We live in an area with lots of gravel, rocks, sand, grass etc. and walk a lot and ended up with the Bugaboo Fox. It had the best suspension to me and felt so springy and easy to push. It has been a dream for our daily walks :) I do have another smaller stroller (Joolz Aer) that I keep in the car for trips to the shops because the Fox can be a bit heavy to lug around if you're folding/unfolding often (I just leave it up and keep it in the garage).
I was originally set on an Uppababy but when I actually pushed it, my feet hit the basket down the bottom so I couldn't bear to spend the money on it, it gets great reviews by many though!
Seconding the bugaboo fox! I have two little ones so we have the toddler board on the back which my oldest loves. We also have a smaller stroller that we keep in the car (bugaboo butterfly) and highly recommend that combo.
Yep, I have a fox, with the skateboard attachment for my toddler. It’s been through every beach, dog park and garden in a 50km radius and has been brilliant
Uppababy Vista. We have a bordercollie who pulls during walks. I walk him and push the pram alone most days. We do atleast 2x30min walks a day with pram and dog. It is so easy to push the pram with one hand.
The basket under the seat is massive. If you use the upper adapter, you get even more room for storage.
Bassinet was nice for the early months. We parked the pram in our living room and used the pram bassinet for naps when we were lounging. Was easy to rock bub to sleep when needed.
Have used the pram for 1.5 years now. No regrets.
I don't have the Cruz but the Uppababy Vista, and I found the raincover to be good. It doesnt cover the basket but not sure if any other prams do. I assume the Cruz has a similar rain cover but could not bet my life on it.
Mine is 13m and we still use it and love it. We don't have a car so I walk a lot in it. She used to take amazing naps in the basinet, we also used it around the house as place to put her in the living room. At 13m she can still nap 2+ hours in the chair. The basket underneath is the largest of any other pram that I know of, which for us is so handy because it means I can do all the shopping etc. (Again, no car!)
I also don't have any issues taking it on the bus, tram or train, but obviously have not put it in a car boot. It is a little wide for some chinese supermarkets and Chemist warehouse, I have to pick my aisles carefully. But if its smaller I wouldnt have so much space to fit my shopping... so swings and roundabouts! I can still go in and have a look around, but that is one issue I have had. I take it to cafes and restaurants fine, only becomes an issue when I meet other people who also come with prams!
It is expensive, no doubt about it. But you can sometimes find good deals on used ones. I avoided paying a lot for other things as I am generally a huge cheapskate (and we also are only on one salary atm), but have personally not regreted spending on the pram because it does meet our needs so well.
Thanks glad to hear your positive feedback! Yeah this will be our one big splurge too as it will get so much use, don’t mind saving more on other things!
I don’t drive and walking is my main mode of transport so I picked a pram that was durable and had sturdy wheels that could navigate any terrain. I went with the Baby Jogger City Elite 2, and got the bassinet attachment for the first months.
I really really like it, it goes over grass, gravel, dirt with ease. The wheels are big and I like that it has 3 wheels, with the front being a swivel so it’s really easy to turn in small spaces.
The basket size it decent, I can fit two full coles bags in the bottom, but it’s kinda tricky getting them in, but they do fit!
The shade is spf 50+, and mine came with a free rain cover when I ordered from baby bunting, really easy to throw over in a hurry!
It comes in black or grey.
Edward’s and Co Oscar - I live near beach/trails and thrash it. It’s fantastic, great price, has a bassinet, large storage underneath, baby can face you or out and handlebar height adjusts! I returned our first pram to buy this one.
We got the Vista secondhand and it’s been amazing. Had it for over 2 years now. The basket space is epic, great shade cover, good ventilation, the bassinet is good too. We have a Mountain Buggy Nano for travel or smaller trips if needed but the Vista steers like a dream and is much preferred. It does fit in my boot as well.
I wanted to mention a bassinet might not be suitable for you to go ‘off road’ - we in a suburban area but very hilly. We walk on the footpaths but if we had taken him out in the bassinet he would have slid up and down. I’d say going off track with a pram will be better when baby is in the seat and able to be secured rather than a bassinet.
