Baby Buggy Help
Discussion
How times change. No more asking for advice about sports cars, now it's baby buggies!
Baby No 1 is due at the end of March and it's my job to start doing research on baby buggies.
Can any of the parents in this forum who have recently bought one give me a any tips or pointers?
From the look I've had so far I think we will need a 3 in 1 system. These seem to be the main buggy part, the baby carry holder thing (not quite up to speed with the terminology yet lol!) and a bigger cot type thing for lying the baby flat. Is that right?
What about car seats? do these come as part of the same system or do you need to buy a separate car base which the baby carry holder thing fixes onto?
Space isn't an issue as we both have big enough cars and a spacious house.
Any pointers or advice welcome (including recommendations on specific makes / models)
This stuff makes buying a car look like a piece of cake!
Many thanks
Baby No 1 is due at the end of March and it's my job to start doing research on baby buggies.
Can any of the parents in this forum who have recently bought one give me a any tips or pointers?
From the look I've had so far I think we will need a 3 in 1 system. These seem to be the main buggy part, the baby carry holder thing (not quite up to speed with the terminology yet lol!) and a bigger cot type thing for lying the baby flat. Is that right?
What about car seats? do these come as part of the same system or do you need to buy a separate car base which the baby carry holder thing fixes onto?
Space isn't an issue as we both have big enough cars and a spacious house.
Any pointers or advice welcome (including recommendations on specific makes / models)
This stuff makes buying a car look like a piece of cake!
Many thanks
Take a look at the Bugaboo website and see what they have at the moment.
Although i hated it at first, thinking it was all the fashion, they did turn out to be a great buggy; especially when having to take it out of the car and to open it up.
There is a Maxi-Cosy car seat that can clip on to the Bugaboo frame, with adaptor clips. And, if my memory serves be correctly, there is also the cot thing that clips on to the frame.
Not too sure about prices now, or the range. We had the Chameleon many years ago and i probably spent about £500 on the lot; with bits coming from e-bay. It's highly likely that you could probably resell it on e-bay too.
Although i hated it at first, thinking it was all the fashion, they did turn out to be a great buggy; especially when having to take it out of the car and to open it up.
There is a Maxi-Cosy car seat that can clip on to the Bugaboo frame, with adaptor clips. And, if my memory serves be correctly, there is also the cot thing that clips on to the frame.
Not too sure about prices now, or the range. We had the Chameleon many years ago and i probably spent about £500 on the lot; with bits coming from e-bay. It's highly likely that you could probably resell it on e-bay too.
From personal experience, if doing it again I'd make sure that what I bought:
- Had pneumatic tyres (use tyre slime to ward off punctures)
- Could be steered with one hand (this basically means the one piece bar type handle, rather than two independent handles)
- Could have all of the fabric bits easily removed and machine washed
- Came with a decent sun shade (parasols are a really crap solution)
- Had plenty of storage space (don't under-estimate how much stuff you'll be carting around!)
Something like an Out-n-About nipper 360 would be ideal.
Then buy a decent car seat separately.
- Had pneumatic tyres (use tyre slime to ward off punctures)
- Could be steered with one hand (this basically means the one piece bar type handle, rather than two independent handles)
- Could have all of the fabric bits easily removed and machine washed
- Came with a decent sun shade (parasols are a really crap solution)
- Had plenty of storage space (don't under-estimate how much stuff you'll be carting around!)
Something like an Out-n-About nipper 360 would be ideal.
Then buy a decent car seat separately.
SlidingSideways said:
Then buy a decent car seat separately.
Really? I find it handy being able to move jnr from car to buggy without having to unbuckle him from one seat and then buckle him up again. One thing that I would add to a design is hooks that can be used to dangle carrier bags from.
Edited by Fittster on Friday 20th September 12:52
SlidingSideways said:
From personal experience, if doing it again I'd make sure that what I bought:
Something like an Out-n-About nipper 360 would be ideal.
