Simple worked best for us.
From birth, combination of BabyBjorn sling and Maclaren Techno XT buggy with bits (goes flat, coped with everything except sand dunes, weighs next to nothing, packs away easily), detachable car seat. Introduced Ibert bike seat, bigger car seat, Littlelife carrier by the end of year 1.
I have a great condition from birth pushchair/pram by Mutzy, cost quite a bit...comes with cot attachment, covers ect...fancy it? make me a bid..photos available of course...i thought not.
Just one little thing to remember then and thats the nipper will only be in the cot part or completely flat for a couple of months and then its forward facing chair so the big buggies with the prams are over sized once they use a chair. The wife had to have the cot though and it had to be rear facing so she could see him and not many buggies with cots are rear facing.
We have a Moby sling which I use when walking, a carrier that GF uses when walking, and also the mothercare spin pram / pushchair thingy with maxicosi car seat which attaches on. We originally thought the spin thing was a bit of a gimmick and bought it for other reasons, but in fact the spin thing is really useful in cafes and stuff as well as it being nice to be able to instantly switch which way round he can face, now he's older and wants to be looking at stuff rather than flat on his back staring at the sky.
Pneumatic tyres
Single bar steering
Rain cover
Folding
Second hand/car boot
It's only a buggy, you are only going to use it for a few years and it WILL get trashed.
Mothercare spin = Quinny Buzz, no? Effectively?
Phil & Ted here. Has been bumped, thrashed, crashed & overloaded with all the kit two kids need for a few years. Single width, can be steered single hand even when two up. Despite being a double its a great single. The cocoon is great for tiny babies. Great off-road & on beach. Will be sad to see ours go, but our youngest now out of that phase. Yossarian's list is bang on.
The cocoon is great for tiny babies
Is that the one that leaves your tiny baby with nothing to look at but a bit of red canvas?
They can't see very far when they are that small anyway.
How long do they stay in the little box for then?
One of my best suggestions is to go out and sit in your local coffee shop on a busy Saturday and watch all the parents out there with their kids/pushchairs. Notice how they're working, if you can 'burden' the chair with shopping, how happy the children are sitting in them, whether or not the parents struggle with them. Notice the brands and the styles (if you can which seem to attract you the most. Debate, compare and contrast what you see with what/how you think you'll be using the chair. Think about how you intend to raise your child and how the pushchair will fit in to that life you intend to create.
I was adamant abt having a stroller where my young baby could see me -when awake (and I would/could see them) because at first you are the center of their world and they don't give a damn abt what else they can see/hear. However we only really got that chair (instead of waiting until 6m and 'just' getting a super lightweight stroller) because I was quite ill after the pregnancy and couldn't carry lilgrips very far in the sling. Had I been feeling better we'd not have that one and simply would have had the sling because that was the ultimate closeness and ability to relate to the baby even when out and about. -But these decisions were made by me and Molgrips when we discussed what we felt was important about raising our children during many long coffees at our local 'bucks; they may not factor as strongly into your life as they did in yours. (And as we learned- after the birth you may find your needs have changed as the 'ideal' may simply not be possible...so be prepared for that too)
I'm at the same stage as the OP, and it is useful to see what people have had to say in the matter. Especially where people have linked what they have to their circumstances. Our choice thus far has been similar to 2tyred, lightweight stroller and a sling. From all the input I've had so far, we might well get a more suitable off road buggy at about 6 months when she's too heavy for the sling for long periods and we want to go for longer periods. We don't have a car so the travel system stuff isn't really relevant for us.
To be frank though, it does seem like there's an awful lot of stuff you feel you need to obtain. We're using ebay, car boot sales, freecycle and friends to make it easier. It helps that my wife stated attitude is "we don't need any of that fancy schmancy stuff". Classic example was when I said we should look for a baby monitor. She said that by the time the monitor has woken you up, the baby will already be dead 
To be frank though, it does seem like there's an awful lot of stuff you feel you need to obtain
There really isn't. We went for the minimal approach. Got a small cot for the nipper to sleep in at first from a friend, also a larger cot bed.
