Buggy Choice...brain is fried..suggestions pls

RubyB82

Hi All,

We're 23 weeks pregnant on our first baby and dipped our toes into the buggy search pool this week and already so confused.

We're based in mid-west and have looked in Mothercare in the crescent, the nursery store out on Ballysimon road and at the end of the month plan on going to Bella Baby in Uranmore and Tony Kealys in Galway.

I have a few must haves in my criteria..don't think I've missed anything important.
- We need the option of the adapter for a second seat as plan on trying for a second baby quite quickly
- Wheels suitable for country roads
- 2 in 1 Travel system that will take the maxi cosi
- Option for forward and rear facing
- Baby can sleep overnight in pram so this can be used instead of moses basket.
- Size, we have a Volkswagen Golf therefore not a huge amount of boot room so must be compact
- Price, currently we're a one income family until hubby finds a job so price is a factor while I definitely don't want to compromise and buy something that is lower quality that my child is going to be in every day and will be a daily feature for us to use.

There's so many options out there though and as first timers it's alot of information for us to absorb and rule out what is important and what is a 'Nice to have'.

The only buggy that I'm familiar with is the iCandy as my niece has it, my sister loves it and can't give it enough praise...I love it too, the look, the feel of it however the price..eeek! I'm not a hundred percent sure why this is so expensive compared to others, is it just the brand I'm paying for or is there actual features I can't get anywhere else with any other buggy? Plus you seem to have to pay for every little addition which comes included with other buggies like when we do need to buy an additional seat the existing pram on the buggy doesn't fit with a second seat therefore we're only left with a chassis and have to buy not only the seat but a second pram also!?!? Seems a bit cheeky. While i understand the re-sell value of the iCandy would probably be greater with this buggy then others.

The lady in Mothercare in the crescent was brilliant!! She showed us the icandy (to be honest we didn't dwell on it too long as himself nearly died when he saw price), the Mothercare Genie and the Phil and Teds voyager.
Phil and Teds Voyager a girl in work has and raved about it when I said it, it was around €750, I really liked this one however I never asked can baby sleep overnight in this and as it's not a separate pram and seat you just use the zip to transform this I'm not sure if that is an option.
Mothercare Genie - I know nothing about this as it only came out last autumn there's no reviews online and I'm not sure if I want to use my baby as guinea pig to try it out. I love the look of it and the colour, price at €499.95 is great...however that is it, that's all I know - my sister thinks she read somewhere that Quinny makes the Mothercare own brand buggies however wasn't certain...
The extra seat for both of these I think was around the €150 mark.

To-day when we went to the Nursery store the lady briefly showed us the iCandy, again we were advised you pay for a lot of add on's.
We looked at the Uppababy Vista was around the €950mark, I thought it was great..himself hated it, said it looked big and bulky and didn't even like the feel of the material. I loved all the little extras like the sun visor, the car seater adapter comes with it, how easy it was to change from pram to seat and to close the buggy and especially the fact that when you have a child in the second seat they aren't looking straight into the back of the other child like a lot of two seater buggies. I know a girl who has this and really likes it, the reviews online are not great in relation to steering.
The last buggy we were shown was the Phil and Ted Dot which was €549 and included both seats for that price..again I forgot to ask if baby can sleep over night in this...I'm not sure how I feel about a three wheeler buggy. I always think a four wheeler would be sturdier...but sure I'm no expert on this.

As I said we're going to look in Galway at end of month so there might be something there, We haven't seen the Bugaboo yet which I think is a popular double buggy.

Hubby was asking what time of year buggies go on sale but I don't think that happens really with buggies does it?

Anyway..as you can see I'm very confused, any help/ guidance/ feedback would be greatly appreciated x

otwb1

The bugaboo donkey is quite expensive. (not sure if exact price, but the single bugaboos are about 1200 and I see the donkeys selling for about 950 second hand)

If you are price conscious and can't get a deal then have a look at some of the trading sites (adverts/donedeal etc) for second hand buggies and equipment?

detoxkid

We have an ubv and find it fantastic. No problems steering, I use it on country roads. We have the 2014 version and now use it with the rumble seat for our two. The rumble seat isn't ideal but I believe the newer version is much better. Once u have figured what u want check Tralee nursery stores, usually great for price and deliver.

