[Closed] Buggies.

Whilst the kid is small - sling is better hands down. www.closeparent.com is easily best imo.

Then get something that folds up small. You will regret it if you don't 🙂

Don't be fooled into spending 5, 6, 7, 800 quid - it's not worth it, the stuff is NOT better.

I like the idea of being able to unclip the chair from buggy and stick it in the car without disturbing him/her

Those things are bulky crap imo and you end up lugging your kid around like luggage, which I hate.. encouraging the ignoring of your baby. Slings are again good here because you can take your babes out of the car seat - doesn't matter if you wake him/her or not, s/he'll just curl up against your body heat in the sling and snooze in a warm fuzzy love sort of way.. maybe look up into your eyes for a few minutes first 🙂

Lovely bonding imo, esp for the Dad 🙂 Would not want to miss out on that. Luggage is no substitute imo.

Always got on well with the Quinny/Maxi Cosi stuff. The car seat was great quality, Quinny Zapp nice to push on long walks and Quinny Buzz great for smallness when you've got a boot full of stuff (all the time). MAxi Cosi make a cot too which tits on both buggies (new borns shouldn't be in the car chair for too long, lying flat is better for their spines)

new borns shouldn't be in the car chair for too long, lying flat is better for their spines

And windpipes. However we found a (borrowed) cot useless on the pushchair because we live on a hill. D'oh!

But in general +1 for Quinny/Maxi Cosi.

Do the rest of the world a favour and get a baby sling.

Useful already, thanks! There seems to be an awful lot of marketing regarding baby products and without prior experience it is difficult to know what works.

Our 2nd is now 4 months and we are still using our Baby Jogger City since no1. We liked it because it was noticably lighter than most very easy to collapse single handed while holding baby and put it in the boot.

It goes off road on forest trails with no issues despite the 'city' name. It is robust and functional. You will need attachments for the car seat which we are using now.

It is a few years old so things have moved on but if I was buying again I would look at a baby jogger as well as the usual suspects.

Car seat which plugs into the travel system is great for first few months when keeping them asleep is a high priority.

Ease of putting up & collapsing varies enormously. Easier the better for me.

Size of travel system after folding varies alot too, depends on the size of your boot but can be important.

Swap from rear to fwd facing can be nice when they're tiny, so he/she can see you when out walking.

If you have any steep steps up to your house or have to go up & down stairs to a flat etc then a lightweight system makes a big difference.

I prefer a 3 wheel system, much more manoeuvrable and much better on grass, forest paths etc.

Remember, you only need the hulking great travel system for a few months. As soon as they're able to sit up properly you can go for a nice light stroller. Consider 2nd hand, I did and then sold it on for the same price I paid..

Chose whatever makes YOUR life easiest - consider the type of use it will mainly get (ie, don't get a heavy 3-wheeler off-roader if all the use it gets is around town).

Whatever you choose, make sure it'll fit in your car - it's amazing how many need dis-assembling to their component parts to fit in all but the largest cars.

Got a city jogger double buggy. used to have a Mamas and Papas single buggy and travel system. The main reason for the city jogger was that it was the most comfortable, narrowest double buggy. But pleased with it for lost of other reasons.

Always got on well with the Quinny/Maxi Cosi stuff. The car seat was great quality, Quinny Zapp nice to push on long walks and Quinny Buzz great for smallness when you've got a boot full of stuff (all the time).

So do I but the longevity isn't all that - the welds have gone on our Buzz in two places, and Quinny want £50 plus courier cost to even look at it - no guarantee of a repair at that either. Warranty is only 2 years which may not be enough if you're considering more than 1 child.
We paid around £500 for the system (cotbed, car seat, stroller) - I expected perhaps naively it to last all 3 children.
The Zapp also does fold small but after a years regular use is quite an effort to fold up now.
Resale is quite good though, assuming you don't break it.

Just watched the demo for the newer baby joggers. They're way better than the one we have.