Then buy a decent car seat separately.
I think babies need to be 5/6 months old to go in one of these types, as their neck muscles aren't developed enough to withstand bumps? With maxi-cosi's their heads are nicely supported.Something like an Out-n-About nipper 360 would be ideal.
Then buy a decent car seat separately.
I've had three buggies in two years and I would agree with 'Sliding sideways', get one with pneumatic tyres front AND back.
The buggaboo is very good, two negatives are the price and small plastic wheels on the front. The wheels can get caught on lips, dips and kerbs. You can use a 'maxi cosi' to transport nipper from buggy to car and back with ease (no unstrapping and potentially waking nipper). Also it can have a cot attachment, which I couldn't/wouldn't live without again.
Out and about nipper, very basic but lightweight and brilliant for running with (if thats your thing). I use it for this purpose. Its also very well priced.
Mountain Buggy, bit like the buggerboo, just with pneumatic tyres front and back. Can use a maxi cosi and has a detachable cot (again, we found v useful.)
hope this helps!
Just been to buy the missus a pregnancy pillow so had a look at the prams / systems in mothercare.
I didn't go into great detail as I think I was in shock at some of the prices
It seems like I need a 3 in 1 system together with a flat cot which can go onto the buggy for longer days out.
I'm assuming you can buy aditional car seat bases so these can go in grandparents cars rather than swapping them round all the time?
I didn't go into great detail as I think I was in shock at some of the prices
It seems like I need a 3 in 1 system together with a flat cot which can go onto the buggy for longer days out.
I'm assuming you can buy aditional car seat bases so these can go in grandparents cars rather than swapping them round all the time?
Fittster said:
Really? I find it handy being able to move jnr from car to buggy without having to unbuckle him from one seat and then buckle him up again.
Never really caused us a problem, but I guess it is handy. We found that once ours were asleep, we could pretty much move them around as we needed. In the early days, you don't really want them spending too much time in the car seat anyway. It's bad for them apparently.
Fittster said:
One thing that I would add to a design is hooks that can be used to dangle carrier bags from.
You can get these separately. Be careful how much shopping you attach, unless you've got a 2 year old sat on the front to balance it out 
Dr Murdoch said:
I think babies need to be 5/6 months old to go in one of these types, as their neck muscles aren't developed enough to withstand bumps?
The nipper is suitable from birth as the seat lays down practically flat. We did fit a head hugger for the first couple of months for some extra support though.Congrats.
We never had (and never missed) the carry cot - a maxi cosi cabriofix is essentially 'flat' when it's set up for a new-born so they can stay in there for some time. I'd imagine most other seats are the same.
(We did however have a fecking huge vintage silver cross pram which was used half a dozen times and took up a vast amount of space the rest of the time
)
Look at the Stokke Explory - does forward and rear facing plus puts the nipper up reasonably high rather than down by your ankles; both the mrs and I found some of the Bugaboos too low. Downside is that the main structure doesn't fold that small.
Isofix is helpful but not essential in my view. The Cabriofix can be fitted in seconds with the seat belt (I certainly wouldn't buy a second base for the grandparents) and once they're in the next size up, our seats have been the sort that stay in the car so can be fitted once with the belt and not removed for months. It's only the most recent seat for the boy (3, nearly 4) which uses the 3-point belt to restrain him where we've gone for isofix, largely to stop the seat clattering about the car in case of an accident when he's not in it.
And whatever you buy, you will end up with a Maclaren at some point...
And when #2 comes along, you might need a double so maybe think about that too...
We never had (and never missed) the carry cot - a maxi cosi cabriofix is essentially 'flat' when it's set up for a new-born so they can stay in there for some time. I'd imagine most other seats are the same.
(We did however have a fecking huge vintage silver cross pram which was used half a dozen times and took up a vast amount of space the rest of the time
)Look at the Stokke Explory - does forward and rear facing plus puts the nipper up reasonably high rather than down by your ankles; both the mrs and I found some of the Bugaboos too low. Downside is that the main structure doesn't fold that small.
