Stroller advice needed please

ejac99

Hi there, I hope you lovely people might be able to offer some advice:) Over the years I have got through 4 or 5 strollers. I currently use a maclaren Quest, though it seems about ready to fall apart! This is the second Maclaren I've had and I'm not so sure that they are all that 'sturdy'.

I do 3 school runs a day (and they are not particularly short ones - about 45 mins brisk walking for each 'run'). The surface is not always completely smooth, but the majority of the walk is on pavements (so I'm thinking no need for an 'all terrain' type stroller/jogger).

I am forced to replace my Maclaren in the next day or so - and don't have a clue where to go. I'm not sure that getting another quest is such a good idea when it get's such alot of use.

Does anyone have any recommendations of a lightweight/compact stroller which will stand up to a bit more wear and tear?

Any advice much appreciated, thanks in advance:)

OThrifty1

I bought a stroller that I didnt like very much from a charity shop. It was just a basic Mothercare pushchair. It cost me £5 and it has gone on and on.:rotfl: It has served me well doing both of my children. I expect if I had liked it it would of fallen apart in a couple of weeks! Most Mums I know have two or three laying around so maybe if you spoke to some of the other Mums you may get a good deal from them. A neighbour of mine bought 4 pushchairs before she found one she liked!!! Personally I think that the height of the handles and ease of stearing are the most important things to consider especilly when your using it so much. I have similar distance to cover including 33 steps to get up and down! Only have to do it twice a day though, at least untill January then its 3 times a day!:mad:

ejac99

Thanks for your reply. It's funny you should mention about the mothercare stroller ... I had one of those many years ago and it was really sturdy (I foolishly gave it away to someone when I had a 'glut' of prams/pushchairs!)
I make take a peek at the mothercare website and see what's on offer...

TheDevilWearsPrimark

The silvercross 'pop' is really good. Or maybe a quinny?

scruffy96uk

Hi
I've had a Quinny Speedi and a Zapp. The speedi is ok as an all terrain but the Zapp was a no no for us just not sturdy enough. We tried the Petite Star Zia and it was the same as the Zapp. We now have the CHicco Liteway and I really like it.
This one might be better for you as it has chunky wheels so would be good for the school runs. Never used it but might be worth looking at it.

jellyhead

I've tried a few, and if I had to buy one now it would be another mamas and papas pliko (mine have always been second hand ones that were almost worn out though, I can't afford £300 for a new buggy).

My maclaren techno xt (bought new) was great but it only lasted a year or so - my boy is very heavy though and we were going out 3 times a day.

I bought a second hand mamas and papas freestyler and that was great, but didn't fit in the boot and wasn't umbrella fold, so after 6 months I bought a pliko and sold the freestyler. I know lots of mums who love their freestylers, but I wanted an umbrella fold which was lighter.

Mrs_Weasley

i went through a few strollers until i found the perfect one (dread to think how much i spent :eek: ) it was a maclaren xp, i gave it to my SIL for DN and its still going strong:D The handle height adjusted which was really handy as i'm 5ft 1 1/2 and OH is 6ft 4:rotfl:

HTH mrs w xxx

frasersmum123

I have a Mamas and Papas Pulse, which I think is great, and a Mothercare 'Urban Detour three wheeler', which I love! - its great to push.

I had a Bugaboo when DS2 was small, but he grew out of it so quickly, I paid nearly £500 for it and feel it was a real waste.

frasersmum123

Forgot to say, I also have a Luna which I like too (Im a buggy addict!) - Igave it to my mum and she uses it either for my DS or for my sisters little girl.

fannyannie_2

I've had a maclaren from when ds was first born, its lasted well over 2 years and now its on its last legs and i've got to buy a new one. MIL brought a cheap stroller from mothercare a few weeks ago and the clips snapped the second time she's used it.

I always used to recommend maclaren but i dont think they are as sturdy as they used to be.

I've just seen a lovely thomas the tank stroller on the mothercare website and its reduced to £35 so i'm going to have a look at the weekend

amandada

I have a Mclaren "Mistral" which was bought when my daughter was about 1. She's now 11, and we've used it for her, and her little brother, to the point of taking it on holiday summer past when he was 6! He was able to flop into it in the evenings when we were out (he doesn't have much stamina when it comes to late nights!) and of course we needed it to lug everything to the beach!
There's still loads of use in it, but I think I'd be pushing it to take it on hols next year when he'll be 7, and I certainly don't plan on having any more babies.
It cost about £100 at the time, which I suppose wasn't exactly cheap, but on this experience, I do believe you get what you pay for.
All we've ever had to do to it is an occasional squirt of WD40 on the wheels, and the seat and hood still clean up really well with soap and water