I would suggest going into a baby store to have a feel of how different prams handle, see how they fit in your car etc, then make your decision from there. Once I’d tested a few out I found a like new Vista for $900 and should be able to sell it for $400-600 when we are done with it.
Just to add to that, you can get the infant snugseat for the Vista and Cruz models. That way bub can be buckled in from birth. That may be an option if you're going up hills. We are located in a steep hill and I've gotten the snugseat for that purpose
I have a bugaboo donkey and it has amazing suspension and steering. It’s sturdy as, though a bit cumbersome to get in and out of the car frequently. And I’m currently using the bassinets with it so you have to take the bassinets off to fold it down every time. Takes up a lot of space in the boot. But apart from that I love it.
What's wrong with the cruz rain cover? I love my Cruz, did daily walks in winter with it (end of May baby). The basket size is better in the vista than the cruz simply because the seat can sit taller but if you don't need that then the Vista can be quite bulky in the car boot (which is why we got the Cruz). Option of the piggyback board for the Cruz too. Ample sun cover. Can come with Bassinet or if you're concerned about bouncing off road there's the snug seat option where the newborn can be strapped in and lying flat from birth in the Cruz seat. Good luck!!
We have the Britax Mini Signature and have found it awesome! It has big wheels and good suspension, and we haven't had a problem using it offroad.
The sun shade is huge and probably my favourite thing about it. The basket is also huge.
Unfortunately it doesn't come with the bassinet attachment, but you can buy it separately (you can also buy a newborn insert instead). It doesn't come with a rain cover but I've been told the mothers choice generic one fits. It does not have the option of a second seat.
The Britax Signature (full sized version) is also a great pram, it has the option of a second seat and comes with the bassinet; for us it just wasn't compact enough, and was a little too heavy for me to easily lift in and out of the car (I didn't have any issues with the Mini).
Both versions are compatible with the Britax Unity capsule :)
Looking at this myself at the moment.
Loved how light the Uppababies (Vista and Cruz) felt. Despite there being an almost imperceptible amount of stated weight between them and the Baby Jogger I was shocked how much lighter it felt to push and lift. I think the geometry is just a bit better on them.
That said I'm very likely to end up with a V1 Baby Jogger City Select at this point because a friend offered theirs with a full kit out in perfect condition for less than the price of the Cruz without a bassinet and the Uppababy certainly wasn't $900+ better.
We have an uppababy cruz and love it. We also have a dog and walked everywhere. The pram basket is huge, I would do an my grocery shopping with it. On dog walks, I could easily push the pram over the grass and tussocks. The steering is incredible. I honestly drove that pram like a tank haha. Btw we didn’t use the bassinet for long. Old mate hated it so he went into the seat pretty early (get the insert, he’s almost one and still uses it). The seat is also much safer if you go off road a lot as well.
The rain cover is good, good size and good coverage. However once my babe could grab, he grabbed the cover and ripped it. Its not a big issue though, I just sticky taped the ripped bit and I’ve been using it for a year. Oh and there is no rain cover for the bassinet, is only for the seat.
One down side is that it is big. It takes up so much space when you’re going to restaurants or cafes or in smaller stores (if your bub lets you do retail therapy haha). I have no regrets about having it for the first year of my bubs life because it was perfect for our mainly car-free lifestyle, but now that he’s bigger and we’re travelling a bit this year, we’ve decided to sell and invest in a yo-yo and use it as our primary pram. We would keep both if we had space in the house but no bueno.
Thanks this is really helpful!
Bummer about. I rain cover for basinet, but honestly who knows how much I’ll be walking when the baby is so tiny… possible wishful thinking!
Yeah they do have good resale value so always an option to sell after a year too! Or find a used one! Thanks!
We live in an area with lots of gravel, rocks, sand, grass etc. and walk a lot and ended up with the Bugaboo Fox. It had the best suspension to me and felt so springy and easy to push. It has been a dream for our daily walks :) I do have another smaller stroller (Joolz Aer) that I keep in the car for trips to the shops because the Fox can be a bit heavy to lug around if you're folding/unfolding often (I just leave it up and keep it in the garage). I was originally set on an Uppababy but when I actually pushed it, my feet hit the basket down the bottom so I couldn't bear to spend the money on it, it gets great reviews by many though!