Isofix is helpful but not essential in my view. The Cabriofix can be fitted in seconds with the seat belt (I certainly wouldn't buy a second base for the grandparents) and once they're in the next size up, our seats have been the sort that stay in the car so can be fitted once with the belt and not removed for months. It's only the most recent seat for the boy (3, nearly 4) which uses the 3-point belt to restrain him where we've gone for isofix, largely to stop the seat clattering about the car in case of an accident when he's not in it.
And whatever you buy, you will end up with a Maclaren at some point...
And when #2 comes along, you might need a double so maybe think about that too...
We got one of the Mothercare Orb bundles and it's great. I didn't do much research, and popped out of the hospital after he was born to buy a 'travel system'. 
It's got the Maxicosi car seat, a proper 'cot' type thing, and then the chassis. We also got an IsoFix base. It's easy to whip him out of the car and straight onto the chassis for short periods of time, or for longer walks we put him in the cot that also attaches to the chassis.
It's got the Maxicosi car seat, a proper 'cot' type thing, and then the chassis. We also got an IsoFix base. It's easy to whip him out of the car and straight onto the chassis for short periods of time, or for longer walks we put him in the cot that also attaches to the chassis.
What we discovered when doing this a year ago is that nearly everyone who researches and buys a buggy is then convinced that theirs is the best at which point all recommendations are based on a sample of 1 and everyone seems to have a different buggy (much as this thread is going). so I'll add mine.
Ours is excellent and I am glad that we made the decision we did. We went for an Uppababy Vista which is a 3 in 1 travel system. They do them at John Lewis and Kiddiecare. we got ours from Kiddiecare with a Morrisons voucher code during a sale and doubled up on the Virgin air miles at the same time - do that. It is a US brand and not that common over here although because of the John Lewis thing you are starting to see more of them out and about.
http://www.uppababy.co.uk/Vista-pushchair-pram.htm...
Personally, I think it is much better than the slightly pricier Bugaboo in terms of practicality and it comes with the bassinet thing as well as the car seat adapters. For me the Bugaboo seemed to be style over substance. The other one we considered was an Oyster, but this had the foldy mechanism thing right where your knuckles go so you end up looking like a street fighter...
Car seat wise, buy a Maxi Cosi Pebble which fits on the buggy really well (loads of people recommend the Pebble). Then buy the IsoFix base as it is way better to just clip in the seat rather than to have to faff about with seatbelts every time you get in and out of the car.
If you take the baby abroad, then they have a very good carry case which insures the buggy for flight damage. We did this and took ours to the states for 2 weeks and it was great.
Bob
Ours is excellent and I am glad that we made the decision we did. We went for an Uppababy Vista which is a 3 in 1 travel system. They do them at John Lewis and Kiddiecare. we got ours from Kiddiecare with a Morrisons voucher code during a sale and doubled up on the Virgin air miles at the same time - do that. It is a US brand and not that common over here although because of the John Lewis thing you are starting to see more of them out and about.
http://www.uppababy.co.uk/Vista-pushchair-pram.htm...
Personally, I think it is much better than the slightly pricier Bugaboo in terms of practicality and it comes with the bassinet thing as well as the car seat adapters. For me the Bugaboo seemed to be style over substance. The other one we considered was an Oyster, but this had the foldy mechanism thing right where your knuckles go so you end up looking like a street fighter...
Car seat wise, buy a Maxi Cosi Pebble which fits on the buggy really well (loads of people recommend the Pebble). Then buy the IsoFix base as it is way better to just clip in the seat rather than to have to faff about with seatbelts every time you get in and out of the car.
If you take the baby abroad, then they have a very good carry case which insures the buggy for flight damage. We did this and took ours to the states for 2 weeks and it was great.
