A Challenge: AUS Prams for 2007 Mini - MINI2

andrewhollo · #1 (**permalink**) Feb 1st, 2009, 02:09 AM

Hi - My wife and I are expecting our first bub in May and seem to be in the middle of doing battle with a bunch of people who are saying, "Well, you gotta sell that car! No way will it be big enough" I'd like to win this one and find space saving ways to have a baby AND a MINI. It's our only car and we live inner-city, so many things we do are walking distance anyway.

To the point of this email, though: I need to find a pram that'll fit into the boot of the MINI, while the bub's strapped into his capsule / seat. What combos can you recommend? Price is no object, as long as we can keep the car!!

Andrew

poki · #2 (**permalink**) Feb 1st, 2009, 06:20 AM

Congratulations.

I had heaps of people telling me the same thing. There is nothing to win, its peice of ****. (welcome to the world of people telling you that you are doing it wrong all the time!)

As for the pram: two word - Valco Navigator. It lays flat for newborns, has a sunshade thingy and a huge basket underneath. It is very light and I can assemble and disassemble it one handed. The only thing I don't really like about it is it is three wheeled but it had a tick in every other box so I can ignore that. The best bit is the most expensive price I have seen is $150, I have seen it on special for as low as $120.

To use a capsule we had to put it in through the boot which earned us some looks in the carpark and was a little difficult in the early days as you have to stretch to do it and I had a c section. But these are minor inconveniences when faced with driving a boring car.

eeney · #3 (**permalink**) Feb 1st, 2009, 08:17 AM

We´ve managed for ten months with a mini Cabrio and are now looking at changing cars...., for a mini tin top. It can be a squeeze at times but 99% of the time it´s fine.

I´m not sure about a pram but we have the Quinny Zapp stroller with a Maxi-Cosi car seat. The Maxi-Cosi isn´t actually Oz approved as a baby capsule, but with the Maxi-Cosi isofix base it is extremely secure (much more so than a baby capsule in my opinion) and it easily clips in and out of the car and the stroller. Up to eight months old we used the Maxi-Cosi and then switched to a front facing car seat after that.

The only problem with the stroller is that the fabric seat doesn´t recline but our wee guy sleeps happily regardless.

Quickbrick · #4 (**permalink**) Feb 3rd, 2009, 08:54 PM

It's easy to find a stroller to fit - heaps of choices there. But to find a propper full-size pram that fits in the MINI boot is a little harder. We went to several baby shops and tried everything they had in the back of the MINI. Only one fitted in our experience and it was the Phil&Teds. Fortunately this is one of the better prams on the market anyway (but not one of the cheapest at around $400).

Regarding baby seats ... we bought a Turn-a-tot on recommendation from a fellow clubMINI member. Very handy while the little one is facing backwards as you can strap them into the seat facing the front and then spin the turn-a-tot around and lock it in position. Much easier than trying to load them in backwards.

Like the other guys said, driving a MINI and having a baby really isn't a problem

SupeRub · #5 (**permalink**) Feb 5th, 2009, 08:48 AM

Would have to second what QB said.

We also went with a turn a tot and it is still going strong almost 2 years later. No issues with it at all. It was very handy in the early days while the kid was rearward facing, and now just use it as a normal car seat.

Same again for the pram, tried a heap but went with the Phil & Teds. Folds flat for newborns and you can also buy a toddler attachment as well for when the next one arrives :-)

Hey Gregg???

Babies and MINI's definitely do work together!!