teds double buggy. It's great for transporting my 2 and a half year old and 8 month old baby on any type of terrain. It is especially sturdy with three large wheels and extremely well made. The only downsides are that when running, I find the handle bar is too low so I have to bend uncomfortably. But for walking, it's perfect. It is reliable and as I bought it second hand, very good value for money.

[helenthemadex]

another vote for the mountain buggy, I have had both the terrain and urban (7 Kids!)
for running,excersise and proper off roading then I think the terrain is probably better;

it is lightweight
very stable over rough ground
comfortable for baby with either an optional carrycot or seat that lies flat for baby
absolutely solid and extremely well made
adjustable handle height
the jogging strap for additional safety when going down hills
very simple to put up and down
wheels remove very easily (great if they are muddy)
easy to take covers etc off for cleaning

the Urban is a fantastic buggy with the bonus of a front swivel wheel which is handy for shopping it can be fixed for running or off road

I have tried many others including Mamas and Papas three wheeler, Mothercare Urban but have not found anything that comes close to the Mountain buggy

[bronze]

I haven't found one that's easy to lift over a stile on my own so only use a sling

[Gatorade]

I run with my 4 month old DD at least 3 times per week and I have three pushchairs, all of which have been used for running at least once (as I sometimes forget to put the nipper into the car), the pushchairs are the Out N About Nipper 360 V1, Baby Jogger City Mini and the Quinny Buzz.

I didn't purchase the BJCM or the Quinny to run with them, the Nipper was purchased for this purpose.

The running I do tends to be rough parks and woodland tracks, a little bit of pavement road running too.

The Out N About is by far the best in my opinion, easy and light to handle, safety strap included (very important), good suspension for DD and makes running easy. I find the Nipper easy to fold and set up, if the wheels are very muddy they can easily be removed and popped into carrier bags before putting into the car boot! I also like the freedom of sitting positions for DD (as in there are no 'set' seating positions and the safety for the 5 point harness. The new V2 also takes a Maxi Cosi which I think now makes this the idea off road hiking and running pushchair (see below).

The BJCM is ok on smooth ground but I bought this pushchair for shopping and the hard tyres are hopeless when running on rough ground compared to the others. Love this for shopping/visiting people, very light and a dream to put up and down

The Quinny, I didn't intend to use this for running, to be honest I don't like this pushchair much at all, I bought it because I thought my PFB should have a proper carry cot to sleep in when out and about (now realise that this was a mistake and she would have been fine from birth in the Nipper or BJCM).

However, As I have a V1 Nipper and it doesn't take a Maxi Cosi seat, when my DD was younger (I started running with her from 7 weeks) she was very small (5lbs 4 oz at birth) and she would not have been safe in the Nipper as she slipped about, no matter how much I padded her. I also felt if I was to have an tipping over accident she wouldn't be safe. As a result I used the Quinny (pimped with an off road front tyre which can be purchased separately) with the mazi cosi until she was about 3 months old. It worked ok, the ride was smooth for DD but the shopping basket had to be removed as it rubbed against the off road front tyre.

The V2 Nipper (with Maxi Cosi holding capability) would therefore be my ideal running pushchair. If I have another DC I would use this with the Maxi Cosi seat until DC was approx 3/4 months and then use it without the car seat.

In summary, key points for me are:

• Safety (strap, which out of mine only the Nipper has)
  
• Ability to hold a small/young baby who doesn't yet have head control (I don't know if this is the scientifically correct answer) but I felt that having DD in the Maxi Cosi was by far the safest option given the support it provided
  
• Weight
  
• Stability
  
• Suspension/comfort of ride for DC
  
• Ease of putting up/down/cleaning
  

I think the Nipper V2 delivers on all of these

[AmberNectarine]

I've had quite a few buggies but really rate the Baby Jogger City Mini for exercising. I'm not a hardcore runner, but I do a lot of walking and attend buggy fit classes.

It is light, nippy, turns easily and crucially is very difficult to tip, unlike my bugaboo which falls over if you so much as look at it. My 11mo loves it and seems very comfortable in it.

It is also a reasonable price, so value fore money is excellent. Under £300, not the thick end of a grand which seems to be the going rate these days.

The quick fold is excellent for slinging in the car too. We took it to the beach this week, and it handled the sand without a hitch.

[toobreathless]

We have the quInny Buzz. We didn't really consider exercise when we bought it which in hindsight was a shame as we do a lot of mountain walking.

