Questions about the bj versa and maxi cosi elea

[Rachc19]

Hi, so I have a short list of pushchairs which offer what I want:
Bj versa, maxi cosi elea, uppababy vista and the oyster.
I'm going to go have a look at them if I can but struggling to find shops local to me that have them in apart from the oyster so was hoping for a little help.
I will be mainly walking around town with it but also using the bus quite a bit and the car.

Versa- I like it because it looks easy to fold for taking on the bus if there's already pushchairs on there, I can't find any info online about the carrycot, is it ok? And it's a lot longer than the others when open so would it be tricky wheeling on the bus?

Elea- don't think i will get to see this in the flesh as nowhere has any. like the option of the lie flat seat with baby nest but my concerns are that its the heaviest of the 4 and the only bad point in reviews is that it's wobbly, anyone found this and how bad is it?

Thanks in advance, Rach

[albionica]

Hi, I have a Maxi Cosi Elea and I really wouldn?t recommend it. So much so that I have decided to delurk and tell you how crap it is! Unfortunately I bought it before DS was born, so it was before I discovered Mumsnet and started reading all the recommendations for Baby Joggers on this board. I now have a Baby Jogger City Mini and the only thing I miss is the parent-facing feature on the Elea.

The wheels on the Elea are pretty wobbly, and I found it to be as bulky as an off-road buggy without being able to cope very well with real off-road terrain. Even around town, it?s sometimes a struggle to get it up onto the pavement, and it often gets stuck in potholes. We used a carrycot attachment so I?m afraid I can?t tell you anything about the baby nest, but especially with a small baby, I think it would be terrible on public transport, as the fold mechanism definitely requires both hands, and you can?t fold it when it?s in parent-facing mode. I had to take the seat off and use the more compact folding option to fit it in the boot of a Ford Fiesta, and even then it takes up the whole boot. DS is now a tall, heavy 18 month old and he soon won?t be able to fit in the Elea, especially with a footmuff on it as well.

If I have another child I will definitely be tempted to buy a Versa as I?ve read so many great things about it.
Good luck with your choice but please don?t buy an Elea!

[Tiggywunkle]

I would get the Versa. I know on paper it looks long when open, but it barely looks any different to the City Mini IRL. I dont see you having any problem on a bus.

The Versa has a Versa specific carrycot. There are photos here and here of it. I believe its a similar size to the compact (or is it compact plus?) carrycot, but either way I subjected my lovely 2 year old to being laid into it, and yes he filled it, but I bet he would have happily slept the afternoon away in it. So I wouldn't worry about the size of it. Its a really lovely carrycot. Do you need to know anything else about it?

[Rachc19]

Thank you both, I became suspicious about the Elea when I couldn't find it on display in any shops so that's been struck of the list as has the oyster.
Just been to see the versa and thought it was great, the guy was great so I don't think there's anything else to ask about it. the carrycot looked good too, the guy was saying I wouldn't definitely need it but I think I would rather have one than use a car seat. I'm going to have a look at the uppababy vista tomorrow but I have the feeling that it won't be as good or at least be worth the extra money compared to the versa.

[Tiggywunkle]

Dont rule the Vista out. The spec is excellent and the carrycot is one of the nicest I have ever seen. However its feels much bigger folded - it certainly took up more floor space to freestand than most other pushchairs. But it is lovely - just feel bigger. Either the Versa or Vista would be a good choice - I think it comes down to which you actually prefer ie aesthetically because both should serve you well.

[Rachc19]

Just went to the shop to see the vista and they had shut early because of the weather :-/ only missed them by 15 minutes and the snow is melting so thats annoying, will have to try again.
After looking at it on intrenet again I think I will be torn between them TBH they both have different good points so will have to decide which to go without.