All terain travel systems 23 March 2014 at 1:21PM in MoneySaving mums 15 replies 2.5K views

Scotsbride

A bit of a fact finding mission! I've recently been given some money to put towards pushchair and car seat. I live in a rural area do a lot of walking to the beach ,on very muddy forest tracks sometimes step and uneven surfaces! there is a step up to my front door and the door has a slight lip. there isn't a lot of room in the enterance. the pushchair also needs to fold flat and fit into my 14 year old hatchback car! which make of pushchair would you go for a why? Also some people have suggested I would just be best with a sling would you do this.

Tiddlywinks

Some of those systems will cost more than your 14 year old car .

Some are almost as big as well.

I'd say that size and storage are right up there as the priorities... I mean, if it won't fit through the front door or in the garage / shed then they are useless anyway. Start with the sizes and go from there.

dizziblonde

Not on your list but the nipper is fantastic over rough ground and really light to push and steer. Bit ugly though but nice colours in the new version. I had the double for ages and loved it.

hawk30

I wouldn't recommend Uppababy for rough ground. Although I love mine, it's really only suited for pavements as the suspension is quite hard and gives a rough ride.

Lara44

What about something like the city jogger? There is a properly all-terrain version called Summit listed as well. Think it is a pushchair rather than a proper travel system though?

I found the Best Buggy site that I linked to above to be very helpful. There are loads of brands listed there that I didn't see in the mainstream shops that also looked very good. I went to a baby show to see lots of different brands all together which was handy, but only worthwhile if you can get very cheap tickets (got mine from @bay).

I'm a city slicker so have the opposite priorities to you and no car, so ended up with a Bugaboo Bee Good luck!

flipper_72

I'd second the nipper, they are brilliant

ema_o

Buggy on beach - as far as I know no buggy is particularly good on the sand. Sling would be far easier for this sort of walk. I'd be tempted to say the same for the forest tracks, but if they'd be particularly slippy I wouldn't want to risk it with a sling.
Muddy ground - Phil & Teds or the nipper are both good. I'm not sure about all the brands you have listed at the top, but it strikes me you have quite a diverse list in terms of price, we ruled out the bugaboo when we realised it was around £1000, and I have a feeling the Stokke is similar. Might be worth narrowing your list depending on your budget, then taking a look at these in a shop to see if any fit what you need.

sedment

Have found no buggy is good on a beach, doesn't matter what wheels are on it! Would second the sling for beach walks and go into Mothercare John Lewis etc and go and have a shot of what ticks your boxes as far as how it folds, budget and how you actually like it and how it handles. Ebay is always worth a look as well good luck x

GracieP

I have an all-terrain buggy that's a bit of a no-name brand called a Newbugs. It's absolutely fantastic. Extremely light but handles awful terrain like a tank, it was brilliant value for money. I just went for a 2 part system though, carrycot and buggy, as I wanted an ERF car seat and the cheapest way to do that was to buy one that worked from newborn.

DigForVictory

Clearly you need a "good allrounder". Which, since we never found one, we worked round with a fleet of second hand buggies with different virtues. First of which was could we get them in & out of the car boot without fuss.

Then could we get them safe to install beloved child into with only one hand (acid test!)
Finally, would it get from A to B & back?

We never found a buggy that worked with sand - or a sling (& spine) that could accomodate two children, so as your family grows, they'll need to crack on with learning to walk - but beaches inspire efforts that way.

All the best!

kernewek

I wouldn't go for any of the buggies on your list as none are really all terrain.
Firstly you really need to go for a 3 wheeler as 4 wheelers struggle with anything more than a bit of mild off road.
Currently the best all terrain travel system - according to Which, Mother and Baby etc is the Jane Trider. Compact fold, weight comparable to other travel systems. Adjustable suspension, puncture proof pneumatic tyres. Really nice to push and will cope with just about anything, especially if you go for the Extreme model.
As others have said, if your budget is a bit lower, the Out n About Nipper takes a lot of beating. Light, and built to take a pounding, goes just about anywhere.
If you want versatility and are thinking of having a second child close together, then Phil & Teds well worth a look.
Mountain Buggy are fine, but are they any better than a Nipper? A lot more expensive!