Did anyone use BJ City Mini with the bassinet and car seat as an infant system?

[PGTB]

I am debating whether to get a full size stroller or a City Mini with the bassinet and car seat attachment.

I only saw BJCM once at the store with the bassinet attached. It was sitting over the bare frame (the seat and basket were removed) and it looked a bit awkward. I loved how high the position of the bassinet was, but with it sitting so high on a relatively thin frame with 3 rather small wheels I had a concern with how stable it would be on real city streets. It seemed OK when I drove it around the store, but I am not sure if it would be tipsy on the sidewalks and rougher terrain. Same question applies to the car seat since it would sit high up as well on same 3 small wheel frame. How was this frame as an infant travel system?

Was BJCM stable enough and practical enough for you to use with the infant? I know it's a great stroller when used with its original seat.

Also, were you able to attach the basket to the bare frame without the seat fabric on it? On the website they demonstrate bassinet and car seat on the actual stroller with its original seat and basket still attached. I tried looking at it at the store to see if the basket would require the original seat to be attached or whether it could be installed without it, but couldn't get straight answer from anyone working there. Would the frame still easily fold and unfold with that basket attached without the seat fabric?

I am also considering getting a full size stroller like Uppa Baby Vista (better suited for infant use). But wasn't sure if I could just get away with getting BJCM with the bassinet and car seat instead. BJCM's bassinet and car seat adaptor are quite expensive to buy them just to experiment and then not be able to return them after using them on the street and having to buy a full size stroller in addition to that expense.

[jacksmoma]

Honestly no. I've had a bjcm twice and find the ride pretty bumpy for a newborn, especially with rough city streets and lots of walking. i sold mine for a bumbleride indie which has air tires and an adjustable footrest and comes with a car seat adaptor. i would go with the vista then get the mini later (Closer to a year old) and you can always sell the vista if it becomes too much stroller down the road. That would be rediculously expensive with the bjcm and all the acces. better off with a vista or similar. i really prefer air tires for babies under 6 or 9 months. It's so nice to have my b. indie with it's smoooooth go anywhere ride after the bjcm :) bjcm is a great errand/travel stroller tho :)

[PGTB]

Honestly no. I've had a bjcm twice and find the ride pretty bumpy for a newborn, especially with rough city streets and lots of walking. i sold mine for a bumbleride indie which has air tires and an adjustable footrest and comes with a car seat adaptor. i would go with the vista then get the mini later (Closer to a year old) and you can always sell the vista if it becomes too much stroller down the road. That would be rediculously expensive with the bjcm and all the acces. better off with a vista or similar. i really prefer air tires for babies under 6 or 9 months. It's so nice to have my b. indie with it's smoooooth go anywhere ride after the bjcm :) bjcm is a great errand/travel stroller tho :)

Thank you for your advice. I was worried about the same...how it would feel for really long walks. I do tend to walk a lot living in NYC and won't be taking public transport with the newborn, so that means even longer distance walking sometimes. Another concern I have is the fact that BJCM seat doesn't reverse, so the baby would always face forward, which I may not be comfortable with when the baby is too small. It's not a deal breaker necessarily, after all I was considering Micralite Toro (where seat doesn't reverse either), but I may think differently later.

The wheels on Vista seem to be pretty nice, although I also don't have any idea what it would feel like for long distance walking on real city streets. The new 2010 version is supposed to have improved suspension.

[jacksmoma]

i think the bjcm is more of a car/errand stroller or a public transportation stroller- not best for longgg bumpy city walks for sure. it's just not its claim to fame- it's fold is for popping in the trunk. vista would be better, go for it! an all-terrian would do even better on bumpy roads, that's why i love my b. indie- it's only 20lbs (!) and super small for what it is (Smaller than the vista) and you can recline the seat all the way, reverse the canopy and you've got a bassinet- bumbleride also sells a carrycot that would make it even better. gl on your search!

