Buggy Reviews

by Hannah Lazarus

LOOKING FOR A LOW COST BUGGY?

Check out Ely NCT's Nearly New Sale on Saturday 19th October, 10.30am-12.30pm, Ely College

Buying a buggy was undoubtedly the most daunting bit of baby shopping for me. There is so much choice and they can cost an absolute fortune. So how do you go about choosing one?

Stupidly, I did zero research on buggies before heading to a big baby store to buy one. I remember standing in front of a huge row of buggies feeling totally overwhelmed! The only requirement for me was that it folded small to fit in the boot of my Ford Ka – and luckily that really narrowed the choice!

It was just down the shop assistant then to do her sales pitch, do a test run on a few round the shop, and part with a stack load of cash – feeling relieved to have got it over and done with, whilst wondering if I’d rushed into it and spent my money wisely!

Feeling a bit more experienced now, I thought it would be useful to put an article together to help parents-to-be think about what they want from a buggy and to make this shopping experience a bit less of a minefield!

Pram/Pushchair/Travel System?

So, what do I mean by the term ‘buggy’? Well, this can encompass a whole range of different types of ‘things on wheels’ to get your baby/child from A to B! It must’ve been a lot easier in the ‘good old days’ when the beautiful-but-bulky upright prams were the only option!  Now you can find two-in-one systems (a pram which converts into a pushchair), three-in-one systems (a pram/pushchair with a detachable carrycot) or a complete travel system (as above, but which also connects to your baby’s car seat).

Already mind-boggled? Here are a few of the things you might want to consider when buggy shopping.

Size

This was my top requirement. I had a very small car, so needed something that folded up small. Size may also be a consideration if you travel a lot and need to fold down for bus, train or plane journeys, or if you're short of storage space at home.

Moving a sleeping baby

At some point, you will probably be pushing around a sleeping baby and not want to disturb them when you get in/out of the car or get back home. This is where detachable car seats and carrycots come into their own. With a detachable car seat, you can take a sleeping baby in or out of the car without worrying about waking them up. The same with a carrycot if baby falls asleep when out for a walk and you don’t want to wheel a dirty pram into the house!

Front/rear facing

Some buggies enable you to have your baby facing you or facing forwards when in pushchair mode. I think it’s really nice to have babies and small children facing you so you can see each other and have a chat/give them a drink or snack/check that they’re comfortable!

Weight

This is important if you travel around a lot, especially on public transport. You will need something that’s lightweight and easy to manoeuvre.

Durability

Prams and pushchairs need to be extremely sturdy to withstand all the bashing about they get – in and out of vehicles, up and down the curbs, etc. It’s definitely worth taking them for a test drive to check they feel sturdy, are easy to move, and have simple, user-friendly mechanisms. If you’re planning on having more than one child, could it withstand a few years of use?

Storage

If you want to use your buggy when you’re out shopping, you’ll need somewhere to put your bags. Most buggies come with a storage basket underneath – you will just need to check the size!

Terrain

Where you will take your buggy will be an important consideration in choosing the right one for you. As above, a lightweight buggy will be suitable if you’ll be taking it around town, in and out of shops, or on public transport. If you will be doing a lot of walking off-road in the countryside, an all-terrain buggy, which is designed for use on rough ground, may be more apt. The downside to these is that they are large and more cumbersome than other versions.

Of course these are just a few considerations. When it comes to buying a new pram/pushchair, doing some research and getting recommendations from others are key. So, as a start, we’ve asked people for reviews of their buggies. These barely scratch the surface of the buggy market but should give you an idea of what features other people have found useful.

Mothercare Spin (Hannah)

Connects to car seat, folds small, back and forward facing, light, easy to steer

Since buying this buggy, it’s been discontinued, but I think Mothercare have brought out a newer, updated model – and the pros and cons could give you a good idea of things to look for in a buggy.

As above, the reason I went for this buggy is that it folds up small. The pram top is collapsible and the back wheels can be removed, so it can fit in very small cars! The downside to having a collapsible pram top is that you can’t use it as a carrycot.

The buggy itself isn’t a travel system – just a pram that converts to a pushchair. But you could buy adapters to fit a Maxi-Cosi car seat on. I wouldn’t have been without this! It was so convenient when we were out and about and meant I didn’t have to disturb my sleeping baby. And I used the car seat on the base as a pushchair for quite a while as the pushchair itself was too big.

The reason this model is called a ‘Spin’ is that you can use the pushchair with baby/child facing you or facing forwards. It is really quick and easy to spin round, and the whole thing is really light and easy to steer.

Other good points were removable covers that you can wash, the cosy toes and raincover, and adjustable handle height.

There are a few downsides to this buggy. One was that the folding mechanism broke – so I was left in a car park wondering how I was going to get it in the car! The company was very good, though, and gave us a replacement while it was being fixed – but not what you expect from something that was only a few months old! The foot brake is also a bit sticky and the storage basket is small. I’ve also not used the buggy in pushchair mode much. I also have a stroller, which is much more convenient to travel with and lighter to move, so I tend to use this – unless it’s really cold.