Test it to see if it will actually fit in your car boot. Also think where it will mostly be used - this big off road ones look great but are a pain in the arse to get round shops etc. Most people I know that bought one of those soon bought a smaller one to take out and just use the big one from home.

What I found really useful was going to the massive kiddicare store and blasting round their test track with various different models. Ones that are 'cool' handled surprisingly badly- some scarily so down steps.

Oh, and remember that your partner will likely use it much more than you so make sure she can lift it/ handle it ccomfortably too.

Essentials in our experience...

3 x 10" wheels with pnuematic tires.

Good handling.

Good rain cover.

Room under for change bag and a bit of shopping.

Ours is nearly 4 years old and has survived two kids. The 2011 version is half price at the moment too.

http://www.mothercare.com/dp/B004EYGUT8?extid=hp_product_row1_tab1_product1

Poppa - a suitable name !

Think about your intended use first and pick on that basis. Be wary of who's marketing is the most convincing - the best known aren't necessarily the best.

My experience has been that babies get very,very warm in car seats (loads of padding!) and we had a sweaty unhappy baby if we left them in there too long. My preference was for a proper flat pram body giving the air a chance to circulate. The transferring to the car/waking them up thing was only an issue for us on a handful of occassions. If you use the car a lot (we didn't/don't) then it might be a different case for you...

We have friends with Quinny prams and their feedback has been 1. The tiny wheels at the front are a pain and get stuck, even on kerbs. 2. Pneumatic tyres are really worth it (some babies are intolerant of too much vibration) and means you'll be able to venture away from the smoothest pavements.

If you plan to any off road walking at all then Mountain Buggy's products have lots of fans on here. Ours (Second hand) is fantastic. I have done some ridiculous off-road/off-camber/steep/narrow things with ours and its mega-stable (extremeness depends how tolerant of silliness your child is - lol!)

HTH

TM

Travel system for us to start, then on to decent buggy with option to lie flat. The whole trendy/extortionate thing hadn't kicked in fourteen years ago when our first arrived. The click in travel system really is handy when you are not to disturb sleep, and this does matter when you are on the edge without sleep yourself. Slings are good too, but none of these things need to be expensive versions. We were regulars on transatlantic trips when ours were young and usually just sopped off at Walmart on the way from the airport for a $19.99 collapsible stroller which we regarded as disposable. If you're tall/stride out forwards when walking don't buy without trying.

We've got a Quinny Zapp and Buzz + a maxicosi car seat/base with all the bits the pram unit is very useful as it fits the moses basket stand too and saves waking titch at bedtime.

If you don't mind 2nd hand you can find bargains on places like Gumtree/Craigslist I wouldn't bother with ebay as full set ups seem to go for £££££.

We had the Zapp already but got the Buzz +car seat for £120 when they are fetching £200+ on ebay.

If you want an off-roader, look at the Out n About 360 - light, pneumatic tyres, metal rims and very easy to control. One big issue is that it doesn't take car seats nor lie completely flat. I would have chosen that from birth but my wife wanted to be able to see the twins, let them lay flat etc.

We got one when they turned one (the 360 double of course) and it is fantastic - even as a double it weighs much less than lots of singles.

Chose whatever makes YOUR life easiest

I think that's what he's trying to do 🙄

If you plan to any off road walking at all

Then you need a back/front pack imo. Even the best off road buggies struggle with a few roots/rocks or a bit of an incline. Not worth it for the narrow range of trails that are too rough for an urban pushchair but not enough to demand a carrier.

We have friends with Quinny prams and their feedback has been 1. The tiny wheels at the front are a pain and get stuck, even on kerbs

Quinny come with big ish wheels up front no?

Sling = 30 quid, Quinny Zap (from 4-6mo up) = 120 quid. 500 notes not needed.

We bought a Bugaboo - the standard ones that seem very popular and sell in John Lewis etc for north of £600.

