Buggy advice!

[Lochie]

My bro is about to have a baby and his lovely girlfriend is bewildered by what buggy to get, with a budget of under ?300 preferably!! It got me thinking really, has anyone had a pram system that has really lasted, that they would recommend to their best friend, that they would never part with? Are the more expensive ones REALLY worth investing in? I have an second hand bugaboo and maclaren type buggy, and I really love my bugaboo (mainly for the amazing suspension and ease of pushing). However the thought of buying it new at ?600 seems quite daunting to me if I were to do it all again.

Any tips appreciated so I can pass on to the parents to be who have asked for my advice!

[sanity girl]

Definitely a maclaren techno xlr - can be used from newborn as lies flat and will last all the way through to toddler - within budget, hard-wearing, easy to close/ manoeuvre etc

[The Nappy Lady]

Or if big walkers, and on rough and smooth ground the Mountain Buggys are brill. Mcclaren wheels too small/bumpy rides for what we do (but ace if you use buses a lot/live up steps etc).

Also if possible always buy second hand on Ebay etc as it saves a fortune.

I really think buggys are a bit like shoes and handbags - no one is perfect, they are all good for different reasons. So they need to work out their specific needs and go from there.

Hope this helps, Molly

[Lochie]

Thanks both this is really useful and yes I agree with the shoes analogy!

[Earl Aelfheah]

Everyone I know who started out with a Bugaboo, or other, similar 'big' buggy has ended up getting a MacLaren. They're just much more practical - smaller, lighter etc. Unless you're really into cross country buggying, I would opt for the MacLaren Techno.

[jam]

Maclaren Techno XT ( though it is not parent facing for when baby is newborn though it is suitable for new born) otherwise the Bugaboo Bee plus 2010 which is small, light and suitable from birth.

[snowboarder]

I found having a pram type buggy for the newborn phase fab - somewhere for baby to sleep/be safe downstairs, no faffing with straps etc and you can see them all the time...and then converting into a parent facing push chair - we like to chat. I know maclaren might be a sensible choice but you miss out on those things. I have NO idea how good they are but I always thought a bebe confort/maxi cosi streety might be a good slightly more budget option (by budget I'm using bugaboo as ref!!) - I think you get a package with car seat etc?

[ludoscotts]

hi we had the silver cross 3d pram and loved it.

It costs about ?300 new but you can get them on ebay.

I loved everything about it, its a lie flat parent facing pram so you can see when your baby is awake/been sick etc. Great support for their backs, its got a small padded velcro strap to go around the waist to hold them secure it you go on a bus etc.

but in a few seconds you can convert it to a pushchair, you take the liner out(white fabric liner that takes up hardly any room to store)click the back up and footrest down and turn the hood around and you are done into buggy mode.

the thing we loved is when its in buggy it still lies completely flat for naps etc. And there is no big pieces to store.

alot of these prams you have to take the carry cot off and put another seat on the chassis for it to be a buggy then you have the carry cot to store but with this one its just a big fabric liner to store away.

Also when you need to fold the buggy down, this is very close to an umbrella fold so very compact for a pram when folded and no having to take wheels off or carrycots off it all folds down together.

We also found this was so comfy for our little one that we would put her in the pram during the day and wheel it into the living room saving having to buy a moses basket too.

If you buy the car seat too it can be used as a travel system aswell.

[nylonmeals]

We got a second hand Bugaboo Bee on ebay and just think that its brilliant. So small and light - ideal for London and public transport. When I look at the massive buggies people seem to get it feels like the equivalent of driving a large 4x4 car in London. They now have the Bugaboo Bee Plus which means that the regaular Bees should be even cheaper than when we got ours.

[melbourne groover]

I think it depends on how much walking you do. If you are walking any kind of distance regularly then I would recommend a buggy with air-filled tyres, but do bear in mind that you will probably end up with a Maclaren (type buggy) also for car/plane/shopping etc. We have both and use both reguarly every week.

Get a Maclaren xt to start maybe and see if you need a 3 wheeler. Don't think you would regret the Maclaren. Totally agree with the shoe analogy, I don't think I could find 1 pram to do the lot for me.

[ladywotlunches]

For my second, I've just bought a Maxi cosi Mura 3. Not many available in the shops, but my sister has one and its brilliant. A bit like the Quinny Buzz, but has more options (and you can buy one of those cocoons a la Phil and Teds to keep the newborn really cosy, without having to go the whole hog with a carry cot.

