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Lascal BuggyBoard Maxi
by sas87
As with most parents who welcome a subsequent baby to their brood with a gap of anything up to 3 years, you face a dilemma of whether to buy a double stroller or not. A buggyboard can be a good solution if you have a child who rarely uses a pushchair any more, but still gets tired legs when walking.
Lascal make two different ... buggyboards - the Mini and the Maxi. As far as I'm aware, they are virtually the same but the Maxi is slightly larger, higher off the ground and is compatible with a greater number of pushchairs. There is a useful fitting guide on the Lascal website which tells you which boards fit which pushchairs, and how to attach them. It also gives a rating out of 10 of how well it fits - docking points for obstructions such as handlebars getting in the way of the child's head, or the brake becoming inaccessible.
When my third child was born, I couldn't decide whether to get a double pushchair for my son who was just turned two years old. He was (and still is) fiercely independent and enjoyed walking, and had lots of stamina, so I decided on a buggyboard instead. We didn't do a lot of far distance walking, so was confident we'd cope. It was also a cheaper alternative which was a bonus - though still not cheap for essentially a "skateboard" at about £55 at the time.
The buggyboard is made of very good quality, thick hard plastic, with two adjustable arms for attaching to the pushchair and two swivelling wheels. The wheels, I was surprised to discover, had suspension which meant he wasn't going to fly off it at every bump in the pavement, or going up curbs. It also comes with arm extenders for greater adjustment, connector straps (which tighten round the pushchair frame and are to which the board attaches), and a strap which allows you to hook the buggyboard out of the way when the child wishes to walk. The whole thing is very sturdy and after using it with two children to date, I can say it wears very well. The wheels are solid and don't flex or splay outwards like some boards do.
To attach the buggyboard I highly recommend using the fitting guide on the Lascal website as it has pictures for guidance for most pushchair brands. But essentially, you put the rubber connector straps tightly around the rear uprights of the pushchair frame. Then you adjust the board arms so that they are level with the connectors making sure the board is also level. It's then a case of clipping it on and off quite easily, leaving the connector straps attached to the pushchair.
My son LOVED his new skateboard, and really enjoyed riding on it which made the school run with my first son far easier than I'd anticipated with three young children!
The thing that makes the Buggyboard Maxi (or any similar product) either brilliant, or a pain in the rear, depends almost entirely on the pushchair you use it with - but perhaps parent height, length of arms etc. are also a factor.
If you have enough clearance to take a reasonably comfortable stride then it's a fantastic product. This means a pushchair with an adjustable height handle which can be pulled a good distance from the main body of the pram. If you don't have this sort of clearance - you end up stooping over the child, walking with arms outstretched and mincing terribly! This is a recipe for back problems as it's not at all comfortable to push. However, you need to decide if the uncomfortable walk for parent is preferable to a child refusing to walk...
I have used a buggyboard on an Obaby Atlas, Mamas and Papas Pliko pramette and an Obaby Zezu - and the only combination that was reasonably comfortable was with the Obaby Zezu.
In conclusion, I'd say that the Buggyboard is a good buy IF you have a pushchair that works well with it. For that reason I give it 3 stars, as cannot rate it either poorly or highly.
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Baby Jogger City Mini Stroller
by sas87
There comes a time when most parents decide to get a smaller, lighter stroller for their baby, rather than the big bulky travel system - either to completely replace it, or to have "just for the car". This is typically around the 6 month mark, when babies suddenly don't seem so tiny and fragile, and like to sit up and look at ... the world around them.
I have personally had two Baby Jogger City Minis (BJCM for future reference) - the first was a 3 wheel version as the product picture shows, which I bought for my third child when she was around 6 months old. The second (and current) BJCM I bought for my fourth child, and is the 4 wheeler version. Both 3 and 4 wheeled versions are essentially the same pushchair - just one has an extra wheel, which makes little difference other than perhaps making it feel slightly more stable (not that I found the 3 wheeler unstable in any way!).
The BJCM is, I can safely say, THE best baby purchase I've ever made - the fact I've bought twice goes some way to demonstrate how much I love this pushchair. I should say, I bought twice not because I was in any way unsatisfied with the first, but because I wasn't planning any more babies after my third, yet typically fell pregnant after selling it!
So why do I love it so much? These are the features that really stand out for me -
1) The quick one-hand fold. This is quite simply, brilliant. You pull a handle in the seat that says "pull to fold", and voila! You cannot find another pushchair with a fold better than the BJCM.
2) The frame is a sturdy flat folding frame, as opposed to an umbrella folding buggy, which gives it more rigidity and a definitely sense of quality. I couldn't go back to using an umbrella fold buggy after using this.
3) The hood is fantastic - it pulls forward in 2 separate actions, completely protecting baby from the elements, and eliminating the need for a parasol. It also has 2 viewing windows so you can peek at your baby however far down the hood is lowered.
4) The shopping basket - as far as strollers go, this is enormous! And later models (2012 onwards) have improved the access to the basket, by lowering a bar in the frame at the back, and elasticating the sides.
5) The wheels are really chunky rubber, and even with very frequent use, do not wear down easily. You would be very unlikely to need replacements. They all pop off easily for cleaning or transport, and the front swivel wheel/s lock decisively to make it handle rougher terrain more easily. This is not an all terrain pushchair however, but grass, cobbles, shingle etc are all fine.
6) The fabrics are water resistant and very easy to wipe down, or even remove and wash.
7) At around 8kg, it's very lightweight and easy to transport - despite the solidity it's not at all weighty or cumbersome.
8) The roomy seat and capacity to hold a much heavier older child if necessary. The BJCM will hold more than the standard 15kg (although officially UK safety testing don't test beyond 15kg).
