travel system help??

jakko86

hi all, were expecting our first child and we have lookrd into getting a buggy but there are so many to choose from were totally lost and dont know which ones are best and are good value for money,any help and advice would be greatly appreciated as to what to buy and where to shop for it and all baby stuff its our first so we have to get LOADS of stuff....

Davidth88

My two pennies worth.


Go to a specialist shop ( We went to one in D12 ) . TRY them out , see how heavy they are , make sure they can get into the boot of the car etc.

Remember you will have to lift this into/out of the car hundreds of times , so don't saddle yourself with something too heavy because its fashionable or fancy.

Also , walk with them , make sure your feet don't catch on the bottom .

We use a simple Maclaran , we got the car seat etc passed down from relatives etc so we only needed a buggy.

January

Don't buy anything too expensive/bulky... I can guarantee you that if you do, by six months you'll be out buying a stroller.

Do you need it for walking a lot, or will it just be quick in and outs to the shop? What kind of terrain will you be using it on? (It might need pumped tyres if you're in the countryside)

xzanti

My advice..

Don't buy brand new.. you can get top quality second hand prams in great condition for a fraction of the astronomical prices you'll pay in the shops, on the likes of Gumtree and the Buy & Sell or indeed Adverts.ie.

I got a generic Mothercare travel system for my lad.. grand pram, no complaints but my friend got a Bugaboo on Gumtree for less than I paid for my Mothercare system.. and there wasn't a mark on it..

I was SICK

Moonbeam

I would disagree I love my big heavy bulky buggy.

You need to make a list of your needs so..

Budget -
where will it be used?
Do you drive?
WIll you bring it on train or bus?
WIll you put it in the boot?
Do you want a travel system?
Are you planning another very soon?

Go in to all the buggy shops and look at what they have then look online for prices and reviews.

We have 4 buggies..

A maxi cosi mura 4 travel system -
I love this buggy,it was fantastic and I have kept it for the future.
We used the pram and the buggy and put the car seat in it when I needed space in the boot.
It is big and heavy but so lovely for trains and public transport and it folds in many parts.

A graco quattro tour -
We were given this by a friend that was finished with it.
It is also heavy and a little bulky when folded but folds as one.It has a little tray to put a drink and snacks and huge storage underneath.
The wheels are plastic so it is not pleasant to push unless it is in a shopping centre or a level road.
The seat on it reclines nicely and completely flat ,it looks comfie from that point of view but the wheels really make me dislike it.
We keep it in the grandparents house.
A Petit Zia -
As far as strollers go,this is probably the best.
I got it because the buggy press in the creche was tiny and needed something small and light to put her in it.
It is ok to push,very light and folds small,reclines and is comfortable for a new born or a 3 year old. The basket underneath is not much use.
Out n about nipper 360 double - you don't need a double yet:) but it is also good though a bit light.

Boom_Bap

Moonbeam wrote: »

A graco quattro tour -
We were given this by a friend that was finished with it.
It is also heavy and a little bulky when folded but folds as one.It has a little tray to put a drink and snacks and huge storage underneath.
The wheels are plastic so it is not pleasant to push unless it is in a shopping centre or a level road.
The seat on it reclines nicely and completely flat ,it looks comfie from that point of view but the wheels really make me dislike it.
We keep it in the grandparents house.

Our Gracco Quattro served us well and we recently gave it to Oxfam as we are finished with it. There is suspension on the wheels but its not good enough, feels like a tough ride, but the kids never complained!

The things that I would look out for OP:

Does it fit in the boot?

Does it feel solid?

Are they plastic wheels or wheels that you can pump up?

When walking, do your feet clip the buggy?

Is there suspension on the wheels?

Is it multifunctional. Alot of the buggies now are for 4 or five stages...pram with a pram bag, baby seat, that can be put in a car, and stroller.

Is the handle adjustable...if there is a height difference in you and your partner, it would be handy to be able to raise and lower so you dont hurt your shoulders/back!

If it comes with a car seat, is it ISOFIX?

jakko86

thanks guys we went into a store yesterday and the girl showed us heaps of them!what annoyed me was they give you a price for the travel system,the quinny at 699 which to me for a travel system is expensive enough but then they want more money for the base the car seat sits into 129 and even more for extra brackets 40 euros i think???so the will sell you a travel system thats not worth a s**t without the brackets that are extra!! after payin 700!! anyway thats my rant out of the way... we live in the countryside so plastic wheels would be a disaster i presume? i looked on done deal and saw a few that looked good at a fraction of the price...so i dunno what to do...will shopping online save money or is it all the one when it comes to babygear?

SEORG

You should definitely look on adverts.ie

We got a Quinny Buzz travel system for €300. It has everything included and it is as good as new.

