The Great Buggy Debate – The Decision
The reaction I got when I wrote the recent blog post on “The Great Buggy Debate” (Read it in full here) was so massive, it seems we were certainly not alone in feeling completely and totally overwhelmed by the choice out there. So it seems only right that I now share our actual decision!!!!
I never thought it was going to be such a tricky decision. Probably because I thought there was just one particular type that was universally recognised as the “one to get”. Ohhh was I about to learn a lot….
I am the type of person who likes to know about what I am buying, it’s just in my nature. I research. It’s just what I do (as annoying as my hubby sometimes find it). I like to know my options! (God I sound like a massive geek!!!) What I discovered when 1) looking at travel systems in all the big stores and 2) Talking to you guys and getting all your comments and expereinces is that is there is no “perfect” buggy. There is no one brand I am going to tell you to buy. There is the perfect one for YOU!
The Priorities
What I learned was we all have different priorities when it comes to picking the travel system that suits our lives best; are you a walker/ a jogger? Are you planning a second baby soon? Are you living in a town or the countryside? Other massive concerns are budget, size, weight, storage and looks! I discovered though all my (very geeky) research that there are pros and cons with EVERY. SINGLE. TRAVEL. SYSTEM!!!! Fact. I do not believe the ultimate perfect one exists. I think there are great features on all of them, some have drawbacks and it’s about weighing up what matters to you. The Bugaboo Cameleon for example, it’s super stylish, looks so elegant, comes in great colours BUT for me personally I found it sat very low and I prefer (again a very personal thing) when the baby is closer to you. Then there is the Stokke models; opposite theory to the Bugaboo and the baby sits VERY close to you; they have great colours, are very trendy, modern, some brilliant features but bigger and a little bulkier (again personal feelings). So in a nutshell, there are good features and not so good features about them all!
What did we pick
Brands/ models we were looking at included the UPPAbaby Vista, the Bugaboo Cameleon, the Stoke Expori, the icandy Peach 3 and the Joolz Day. These are by no means the best, they are just the ones we liked and looked at ๐
In the end we went with the Joolz Day Earth travel system in Parrot Blue (which is actually navy!). It is the perfect one for us (By us, I mean my husband Cormac and I, in fairness he has been soooooooo patient with me and has helped with the decision so much). I am thrilled with it!
The Joolzย was the perfect hybrid between a lot of the brands I looked at; it has so many positives that I love about it; it is higher than the Bugaboo (but same nice neat width), lower than the Stoke, weight wise it averages about the same as all the brands (they are all in or around the same to be honest), it is easy to manoeuvre, easy to clip in and out, the car seat clips into it, I could go on…..The drawbacks for the Joolz are; smaller storage underneath and some people find it tricky to fold up, both hubby and I now have the “nack” now so I am happy.
I also LOVE how this buggy looks, yes to some of you that is not even the slightest concern, but it did matter to me. It’s so us and that tan leather won it for me!!! We ordered the full travel system from Bella Baby in Dundrumย ย including; carrycot, seat, car seat, adapters – the whole lot, plus they had a package which included some nice added extras such as the matching footmuff, the matching changing bag, a cup holder, rain covers etc etc.
The Joolz package (in a different colour way than we picked but also fab!)
What’s next
Time is going by so fast, I can’t believe I am now 27 weeks pregnant. Things have been so crazy with The Style Fairy that baby purchases got put on the long finger a little while but now we have made our first big purchase I am ready to get really going on everything else. We also ordered our nursery furniture (same day we picked the travel system) and I also just ordered the Chico Next To Me bedside crib (I got mine in Mothercare) Check it out here. I am still feeling pretty much totally overwhelmed at the amount of things we need to do and get before this little cutie pie arrives in October!
Next Maternity Blog Post
Please let me know what maternity post you would live me to cover next? I am mooching and researching stuff (all the time) but it’s hard to know if you guys want to hear all about that or not, so please let me know, send me a mail or leave a comment below on any topics you think I should cover!
Hope you enjoyed the post ๐
‘Til next time
Naomi xx