It was fantastic - used with the cot bit, the car seat (maxi-cosi) and as a sitting-up style pushchair.

We had it for about 2 1/2 years, used it pretty much every day, then sold it on ebay for about £400, so an overall cost of about £200 which I think is pretty good and compares favourably with friends who bought something half the price and then threw it away when they had finished with it!

Nick

don't spend a grand like my sister didn't (my mother foolishly paid for that)

A friend said they'e been through 5 buggies between their two kids and the most they paid for a modular (whatever that's meant to be) was 200 quid (most though cost no more than 50)

Molgrips

Agreed that a sling is best for really bumpy ground. Most folks what I know who enjoy being int' countryside with their little one(s) have a pram and a sling (and a rucksack!) and pick according to the planned degree of adventure/tiredness of parents etc etc

The Quinny's I've seen after having a quick squizz on their website all have teeny wheels. I think they do have one with pneumatic wheels, but its the diameter that I've seen cause the problems. 10-12" diameter seems to be a good compromise for a mix of urban and off road use.

TM

baby jogger city mini here its great
so easy to fold makes a massive difference after watching a shop assisntant struggle to demo a mamas and papas one we were sold on the baby jogger
got the pram attachment which doubles as a carrycot and soon be putting the wee man in the buggy
also got the maxi cosi adaptors so we can pop him in the car seat

also have one of those babybjorn lings and its very useful

Mmm, pneumatic wheels come with disadvantages tho, namely size in the car.

We ended up with two pushchairs - a Maxi Cosi Mura for longer term walking use (and the babes could face us), and a Quinny Zapp which we let in the car, for town use. Mura didn't get much use to be fair, but it did get some.

Chariot Cougar is by far and away the best thing to push, but the baby does face away from you so more suitable for slightly older babes. Very expensive, but it's a bike trailer too!

Best thing we did was to go into Mothercare & John Lewis and talk to the staff, best to go in first thing when they aren't busy. We found them both very helpful, asking things like do we use public transport, do we just want it to take into town etc. For us both shops suggested a three wheeler and showed us ones raning in price from £100 to £700. We ended up buying a new Jane off ebay with a very good discount.

Chose whatever makes YOUR life easiest
I think that's what he's trying to do

don't listen to anyone else

Well he did post on a forum asking for advice, didn't he? Be a bit silly not to listen 🙂

Mmm, pneumatic wheels come with disadvantages tho, namely size in the car.

and the obvious disadvantage of potential punctures.
A big enough pain in the arse on the bike but at least I carry the kit to fix it. Don't really want to add spare tubes & a pump to the already huge amount of baby paraphanalia you'll be lugging around!

We had a Mamas & Papas travel system - was really good quality & kept going long after various lightweight Mclaren's had been scrapped.

for others a £1k 0-18yrs system is best

😯

Will I be wiping their bum still at that age too ?!?

and the obvious disadvantage of potential punctures

Go tubeless.

Will I be wiping their bum still at that age too ?!?

Well he did post on a forum asking for advice, didn't he?

Go tubeless.

Spray in slime can work but I guess the same caveats apply as with bikes - you'd have to go on a long walk to make sure it sealed the hole - my BIL put it in and it congealed on the bottom of the tyre after a while. Make pusing the thing a wobbly experience.

We have friends with Quinny prams and their feedback has been 1. The tiny wheels at the front are a pain and get stuck, even on kerbs. 2. Pneumatic tyres are really worth it (some babies are intolerant of too much vibration) and means you'll be able to venture away from the smoothest pavements

Point 1 I'll agree with, ours was screwed after one flat beach walk.
Point 2 is 50/50 .. buzzy pavements seemed to send ours off to sleep quicker!

Point 1 I'll agree with, ours was screwed after one flat beach walk.

Hang on - you took a pushchair on a beach and expected it to be fine?

Simple worked best for us.

