Mountain Buggy Pram

[marknjo]

I have been doing a lot of research on prams and I think I am going to go with the Mountain Buggy Urban Elite. Has anyone got any feedback on this pram before I go and invest?

I already know about it being wide and not fitting down some supermarket aisles but my supermarket has wide aisles so I am not worried about that.

Other prams considered were
Valco Runabout Tri-mode
Phil & Teds

Both of these have been ruled out due to feedback I have received from people I know who have them.

[LisaBear]

from working in a baby store, the most sold prams were the mountain buggy, phil and teds, ad a steelcraft one.

the mountain buggy is the only one i know of that the manufacturer says to flick th pram when putting up so its very sturdy...
i personally have gone for the phil and teds sport due to the weight, size and the toddler seat functionality.

the mountain buggys do not or didnt have 4 months ago a toddler seat - but if youre not plannig another one close its no big deal, they are very long prams tho.

[August]

hi marknjo
I don't know anything personally about the mountain buggy pram but the supermarket aisles is only one place to consider fitting into! At my antenatal clinic I once saw a new mum going for her 6 week check up and she couldnt fit the pram through the door into the doctors office! Very inconvenient! I was actually reflecting on my mothers choice 3 wheeler today as I walk everywhere. It has a nice compact width so I think this is important. But I still have to warn people I'm only on my L's with the pram! The more compact the better, I say!

[Mother Goose]

Hi Marknjo,

I have a Mountain Buggy Elite and I LOVE it. Honestly, it is so easy to manouver, collapse, set up, lift into the boot (although my boot is a little narrow so can be fiddly getting it in if I don't concentrate) and so on. Yes, there are some places that are a little difficult to get the pram around - such as some supermarket checkouts, through some doors etc. I have problems at one section of my doc's practice - but ALL prams have difficulty in that section. The rest is fine. The only doors I've had trouble with are the older more narrow ones.
My only complaint about the Mountain Buggy is that it didn't come with the bar (so nothing to really put toys for bubs on) and also the tyres. It seems that I have to pump them up at least once a month and the pump that came with it is useless (or so DH says ). Our pram gets a lot of use 4 days a week and I do go up and down a lot of stairs as well as over "rough" terrain.
Although the pram does not fit a toddler seat etc, I saw at the Pregnancy, Baby, and Child expo last year a "bike" that latches on to the back of it. And you can also buy a "skateboad" from memory.

HTH!

MG

[MamaPan]

I have a Bugaboo Chameleon which I am extremely happy with - I use it a liot - big walks every day - and DH and I love it.
I also considered the mountain buggy and only heard great things about it from friends who have it - v highly recommended! From memory it also ranked quite well in CHOICE baby products (which I used for all my big purchases)
Good luck and enjoy!

[LuluHB]

I've got the MB Elite and I love it too. Its quite a bit more expensive than the others you mentioned, especially because you have to buy the bar (like Mother Goose said), the rain and sun shades separately. Its so worth it though. I got the bassinet too but wouldn't recommend it (only because of my bub's reflux - she couldn't lie flat so it was never used). I don't have any problems getting through doors, around shops, including clothes shopping and getting around clothes racks etc. Pregpan is right - it was very highly recommended by Choice.

I love my MB so much that now that I'm expecting my second bubby only 12 months after DD, I'm getting the MB twin.

[Mother Goose]

If you do get the MB and want the bassinet for it - I have been told that the Valco Bassinet fits into the MB perfectly (and is sooooooo much cheaper!).

[marknjo]

Thanks for that tip Mother Goose. I took DH to see the mountain buggy yesterday and he seemed happy with it. So I am now 100% positive that we will be getting it and our best man knows the guy who runs Mountain Buggy and he is going to see if he can get us a good deal! My sister has a Valco with a bassinet which she doesn't use anymore so I will speak to her and see if I can borrow it!

[KatieRabbit]

All MBs are on sale in David Jones at the moment. They are 15 or 20 percent of which is quite a saving! They will order them in- they are not just floor stock!