9) Finally, the customer service of Baby Jogger's UK distributors. They are always easy to get hold of and deal with everything very professionally - be it a problem with your pushchair (not personally had any issues but heard great things), or if you want to buy spare parts/fabrics.
The BJCM comes with many accessories, including:
Raincover (which has a zip so you can access baby without removing it)
Belly/bumper bar
Footmuff
Child tray (with an integrated cup holder)
Parent console (which you attach to handlebar and has insulated pockets for drinks, snacks, keys etc)
Liquid holster (cup holder)
Glider board/branded buggy board
Maxi Cosi car seat adaptors - brilliant as this is the most popular brand of infant car seat
Carrycot
Unfortunately, none of the accessories are included with the pushchair - not even the raincover which is an essential, yet still needs to be bought separately. It is unfortunate as the pushchair is not cheap at around the £250 mark - however, each of the accessories are of such a good quality, that I can understand the reasoning that perhaps they are "too good" to be thrown in as freebies.
The BJCM is lovely to push, with a fixed height rubber solid handlebar. It is quite a high handlebar, but the perfect height for both me at 5ft 6, and my husband at 5ft 11. The seat unit is really roomy, with many height adjustments for the 5 point safety harness. It will comfortably seat an older heavier child up to 20kg (although the UK only safety test up to 15kg), and even with a larger child, feels very light and nippy to push.
Despite the extra cost of the accessories, I would highly recommend the fantastic Baby Jogger City Mini. It may be pricier than some, but it will see you through to the end of your pushchair needing days, and they have excellent resell value, which makes it a great deal long term.
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Baby Start Pushchair With Canopy
by xmum2threex
The stroller
Before we went to Disneyland I knew I wanted to purchase a cheap stroller for my son. He is soon three, but with the amount of walking needed in the parks he needed a little help getting around as he would just be too tired. I did not want to pay too much as it was only going to receive a week's use, but I also ... wanted something that was going to be practical to push around an amusement park. While searching I came across this pushchair in Argos for just £25 on sale, and so it met the budget requirement. Not only that but with over 100 reviews averaging at 4 starts I was sure it must be doing something right so decided to purchase it. It was available in both red, and black. We would have preferred the black but it was out of stock so we decided red was still suitable for my son anyway.
It is a very basic stroller nothing fancy, and not overly attractive on the eyes. With the pushchair there is a canopy attached to the top. This is perfect for protecting little one from the sun, or in our case shielding some of the wind. It flips backwards very easily which was a godsend for us as we found it is rather low, so for my son it touched the top of his head slightly. You also receive a rain cover which is fantastic considering the price, but we never actually needed to use it due to no rain although it was extremely cold.
The material of the whole pushchair is very thin, but for the price I expected this. Also the bars of the pushchair are very thin, but it still feels very sturdy so I had no concerns about its durability. My son still does not talk a lot but he would have made it known if he was uncomfortable. He was happy to get in it, and although he looked a little large in it we had no problems at all. The basket is very basic but we were able to get three autograph books, a changing bag and a spare blanket underneath. It isn't going to get any amount of shopping under there, but still came in handy for small bits and bobs.
In use
One of the things I love about this pushchair is how compact it folds. It is an umbrella style pushchair and folds down into a tiny stick. We drove to Disneyland and unfortunately with the two back seats up in a Zafira it leaves minimal room for baggage for a family of 6. We already had my daughter's pushchair with us, so it was essential we found something small to fit in the small space available and this was perfect. Also it folds down very easily there is no messing about pushing and pulling at bars. With one push on the leaver it folds down with ease, but it is still durable enough that it could not cause a hazard while little one is inside.
I was a little worried as the pushchair looks very cheap, but actually the quality isn't too bad. The seat is thin but comfy enough for my soon to be three year old son to sit in. The canopy does sit close to his head, but as this can be pulled back very easily and does not get in the way this was easily solved. Again the wheels look really cheap, they are made of plastic and very small. They do swivel round to make it easy to push, and despite low handle bars it actually moves around perfectly. It can turn corners with ease, and even weaving in and out of the large crowds at Disney land it fared well. It is recommended from six months plus as the seat does not recline, so it is not suitable for smaller babies.
As you would expect as there is very little material it is light to push. This is perfect as with my son's weight in it, and even with me having to crouch to the low handles it is still easy to push. The harness ensures your child is safely secured in the pushchair but can be a little stiff at times. This did begin to loosen up towards the end of the week, and I suspect it would improve with time.
Negatives
The handles are very low. I am 5ft 6 and found them extremely low to push. While this is fine for short time use I did find at the end of the day my back was sore from the leaning down to push this along. My husband attempted to push it but just found it too low he was nearly bent in half. It was OK for the holiday as it was just for short time use, but if you were going to use this on a more regular basis I suspect it would hurt your back. Also the pushchair does not recline at all. I was not expecting it too for the price we paid, and again it was fine for my son who only fell asleep once or twice. I did find it was a little rubbish for support while he was sleeping so again fine for short time use, but for day to day usage it would be a problem. Finally of course this is a basic pushchair which means there is no suspension or anything fancy. This means it would not be suitable for rougher surfaces, and it does get stuck on uneven ground.
Summary
I would recommend this pushchair, and we found it to be the perfect stroller for our short holiday break. It is well made considering the money you pay for it and because it folds down compact it is easy to take along with you. We found it to be light to push and perfect for short amounts of use. The height of the pushchair is very low so any more than occasional use I feel you could end up with a very sore back. I'm not sure how long it would last with constant use, but it certainly feels sturdy enough. This is a perfect holiday stroller, and or would be perfect for a grand parent's house. It is available from Argos for £29.99, but can often be found on offer.
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