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3 wheeler fans? I'm after help in picking my first pushchair

(14 Posts)
StuckOnARollercoaster Mon 28-Jan-13 15:57:46

So there are a few things from reading this board and discussion with my engineering other half that we know we want from a pushchair.
Firstly 3 wheels for their stability (DP is very keen on this idea and given that it helps to narrow the selection I'm going with it!)
Secondly nice big wheels for difficult kerbs and our walks in the countryside (weekends rather than every day but I don't want 2 pushchairs)
Thirdly a travel system set up as we'd like to use the carrycot instead of needing a moses basket for downstair and would prefer to get our own car seat (the BeSafe 5 point harness for newborns).

After a trip to a lovely store (pramworld near Wigan) there were 2 contenders in the running - the iCandy peach jogger and the maxi cosi mura 3.
Our favourite was the Maxi Cosi - because of price and the spacious carrycot, and although less pretty than the iCandy we were more than happy that it had the functionality.

So now I've been searching and seeing the reviews on the Mura 3 and the 2 issues seem to be bursting tyres (DP is going to fill them with tyre weld!) and the heaviness. To be honest it didn't seem heavy in store - but then I don't have any experience of what that means - is it for pushing - because it seemed very manouverable? Or is it because its too much of a struggle if you are putting it in and out of a car?

Would be lovely to hear from anyone who's had the Mura 3 or had similarish requirements and can maybe throw another option into the mix? Should I be overly worried about getting a 'heavy' pram?

thanks if anyone can help...

Nanny01 Mon 28-Jan-13 17:05:11

I have a cossato giggle, baby jogger series. The giggle is around £300 mark all in. The bj series starts from £200up. There are so many ones on the market. I would decide how I want to use it. Ie urban or country, car, bus or walking. Weight does make a difference. Some are heavy to lift but easy pushing others are just heavy and not great if all. You do is lift it from the car every day. I have had the I candy apple it was ok. There is also the Mutsy evo lovely lie back parent facing seat for baby when young. Does it have to be. 3 wheeler? Lots of people ditch the heavy prams by 6 months. If I could be disciplined I would stay away from heavyweight prams.

Tiggywunkle Mon 28-Jan-13 17:31:09

3 wheels for stability???? I think you need to go and try some 3 wheel pushchairs up and down some kerbs TBH before agreeing with your OH!!!!!!!!

BUT having said that, the two you have chosen are pretty stable (but this doesn't ring true for all 3 wheelers) although TBH I would be choosing the 4 wheel Mura if I were to get one!

The Mura is one of the biggest and heaviest pushchairs there is. The fold is huge - both the chassis and the seat unit (which doesn't really fold as such). The basket is fairly inaccessible as well. I think if you are home based, then the Mura is lovely to walk out of the house with. However for the car, I think it would be too heavy for me to use every day. Plus it would fill most car boots up - I assume its ok in your boot? However the seat unit is sooo comfy and lovely.

The Peach Jogger is a different pushchair altogether. Its smaller, neater, incredibly gorgeous to push and to use. Its one of my all time favourite pushchairs. There is absolutely no question for me that this is the better pushchair by a long way and is much lighter and easier to lift, manage, open and store.

The only thing I will say about 3 wheelers with big front wheels, including the Peach Jogger is that you do lose manoeuverability on the front wheel. I guess if you know no difference then you will live with it. But if you stand on the spot and try to turn the Peach side by side with the Peach Jogger you should see what I mean. Most 3 wheelers with big front wheels need a wiggle / mini turning circle to get the wheels straight for setting off again. Personally this drives me nutty especially when shopping or trying to turn away from the car in a car park. But this is the trade off for having a pushchair thats great off road. Its just something to be aware of.

tutu100 Mon 28-Jan-13 17:38:00

I had an Out n' About Nipper 360, and I love it (I tried a lot of pushchairs before that one). I loved it because it was a proper all terrain pushchair (quite a lot of 3 wheelers aren't), it was stable, it had a small turning circle so it was suitable for shopping centres etc. But it weighed only 8kgs which is about the same as a stroller.

I had the v1, they now do a v2 which can be used as a travel system with a maxi cosi car seat, and I think they now do a carry cot as well.

If I were to have another baby that would be my choice of 3 wheeler.

Ihateparties Mon 28-Jan-13 17:46:57

I find 3 wheelers less stable, especially up and down kerbs but it does depend who you speak to just call me mrs tippy

I think you need to check out what carrycots are suitable for overnight sleeping as the vast majority aren't and i suspect the mura one is among them but you can easily check that with maxi cosi.