Didn't use a baby monitor - never saw the reason. If Meg wanted something she let us know. If she was dying of cot death then.. well I dunno. What does cot death sound like?
We didn't buy a pushchair at first, we just got a sling and waited to see what we ended up needing. The only thing you really need up front is some baby pajamas, some nappies and a place for it to sleep. Anything else you can get when you decide you need it.
This approach means you don't waste money on crap you don't need.
not read this thread... however!!
we bought an £89 graco buggy that folds flat, very manouverable, has storage underneath, came with a car seat that clipped onto it and also a base that straps into the car. we did this while we worked out which features we wanted in the expensive system we were going to buy.
our second child is now using the graco. we still laugh at the quinny / mountain buggy set in an "ahhh bless" kinda way.
we spent the extra on a decent double bike trailer which also serves as an off road buggy and a deuter kid comfort 11 rucksack thing which i highly recommend.
Quinny are reasonable. It's the Bugaboo ones you want to laugh at 
Actually no - it's the ones who spend £1200 (I kid you not) on an old skool Edwardian style pram.
Mini Bangin On now 4 months and we use the Kari-me sling http://www.kari-me.com which is way beyond awesome.
We were given a system buggy which we just don't use (he's only been in it once to go ice skating); MBO hates lying on his back full stop.
It's so easy with the sling; hands free all the way, he's now big enough to go 'face out' some of the time which is great for shmoozing every one he meets and attention seeking with big smiles at all and sundry. Mostly tho he's tummy to tummy so he can peek out but if he's tired he's asleep in seconds, and it's dead cosy too. The positions go from new born to toddler pretty much. It's brilliantly simple and the boss picked it up for £30 something online after trying loads at the NEC baby show.
I've just dug the old all terrain running buggy out of the shed today which will get a good scrub and some new bar tape up at the shop tomorrow. That'll be good for pounding the streets but I'd never use a buggy in the town; what a hassle!
Is that the one that leaves your tiny baby with nothing to look at but a bit of red canvas?
No, because ours was navy blue. 
They soon grow too big for the cocoon Molgrips, about 3 months if I I remember rightly. Slings are spot on. We had something simillar, possibly the Kari-Me above, but the P&T worked very well for us when the second came along, 18 months later. Tried plenty of others, but P&T takes some beating. I dread to think how much weight its had hung off it, we've even had three children on the thing at one stage.
That Kari me looks ace. Love the fact that you can have it on your back. Our closer was basically the same thing but they don't suggest a back mounted option.
Only one problem with having the babes on your front facing out though:
"Quaid.. start the reactorrr"
From all the input I've had so far, we might well get a more suitable off road buggy at about 6 months when she's too heavy for the sling for long periods and we want to go for longer periods. We don't have a car so the travel system stuff isn't really relevant for us.
You'd be surprised at how okay a carrier is with an older baby. I'd happily do a 10 mile walk in the peak district with our sling (I think it is a 'connecta' or something like that) and a 9 month old. I'm the main looker after at the moment, and I pretty much never use the buggy, and where we live is very hilly.
Next obvious thing for walking is not an off road buggy, a backpack for them is going to be way more practical if you actually go anywhere off road where there might be stiles or narrow tracks, or lots of rocks ie. pretty much any interesting walks. For going around town, an off road buggy is a pain, once they're 6 months, you want a maclaren or similar, something you can easily take into shops/cafes etc.
Where an off road thing does come in handy is for biking and running though - we have a croozer for the bike, and it is brilliant fun, very comfy, and has a special baby sling bit so you can bike with it with pretty small babies (I think they recommend something like 3 or 4 months minimum for biking, 6 months is definitely fine). Make sure you don't waste money on an off road buggy that isn't also a bike trailer!
We have a quinny also, which is nice because the baby can look at you, but is a bit of a shonky piece of junk in terms of the build quality. Only real good news about them is that you can get replacement parts on ebay dead cheap (we got a new frame for £50). Don't use it except if we really really need to go in a car then a pushchair.
