Help! Best London shop to view pushchairs? & any suggestions?

[Miffster]

Hiya

DH and I need to go and review pushchairs/buggies/travel systems. Can any London Mumsnetters tell us where the best place to go and try some out is? Large selection, knowledgeable staff etc?

We're based Northside (Finsbury Park) but can travel on public transport to anywhere in London.

I have to say I am pretty foxed as to what we should go for. First baby, we don't have a car at mo and live in small flat, but do use taxis. Want to take baby out for walks 0-3 months, when it will be cold (Jan - March). Will also have sling.

This is where it gets complicated. We are relocating to Grand Cayman when baby is 3 months old, at which point we will both need to get second hand cars. He is 6'3 and I am 5'7.

Should we even bother getting a pushchair/carseat now and wait til we are abroad and just use the sling in the UK for 0-3 months?

I was going to get a Maxi Cosi car seat and attach it to a chassis, and get a buggy for the same chassis - not bothering with a carry cot. But I don't know what sort of wheels to get and argh, this is so chuffing complicated. And expensive.

Thanks for any help you can give!

[AddictedtoCheese]

You say you live in a small flat - is there space to store a pushchair without folding it? Is the flat on the ground floor? Are there steps up to the front door?

These are v important questions IMO.

Depending on the answers it may be that you'd be best of with a maclaren-esque fold-up (obv suitable from birth) and borrow a car seat from a (trustworthy) friend just to get home from hospital?

[AddictedtoCheese]

Sorry - back to your actual question, I think Mothercare is usually quite good or John Lewis in Brent Cross were ok (but they don't have a huge range in store).

[5inthebed]

I'd say a Bugaboo Bee+ or an Icandy Peach would be the best choice for you. John Lewis will have them both in stock.

[Miffster]

Thanks Addicted - we're ground floor flat- no steps- and we do have soarage to fold up a buggy in the hall, or at a push store it non-folded ( which will annoy the neighbours but it is only for 3 months).

I was thinking of the McLaren as well.
The Mothercare nearest me is crap ( Wood Green) but maybe the ones in centre/south/west of town are better.

We will need a car seat as soon as we are in Cayman, although how we will get it on the plane..?

That was why I was going to get one straight away. It will have to be one that attaches to a seat belt, not one which needs a base - assume the Maxi Cosi does this?

I also thought a car seat would be good to keep the baby in as a day rocking bed, in the flat?

Sorry, loads of q's - this is all really complicated because am going from winter in London flat, no car, use buggy on buses and to go to local shops, to life on hot island, with car, take buggy for walks on beach. So a complete lifestyle change, and first baby so neither of us have got bloody clue.

[Miffster]

Thansk 5inabed - Does the Maxi Cosi work with the iCandy?

And can you take a buggy AND a carseat and put them both on a plane ( in the hold) or will they only let you pack one thing?

[peasandbeans]

I'd look at a Maclaren Techno (suitable from birth, very manoeuverable, comes with winter kit, folds small, and, relatively, inexpensive.

Look in John Lewis, its much quieter than mothercare.

[letsblowthistacostand]

John Lewis/Peter Jones (not exactly sure of locations) & Mamas & Papas store on Regent street will have everything you need to see--M&P store only stocks M&P prams so you'll need to go somewhere else as well.

Bugaboo Bee+ probably your best bet though (John Lewis), lovely for travelling, just make sure you have a carseat that can be installed with a seatbelt as cars in GC may not have latch/isofix. Wouldn't count on being able to buy a decent carseat in GC unless you can get it from the US.

[Miffster]

Does this look like a good deal?

A Bugaboo Bee + Maxi Cosi for £570?

Christ, nearly six hundred quid for a pram and a car seat. .

I wish you coudl attach a Maxi Cosi to a Mclaren. I think you don't need a latch/isofix for a Maxi Cosi ,do you? Because we'll have to put baby in it at airport, pick up hire car and just go - so no use having anything that doesn't clip to a seat belt.

Am still angsting about whether I can even take a car seat on a plane in the hold, and whether it will get chucked about by baggage handlers and thus ruined.

[cheeseytoastie]

I think the new Maclaren takes a car seat...
uk.maclarenbaby.com/from-birth/techno-xlr?lang=en

Benefit of Maclaren for your first 3 months in UK is you'll use it until your child is out of a pushchair altogether, so no waste if you then decide to buy a proper pram when abroad.

Kiddicare is my fave retailer, has a big shop in Peterborough for a weekend outing!

[UpSinceCrapOClock]

I have taken carseats on the plane. Both the one for small babies (I carried it on, it was fine and fitted in the overhead) and the ones for older toddlers (checked this in, well wrapped up packed tightly into a luggage bag on wheels).

Ring the airline and check their policies for carseats?

[Miffster]

That's reassurring to know about the car seat on the plane, thanks UpSince. We don't know which airline yet as the firm will be relocating us in March and dates sot yet decided so unable to ring and check, which is a pain, because will obviously need the car seat before March.