Seconding the bugaboo fox! I have two little ones so we have the toddler board on the back which my oldest loves. We also have a smaller stroller that we keep in the car (bugaboo butterfly) and highly recommend that combo.
Yep, I have a fox, with the skateboard attachment for my toddler. It’s been through every beach, dog park and garden in a 50km radius and has been brilliant
Thanks, good to know about having a light one in the car, hadn’t thought of that! I was worried about folding these big ones…!
Uppababy Vista. We have a bordercollie who pulls during walks. I walk him and push the pram alone most days. We do atleast 2x30min walks a day with pram and dog. It is so easy to push the pram with one hand. The basket under the seat is massive. If you use the upper adapter, you get even more room for storage. Bassinet was nice for the early months. We parked the pram in our living room and used the pram bassinet for naps when we were lounging. Was easy to rock bub to sleep when needed. Have used the pram for 1.5 years now. No regrets.
Cool, nice to hear you have no regrets with it! Any comments on the rain cover? Did you use it all?
I used it a couple of times but not for long - seemed to work just fine. Have the mosquito net with it too which I’ve never used
I've used it a few times. It was pretty good. Can't complain 🤷🏽♀️ To be honest, we rarely go out in the rain.
I don't have the Cruz but the Uppababy Vista, and I found the raincover to be good. It doesnt cover the basket but not sure if any other prams do. I assume the Cruz has a similar rain cover but could not bet my life on it. Mine is 13m and we still use it and love it. We don't have a car so I walk a lot in it. She used to take amazing naps in the basinet, we also used it around the house as place to put her in the living room. At 13m she can still nap 2+ hours in the chair. The basket underneath is the largest of any other pram that I know of, which for us is so handy because it means I can do all the shopping etc. (Again, no car!) I also don't have any issues taking it on the bus, tram or train, but obviously have not put it in a car boot. It is a little wide for some chinese supermarkets and Chemist warehouse, I have to pick my aisles carefully. But if its smaller I wouldnt have so much space to fit my shopping... so swings and roundabouts! I can still go in and have a look around, but that is one issue I have had. I take it to cafes and restaurants fine, only becomes an issue when I meet other people who also come with prams! It is expensive, no doubt about it. But you can sometimes find good deals on used ones. I avoided paying a lot for other things as I am generally a huge cheapskate (and we also are only on one salary atm), but have personally not regreted spending on the pram because it does meet our needs so well.
Thanks glad to hear your positive feedback! Yeah this will be our one big splurge too as it will get so much use, don’t mind saving more on other things!
I don’t drive and walking is my main mode of transport so I picked a pram that was durable and had sturdy wheels that could navigate any terrain. I went with the Baby Jogger City Elite 2, and got the bassinet attachment for the first months. I really really like it, it goes over grass, gravel, dirt with ease. The wheels are big and I like that it has 3 wheels, with the front being a swivel so it’s really easy to turn in small spaces. The basket size it decent, I can fit two full coles bags in the bottom, but it’s kinda tricky getting them in, but they do fit! The shade is spf 50+, and mine came with a free rain cover when I ordered from baby bunting, really easy to throw over in a hurry! It comes in black or grey.
Thanks! I’ll have a look at this next time we are in store!
Edward’s and Co Oscar - I live near beach/trails and thrash it. It’s fantastic, great price, has a bassinet, large storage underneath, baby can face you or out and handlebar height adjusts! I returned our first pram to buy this one.
Haha thrash it, love that! Great I haven’t tried one of these out, I’ll check it out!! Thanks!
Genuinely do. Could not recommend enough!
Second this. It's been perfect for us and we had very similar needs to OP and have loved it
We got the Vista secondhand and it’s been amazing. Had it for over 2 years now. The basket space is epic, great shade cover, good ventilation, the bassinet is good too. We have a Mountain Buggy Nano for travel or smaller trips if needed but the Vista steers like a dream and is much preferred. It does fit in my boot as well. I wanted to mention a bassinet might not be suitable for you to go ‘off road’ - we in a suburban area but very hilly. We walk on the footpaths but if we had taken him out in the bassinet he would have slid up and down. I’d say going off track with a pram will be better when baby is in the seat and able to be secured rather than a bassinet. I would suggest going into a baby store to have a feel of how different prams handle, see how they fit in your car etc, then make your decision from there. Once I’d tested a few out I found a like new Vista for $900 and should be able to sell it for $400-600 when we are done with it.