Cakerbaker

I've a 3 month old and we got the Uppababy vista as we needed many of options included in your list. The one disadvantage I've found so far is the size, it is quite wide, however it is very smooth and easy to manoeuvre which helps balance out the disadvantage of the size.

Other than that, I love it. Our baby sleeps in it no problems, both occasionally at night when visiting family, and when out for walks. It's easy to assemble / fold and the back wheels pop off which gives more space in the boot (we only do this for long trips though when we need more space, it's fine in our boot normally. I also love the huge basket underneath, and you don't feel it when pushing the buggy if you've a load of stuff in the basket. The UV sun visor (while ugly) is proving handy in this fine weather.

I was between this and the bugaboo. 2 things put me off the bugaboo. 1 was the height (or lack off). It's very low and It just felt like the baby would be miles away. The other is the basket is nearly impossible to use when the bassinet is on as it's literally on top of the basket so it's hard to get anything in or out. At the same time my sister in law had a donkey and loved it.

Hope this helps! I do know someone who got a perfect secondhand Uppababy for €500 so might be worth keeping an eye out for whatever one you decide on.

RentDayBlues

Our first buggy was, and still is, the quinny buzz. It's a single only but great value and 4 years after our first is still going strong

When our second was born 18 months later and our first was still not walking we got a double, Phil and teds navigator. I loved it! The cocoon was amazing, my second used it to sleep in at night for 4 months and up til 6 montuns during the day, it's small so won't last long. I used the double for 17 months and sold it on, but I mucg prefer it to the quinny. It's lighter, fold much smaller, wheels and all parts can be taken off easily and in seconds. Lots of different setup options, and good as a single when needed.

jlm29

I wouldn't worry too much about getting one that baby can overnight in. I also wouldn't bother with a Moses basket- id go straight to a crib, or better still, a co-sleeper. Pram then for daytime naps maybe?

WittyName1

Take a look at the Baby Jogger City Select. Their YouTube video shows all the features.
You can get great prices on secondhand ones on Adverts etc with all the additions included like the maxi cosi adapters etc.

LegacyUser

I had the Uppababy 2014 for our first andloved it. It fits all your criteria, and ours stood up to a lot of walking in all terrain.I'm also a golf driver and it does fit in the boot of a golf, no need for wheel removal
I currently have the Uppababy 2015 as a loan, as we've just had our second and a friend offered it to us.I don't like it as much as the other one.The steering isn't great and while the two seater arrangements are very good, it's very hard to steer with a heavy toddler in the front and a ljght baby up on top.Furthermore the wheelbase is a good 1.5 inchrs wider than the 2014 one and I have to take a wheel off to get it in the car.
There are some excellent Uppababy 2014 for sale on donedeal.My only advice is to see if you can purchase the rumble seat now too.They weren"t available when we were looking before Christmas, and I'm not sure what the story is now.I think they can be bought in the UK so it might be worth checking out.

pwurple

You've thought this through anyway!

All I'll say, is that the double buggies, or ones that convert to double are quite bulky, which is a real pain, especially when pregnant. I would Buy the buggy you need now, and reassess with second baby. Our second baby had a lot of reflux, so basically couldn't lie down or go in any buggy for the first 3 or 4 months anyway, was in the sling upright instead. After that the eldest went on a buggy board for a while. Plus, well, we lost a pregnancy in between. I'm glad in hindsight that i wasn't looking at a double buggy while that was happening.

On price, don't rule out second hand. There are loads and loads available in great condition (and some battered ones, so make sure you look at them in person!). A lot of people buy and realise that it doesn't suit them for some reason when the baby arrives (can't fit it through a door etc), so you can find nearly new ones very easily. We bought three of this same buggy, one for us, and one for each set of grandparents as well... The beauty of second hand!