Bob
Edited by fat80b on Friday 20th September 17:20
Firstly, congratulations! Our first is due next month
As with Bob, we researched them all and bought a Uppababy Vista. Bought from GroovyStyle in Berkhamsted who are awesome. Also chatted to the experts in JohnLewis and they all said the Vista is the best on the market and what they personally use.
Only downside is it's a little bit bigger than the Bugaboo etc. But you get a proper luggage area to chuck the shopping which makes it much more usable.
Also, the Uppababy doesn't have a rear axle so if you're tall it's one of the few you won't catch your feet on.
BeSafe are the safest car seats (the only criteria really) and fit onto the Vista easily. Has some cool features too like the sun screen / cover is self held rather than having to clip onto the handle like the MaxiCosi. MaxiCosi ace too though.
Most if not all JohnLewis stores do a 2hr baby consultation. Basically a private shopper with an expert with no obligation to buy.
As with Bob, we researched them all and bought a Uppababy Vista. Bought from GroovyStyle in Berkhamsted who are awesome. Also chatted to the experts in JohnLewis and they all said the Vista is the best on the market and what they personally use.
Only downside is it's a little bit bigger than the Bugaboo etc. But you get a proper luggage area to chuck the shopping which makes it much more usable.
Also, the Uppababy doesn't have a rear axle so if you're tall it's one of the few you won't catch your feet on.
BeSafe are the safest car seats (the only criteria really) and fit onto the Vista easily. Has some cool features too like the sun screen / cover is self held rather than having to clip onto the handle like the MaxiCosi. MaxiCosi ace too though.
Most if not all JohnLewis stores do a 2hr baby consultation. Basically a private shopper with an expert with no obligation to buy.
We have an Oyster system. Very light and lovely to use.
I'd suggest a system where the car seat locks straight on to the buggy base. So handy if the baby has fallen asleep in the car and it saves disturbing them getting them out and in to something else, especially during cold weather if they're all snuggled up cosy and warm.
I'd suggest a system where the car seat locks straight on to the buggy base. So handy if the baby has fallen asleep in the car and it saves disturbing them getting them out and in to something else, especially during cold weather if they're all snuggled up cosy and warm.
grumbledoak said:
You could just get a Maclaren Techno XT, they'll do you from birth 'til scooter age. Someone will have a baby that's outgrown their car seat.
You can spend the change on a car.
THIS ! You can spend the change on a car.
we had a silvercross 3d buggy with seat it was good for 6 months but was rubbish as a buggy the only good thing was the isofix seat . we got the Maclaren one and it is brilliant . Would not bother with anything else .
I wish we had bought a good isofix seat and the buggy that's all.
Main decision needs to be......will you have another one afterwards ? Because if you are you'll need a pram capable of having two kids. We bought a relatively expensive pram when our first was born and then had to go out and buy another when our second was born two years later.
The second one we bought is a Phil And Teds....they are quite big (length) but they seem to be the popular choice if you have two kids....every f
ker has one round where we live.
The other thing prams are useful for (apart from carrying kids) is carrying all the st around...some of them don't have that much carrying space. We live near a park so the kids are often in the park on scooters and bikes. Our Phil and Teds is capable of carryiing scooters and bikes in the second lower kiddies seat which is an absolute god send at times.
Our youngest is now three......I reckon a year or so and we'll be rid of the pram....can't bloody wait!!!!!!!
The second one we bought is a Phil And Teds....they are quite big (length) but they seem to be the popular choice if you have two kids....every f
ker has one round where we live. The other thing prams are useful for (apart from carrying kids) is carrying all the s
t around...some of them don't have that much carrying space. We live near a park so the kids are often in the park on scooters and bikes. Our Phil and Teds is capable of carryiing scooters and bikes in the second lower kiddies seat which is an absolute god send at times. Our youngest is now three......I reckon a year or so and we'll be rid of the pram....can't bloody wait!!!!!!!
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