It’s no secret that I am obsessed with a fan of pushchairs. Over the 8 years that I have been a parent, I have been through my fair share of wheels, and over that time, I have discovered what I love, and what I am not so keen on. For me a pushchair HAS to have:
- Big, chunky wheels. I like a pushchair that can handle anything, from whizzing round town to hiking on Exmoor. I want one pushchair that does the lot, without flinching.
- A big seat. For the comfort of my little one, I want a big, wide deep seat that will last from tiny baby to hefty toddler.
- HUGE basket. I carry so much junk, from school bags, lunch boxes and shopping during the week, to picnics and swimming kits at the weekends. I don’t want to have to hang stuff on the handlebar, or sling it over my shoulder – I want the basket to hold it ALL.
- Big hood. If there is a light drizzle of rain, getting the raincover out and in place is such a faff – you often find that by the time you have done it, the rain has stopped. This is where a big, showerproof hood comes in really handy – shielding off the rain (and sometimes keeping the little ones shaded from the sun too. But more often, the rain.)
- A good recline. I hate strap reclines. I’m sorry, but they just don’t work for me. I hate how clunky they are, and how you have to heft a toddlers weight up with your shoulder every time you want to sit them up. A good lever recline is not only smoother, but a lot easier on my arms too.
- An adjustable handlebar. A little thing that makes so much difference – making it easy for me, Kevin, grandparents or even the kids to push the pram without one of us being really uncomfortable.
- A simple fold. I don’t really mind if it is a 1 or 2 piece fold as long as it’s easy. When I am folding the pushchair, I just want to get it in the car without a load of hassle, and it needs to be easy enough for the grandparents to work out too. I want something I can fold in a few seconds without really thinking about it. Intuitive is what I need.
As well as the must haves, there are some things I really don’t want in a pushchair.
- Awkward straps. Max is at the age where getting him into the pushchair can be tricky – he wriggles all over the place. So straps that are too fiddly, or ones that take ages to fasten just don’t work for me.
- A ‘from birth’ seat. This is personal preference of course, but for me, I would always choose a carrycot. I think that no matter how flat the seat, it will never be as flat as a carrycot. Besides that, I just love a carrycot – for me it makes a pram, it just looks right for a newborn.
- A fiddly raincover. I hate raincovers as a rule, and will only use them when I absolutely have to. They are always so plasticky and take up so much room in my basket! When it’s essential that I use one, I want it to be easy as pie to put on – a quick flick of the wrist and off we go deal. If it takes too long to put on, baby gets wet, I get frustrated and we all end up wanting to go home.
- Hard to clean fabrics. I want fabrics that can either be stripped right off and chucked in the washing machine, or ones that are wipe clean, and easy to get at with the sponge and Fairy liquid. Babies and toddlers are messy, fact, and so being able to clean the pushchair is so important.
There are currently a few pushchairs topping my wish list.
The iCandy Peach All Terrain
This ticks all my boxes. I have been an iCandy lover for as long as I can remember, and the new Peach All Terrain is doing it for me. The big chunky wheels would handle everything, the huge basket, the big hood and the adjustable handlebar make it practical for everyday use, and it is just so pretty! You can read more about this brand new addition to the iCandy family here.
The all new Stokke Trailz gets me all excited too. Again, the all terrain wheels are a winner, and I love the higher seat unit that allows baby to interact with you while out and about – also making it great as an up to the table highchair if you are eating out. The carrycot also sits nice and high for newborn chats, and again the big basket, suspension and stylish design tick every box on my list!
The Bumbleride has been a favourite of mine for a long time – our Indie 3 gets used day in, day out. The huge seat, rugged wheels and massive basket, along with the biggest hood I have seen in a long time make this a comfortable, easy to use pushchair with some top end features. The Indie 4 sees the addition of another wheel, and I am itching to try it out and see what a difference that makes!
I have admired the Bugaboo brand from a distance for many years now – the design is so stylish, and it’s a brand that shouts quality and functionality. It was never quite hardy enough for me though – until the Buffalo. The new all terrain Bugaboo, with a wider seat, an extendable hood, compact fold and multiple luggage options offers everything I look for in a pushchair, and the colours are ultra funky too!
I would love to hear about your pushchair, and what works for you. Are there any amazing brands out there that I should check out, before my pushchair days are over?
i remember this stage when i wanted a every push chair available good picks i love the stokke its nice and high and easy to use x
http://www.mybubbaandme.com
They all look lovely, it’s definitely a big decision as they can be quite expensive but these look and sound great Good luck choosing!
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Oh I hate those string straps too. They are so annoying and often wake child up because the recline is so un smooth. I was sad at not being able to get a new pram for number 2 but my mamas and papas switch ticks all of your boxes. They don’t make them any more but it has made me feel better 🙂
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Thanks for mentioning our Indie 4 Kate!! We are so glad to hear you are still getting a lot of use from your Indie! We look forward to hearing your feedback on Indie 4 after trying it out.
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You are welcome – you know how much we love our Indie 3!
This is a great list. I love the look of the iCandy, looks a lot more solid than previous models x
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Great list, and you seem to look for the same features in a pushchair that I do.
I was lucky enough recently to be chosen to review the BOB Revolution Pro Stroller by a website I subscribe to. It’s an awesome pushchair and has a lot of the features that you like plus some that you don’t, all of which I mentioned in my review. Would love for you to have a read and let me know what you think. Hope the link works.
http://1mummy2boys.wordpress.com/2014/09/18/superb-well-made-pushchair-i-was-extremely/
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Great review!
We have tried out the BOB Revolution Pro too as part of the Britax Mumbassador scheme. We loved it, and like you say, it does tick a lot of my boxes, but it was just a bit too bulky and heavy for us! You can read our review here: https://myfamilyfever.co.uk/2014/07/bob-revolution-pro-review-at-the-world-of-country-life/
I also love Baby Joggers, the simple fold is amazing. I am a particular fan of the Baby Jogger City Mini Double as it’s light, narrow considering there’s two seats, huge basket, a good recline and I love the big sun shades ❤️
This makes me sad that I am probably never going to have another buggy! I always wanted the icandy but we couldn’t justify the cost. And now with a 3 year old and a 10 month old I have no reason to buy a new one. waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
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Ooooh the 10 month old will be in the pushchair for a while yet – definitely time to squeeze another buggy in 😉
I feel exactly the same about everything a pushchair needs especially the basket. I feel naked when they stop needing a pushchair and then the fact I have to carry bags?! Noooo
Beth Twinderelmo recently posted…Trendy Tot Thursday
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You HAVE to have a big basket don’t you? There is always so much to carry! The 2 days Max is at nursery, I do the school run with no pushchair, and I hate having to carry stuff lol
I agree with everything on your list. Wheels are the most important thing for me – thankfully we were able to buy air tyres for our pushchair, I didn’t realise how many country walks we went on until we had the baby! x
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I LOVE air tyres, they make my life so much easier lol
Great list, totally agree about the importance of lots and lots of basket space!!
Really love the look of the icandy
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You know I totally agree on the Indie 4 having tried it at the Baby Show – I’ve been wanting that one ever since! x
Colette B recently posted…Silent Sunday – 12.10.14
dude! This is a whole world I know nothing about – we were given a pram (a silver cross but can’t tell you anymore than that!) and Mike chose us a buggy (can’t remember what it’s called!) – but I wish I did. I found the whole job of finding a buggy so traumatic I had to pass the job on. Then of course when it arrived I totally had buggy envy. Maybe I can get a nice freebee if we have another…! Thanks for linking up to #TheList xxx
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