I Candy Cherry (Nancy)

Back and forward facing, easy to move, big shopping basket

I got this for Juno so it’s almost four years old now and still going strong for Cadel.  I found that the baby cot part of it I used until they were around 4-5 months old, by then they wanted to be more upright and be able to see more.  Not sure it would have been worth the money for just one child, but has definitely had its money worth for two.  The pushchair part of it is fine for Caddy and will probably last at least another 6-9 months, until he is around 2 and a half but he is quite small.  I love the fact it can be back as well as forward facing as I like chatting away to them while walking.  It has great manoeuvrability, and fits in shops etc fine.  The shopping basket bit is nice and big too.

Disadvantages – its quite bulky, but still fits in the boot of our fiesta, just!  We travel to Ireland by plane a lot and it’s a bit of a pain for that.  As it comes in two parts you have to get both labelled up, and then dismantling it at the steps of the plane isn’t as straightforward as if you had a folding one.  But then you wouldn’t get the benefits of it being suitable for newborns as well as toddlers so a small price to play.

 Overall, when I first bought it I was horrified at the cost (think its was around £550 including all accessories), but by the time we get rid of it, it will be almost 5 years old, I think its been excellent value for money.

Bugaboo Chameleon (Tiff)

Easy to move, sturdy wheels, all terrain, big shopping basket, overnight sleeping

I have a Bugaboo Chameleon - we had a choice of two as my husband is so tall and it was lighter than the Apple iCandy. It's not the cheapest of prams or the smallest (it took up most of the boot in my Saab when in carrycot mode!) but I am so pleased with my choice and still use it loads over 2yrs later (have just got the buggyboard and Twoo seat ready for when #2 arrives in Jan). This pram is easy to steer (even one-handed) and doesn't get punctures like other prams. It takes a bit of practice to put it up and down (my mum still doesn't get it) but you have to learn with any pram. You can swap which wheels are at the front by clicking the handle over the top of the frame so good for bumpier terrain too and you can also do this to go into snow mode. Ample basket space underneath for shopping and the carrycot is approved for baby to sleep in overnight as a travel cot. The raincover needs a good stretch to make it fit and once in pushchair mode it is never completely flat but I never got a smaller buggy (like many mums)as I love it so much.

Silver Cross Pop (Maxine)

Easy to fold up and down, light, easy to steer and carry, reclines

We first bought the Silver Cross Pop stroller 3 years ago just before my eldest’s first birthday. We had just bought a new car which had a smaller boot, so needed a pushchair that would fit into it easily. Having spent some time trying out different models, we choose the Silver Cross Pop. The features that we liked were: liked the ease of putting it up and down (can be done one-handed using a strap attached to the back of the stroller) and light-weight and easy to manoeuvre and carry – there’s a shoulder-strap if you need to carry it and have your hands free. Also, the seat reclines to almost flat and has a reasonably-sized storage area underneath. Whilst not the cheapest stroller, we felt it was best value for money and you can find offers if you shop around. The Silver Cross Pop is suitable from birth and we put our son in it when he was around 4 weeks old. The fact that it is light-weight proved a bonus with 2 children as I was able to push it with one hand whilst holding my toddler’s hand.

The following reviews are all by Rebecca, who has worked her way through quite a few buggies in the past couple of years!

Petite star Zia- Front facing pushchair

Pros

+ Very easy to push and collapse

+ Comes in different colours

Cons

- However but I found the seating position too reclined even at its highest setting

- Very small basket

Petite star Bubble - reversible facing pushchair

Pros

+ Very easy to push and collapse

+ Unique reversible seat means you can change direction in seconds

+ Foot rest can be ‘down’ or ‘up’

Cons

- Basket hard to reach

- Looks a little odd compared to other pushchairs because of the seating position options

Bebe Confort Loola - reversible facing pushchair

Pros

+ Lovely seating position for baby, very upright

+ Large flat shopping basket

Cons

- Extremely heavy and cumbersome to push

- Quite faffy to change from one direction to another

Hauck Malibu travel system

Pros

+ Car seat and carry cot very light and easy to place in and out of frame

+ Easy to push and collapse

+ Very competitive price

Cons

- Car seat started to get unsuitable for baby before the age recommendation (i.e. the heavier she became the more the seat tilted forward until eventually it seemed unsafe)

- The pushchair part seemed much flimsier than the seat and the carry cot and the buttons attaching it to the frame unclipped a few times!!

Quinny Speedi travel system (all terrain 3 wheeler)

Pros

+ Carry cot easy to attach to frame

+ Very light and easy to steer

+ Excellent over rough ground

Cons

- Even though light, quite bulky to get in and out of car

- In pushchair mode, recline too far back even at highest setting

Microlight fast fold pushchair (all terrain)

Pros

+ Looks quite nifty

+ Nice upright position

+ Very easy to push and fold

+ Very compact

Cons

- Basket almost inaccessible due to frame

- Not suitable for all rough terrain

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