I'm currently facing a dilemma which I'm sure will be very familiar to other first-time mum-to-be's: which pushchair to buy for the new baby? There is an absolutely overwhelming choice available; three-wheelers, off-roaders, lightweight buggies and fully functional travel systems that convert into different shapes at the press of a few buttons. Do I want a forward, parent-facing or reversible seat? Does the price include the optional carrycot/footmuff/raincover? How easy is it to fold? Will it fit in my car boot and my hallway? And why is everything so expensive???? AAAH! I find myself staring at other mums as they walk past trying to subtly check out what brand of pushchair they have. To try and help me decide I've come up with my wishlist for my perfect pushchair.
Must haves:
- Lightweight - I will be using public transport a lot so need something I can get onto buses and up the stairs at tube stations
- Very easy to fold - when not in use the pushchair will be mainly living folded up in my hallway. A simple fold mechanism without having to remove the seat or wheels everytime would be ideal
Nice to have:
- Removable carrycot option - I have a couple of weddings to go to soon after the baby is born and it would be ideal if the carrycot clipped onto the pushchair base so that the baby will have a comfortable cot to sleep in rather than being stuck in the pushchair seat all day.
Here are my current top three choices!
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| Baby Jogger City Mini GT |
Baby Jogger City Mini GT:
A new updated version of the very popular baby jogger city mini is due out in spring 2012. It promises to have solved all the little issues of the 2011 version with new features such as an adjustable handle, bigger storage basket and improved tyres. The one handed fold looks amazing! The biggest problem for me: will it be out in time for my April 9th due date?
Maxi-Cosi Elea:
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| Maxi-Cosi Elea |
A great looking pushchair, and as it is made by Maxi-Cosi the car seat can click straight in without the need for fiddling around with adapters. Cons: at just over 13kg, it is a bit on the heavy side
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| Bugaboo Bee |
Bugaboo Bee:
I see these all over London, they are definitely the must-have stylish pushchair for urban yummy mummies. They come in a range of vibrant colours, and look small enough to easily fit in my doorway. Cons: very expensive! To get the full set including the optional footmuff and newborn cocoon will set you back in the region of £650-700. I would be reluctant to buy a second-hand version after to the recent recall of the 2011 edition due to safety issues with the wheels.
I think I really need a trip to somewhere like Babies'R'us to see them all in the flesh and have a bit of a test drive. In the meantime - any suggestions or recommendations would be happily welcomed!
If you haven't already bought, I'd say you should be thinking about the McLaren XT. It's cheap, folds well and is incredibly rugged.
ReplyDeleteDownsides? It's not the "nicest", but you won't care when it's covered in shopping bags, vomit etc. It also doesn't have a Maxi-Cosi etc. clip in option. But babies are only "safe" officially for about 90 minutes, if I remember rightly, in a car seat asleep. And, frankly, they wake up more often anyway. Plus when they are asleep, they stay asleep. So you probably won't need the option - most friends of ours who had the clip-in option didn't end up using it much, and those mates of ours (ourselves included) who did have the option, din't miss it.
Good luck w. the pregnancy - and the good news is Awesomestow is full of lovely families with young kids and there's lots of great resources for parents and kids - from the forest to Lloyd Park Centre etc. And if you want any more baby advice, I'm @psimonk on twitter!
Hi Simon!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your comment! I've already ordered my pushchair now, have gone for the Britax B-Agile which is hopefully a good compromise on what I was looking for, and pretty cheap in the January sale.
I'm only just starting to discover all the great stuff locally for parents and babies, but it does look as if there is loads around!
Awesomestow is the place to be :o)
Gail