From birth, combination of BabyBjorn sling and Maclaren Techno XT buggy with bits (goes flat, coped with everything except sand dunes, weighs next to nothing, packs away easily), detachable car seat. Introduced Ibert bike seat, bigger car seat, Littlelife carrier by the end of year 1.

I have a great condition from birth pushchair/pram by Mutzy, cost quite a bit...comes with cot attachment, covers ect...fancy it? make me a bid..photos available of course...i thought not.

Just one little thing to remember then and thats the nipper will only be in the cot part or completely flat for a couple of months and then its forward facing chair so the big buggies with the prams are over sized once they use a chair. The wife had to have the cot though and it had to be rear facing so she could see him and not many buggies with cots are rear facing.

We have a [url= http://www.littlepossums.co.uk/slings/wrap-slings.htm#mobywrap ]Moby sling[/url] which I use when walking, a carrier that GF uses when walking, and also [url= http://www.mothercare.com/Mothercare-Spin-Other-pages/b/306880031 ]the mothercare spin[/url] pram / pushchair thingy with maxicosi car seat which attaches on. We originally thought the spin thing was a bit of a gimmick and bought it for other reasons, but in fact the spin thing is really useful in cafes and stuff as well as it being nice to be able to instantly switch which way round he can face, now he's older and wants to be looking at stuff rather than flat on his back staring at the sky.

Pneumatic tyres
Single bar steering
Rain cover
Folding
Second hand/car boot

It's only a buggy, you are only going to use it for a few years and it WILL get trashed.

Mothercare spin = Quinny Buzz, no? Effectively?

Phil & Ted here. Has been bumped, thrashed, crashed & overloaded with all the kit two kids need for a few years. Single width, can be steered single hand even when two up. Despite being a double its a great single. The cocoon is great for tiny babies. Great off-road & on beach. Will be sad to see ours go, but our youngest now out of that phase. Yossarian's list is bang on.

The cocoon is great for tiny babies

Is that the one that leaves your tiny baby with nothing to look at but a bit of red canvas?

They can't see very far when they are that small anyway.

How long do they stay in the little box for then?

One of my best suggestions is to go out and sit in your local coffee shop on a busy Saturday and watch all the parents out there with their kids/pushchairs. Notice how they're working, if you can 'burden' the chair with shopping, how happy the children are sitting in them, whether or not the parents struggle with them. Notice the brands and the styles (if you can which seem to attract you the most. Debate, compare and contrast what you see with what/how you think you'll be using the chair. Think about how you intend to raise your child and how the pushchair will fit in to that life you intend to create.

I was adamant abt having a stroller where my young baby could see me -when awake (and I would/could see them) because at first you are the center of their world and they don't give a damn abt what else they can see/hear. However we only really got that chair (instead of waiting until 6m and 'just' getting a super lightweight stroller) because I was quite ill after the pregnancy and couldn't carry lilgrips very far in the sling. Had I been feeling better we'd not have that one and simply would have had the sling because that was the ultimate closeness and ability to relate to the baby even when out and about. -But these decisions were made by me and Molgrips when we discussed what we felt was important about raising our children during many long coffees at our local 'bucks; they may not factor as strongly into your life as they did in yours. (And as we learned- after the birth you may find your needs have changed as the 'ideal' may simply not be possible...so be prepared for that too)

I'm at the same stage as the OP, and it is useful to see what people have had to say in the matter. Especially where people have linked what they have to their circumstances. Our choice thus far has been similar to 2tyred, lightweight stroller and a sling. From all the input I've had so far, we might well get a more suitable off road buggy at about 6 months when she's too heavy for the sling for long periods and we want to go for longer periods. We don't have a car so the travel system stuff isn't really relevant for us.