Oh and we also have a much less expensive maclaren buggy, useful for when granny or whoever wants to take them somewhere, good for buses, trains etc. Nicer to push than the quinny too, except if you want to run or go over cobbles. Having said that, 90% of the time I'd go sling/carrier still.
Joe
Our little one is 11 days old now. We're using a second hand Quinny buzz with a new maxi-cosi car seat. We also have a sling. Went second hand because, as already suggested, we plan on selling it on shortly after she can sit up properly. Quinny are very popular so there are heaps on ebay!
Generally all buggies seem overpriced piles of metal and plastic.
City jogger are worth a look for the collapsing method, out n about looked good for price also. Depends on your needs though - long walks, popping to the shops, off-roading!
Our decision hinged on easy use of car seat with buggy and ability for baby to face parent.
Best of luck on your buggy hunt, and for the birth and then on. It's been an amazing and wonderful first couple of weeks for us - though the nights are long, enjoy the sleep now!
We've tried the lot over the course of our 3, best by far has been the City Jogger 3 wheeler one (City Elite I think). Nice and light, adjustable height handle, folds itself as you pick it up, and the big wheels make it really good on rough paths too. One of my kids did manage to knacker the brake though. Being able to move the car seat onto it isn't essential in my experience, all my kids were in forward facing seats by 6 months, fat gits, and before that they soon go back to sleep again if they do wake up being moved.
What Molgrips said +1
we had a Bebe Comfort travel system for our first. it had a carrycot/pram/crib thing, the car seat and a buggy seat for when the baby is older. the carry cot was used once. we just didnt need it. he was born in December and we found using the KariMe sling meant we didn't need to worry about the baby freezing or over heating. for a summer baby it might have been more useful, but the sling is still a winner.
the car seat lived in the car (and i paid extra for the superdooper isofix base) never felt the need to carry the seat and the baby into the house and wouldnt have left him to sleep in it even if we did - its just not good for them for extended periods. the whole car seat into buggy thing was for us just a solution to a problem that didnt exist.
the worst thing about this particular system was despite being reassuringly expensive, it didnt do the basics well: -
i'm only 5'11" but the handlebars are too low and my feet strike the back of the pram
the handlebars are directly over the rear wheels so lifting the front wheels requires for kerbs needs a foot (this is inexcusable as far as im concerned)
despite not getting much use, the whole thing seemed to wear and become saggy/loose prematurely (the wheels and folding mechanism had way to much free play)
every time the subject comes up i remember how utterly gash it was and it makes me angry that i parted with good money for it!!
as has already been said, travel systems are expensive, might be rubbish and theres a good chance you dont really need one. slings are cheap, better for the baby, more convenient, easier to store and transport. best recommendation i could give is get a sling and put £500 in a jar in case you feel you need a travel system later on. if you do, give them a proper test and make sure the features are ones you need rather than ones the manufacturer wants to sell you.
You'd be surprised at how okay a carrier is with an older baby.
You'd be surprised at how **** my lower back is at the moment Good advice tho, ta.
We got a Micralite Fastfold, Which! best buy for several years, most other buggies are utterly cumbersome by comparison.
I tend to agree with much that Molgrips says about most subjects and even if I don't, I can understand where he is coming from, but Mol - get a grip. Every time anyone mentions babies and baby stuff you go off on one like you are the singular authority on the subject.
Ohh, and we spent circa. £1k on our travel system.
There seems to be an awful lot of marketing regarding baby products
90% of the advice you'll read as a parent is all bo$$ocks, so your first objective is to ignore all of it.
Baby product marketing has two main criteria:
1) to make you feel like the worst parent in the world if you don't buy all the paraphanalia(?)
2) most products are pandering to the parents (bit like unecessary upgrades to your bike), rather than being what a baby actually needs
Also, bear in mind most of what you apparently 'need' will only be used for 3-6 months.