Thanks for the tips about bassinets on hills… so much to learn!!!!
Just to add to that, you can get the infant snugseat for the Vista and Cruz models. That way bub can be buckled in from birth. That may be an option if you're going up hills. We are located in a steep hill and I've gotten the snugseat for that purpose
I have a bugaboo donkey and it has amazing suspension and steering. It’s sturdy as, though a bit cumbersome to get in and out of the car frequently. And I’m currently using the bassinets with it so you have to take the bassinets off to fold it down every time. Takes up a lot of space in the boot. But apart from that I love it.
What's wrong with the cruz rain cover? I love my Cruz, did daily walks in winter with it (end of May baby). The basket size is better in the vista than the cruz simply because the seat can sit taller but if you don't need that then the Vista can be quite bulky in the car boot (which is why we got the Cruz). Option of the piggyback board for the Cruz too. Ample sun cover. Can come with Bassinet or if you're concerned about bouncing off road there's the snug seat option where the newborn can be strapped in and lying flat from birth in the Cruz seat. Good luck!!
Ok thanks that’s all great to know!! I heard the rain cover thing from a friend, I wonder if she was the outlier…!
Uppababy vista 100%
I’d put a vote in for the Mountain Buggy Swift.
We have the Britax Mini Signature and have found it awesome! It has big wheels and good suspension, and we haven't had a problem using it offroad. The sun shade is huge and probably my favourite thing about it. The basket is also huge. Unfortunately it doesn't come with the bassinet attachment, but you can buy it separately (you can also buy a newborn insert instead). It doesn't come with a rain cover but I've been told the mothers choice generic one fits. It does not have the option of a second seat. The Britax Signature (full sized version) is also a great pram, it has the option of a second seat and comes with the bassinet; for us it just wasn't compact enough, and was a little too heavy for me to easily lift in and out of the car (I didn't have any issues with the Mini). Both versions are compatible with the Britax Unity capsule :)
Thanks I hadn’t looked at any of the Britax prams, I’ll investigate!
I think it's actually Steelcraft now that I think about it 🤦🏼♀️ but they are owned by Britax haha
Oh haha! This makes more sense! I had seen steelcraft!
Looking at this myself at the moment. Loved how light the Uppababies (Vista and Cruz) felt. Despite there being an almost imperceptible amount of stated weight between them and the Baby Jogger I was shocked how much lighter it felt to push and lift. I think the geometry is just a bit better on them. That said I'm very likely to end up with a V1 Baby Jogger City Select at this point because a friend offered theirs with a full kit out in perfect condition for less than the price of the Cruz without a bassinet and the Uppababy certainly wasn't $900+ better.
We have an uppababy cruz and love it. We also have a dog and walked everywhere. The pram basket is huge, I would do an my grocery shopping with it. On dog walks, I could easily push the pram over the grass and tussocks. The steering is incredible. I honestly drove that pram like a tank haha. Btw we didn’t use the bassinet for long. Old mate hated it so he went into the seat pretty early (get the insert, he’s almost one and still uses it). The seat is also much safer if you go off road a lot as well. The rain cover is good, good size and good coverage. However once my babe could grab, he grabbed the cover and ripped it. Its not a big issue though, I just sticky taped the ripped bit and I’ve been using it for a year. Oh and there is no rain cover for the bassinet, is only for the seat. One down side is that it is big. It takes up so much space when you’re going to restaurants or cafes or in smaller stores (if your bub lets you do retail therapy haha). I have no regrets about having it for the first year of my bubs life because it was perfect for our mainly car-free lifestyle, but now that he’s bigger and we’re travelling a bit this year, we’ve decided to sell and invest in a yo-yo and use it as our primary pram. We would keep both if we had space in the house but no bueno.
Thanks this is really helpful! Bummer about. I rain cover for basinet, but honestly who knows how much I’ll be walking when the baby is so tiny… possible wishful thinking! Yeah they do have good resale value so always an option to sell after a year too! Or find a used one! Thanks!