To be frank though, it does seem like there's an awful lot of stuff you feel you need to obtain. We're using ebay, car boot sales, freecycle and friends to make it easier. It helps that my wife stated attitude is "we don't need any of that fancy schmancy stuff". Classic example was when I said we should look for a baby monitor. She said that by the time the monitor has woken you up, the baby will already be dead 😯

To be frank though, it does seem like there's an awful lot of stuff you feel you need to obtain

There really isn't. We went for the minimal approach. Got a small cot for the nipper to sleep in at first from a friend, also a larger cot bed.

Didn't use a baby monitor - never saw the reason. If Meg wanted something she let us know. If she was dying of cot death then.. well I dunno. What does cot death sound like?

We didn't buy a pushchair at first, we just got a sling and waited to see what we ended up needing. The only thing you really need up front is some baby pajamas, some nappies and a place for it to sleep. Anything else you can get when you decide you need it.

This approach means you don't waste money on crap you don't need.

not read this thread... however!!

we bought an £89 graco buggy that folds flat, very manouverable, has storage underneath, came with a car seat that clipped onto it and also a base that straps into the car. we did this while we worked out which features we wanted in the expensive system we were going to buy.

our second child is now using the graco. we still laugh at the quinny / mountain buggy set in an "ahhh bless" kinda way.

we spent the extra on a decent double bike trailer which also serves as an off road buggy and a deuter kid comfort 11 rucksack thing which i highly recommend.

Quinny are reasonable. It's the Bugaboo ones you want to laugh at 😉

Actually no - it's the ones who spend £1200 (I kid you not) on an old skool Edwardian style pram.

Mini Bangin On now 4 months and we use the Kari-me sling www.kari-me.com which is way beyond awesome.

We were given a system buggy which we just don't use (he's only been in it once to go ice skating); MBO hates lying on his back full stop.

It's so easy with the sling; hands free all the way, he's now big enough to go 'face out' some of the time which is great for shmoozing every one he meets and attention seeking with big smiles at all and sundry. Mostly tho he's tummy to tummy so he can peek out but if he's tired he's asleep in seconds, and it's dead cosy too. The positions go from new born to toddler pretty much. It's brilliantly simple and the boss picked it up for £30 something online after trying loads at the NEC baby show.

I've just dug the old all terrain running buggy out of the shed today which will get a good scrub and some new bar tape up at the shop tomorrow. That'll be good for pounding the streets but I'd never use a buggy in the town; what a hassle!

Is that the one that leaves your tiny baby with nothing to look at but a bit of red canvas?

No, because ours was navy blue. 🙂
They soon grow too big for the cocoon Molgrips, about 3 months if I I remember rightly. Slings are spot on. We had something simillar, possibly the Kari-Me above, but the P&T worked very well for us when the second came along, 18 months later. Tried plenty of others, but P&T takes some beating. I dread to think how much weight its had hung off it, we've even had three children on the thing at one stage.

That Kari me looks ace. Love the fact that you can have it on your back. Our closer was basically the same thing but they don't suggest a back mounted option.

Only one problem with having the babes on your front facing out though:

[img] http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT6AvAB8VVHYpii2dn9v8PeRw_4Sa20SaBreThVNfUpPanrlSOb&t=1 [/img]

"Quaid.. start the reactorrr"

From all the input I've had so far, we might well get a more suitable off road buggy at about 6 months when she's too heavy for the sling for long periods and we want to go for longer periods. We don't have a car so the travel system stuff isn't really relevant for us.

You'd be surprised at how okay a carrier is with an older baby. I'd happily do a 10 mile walk in the peak district with our sling (I think it is a 'connecta' or something like that) and a 9 month old. I'm the main looker after at the moment, and I pretty much never use the buggy, and where we live is very hilly.

Next obvious thing for walking is not an off road buggy, a backpack for them is going to be way more practical if you actually go anywhere off road where there might be stiles or narrow tracks, or lots of rocks ie. pretty much any interesting walks. For going around town, an off road buggy is a pain, once they're 6 months, you want a maclaren or similar, something you can easily take into shops/cafes etc.