Cheesey, do you know if the Mclaren takes a variety of car seats? Do most car seats fit on most chassis of most pushchairs? Or is that too much to hope for?!

[faddle]

you can take the carseat on the plane. I had DS in his in his own seat on the plane at 4 months. Maxi cosi cabriofix can attach without the seatbelt and is compatible with bugaboo (any model) icandy (any model) quinny (buzz and zapp) and the maxi cosi mura and mila.
Having had a quick squizz at the mila online, I think it looks fab, might be ideal for you.
There is no reason you cant take your pushchair with you in the hold, I have taken mine on holiday every year, you push it up to the door of the plane, collapse it and hand it to the staff and they put it in the hold. This is where bugaboo come into their own though, as you can get a padded flight bag to protect them in transit.

If the price is scaring the crap out of you, look out for a second hand one. Many people fall in love with a travel system, realise too late its not for them and then end up selling a hardly used system for a bargain price!

[cheeseytoastie]

Hah, they aren't stupid you know, making money is the name of the game!! Is generally always only one kind of seat, although several manufacturers make their chassis' suitable for Maxi Cosi. The Maclaren takes a Recaro one, which looks v similar to my Silver Cross one but will have some vital difference in the plastic moulding..

[Miffster]

Thanks for the really helpful advice. Am going to see if I can find a shop which has all of the models suggested.

Just Kidding in Kingsbury looks like it is very big and has stuff ( inc. sale stuff).
www.justkiddingonline.co.uk
Dunno where Kingsbury is but will go and look it up now. Has anyone used Just Kidding?

Otherwise will go to John Lewis, I guess. Did try M&P but found the shop quite scary and hard-sell-ish as well as madly expensive.

Need to take DH as he has so far failed to grasp how buying a pram is quite complicated and not like going and buying a rucksack from Milletts

Will probably end up getting second hand off ebay, although as I have never bought anything off ebay before, that might be a bit tricky as well.

[cheeseytoastie]

I also wouldn't worry too much about first 3 months and focus on what you might want in GC. A bigger pram is ideal for walking but rubbish on buses and stuff, but really you'll do more walking than buses overall! Can you borrow a Macl or buy a cheap 2nd hand one for here? Then you can see what size of car boot you get and buy accordingly once you're there.

[BaggedandTagged]

Miffster- I got my Bugaboo on ebay- was in close to perfect condition (a couple of marks on the foam but apart from that, perfect) and half the retail price. Downside is that the colour is the colour (you can customise if you buy it new) but to save £400 I can live with that.

Only issue you may have is that a lot of pushchair sellers are "pick up only"

If you want to view first, def go to John Lewis on Oxford St. Good advisors and a lot of stock, and space to wheel the demo models around.

[Annabel7]

Definitely get a car seat that you can: a) attach with seatbelt (for using taxis, different cars etc); and b) attach to wheels. We took our little one about the same time of year and age to the middle east and had a hand-me-down bugaboo that fitted the bill.

If you are travelling around (not in your own car), you need the car seat to fix to wheels or you have to have pram and then carry the car seat with you which is a nightmare.

You should be able to check in the carseat and take the wheels (and carrycot if you have one) to the gate when you fly. Carrycot also handy for the baby to sleep in if you don't have a moses basket or cot when you arrive.

Hope this helps...

[StarExpat]

I'd just carry the baby in a sling for the first three months - I didn't need a pushchair for the first three months. Get a carseat so you have it for when you arrive - or - try to rent a carseat for a week or so when you arrive, which will give you a chance to buy one properly once you've moved, then you don't need to worry over packing it/taking it along with you along with your things and the baby. Just easier and less expensive, IMO.

[StarExpat]

most airports have carseat rental (I was told...)

[5inthebed]

If you get the bee+ you can get a travel case to store it i if you take it on and airplane to help keep it safe. You can also get them for Maclarens.

If you're going to visit M&P they do a pram tht takes a car seat, Callisto Cybex, that folds small and is similar to Maclaren.

[girlywhirly]

Please don't think of a car seat as a day bed for the baby, O.P. They should really only be used for 2 hrs max at a time. Baby would be better off sleeping in the buggy, lying flat.

[Maranello]

agreed, girlywhirly - and don't buy the car seat second-hand, either. otherwise, as you were!

[whoopdeedoo]

I would go to Brent Cross. There is a John Lewis with a pretty good buggy dept and there is also a reasonable selection at Mothercare there. You should be able to look at all possible alternatives at one or the other.

[eeyore2]

Hiya,
We took our baby to Australia at 3 months and brought our car seat with us. Most airlines include a car seat in the normal luggage allowance for a baby. So the baby himself had a luggage allowance of 1 suitcase + 1 pram/pushchair + 1 car seat.
Agree John Lewis is a good place to look for prams. In case you are looking for an iCandy they only do them in John Lewis. However I agree that for 3 months probably you would be better off with the Maclaren Techno with the lie-flat attachment.

[Miffster]

Thanks eeyore2 that's really helpful to know about the baggage allowance