For a new one its just under ?300 on Kiddicare. But I got mine for ?120 on ebay and its only 10 months old. The carry cot is about another ?45 new on top.

[Knomester]

It's also worth bearing in mind that Mothercare will sometimes match online prices for new purchases. We found the cheapest online price for the pram / buggy / car seat we wanted and Mothercare on the Old Kent Road matched that price which meant around ?130 saving off their normal stock prices. It's always worth asking if your brother and sister-in-law decide they would like to buy new.

[tulip]

Nipper 360- brilliant.

http://www.oxfordpramcentre.co.uk/product_Nipper-360-Single_782_0_index.php

[esme]

I have an i-candy (buy from john lewis - seems to be one of few suppliers, if only one?, made in UK, family business)... I have to say it's light, easy to push / get on and off of buses, looks nice and has a good sized undercarriage for shopping / nappy bag or whatever. I was amazed by the amount of choice but am glad we went for this one, it cost about ?300 for the carrycot and buggy (once he can sit up) and you can use the base with a maxicosi car seat too

[Smiler]

Depending on their wishes for the size of their family, with a small age gap between children might need a buggy that fits two, e.g. Phil & Teds.

We had a lovely Bee and now use a McLaren stroller, but think it is going to be difficult with a newborn and 2 1/2 year-old to use the Bee again, since the older one is unlikely to be able / amenable to walk / use a boogie board thing all of the time.

Have been trying to get our daughter to walk as much as possible, but tiredness/discipline is an issue and I rely heavily on being able to shove her in the pushchair as a last resort or when need to get anywhere quickly. And don't fancy trying to get on buses etc. with her on the loose!

[civilservant]

Maclaren Techno for sure - because it folds up! IMHO, Bugaboos, however nippy and lovely, are a. expensive b. heavy and c. a nuisance on public transport, not just to other passengers but to the parents pushing them as well

Has she thought about a sling for when the baby is very tiny?

You can use a sling until they're 15-18 months old - it gives you quite a good back and upper-body workout as well!

[Mick Mac]

My advice is don't spend more on the buggie than you spent on your house. The price gap is getting ever closer.

[felt-tip]

Does the Maclaren Techno XLR lay flat for a newborn?

I saw a cot thing on mothercare.com but not sure how it all works.

We've been looking at the bugaboos and stuff but my mate has the chameleon and says that now his boy is 10 months they just use the maclaren all the time as its so much lighter and easier to pack away for car journeys and stuff.

If that is the case and the XLR is suitable from birth then I could just save myself about ?800...!

[Fuschia]

Gawd, don't spend more than ?200 tops for ANY buggy. Madness.

Can get a second hand mclaren techno for ?50 on ebay.

[sanity girl]

Hi, Yes they do. You don't really need a cot thing, but you could always get a second hand phil and teds cocoon and use that in the buggy in the lying flat position - that's what I'm planning to do with no. 2 at the very beginning. Or you can put a fleece in to make it more cosy.

felt-tip Wrote:

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

> Does the Maclaren Techno XLR lay flat for a

> newborn?

>

> I saw a cot thing on mothercare.com but not sure

> how it all works.

>

> We've been looking at the bugaboos and stuff but

> my mate has the chameleon and says that now his

> boy is 10 months they just use the maclaren all

> the time as its so much lighter and easier to pack

> away for car journeys and stuff.

>

> If that is the case and the XLR is suitable from

> birth then I could just save myself about ?800...!

[felt-tip]

I would LOVE to get a second hand buggy but I have been vetoe'd by Mrs Felt-tip.

So now I'm devising ways to protect my wages from buggy-mania. The XLR sounds good.

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

The Maclaren Techno XT is excellent and goes completely flat for babies also x

[Moos]

Seconded, or is it 4thed on the MacLaren.

One minor caveat is that although it lies flat it is forward facing so you can't see the baby as you push it along. That is why parent-facing prams are more popular and reassuring for parents of new babies.

Try e-bay for new but cheaper prams - lots of shops sell old stock or old colours of good brands for much less than the ones in shops. (We also saved money by buying ours from a German retailer, but that was in the days of the cheap Euro, sigh.) This also works well for car seats, which you do have to buy new.

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

The maclaren techno xt has a window so you can view the baby via the window when it is in the flat position.

[veryseriousgirl]

We had the techno xlr and LOVED it. You can buy a maclaren carrycot that straps in to the pram and makes it parent-facing. And it really is much lighter and more nimble than some of the bigger prams, which made a big difference to me in the first few weeks after my daughter was born. The carrycots go for next to nothing on ebay.