Where an off road thing does come in handy is for biking and running though - we have a croozer for the bike, and it is brilliant fun, very comfy, and has a special baby sling bit so you can bike with it with pretty small babies (I think they recommend something like 3 or 4 months minimum for biking, 6 months is definitely fine). Make sure you don't waste money on an off road buggy that isn't also a bike trailer!

We have a quinny also, which is nice because the baby can look at you, but is a bit of a shonky piece of junk in terms of the build quality. Only real good news about them is that you can get replacement parts on ebay dead cheap (we got a new frame for £50). Don't use it except if we really really need to go in a car then a pushchair.

Oh and we also have a much less expensive maclaren buggy, useful for when granny or whoever wants to take them somewhere, good for buses, trains etc. Nicer to push than the quinny too, except if you want to run or go over cobbles. Having said that, 90% of the time I'd go sling/carrier still.

Joe

Our little one is 11 days old now. We're using a second hand Quinny buzz with a new maxi-cosi car seat. We also have a sling. Went second hand because, as already suggested, we plan on selling it on shortly after she can sit up properly. Quinny are very popular so there are heaps on ebay!

Generally all buggies seem overpriced piles of metal and plastic.
City jogger are worth a look for the collapsing method, out n about looked good for price also. Depends on your needs though - long walks, popping to the shops, off-roading!

Our decision hinged on easy use of car seat with buggy and ability for baby to face parent.

Best of luck on your buggy hunt, and for the birth and then on. It's been an amazing and wonderful first couple of weeks for us - though the nights are long, enjoy the sleep now!

We've tried the lot over the course of our 3, best by far has been the City Jogger 3 wheeler one (City Elite I think). Nice and light, adjustable height handle, folds itself as you pick it up, and the big wheels make it really good on rough paths too. One of my kids did manage to knacker the brake though. Being able to move the car seat onto it isn't essential in my experience, all my kids were in forward facing seats by 6 months, fat gits, and before that they soon go back to sleep again if they do wake up being moved.

What Molgrips said +1
we had a Bebe Comfort travel system for our first. it had a carrycot/pram/crib thing, the car seat and a buggy seat for when the baby is older. the carry cot was used once. we just didnt need it. he was born in December and we found using the KariMe sling meant we didn't need to worry about the baby freezing or over heating. for a summer baby it might have been more useful, but the sling is still a winner.
the car seat lived in the car (and i paid extra for the superdooper isofix base) never felt the need to carry the seat and the baby into the house and wouldnt have left him to sleep in it even if we did - its just not good for them for extended periods. the whole car seat into buggy thing was for us just a solution to a problem that didnt exist.
the worst thing about this particular system was despite being reassuringly expensive, it didnt do the basics well: -
i'm only 5'11" but the handlebars are too low and my feet strike the back of the pram
the handlebars are directly over the rear wheels so lifting the front wheels requires for kerbs needs a foot (this is inexcusable as far as im concerned)
despite not getting much use, the whole thing seemed to wear and become saggy/loose prematurely (the wheels and folding mechanism had way to much free play)
every time the subject comes up i remember how utterly gash it was and it makes me angry that i parted with good money for it!!

as has already been said, travel systems are expensive, might be rubbish and theres a good chance you dont really need one. slings are cheap, better for the baby, more convenient, easier to store and transport. best recommendation i could give is get a sling and put £500 in a jar in case you feel you need a travel system later on. if you do, give them a proper test and make sure the features are ones you need rather than ones the manufacturer wants to sell you.

You'd be surprised at how okay a carrier is with an older baby.

You'd be surprised at how ****ed my lower back is at the moment 🙂 Good advice tho, ta.

We got a Micralite Fastfold, Which! best buy for several years, most other buggies are utterly cumbersome by comparison.

I tend to agree with much that Molgrips says about most subjects and even if I don't, I can understand where he is coming from, but Mol - get a grip. Every time anyone mentions babies and baby stuff you go off on one like you are the singular authority on the subject.