If you want a new cover for a car seat these can be got separately.

Moonbeam

Kiddicare.com is where we got most of our baby stuff.

chirogirl

I went to the baby fair last spring at the RDS and tried out stuff there. I ended up buying the Bugaboo travel system, got 300 euros off for ordering it on the day. However, If I was doing it again I wouldn't buy it. Its an expenisve biy of kit and theres just as good ones out there on the market. I'd probably go for the baby jogger travel system.

chirogirl

Also, if you don't want to buy new, the classifieds section on rollercoaster.ie is worth checking out.

Lola92

Moonbeam wrote: »

Kiddicare.com is where we got most of our baby stuff.

A huge +1 to this. When you find the travel system or buggy you like don't buy straight away. You can often get a much better deal shopping around or buying online or second hand.

I bought the baby elegance ego travel system for my daughter (now 13 months). I loved it and found it very good although the basket is quite small - enough room for rain cover, a few shopping bags, and a beaker all the same though! I liked how you can face the pushchair seat either way and it has a good range of 'tilt' options. The travel system car seat is brilliant for when they are very small and fall asleep in the car seat often. I don't know if I would buy it again though as sometimes it feels a little bit unsteady? Most of the time it is fine though, no major complaints! I would advise getting the air pump tyres if you do any amount of walking though.

I also have a Chicco Multiway stroller which her minder uses during the week. We use when going on the bus and have used for holidays and it folds up easily. This is great and I can see us using it more often as she gets older and the heavier pushchair is not necessary.

If you are planning to have another baby within 2-3 years I would consider getting a pushchair or travel system that can be converted to a double such as the baby jogger, phil and teds or something like that. It seems to be a lot more practical than having to try and sell the first one and buy another then too!

curlybob

We bought a Bexa travel system ( practically the same as quinny/maxi cosy) for only €379 from a store in carrick on shannon...www.babyaccessoriesireland.ie. We find it great, our little one has got so much use out of the pram, the car seat is great, and we havent used the buggy part yet, but the chassis on it is very strong and sturdy, yet not too heavy. The only down point is that there is no base to click the car seat in to for the car- you have to belt it in- however once you get used to it you have ti done in less than a minute! best of luck!

Moonbeam

There is a shop in Newry think it is called babyzstore do fantastic deals on the baby jogger buggies.
If I ever have twins I am soo getting one lol

Queen of Sheebs

We bought the teutonia spirit....paid a fortune for it and I'm not a fan. Can't believe i'm saying that. Its really solid and the pram part was really comfy. However its heavy. The pram part only lasts a few months and the pushchair part is bulky in the boot. My little fella is six months and i'd prefer something lighter for nipping in and out of the shops. The base(wheels part) of it is really easy to steer and perfect with the car seat but he'll be moving into the stage 2 seat in the next month (big baby). I think if i was buying again i'd consider the baby jogger select as it converts to a two seater when baby 2 comes along.

sillysocks

I have the Quinny and love it, still use it all the time a year on. Haven't bought a stroller yet.
The main reason I like it do much is because it's so easy to manouvre. It's great for thungs like if you're in the shops and need a basket-can still easily push it one handed.
I'd think about getting a good second hand one, or if not definitely shop around.

jakko86

thanks guys weve talked about things and we have looked into second hand ones and they are a fraction of the price of new ones, however my girlfriend said she would prefer to get a quinny chassis and all extras and buy the car seat new,the girl in the shop said the bigger car seat 1-3 years wont fit the chassis?? think we (she) has made her mind up on the quinny... anyone with opinions on this travel system?

sillysocks

The biggercar seat won't fit, only the maxi cosi which goes from about 0-1 years. I found that so handy if you were just nipping in somewhere for a few mins, I miss it now we're on the bigger seat but you would probably struggle to lift a one plus year old in the car seat to attach it anyway.

I think from memory we paid about 850 in Tony Kealys for the buggy, pram, car seat, isofix base, adapters and rain covers.

-Corkie-

We got the baby elegance travel system. The car seat part is a disaster imo, it will be on Adverts shortly..

jakko86

Is it possible to get new linings and cusion for the maxi cosy car seat?my girlfriend is concerned that the car seat if we buy second hand wont be in good condition and would be better to get new..

sillysocks

It's recommended not to buy the car seat second hand-you never know if it's been dropped or in an accident, and if it has the inside of it could be damaged and the safety compromised then.

Moonbeam

jakko86 wrote: »

Is it possible to get new linings and cusion for the maxi cosy car seat?my girlfriend is concerned that the car seat if we buy second hand wont be in good condition and would be better to get new..

You are much safer buying the car seat new.