The pros:
Easy to steer on rough ground
really smooth ride for baby

Cons:
Very heavy to lift over stiles
Quite wide for small gaps
Prone to punctures, bit of a nightmare several miles from home!

[MakeTeaNotWar]

Phil & Teds Sport for me - jog with it regularly up and done some very steep hills, both on and off road. DD loves the motion and usually nods off. I have had to replace the tyres though as I've managed to split them which is a downer.

[fuckityfuckfuckfuck]

Eva, I carry my baby in a sling too. But I can't say I'd recommend jogging with one at all. The potential for the child to get hurt if you stumbled is just too great. I don't think the manufacturers would recommend it either. It can't be very comfortable for them to be jostled about so much.

[Evajay]

To add another alternative: I jogg with my baby (now 16 weeks) in a sling. Make sure it's tightly wrapped so baby is snug and head is supported. I recommend a high quality woven wrap like the didymos. Avoid stretchy wraps for this ( like the karri me) that would kill your back. I use the " wrap cross carry" ( check YouTube for instructions- I use specifically the variation where each leg goes under a strap if fabric first and then you spread it along their back. Finally comes a 3rd layer on top). - perfect position both for when dd is awake or asleep. As I wore her each day since birth I have grown accustomed to her weight. Walking/ jogging like this keeps me extra fit. Only downside is it gets quite hot with her on me. I wear the skimpiest tops to make it better. Also: Make sure the straps are well spread out on your back, that way you spread the weight across. It takes a bit of practice to get the wrap right- but since I learnt after a few attempts it's now second nature. I also go to Pilates once a week to strengthen my back and tone- I found this the perfect combo of exercise and it makes sure whatever I do when I jogg gets checked and bakanced with Pilates.

[peggyblackett]

I have two different buggies for exercising, both of which are brilliant.

I've the Baby Jogger Performance Classic for running (I'm starting to train for a half marathon). It has really good shock absorbable, BIG wheels for speed and is incredibly light. It's the Runners World mags editors choice, and also apparently Paula Radcliffe's buggy of choice postnatally. The only downside is that you'd struggle to get it into a lot of small car boots. Oh, and the fact that your dc needs to be 6 months before you can use it safely.

For long cross country walks its another vote for the Mountain Buggy. I bought my first Urban 8 years ago and it's still going strong. I now have the double for my two youngest and it's brilliant. It can get over pretty much anything, turns on a sixpence and can also still get through standard doors (the double). The single can fit into the boot of a VW Golf. The buggy is suitable from birth and can will take a child up to about 4.

If I had to choose between them I'd choose the Mountain Buggy. The Baby Jogger is a bit of a thoroughbred, whereas the Mountain Buggy is a solid workhorse and fantastic value for money. You can't argue with 8 years solid use and still going strong!

[AngelDog]

I've a Teutonia Spirit S3 - a bit like a Mountain Buggy, but does rear facing as well as forward. Light, manoevrable 3-wheeler with locking front swivel wheel for rough terrain. Foam air-filled tyres so no punctures. I do all my shopping (including groceries) with it, and my 2.5 y.o. - and we live in a very hilly area. DH runs with it occasionally, and DS loves it. :) It's good on rough terrain too.

IMO anything with small, solid, not-properly-swivelling wheels is a disaster.

[BettyandDon]

Goodness I do not think any buggies except the ridiculously expensive jogging buggies (way out of my budget) are suitable for exercise. Is it not something to do with the baby needing high suspension and support when being jostled about. Walking is fine with any buggy but I don't see that it could be a USP for any other type of buggy except a specially designed jogging one. I do not even know of any brand names that do this as we chose our buggy based on small size and price and also I don't jog!

[welliesandpyjamas]

I've tried a few pushchairs to do the 4 miles fast walk of school run (which I would like to think constitutes a decent amount of exercise combined with a good use of time). Anything with small and/or solid wheels are hard work pushing and dealing with very uneven pavements. Anything oldish and/or heavy is also hard work. The best combination of everything I've needed for all the walking is the Mutsy 4rider Light - it has more bouncy (but not air filled puncture prone) wheels, comfy handle, the seat suits larger toddlers too, it has lovely amooth movement and turning, and as a handy extra benefit the shopping basket (the larger one, bought separately) is enough to get an awful lot of groceries in it, as well as school bags and coats. I've even devised a way of strapping my son's scooter on to it with a bungee cord without it getting in the way of my legs.