I haven't really heard bad things about the mura except they're very large and heavy as mentioned. It depends what you do as to how much the weight matters imo. Sometimes two pushchairs over the course of time is inevitable...

BNmum Mon 28-Jan-13 18:00:32

Check out a mountain buggy, they're fab! You can use with car seat and you can buy a seperate stand to put the carrycot on. I'm not sure about the overnight sleeping though. I can't recommend enough! Easy to run about town with and totally at home in country. Easy to fold down and not too heavy for lifting in and out of car.

StuckOnARollercoaster Tue 29-Jan-13 09:23:41

Thanks for the tips - this is the kind of thing I just have no experience of, and maybe a good approach is to be a bit laid back and recognise it may take a few goes to find the right pushchair. Pushing in a shop is no substitute for using a pram in real life with a baby and bags, and I don't really know if I'm going to be mainly on foot out of the house, or jumping in and out of the car alot.
I've checked and the shop does have out n about and a mountain buggy, but I wonder if they are not compatible with the car seat I'd like, which is why we didn't end up looking at them. I'll check and maybe pop in again and take another look.
(We don't need an overnight carrycot - as we'll have a cot upstairs, just thought it would mean an easy place for the baby to sleep downstairs while still really tiny)
Thanks everyone for the advice and feedback!

BNmum Tue 29-Jan-13 10:12:58

Ah! Sorry just reread your thread, i assumed it just had to be compatible with a carseat not a specific brand. The mountain buggy (MB) is compatible with a maxi-cosi but not sure of other brands. The carrycot from the MB is perfect for snoozing and great for if you go out for a walk and lo falls asleep as you can take carrycot off the pushchair and put on the MB stand anywhere in the house so you can keep an eye on them. We used an out n about nipper when we went skiing last year and it was similiar to the MB. We didn't put it down or put it in and out of the boot so can't comment on weight/ease of use but it was a good all terrain pushchair.
I think it's a good idea to explore all the options so you don't end up regretting your purchase (they're so bloody expensive!!). We started off with a iCandy peach which is one of the nicest pushchairs EVER and i can't fault it in anyway it just didn't suit our needs as well as the MB.

StuckOnARollercoaster Tue 29-Jan-13 13:04:32

BNmum - thats good news re. maxi-cosi on an MB because we were told to look for maxi-cosi compatible for the BeSafe seat. Apparently it is built to use the same fittings. I have a day off for a GTT test in a couple of weeks and I might use that day to pop to the shop again, as they told me that Saturdays can be a bit chaotic.

WildRumpus Tue 29-Jan-13 13:12:03

I am a huge 3 wheeler fan. So much more manageable. I had a brilliant Jane Slalom which was the best off roader you can imagine - went over everything. It was heavy and bulky and after 4 years solid use (for 2 babies - 2 years each) DH persuaded me to sell it and buy a cheap light Zia petite star. This is great for around town, very light and folds neatly into a small space but no good off road.

Locketjuice Sat 02-Feb-13 19:15:47

Mothercare xtreme is amazing I take mine everywhere! Haven't found any woods/parks/snow it can't handle smile it's a dream to push! So easy and surprisingly light to push.. It is big and its quite heavy to lift but I'm 5ft & 7 12 stone and manage fine smile

countrybump Sat 02-Feb-13 19:19:44

A 3 wheeler that ticks everything on your list - a mountain buggy. Mine has been in constant use for 6.5 years now and I cannot fault it.

Leafmould Sat 02-Feb-13 19:23:48

I think the mothercare extreme is like the mothercare urban detour? Brilliant buggy so easy to push I had a double you could steer with your little finger. Folding mechanism robust, easy to clean.

Not sure about the travel system aspect of it.

Personally I think travel systems suck. I liked taking my babies for days out in the buggy, and that would have meant hours stuck in a car seat. They are not recommended for more than 2 hours for the correct development of baby's back. Get your engineer to look into the engineering of the baby's spine!

I am a firm believer in the buggy lying completely flat for the first few months....

BikeRunSki Sat 02-Feb-13 19:33:19

After 2 babies, 2 other three wheelers and a few strollers, I now have a pushchair armoury of 1, and it's a Nipper 360. It's perfect. Superb off road (has suspension), but light and turns tightly. Not a tiny fold, but not too big either (it fits in the boot of my Fabia). It is not the prettiest pushchair around, but it is fantastically functional and v light. Weight does matter when you are pushing uphill, or one handed, or lifting into a car or over a gate or when you have another child in one hand and pushchair in the other. I trialled a Mura and discounted it due to weight (and I'm no lightweight ).

Nipper is aluminium so it doesn't rust if it gets wet and you don't dry it.

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