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UppaBaby Vista with Rumbleseat

Now don’t get me wrong- I love the UppaBaby Vista as a single pushchair and I’ve been through a few (Mamas and Papas Nuna, Chicco Trio 4 Me, Phil & Teds Verve) but having had the rumbleseat on for a good few months now, I’m getting a bit fed up!

My daughters are 6 months and a small 2 1/2 year old. As the eldest is growing I am finding it harder and harder to push the Vista around. I knew this would eventually happen, but not this early! The problems are down to the fact that the Vista is front weighted with the elder in the rumbleseat and wants to swing towards the road on every dropped curb – which is downright dangerous given there is no handbrake for emergencies. Now I’m not a big lady at 5ft 3, but as a lot of us have developed ‘mama muscles’ from carrying two kids from A to B and being fit and healthy-despite all this, i am struggling. The worst bit with the weight are felt when you have to lever the pushchair over a full curb. I literally am at the point of pushing my entire weight down on it and am sure, despite the fab build quality, that this pressure wont help longevity-wise.

Another smaller issue is the Vista and rumbleseat suspension and wheel size when ‘fully-loaded’. There isn’t much bounce left to cushion the above and the size of the Vista’s front wheels seem to fit nicely into the gap between pavement and tarmac around certain points in Banbury and Oxford. When one child is in, this might never be an issue but, has lead to jamming the wheels in this groove with 2 and ive had to run around and haul the Vista up from the front a couple of times before. Its rather scary at traffic lights. If threre had been suspension left perhaps I could have bounced it out!

Others have commented about the UK rumbleseat being much more vertical than the US. It definately is! My daughter has only fallen asleep in it once, much to her cost, and was left hanging forward supported by the staps with her chin on her chest. Suffice to say she hasn’t slept in it again! Definately not one for longer shopping trips.

Overall the rumbleseat is a great, flexible, occasional choice for another child. I bought mine after getting sick of an inherently squeeky P&T Verve and hating having kids so low down I couldn’t talk of see them and Vista is a big improvement on that at least. I wish I hadn’t bought it as a permenant solution though. Now I end up carrying the baby in an ergobaby (which I love) and pushing/walking the eldest. Not so good when the weather is hot though.

I think fundamentally the problems I have are down partly to a lack of suitability in transfer from the US to UK market. The EU safety standards mean the seat is much more upright and is completely unsuitable for a 6 month old (despite advertising) and Uk roads and pavements don’t seem to be up to scratch for this sort of weight arrangement. A few tweaks, and it could be so much better!

I hope this gives the flip-side to the rumbleseat for anyone considering upgrading or looking for a tandem instead of twin!

 

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