[Erin_25]

I soooo wanted a MB when I was looking, they are great & really sturdy. If you can afford one then I say go for it!!! I love the Black & White one. We couldn't afford it & have since made a friend who flys in & out of NZ for work, so I could have got him to get it for me cheaper....oh well. They don't have the bar, but apart from hanging toys I find the bar a bit of a pain anyway. Also most prams ATM have padding over the bars etc so you can't hang toys anywhere really.
I know someone mentioned they have not toddler seat & the lady in the baby shop when I was looking told me they didn't have one either. But I have two friends up here, both with a MB & they both have a toddler seat...so there is obviously one that fits the pram.
One thing to consider is the MB is very exp & it usually doesn't come with any extras. So it's more for the insert if bubs is going to be small in winter, sun cover, rain cover, bar etc are all at extra cost. Also I would think about the weight, where we live most people walk as everything is close in a small town so lots of people have a MB as they don't go in & out of cars with them. But they can be very heavy if you are forever in & out of the car. Same goes with the basinett, that is an absolute pain to put on & off all of the time, especially for just short trips.

I myself bought the Valco Runabout Tri Mode & don't have a bad thing to say about it & living where I do I walk everyday!! The insert was fantastic when Charlie was first born as I didn't have to strap him in & he was soooo snug. This saved me having to use the basinett & waste the extra money on buying one as they have to be put on & off each time you pack the pram up. The insert on the Valco is different to most as it goes under the bar & is sort of like a sleeping back, it's fantastic. I got all the extras needed in a package deal & still didn't cost as much as the MB.

As for fitting through things like the supermarket checkout, most prams dont! I don't know why they don't make these places more pram friendly....it really annoys me. We live in baby capital just about, like most mining towns & there is only one lane most prams fit down at Woolworths, yet they still don't open it everyday...so like everyone else I just put it through & walk out & around to pay. That's no big deal & most people here do that. If I can't fit in a shop, then they lose my business & they should think about making things more baby friendly as it's not just my business lost.

[Mother Goose]

Erin - great advice and info! Can you ask your friends which toddler seat they are using as I would like to get one when we have another bub?
I would also like to add that when I was looking at prams last year, the MB was the lightest in it's category - including Valco, Beema, and Phil and Ted. I have had to pull mine in and out of the car a lot at various times but it hasn't been a problem...

I've just come back form the Pregnancy, Baby, and Child expo and they have brought out a new range of fabrics for the MB. Previously the material was canvas but you can now choose between canvas or polyester (which has a completely different range of colours and designs!). We also found a new style of sunshade which has a zip component in the middle so you don't have to take the whole cover off to get baby in or out... but it was $85! I soooooooo love my MB!


MG

[Leemar]

I have MB Double and Love it. Its easy to use and dont find any problems with it. I have even ran over it twice with my 4x4 and its still working

[marknjo]

Thanks all for the input. I went to the pregnancy & babies expo on Saturday and bought a MB Urban Elite straight off the manufacturers stand and I got the Bar, Sunshade and wet weather cover all for under any price that I have seen all of those items for in any shop! It is now sitting proudly in my lounge room (so I can keep looking at it!) and it is soooo pretty!

[Leemar]

Congratulations on your purchase and i hope you enjoy

[LuluHB]

Erin - I'd love to know what toddler seats your friends use too. I'm going to have to get a double to start with when my new bubby is born, but it would be nice to have a toddler seat for when my DD is a couple of years old so I can sometimes use the single MB again.

Leanne - do you have any trouble getting through doorways, around shops etc with your double MB?

Marknjo - it sounds like you got a great deal on your pram and all the extras. You'll love it!

[Chalalan]

I think this is the pram that we are going to go with. We were looking today and it seems that its just the least fussy pram going. I love the canvas and think it would be so easy to clean.
I know its expensive but it just looks so well designed. I had a go at at collapsing a few today and this was by far the easiest. Yep, i think this is the one...

[ttcin2007]

We are getting one too and it should be in the store in a month or so just before our baby is born. I cant wait to get it home and play with it. It is great to hear all these positives about them. TO be honest the only negative i have ever heard is that they are a bit big in the boot (we have a large car so no problem) and difficult in some suppermarkets. We have bought the bassinett and all the extras, a little annoying that not even the bumper bar comes with it, but i guess it gives you the option if you dont want it rather than it being built into the price.

[kitty]

I have a MB urban elite and love it.

also, for anyone wanting feedback on small cars... we have a 2006 corolla hatch and it fits fine it has to go vertical in the boot rather than horizontal, and we occy strap it to the back seat to stop it rocking but it's all fine

would love to know what toddler seat fits the MB too (for future reference!)