Anyway, i am recommending you take a look at the out n about Nipper,
Here is how it goes with your criteria:
It takes the maxi cosi clip in. (Models from 2014 upwards)
Very light and easy to fold.
Will fit in a golf, fits in my friend's punto.
3 wheeler all terrain, air pumped big tyres, great for walks in the woods.
Goes completely flat, so is suitable for babies to sleep in from newborn.
The maxi-cosi clipped in is rear facing,the buggy itself is front facing.
Not a double.

Price is reasonable... Well, quite expensive for a buggy, because it's a good make, but far less than a travel system. because it's a buggy, not a travel system with a million pieces you store and never use. I feel the sales people are a bit pushy on the systems... They make a good bit more on them I suppose.

Tony kealy's has it anyway, take a look at done deal or adverts before you pay for any of them, and good luck!

LegacyUser

I echo Pwurple's comments - our first had reflux too and there was no way in hell she would sit in a car seat clipped into a buggy, or lie flat in the pram. And a sling was absolutely out of the question, she hated it!! We ended up getting the infant insert for our Uppababy buggy seat and she was in the seat, at a slight tilt, from 9 weeks. I know it's not recommended, but really, you do what you have to and she is certainly none the worse for it.Waste of money on the pram and the Maxi Cosi adaptors though!!

Travel systems are great, and I bought it because I wanted to be able to have everything fit together. I still love the 2014 Uppababy but as it turned out, we never really used the whole "travel system" aspect of it.

We also have bought a buggy board recently and I feel our first will move to it shortly, so I will probably get my 2014 buggy back. We don't have the rumble seat for it but with the buggy board, we'll be fine.

And definitely recommend looking at Donedeal, plenty of excellent buggies for sale on it (we got our "light" stroller there, a Silver Cross mini one). You can cover all bases for yourself, but unfortunately the baby itself is the unknown quantity, so nothing ever works out perfectly really!!!

Dublin_Gunner

We had a baby 2 weeks ago, and went with this:
http://uberchild.com/uberchild-evo/uberchild-evo-2-in-1-travel-system-black.html

Price is incredible at just €259 (currently 100 off).

Its very similar to the iCandy we were going to get, its takes Maxi Cosy car seats, has a carry cot suitable from birth, comes in a good range of colours, and the build quality is second to none. Well worth a look, especially considering the rip-off prices some other manufacturers charge.

fro9etb8j5qsl2

I would also just buy the single now and then reassess. I bought a babyjogger city mini for my first and loved it (and still do!). When I became pregnant quickly after having number 1, I went on a double buggy hunt. Like you, I wanted one that could be converted from a single to a double, so that we could do away with our single altogether. I liked the look of the phil and teds and the babyjogger city select but they felt so heavy and cumbersome. In the end, we kept our single and bought a babyjogger city mini double, which is a side by side double. It is wide, but not overly so, and I can get around most shops with it. It's also really light and easy to manoeuvre, and relatively easy to fold. They do a gt model with air wheels that are supposed to be good for country roads. I got the non gt model, it has been used for long walks almost every day since and still in great condition.

I was against a side by side double in the beginning because I thought it would be too bulky, but it worked out great because the kids are at an age now where they can interact with each other, hold hands, pass toys, tickle etc. They wouldn't be able to do this in a tandem.

Also, don't be afraid to buy secondhand. There are lots of buggies to be had on adverts and done deal for bargain prices that have hardly been used. I was convinced with my first that everything had to be brand new and spent a fortune. 3 days after he was born, everything was destroyed in spew and poo and that was the end of that!

Moonbeam

The single out n about nipper is worth a look.
My double has served me well and works on any and all terrain.

lollpop

Uppababy vista is brilliant and would meet all of the criteria. We used the pram part for sleeping both overnight and naps. But if you are thinking about the second seat for another baby then go for the 2015 model, not one of the older ones. The second seat isn't great for the older version.

Baby jogger city select is also a great option if you're planning a second in the short term.

I disagree with buying the single now and reassessing. We did that and it's now working out very expensive for the second baby.