Ohh, and we spent circa. £1k on our travel system.

😛

There seems to be an awful lot of marketing regarding baby products

90% of the advice you'll read as a parent is all bo$$ocks, so your first objective is to ignore all of it.

Baby product marketing has two main criteria:

1) to make you feel like the worst parent in the world if you don't buy all the paraphanalia(?)

2) most products are pandering to the parents (bit like unecessary upgrades to your bike), rather than being what a baby actually needs

Also, bear in mind most of what you apparently 'need' will only be used for 3-6 months.

Looking at what my parents had in the 1970's when me and my sister were born, and comparing that with what parents are told they 'need' nowadays, it's a miracle I lived beyond the first week of my life.

Babies need love, attention, food & warmth... not 'stuff'...

Not sure what unnecessary things I recall having been told we 'needed' but we have bought many things that made our lives easier.

Such as truck-loads of disposable nappies...

Hang on - you took a pushchair on a beach and expected it to be fine?

Apologies for taking the moniker 'all terrain' literally.

Better keep my all terrain bicycle on the pavement too to be on the safe side.

Every time anyone mentions babies and baby stuff you go off on one like you are the singular authority on the subject

Hehe, that's not ironic at all is it? 🙂

The thing is MF, I really feel that new parents are being ripped off left right and centre. Compare the engineering that goes into a £400 pushchair and a £400 bike. They're just crap by comparison. Shops and companies are falling over themselves to take advantage of people at a vulnerable time by selling them over priced poorly made crap that they don't need.

So I am trying hard to dispel the myths that people seem to hold. My advice really is get the absolute minimum of stuff you need at first (ie car seat + bed + a few clothes) and get the rest as you need it. And try and cut down the clutter and expense.

I feel quite strongly about the way that I feel parents are taken advantage of. AND I also feel quite strongly that slings are better for the baby. Now of course I appreciate that not everyone can use one, but I suspect people think it's harder than it really is.

Get something light and compact, we had a MClaren, folded up easily and could be chucked in the car. Cheap too.
As soon as the little one could walk properly we encouraged her to do so, a small light buggy was very handy then.
We knew couples who bought estate cars in order to fit in huge buggies and all the baby stuff, bonkers.

But Molgrips - and I have said this to you before - people ENJOY spending money on their new arrival. They WANT to spend money on getting the best they can afford as they are excited and looking forward to being parents - I don't see that there is anything wrong in that. Certainly no more wrong than spending £120 on a seat post or £40 on a bottle cage for example.

I think it is good to take everyone's advice but as most will say every baby is different and will be happy in different systems etc.

We were furtunately given one of these full systems for free http://www.mamasandpapas.com/product-ultima-9-in-1-x-cel-chassis-linear/260370800/type-i/

Pros: Very handy that the baby can be in the cot bit and wheeled around and then brought in the house if still asleep. Jrn FD actually preferred sleeping in this to the moses basket.

Very handy that the car seat could be dropped on to the wheels too, great if baby is asleep when you get to shopping centre etc.

Glad we had it overall

Cons: Chuffing expensive wouldnt have bought one.

4 wheeler is quite bulky and wont fit in many boots

Baby will quickly out grow the cot.

We then bought one of these http://www.mamasandpapas.com/product-cybex-callisto-pushchair-berry/120458300/type-i/ as we were told by M&P's it would take a Maxi Cosi car seat.

Pros: Light and compact compared to alot of pushchairs.

Can fully recline, great for when Jnr FD wants to sleep

Can fit a cot to it if Jnr FD #2 comes along.

Useable pretty much from birth to 4 yrs ish.

Cons: Not that robust in only one years use the wheels are showing signs of failing!

Doesnt take the Maxi Cosi car seat (ended up get a big discount back off M&P's)

OK ish off road but gravelled paths are about its limits.

