Very light toddler buggies

[minipie]

We're reliant on public transport and I realise we would have a lot more travel options if I could carry toddler DD in one arm and folded buggy in the other so I can go up and down steps.

At present we have the Bee which is just too heavy for me to carry both at the same time.

So... I am looking for something really really light. There seem to be quite a few around but I suspect quite a few are lemons.

Must haves

• easy to carry one handed when folded
  
• hood
  
• under 6kg
  

Nice to haves

• Recline
  
• Decent basket
  
• Decent suspension/not too rattly
  
• Single handle rather than 2 handles
  

Budget: either pretty cheap with the idea that it will only be used on a few specific lots-of-steps journeys, with the Bee used most of the time OR really good (and with a recline/decent basket) so that it can be a replacement for the Bee.

So, I'm interested in things at both ends of the budget scale...

Thanks!

[toomuchcoffeetoomuchwine]

I'd flog the bee and get a Maclaren XT techno. They are not too cheap but easy to find on ebay / gumtree. Folds super-easily, 7kg, reclines, space for some stuff underneath, umbrella, very good build quality. Has 2 handles whereas you say you are looking for one but steers really easily with one hand. Most people I know ditch their £££ travel system and just use one of these.

[Paddingtonthebear]

I have one of these

www.babyzen.com/collection-yoyo.php

Recaro designed that with babyzen and they have now just released something very similar but cheaper

en.recaro-cs.com/stroller-details/easylife.html

[Paddingtonthebear]

These are also good. Very light, fully suspended, strap to carry with. I don't like two handle pushchairs but this is an exception


uppababy.com/g-luxe/overview/

[goodbyeyellowbrickroad]

I have the Uppababy GLuxe and love it. Weighs just a little over 6kg and has a strap so you could carry it over your shoulder if you wanted. Has a decent sunshade with UV protection and a large basket. It also reclines for naptime. It does have 2 handles but I don't have any problems with that. Manouveres well.

The only problem I have with it is the rain cover - it doesn't fit very well but I've read reviews where people have bought a universal cover instead. I've never bothered as I live overseas where it doesn't rain a lot.

[tethersend]

Micralite superlite fastfold

6kg, reclines and single handlebar. The large back wheels make it easy to bump up and down stairs too.

[tethersend]

Small basket, though.

[blueberrycupcake]

I have recently seen a mountain buggy nano stroller and was very impressed with it. It folds very small and could in fact be taken as carry on luggage on a plane, that's how small and light weight it is. Quick googling revealed that it costs £199, so not cheap.

[MrsDeanAmbrose]

Maclaren mark11 weighs about 3.5kg and easy to sling over your shoulder with the carrying strap. Shopping basket isn't the greatest and doesn't recline, but if weight is the main priority it's worth looking at

[minipie]

Thanks everyone! sorry to have posted and run. I am going through the various options.

I forgot to add - an extending handle would be a BIG bonus as there is a foot in height between me and DH!

Maclaren- isn't the Techno quite heavy? I was in john lewis and it seemed not a lot lighter than my bee... Never heard of the mark11 but will def have a look, 3.5kg and shoulder strap sounds good

Babyzen yoyo looks like a lighter cheaper Bee! wow! why don't more people get that instead of the Bee I wonder... what are the downsides?

I found the Uppababy vista and cruz too tall for me (even on lowest handle setting) so suspect G luxe may be the same but will try it out, it sounds v good otherwise

Micralite fastfold looks very cool and is one handed, yay, but it looks very reclined from the pictures? DD likes to sit pretty upright. Or are the pictures misleading.

Love the look of the Mountain buggy nano and the recaro one. Will look further into those.

I notice none of these are particularly cheap I guess you get what you pay for!

[Ihateparties]

I think a few people are starting to buy the yoyo 0+ instead of the bee. You lose the parent facing aspect after the lie flat bit is outgrown.

If the uppababy handles are too high for you then the yoyo will be too, it's a high handle, so is the recaro easy life, I think the nano is lower but I'm not sure by how much without checking. The xt will be huge for you and yes it's not that light or practical to carry on stairs when you're also handling a toddler.

The mark II looks really interesting, I would like to see one. I have a babyhome emotion, which I love, it's fab to push, very light and robust and my favourite pushchair ever however it's folded shape isn't that convenient to carry. I carry mine open, with the toddler in it when required. It's not a million miles off what you want though.

[minipie]

parties I am really tempted by the Maclaren mark ii. It looks a lot like my toddler's toy buggy and wow it's light.

With umbrella folds, does the basket have to be empty to fold it? As I can see that would be a pain.

the babyhome emotion looks like it ticks most of my boxes... so it would be a toss up between something like that and something super light like the mark ii...

Shedding that's interesting about being light buggies being heavy to push. Do you mean because the wheels are small so get stuck easily? (something I am very familiar with on my Bee...)

[minipie]

Hmm ok. Yes now you mention it, I can remember that being said about maclarens. Sounds like I need to actually test out some of these in person and see if I find them hard to push.

[moggle]

I've seen pictures of the new baby jogger city zip but it has only just come out in the US so it'll be a while til it's out here... it folds in half both ways so ends up pretty small, they sell a backpack to put it in! I think it's about 6kg.

[minipie]

looks very nice moggle but it's over 7 kg...

[ThinkIveBeenHacked]

Petit star zia? folds tiny - can fit it folded behind the drivers seat in a car.

[milkjetmum]

We had a silvercross pop sport (lived in 2nd floor flat no lift). 7kg, strap for carrying, high handles (dh6'6"). Use a normal backpack as your baby bag to make managing bag/baby/pram easy when filded (backpack hangs nicely on pram over handles as if pram is wearing backpack)

[Ihateparties]

I don't know how the mark II is to push, I do know someone I could ask though so will report back if I find out anything else. I suspect that would be of the buy to use alongside the bee option rather than instead of.

The emotion is the easiest to push of anything I have had, there is no resistance at all and it's a total one handed push even with a 4 year old in, it is my only pushchair now as long as you're willing to ignore the 3 sitting folded up in the box room dc3 is 2y5m and uses it for containment only really.

My only complaints are the wheels are a bit noisy on rough surfaces, like skateboard wheels are (it's 4 years old though and a v1, current one is v3 so I guess I can assume that improvements have been made?) and the seat is a bit reclined. I have recently fixed that though by looping Velcro through a couple of useful points on either side behind the seat.

[minipie]

I've thought some more and decided I want to keep the bee as the main pram (at least for now) so this new one is very much just for outings where lightweight is important.

so... it really needs to be light. Cheap ish/second hand would be nice too. The mark ii looks good but it's rather pricey and too new for second hand.

Is there anything else around the 3.5- 4kg mark? ideally with a little bit of recline (though will sacrifice that if necessary)

thanks again!

[minipie]

any thoughts on

Quicksmart back pack buggy

silver cross fizz (has a recline)

various hauck options

mothercare my move

[minipie]

or the maclaren volo?

[minipie]

ooh maclaren triumph also reclines and lots available second hand...

[minipie]

tippitoes max viz or move

(sorry just using MN as my own list now! but any views on any of these welcome. I am looking for the lightest buggy with a recline basically).

[Ihateparties]

I don't think the triumph is that light... Is it? The volo is very well reviewed and they seem to last really well too.

Silver cross and hauck strollers are probably best crossed off for all but extremely occasional use.

Without having a proper in depth look I don't know what else there is that's that light,