[appu123]

Hello friends, I am looking a good prem for my 3 years old baby boy....please suggest me....it should not too much costly.
thanks...xx

[MegBusset]

For about 18 months I had DS2 (6mo to 2y) in a Maclaren Techno and DS1 (2.6y to 4y) on a buggy board (combined weight probably about 4 stone!). I walked everywhere and lived up the top of a steep slope. I had arms, thighs and buns of absolute steel

I seem to recall the Bugaboo Gecko I had when DS1 was a baby was very smooth and easy to push. Good value too as I sold it on eBay for almost retail price. The Phil & Teds double I had until DS2 was 6mo was a bugger to get round corners and up and down kerbs, I sold it on eBay for more than it cost new so definitely good value!

[egdeh]

I have an out and about nipper, well 2 as have twin and single versions. Both stood up to some serious punishment, are a dream to push and will go almost anywhere. But raincovers tend to rip and hood provides little shade, esp on double. For price, hard to beat though.

[thecinnamongiraffe]

I have the predecessor to the current baby jogger performance, it is as light as a feather and fantastic for running. It has 16' bike type wheels so even on the flat it would keep on going with out you so the wrist strap is definitely a must. It is great but has been in storage for a while it is only a single (I have seen the double version on e-bay but it is about as wide as a small car). It will be dusted off soon when DC2 goes to nursery and DC3 will ride in it. It has quite a large seat though, I should think my nearly five year old would be quite comfortable in it, I remember when she first went in it at 6 months old she looked a bit lost.

I have tried the phil and ted sport but found it a bit to heavy for running, probably because I was spoilt by the Baby Jogger. With both seats loaded I didn't have room to stride out so I didn't enjoy power walking with it much.

The Nipper 360 double is awesome, there are not too many places around here where I could run for long without having to stop and negotiate narrow gaps/roads etc but I have given it a quick go and it runs well (again, it would keep going without you even on a flat surface).

Nice and cheap but really good for a power walk was actually my second hand Maclaren Techo XT, the adjustable handles in the XT means that you can get a bit further away from the buggy and stride out, not by any means on a par with the Baby Jogger performance but pretty good when I wanted to power walk home via Tescos.

[Blatherskite]

I love my Phil & Teds Sport. I've done buggyfit with it, a few runs and it easily came up and down the cliff paths at Scarborough with us just last week.

The three huge wheels make it really easy to push over any terrain and way the seat sways slightly when in full laid back mode means that baby is rocked to sleep as you exercise. It's got a good, wide handle which makes it easy to push even with one hand and even when loaded up with 2 children in doubles mode. It's also narrow enough to get through most gates and down narrow cliff paths which works well in shops too. You can buy hang bags and cup holders to make taking a drink with you easy and the storage underneath is huge so long as it's in singles mode. They're so sturdy that they last forever so you can pick on up, usually with all the accompanying bits, fairly cheap from ebay etc

The only down side for me was that you can occasionally get a flat as the tyres are pneumatic - although I wouldn't change this as I think it makes for a more comfortable ride - and that the covers don't come off for cleaning. I did find washable covers for the front bumper bar, handle and footrest though which have kept mine much cleaner.

[StellaAndFries]

We had a mountain buggy terrain double when dd4 was a newborn and dd3 was 13 months old and it was brilliant for walking, jogging etc. It was sturdy, easy to manoeuvre and didn't tip and felt solid when pushing on rough terrain.

My phil and teds sports double was also well used once they were both a bit bigger, that was very easy to manoeuvre and felt lightweight for a double.

[mistlethrush]

Moutain Buggy Urban - fantastic - has locking wheel but only needed to do this when going over eg fallen down stone walls - rest of the time the moving wheel meant that you could normally push it with one finger. It went through foot high grass (which could get caught up in axles but didn't), foot deep mud and water (regular morning walk with dog) and was used from when DS was 3wks up until he stopped using it (26 months) and moved on to a balance bike instead. Never strapped a car seat onto it and didn't have the cot attachment - simply dressed ds appropriately and he was fine. Good shade attachment was really helpful - got the shadeababe. And yes, wrist strap very important - a disc brake would have been clogged up on regular occasions with what we went through but a wrist strap doesn't have that problem. It was also surprisingly manoeuvrable in shops and would turn on a penny.

[If anyone's looking for a pre-loved mb pm me!]

[Elkieb]

Forgot to add that my DS is 5 months old, and I feel that the pram is very good value for money.