We tried a sling thing from about 3 months but Jnr FD hated it and wouldnt go in it.

On the other hand he loved being in a rucksack from about 5 months and we use the rucksack probably more than any thing else now.

IMO travel systems are worth it, certainly with less than 8 month olds, but be careful what you go for, some of the travel system car seats are very badly safety rated.

They WANT to spend money on getting the best they can afford

Mate, more is not necessarily better.

That is the point I am trying to make.

Doesn't stop people wanting stuff and doesn't make it wrong. People make their choices for their own reasons, that's all.

People make their choices for their own reasons, that's all

Yes but this is a thread asking for advice!

And as I have said, your advice is that you are right and anyone wanting to spend money on their newborns is wrong.

Is the point I am making.

Again.

Is this Groundhog Day?

Neither of us want to spend huge amounts of cash tbh. And also lolling at mf, thought you were trolling 🙂

And as I have said, your advice is that you are right and anyone wanting to spend money on their newborns is wrong.

FFS.

Spending lots of money on good stuff is fine. This is an MTB forum after all. I have a Chariot trailer for instance and an Aprica car seat.

Spending lots of money that might ultimately be wasted however is generally accepted to be a bad idea.

I am simply recommending, somewhat stridently, an alternative. I use strident terms because people seem to think I am a nutjob for not liking the typical junk.

It's only you that seems to have an albeit good-natured problem with me!

Mothercare spin = Quinny Buzz, no? Effectively?

RE off road buggies, if you just want one for the park then fair enough, but if you're doing proper walking surely they'll just be a ptia. We'd been thinking about one until we went to the world cup race at Dalby last April, and then seeing everyone there struggle with them we decided against it. My wrap is fine for now and we've got a proper rucksack for when he's bigger.

re baby monitors, they're good for if you're downstairs with the tv on, you can get to them before they start proper crying and get them back off to sleep more quickly. We don't have one of those fancy breathing or video ones though, just a basic noise one.

We've had 3 slings, 2 back carriers, 5 buggies.

Closer ring sling, Great but would not reccomend because it takes too long to dry when you inevitably have to wash it because of the thickness of the folded fabric.

[url= http://www.mobywrap.com/ ]Moby wrap[/url], very supportive for newborn (you can tuck their legs in to keep their teeny tootsies toasty) and comfy to wear. Easy to wash and dry, its just a hige piece of jersey cotton. Can be tricky to put on outside without trailing it in the dirt.

[url= http://www.connectababycarrier.com/pages/connecta.php ]Connecta[/url] baby sling, easy to put on and adjust because of the nylon side release buckles, not as supportive for newborns.

[url= http://www.littlelife.co.uk/html/child_carriers/cross-terrain.html ]littlelife ultralite[/url] back carrier lightweight comfy to wear, highly reccomended once your kid is walking.

[url= http://www.littlelife.co.uk/html/child_carriers/freedom.html ]littlelife freedom[/url] as above but child plus rucksack filled with change of clothes, nappies, water, pack lunch etc, equals a very heavy load.

Ziko Frankie
look nice...

Quinny Buzz, very lightweight, easy to use, not rugged enough to take offroad. Can be used with a carry cot so your newborn can lie flat. A bit big for taking in and out of shops

Quinny Buzz, great for toddlers, packs so small you don;t even need a boot you can put it in a foot well. Baby is facing away so Mum is reluctant to use. Hood is too small to be of any use

Quinny Buzz extra, as above but seat can be turn around to face you and can be reclined so it is suitable from birth. Much bigger hood to keep off sun and rain. Highly reccomended, best buggy we've ever had.

Phil&Teds Tandem,

excellent offroad, doubles kit can be converted to a baby/toddler bouncer with a 13kg weight limit, a bit big and unwieldy for getting in and out of shops. Essential when you've 2 kids under the age of 3.

It's only you that seems to have an albeit good-natured problem with me!