pushchairs and which is best for what?

[Sally81]

Hi all,

I've already bought my pushchair for our little 'un who is due soon....

But a colleague of mine has been asked to compile a Top Ten of prams/pushchairs and my knowledge is limited.

She needs to do a top ten and which are best for say, the city, country, joggers (? I know..she has been asked this though), traditionalists (as in the big silver cross jobs maybe?)

Which ones are a style choice?

Which are best/budget value?

And just in general what is most popular? Am thinking Bugaboo, Icandy, Phil and Ted's?

Any advice and opinions would be really appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Penny.

[buggie]

I'd suggest iCandy cherry for anyone on 1st floor/lots of stairs.

The frame is really light and reasonably easy to collapse down and carry up & downstairs.

[Belle]

Hmm, a few ideas based on what people say here (rather than my own experience really):

best urban buggy - Bugaboo bee

best jogger/offroader - poss baby Jogger or Mountain Buggy?

for style - Stokke perhaps?

for budget/good all rounder, maclaren XLR

[snowboarder]

Ha ha I love buggies!!!

City - Bugaboo Bee (Cham too but maybe a bit big to be truely classed as a city pram) def the most popular around here, also maybe Maclaren?

Country - All the NZ rugged 3 wheeler types - Mountain Buggy, Out and About etc.

Jogger - these are quite serious looking!! Baby jogger do one and Phil and Teds about to bring one out (called sub zero or something hilarious!!).

Style - Bugaboo is the ubiquitous one and price tag means it thinks it has 'style'. I think icandy is it's british rival. Mamas and Papas do some quite funky stainless steel affairs but somehow don't really do it for me. Micralite are a bit 'different'.

Traditional - well yes there's the proper Silver Cross but I have never really actually seen anyone pushing one!! The 'pramette' type prams that Silvercross and mamas and papas do are quite traditional, and there are a load of the fixed big wheel prams (like maybe bebecar?) which while they look traditional sometimes also a bit bling!!

Overall the popular route seems to be Bugaboo (either bee or Cham) with Maclaren quest for the car/toddler followed by Phil and Teds when no. 2 rocks up!!

[snowboarder]

Ooh slightly crossed post with Belle above. Well we discuss prams a lot.....

[berryberry]

City- bugaboo bee or maclaren quest (any serious city folk need bus and tube access. These are public transport friendly options (you can always fit three of these in the space on the bus))

Country -Bugaboo chameleon or moutain jogger. The front wheel of three wheelers gets stuck in dips.

Jogger - phil and teds or City Jogger

Style- Bugaboo tops it, stokke I would put as a style buggy because its a lump of a beast, it tips over on the bus if not held, there is no shock absorbers so makes for a jiggly ride, It is a pain to pack away. Looks great, it is functional enough but doesn't do better than other buggys at anything except bring you physically closer together.

Traditional - Not the silvercross actually, I had one as a baby but I never see them in london only in magazines. Modern Silvercross prams are cumbersome and heavy. I actually think Maclaren wins traditional buggy though I can see why you wouldn't think of it. I also had one which lasted over 20 years and is nicer than the modern one -they used to make the seats out of corduroy.

(I actually had a stint as a pram/buggy tester, it was so much fun)

icandy, bebe confort loola, silver cross and mamas and papas all not so good.

[snowboarder]

A pram buggy tester?!? How do I do this please?!?

[Saila]

I was given a bugaboo and never used it cos it was too slow getting around - preferred a sling which is easier to run around with / get on buses etc

then we bought a second hand maclaren and we've only used it 3x

we *love* and only ever use our Smart Trike!

makes us all happy - i can run around getting things done (shopping/post office etc) and he thinks it's a great fun and just wants to go faster.

plus it's dirt cheap relative to everything else

[bumpy]

Can anyone suggest the best and/or cheapest buggy for a 13 month old to use at airports. Thanks

[berryberry]

sb - new mum journalism

bumpy - second hand maclaren quest all the way (?50 on here or ?12 on ebay) failing that, chicco buggies are cheaper and also quite good.

[sunbob]

I have found my Baby Jogger City Mini consistently great, from around 5 months up till now at about 21 months. It's really light for pulling up and down stairs to our flat at least twice a day, when laying down you have a lovely view of your baby through the mesh, the turning/stearing is very flexible and easy.

More recently discovered benefits are 1. it's very easy to hold/stear with one hand whilst holding LO's hand walking on the pavement (with lots of reminders of 'we're by the road so you must hold Mummy's hand' of course) and 2. the handle is high enough so I can rest LO's bottom on it when she absolutely refuses to walk or get in the buggy and my arm is about to fall off!

[BEANIE1]

For newborns I would suggest the micralite toro with carry cot as baby can lie nice and flat as well as the carry cot being quite high up - a must for new mums with bad backs etc. It does convert into a stroller but for ease of getting around and on/off public transport, you can't beat a maclaren quest or xt. The mamas and papas Kato is a decent cheapo choice too as it lays flat and so can take a newborn as well as being a decent stroller.

[littleEDfamily]

I vote Bugaboo Cameleon for EVERYTHING other than getting it in the car or up flights of stairs. If you have a walking about lifestyle and can just wheel it into you flat or house, there is no smoother buggy, no buggy better to load up with tons of stuff, easily adapts to add carseat (perfect for that 3-5 month age when they are too old to lie down and not quite holding themselves up properly). It lies flat for the early months and you can still shove a 4 year old into it if you try hard (and they are really tired). Also, importantly, resale value is good.

Not only that but it you can spin it round tight corners in shops with one hand (with considerable style if that's your thing), and the wheel base is long enough so that you can get on and off trains on your own (shorter wheelbases get stuck in'the gap')

If you go in the car a lot, my vote is a second hand McLaren for easy up, easy down. A dog to push compared to the Bugaboo though.

[dullified]

Another vote for the Baby Jogger City Mini ? it?s actually easier and quicker to fold than a Maclaren has a fantastic double hood (no need for a rain cover or additional sun shade except in the most extreme weather conditions), is easy to maneuver and push with one hand and reclines flat. I think it could be real threat to the Maclaren if it was marketed and stocked more in British shops. Definitely worth reviewing in the best city pushchair category.

[Grotty]

bumpy, we have just travelled to Christchurch NZ (with Stopovers in Dubai, Thailand and Sydney) - In all the airports we went to (except Sydney) - there were buggies available as we stepped off the plane that we were able to use through the airport and then just leave at the desk when we boarded the next flight. It was fantastic as it meant we didn't need to keep chasing/re-checking our own buggy. Not sure if its a common thing all over the world or with certain airlines (we were with Emirates/Air New Zealand), but may be worth checking the airlines/airports....

[snowboarder]

Really all you city mini fans? We have a city mini and a maclaren quest and after using the quest the city mini feels like a tank and totally long and wide and unmanouverable (?word?!). It does have the most brilliant sun hood though so we always use it as our holiday buggy, and doesn't tip nearly so easily with a bag on the handlebars. Quest really awful for tipping over/storage and sun shade is pretty non existent. Oh and cosy toes on the city mini has nowhere to fix to.

[dullified]

Tank like! I prefer the term sturdy. I very, very, very occasionally go jogging with my City Mini so I need a fairly solid buggy ? my Maclaren was just too flismy - wrecked it in less than 6 months of very occasional jogging. Admittedly the longer wheel base on the City Mini does take a little adjusting to after the Maclaren plus I think 3 wheelers in general are not as smooth going up/down kerbs. However other than that yes it is fantastic - I never thought I would get so attached to a pushchair. I never thought I'd care so much...