Pushchair Help...Please!

Volupturaptor

I have the Britax Vigour 3+, it's the same as the one in the link, just last years model.
I love it, I've used it in fields, on the beach, on the streets and in the shops, it does all these trips well. I can't say what it's like on public transport though. What I can tell you is that with the seat laying flat, and being able to face me, rather than spend money on a separate carrycot for around £100, I just bought a pram mattress for £12, and hey presto, a comfy pram. I use it for daytime sleeping too, my five month old is asleep in it in my living room as I type.

I also have a ten year old and when she was a baby I had a big coach built silver cross pram for her, it was lovely, but huge and didn't fold at all. I also had one of the first three wheelers, which was great, but couldn't face me and didn't have a swivel front wheel, so I was forever having to back out of tight spaces in shops. To remedy the shop thing, I bought a stroller, it did the job, but I hated it. I really don't know why people choose to use these as soon as their babies can sit.

My Britax does all that those three different prams and pushchairs did!

cleomolly

Watching this thread with lots of intent although I'm only newly pregnant, I have 3 dogs and do a lot of walking with them, also dog sports so will need something amazing off road!

delain

This one was the one I originally wanted and is apparently a good off road one, although not a travel system so my OH wouldn't entertain it

jb131

delain wrote: »

They are awful on public transport though

Fair enough! I've used it on the train a few times and it's been fine (only short journeys though where I can stand with it by the doors). Would be awful on buses as it is big and doesn't fold up.

I tend to walk everywhere.....

treetrunks

Also a quinny buzz owner, absolutely brilliant especially with the maxi cosi car seat. Folds up small and the wheels come off easily, very important if you have a small hatch back.

We bought a second hand one as we only intended on using it for 6 months. My sister now has it and its going really well for her to.

Brilliant in the snow.

honeypop

skintchick wrote: »

I dispute that children like to face out! At 6 months I tried my DD facing forward and she didn;t like it so I turned her back to me. She is now 16 months and every time I try to face her out, after a while she makes it clear she wants to face me again, so I love the fact that I can do that with my pushchair (Silver Cross Sleepover, no good for the OP as not off-road).

I agree they like to see things, but I think they need parental input as well to help them make sense of it all, and I like to think my DD prefers facing me because of the commentary and songs she gets!! :rotfl: Anyway, at 16 months she has well over 60 words and is making short sentences, so I like to think that facing me has had a good impact on her.

I'm not sure that just because one persons child didn't like it that the whole fact that children 'like to face out' could be disputed. I think it's a case of some do, some don't and you don't know which way your child will be until it happens.

My DS has been forward facing in a lie-flat stroller from birth and didn't ever have a problem with it, and it doesn't seem to have hampered his progress with communicating, he could also say a wide range of words and use short sentences at 16 months. Within the group of mums I regularly see at toddler groups, not one had a parent facing pushchair, and each child is still a good communicator, and anyone I have met with parent facing pushchairs didn't seem to have a significantly brighter child.

Just to say this isn't an attack on your opinion, I just wanted to point out that I don't think it makes much difference with communication development whether the baby faces in or out. Obviously parent interaction has a significant part to play overall, but unless you spend all day walking with the pushchair and that's your only face to face contact, then I'm not sure that a parent facing pushchair makes a difference.

OP if the one you find that suits you most doesn't tick the box for being parent facing, then I would still go ahead with your choice.

Edit: I wanted to add that this has probably all come out wrong and seem like I'm attacking those who choose a parent facing pram. I'm not, I just wanted to say if it's for reasons that magazines and the like tell you that it's the best for developing your childs communication, then in my (admittedly only 17 months long) real-life experience it hasn't made a difference.

Sammy_Girl

Thanks so much for the replies - much appreciated!

RE: Car boot space - we have a Ford C-Max so oodles of space, so that doesn't worry me.

I'm still no closer to my decision - but am very interested to see that the Quinny Buzz has the option to purchase a separate all terrain wheel - as I was slightly concerned at the size of the standard issue one.

The plan is to use the car seat as a car seat - but it would be convenient to have one that clips onto the chassis if needs be. But i definitely do want a carrycot for the early months.

Thanks so much for the input