Looking at what my parents had in the 1970's when me and my sister were born, and comparing that with what parents are told they 'need' nowadays, it's a miracle I lived beyond the first week of my life.
Babies need love, attention, food & warmth... not 'stuff'...
Not sure what unnecessary things I recall having been told we 'needed' but we have bought many things that made our lives easier.
Such as truck-loads of disposable nappies...
Hang on - you took a pushchair on a beach and expected it to be fine?
Apologies for taking the moniker 'all terrain' literally.
Better keep my all terrain bicycle on the pavement too to be on the safe side.
Every time anyone mentions babies and baby stuff you go off on one like you are the singular authority on the subject
Hehe, that's not ironic at all is it?
The thing is MF, I really feel that new parents are being ripped off left right and centre. Compare the engineering that goes into a £400 pushchair and a £400 bike. They're just crap by comparison. Shops and companies are falling over themselves to take advantage of people at a vulnerable time by selling them over priced poorly made crap that they don't need.
So I am trying hard to dispel the myths that people seem to hold. My advice really is get the absolute minimum of stuff you need at first (ie car seat + bed + a few clothes) and get the rest as you need it. And try and cut down the clutter and expense.
I feel quite strongly about the way that I feel parents are taken advantage of. AND I also feel quite strongly that slings are better for the baby. Now of course I appreciate that not everyone can use one, but I suspect people think it's harder than it really is.
Get something light and compact, we had a MClaren, folded up easily and could be chucked in the car. Cheap too.
As soon as the little one could walk properly we encouraged her to do so, a small light buggy was very handy then.
We knew couples who bought estate cars in order to fit in huge buggies and all the baby stuff, bonkers.
But Molgrips - and I have said this to you before - people ENJOY spending money on their new arrival. They WANT to spend money on getting the best they can afford as they are excited and looking forward to being parents - I don't see that there is anything wrong in that. Certainly no more wrong than spending £120 on a seat post or £40 on a bottle cage for example.
I think it is good to take everyone's advice but as most will say every baby is different and will be happy in different systems etc.
We were furtunately given one of these full systems for free http://www.mamasandpapas.com/product-ultima-9-in-1-x-cel-chassis-linear/260370800/type-i/
Pros: Very handy that the baby can be in the cot bit and wheeled around and then brought in the house if still asleep. Jrn FD actually preferred sleeping in this to the moses basket.
Very handy that the car seat could be dropped on to the wheels too, great if baby is asleep when you get to shopping centre etc.
Glad we had it overall
Cons: Chuffing expensive wouldnt have bought one.
4 wheeler is quite bulky and wont fit in many boots
Baby will quickly out grow the cot.
We then bought one of these http://www.mamasandpapas.com/product-cybex-callisto-pushchair-berry/120458300/type-i/ as we were told by M&P's it would take a Maxi Cosi car seat.
Pros: Light and compact compared to alot of pushchairs.
Can fully recline, great for when Jnr FD wants to sleep
Can fit a cot to it if Jnr FD #2 comes along.
Useable pretty much from birth to 4 yrs ish.
Cons: Not that robust in only one years use the wheels are showing signs of failing!
Doesnt take the Maxi Cosi car seat (ended up get a big discount back off M&P's)
OK ish off road but gravelled paths are about its limits.
We tried a sling thing from about 3 months but Jnr FD hated it and wouldnt go in it.
On the other hand he loved being in a rucksack from about 5 months and we use the rucksack probably more than any thing else now.
IMO travel systems are worth it, certainly with less than 8 month olds, but be careful what you go for, some of the travel system car seats are very badly safety rated.
They WANT to spend money on getting the best they can afford
Mate, more is not necessarily better.
That is the point I am trying to make.
Doesn't stop people wanting stuff and doesn't make it wrong. People make their choices for their own reasons, that's all.
People make their choices for their own reasons, that's all
Yes but this is a thread asking for advice!
And as I have said, your advice is that you are right and anyone wanting to spend money on their newborns is wrong.
Is the point I am making.
Again.
Is this Groundhog Day?
This topic has been closed to new replies.
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