[NYC Mom]

I have the BJCE and the BJCM. I just gave birth to DS #2 a few weeks ago. We use the Elite as our every day stroller and our Mini for travel. when DS #1 was an infant we used the bassinet and car seat adapter on the Elite. Now we use the jumpseat on the Elite and we are using the bassinet on the Mini for times when our DS #1 is at preschool and I get out with DS #2. We use the frame of the Mini without the fabric of the seat but we do have the storage basket attached. FWIW, on the Elite the basket is attached to the seat fabric, on the Mini, its separate. yes, the Mini is a more bumpy ride than the Elite, but thus far this combo is working great for us, I live in NYC and do tons of walking with both strollers and both kids, and there havent been any problems. after DS #2 turns 3 months old, I will switch him to the car seat on the Mini.
I hope this helps you out!

[PGTB]

I have the BJCE and the BJCM. I just gave birth to DS #2 a few weeks ago. We use the Elite as our every day stroller and our Mini for travel. when DS #1 was an infant we used the bassinet and car seat adapter on the Elite. Now we use the jumpseat on the Elite and we are using the bassinet on the Mini for times when our DS #1 is at preschool and I get out with DS #2. We use the frame of the Mini without the fabric of the seat but we do have the storage basket attached. FWIW, on the Elite the basket is attached to the seat fabric, on the Mini, its separate. yes, the Mini is a more bumpy ride than the Elite, but thus far this combo is working great for us, I live in NYC and do tons of walking with both strollers and both kids, and there havent been any problems. after DS #2 turns 3 months old, I will switch him to the car seat on the Mini.
I hope this helps you out!


Thank you for your info! it's helpful to know that the frame of BJCM can be used with the basket and without the fabric when using the car seat. I am still considering BJCM as a travel stroller, although I pretty much decided that I wouldn't use this as my one and only stroller and would get a full feature reversible seat stroller like Uppa Baby Vista or Bugaboo or the like. I have changed my mind sooner than I expected.. and I am pretty sure I want to have the stroller that would allow my baby to face me the 1st year of his life. If I do get BJCM as a travel stroller I would prefer to use the car seat adapter with BJCM as an easy fold lightweight snap-n-go type of frame as opposed to having to deal with a bulkier harder to fold frame of the main stroller.

[malibelle]

We are getting the Citi mini for our travel stroller and the Bumbleride Flyer for our full size stroller and it comes with the carseat adaptor and changeable handles to face the baby instead of turning the seat around like the Vista. I love both. The Vista was my very first pick and I finally got to see one in person last week, I still love it but can't justify the price. Not I can get the 2 strollers for the same price as the Vista.

[PGTB]

We are getting the Citi mini for our travel stroller and the Bumbleride Flyer for our full size stroller and it comes with the carseat adaptor and changeable handles to face the baby instead of turning the seat around like the Vista. I love both. The Vista was my very first pick and I finally got to see one in person last week, I still love it but can't justify the price. Not I can get the 2 strollers for the same price as the Vista.

I've looked at the Bumbleride Flyer a few days ago, very pretty stroller, great colors and amazing features, but was concerned about its maneuverability and ease of use in city situations. I just didn't like the way it felt. I like the reversible handle, but the clunky wheels design concerned me... I don't know if I would feel confident navigating city streets and other obstacles with it. it seemed that even when the wheels were locked in correctly (the back wheels are locked while the front are rotating to steer) the stroller still had a harder time maneuvering than others I've tried. You may not have the same problem if you would use it on smooth trail surfaces or inside shopping malls.. I just didn't feel like it would be a great city stroller for us.

[malibelle]

I've looked at the Bumbleride Flyer a few days ago, very pretty stroller, great colors and amazing features, but was concerned about its maneuverability and ease of use in city situations. I just didn't like the way it felt. I like the reversible handle, but the clunky wheels design concerned me... I don't know if I would feel confident navigating city streets and other obstacles with it. it seemed that even when the wheels were locked in correctly (the back wheels are locked while the front are rotating to steer) the stroller still had a harder time maneuvering than others I've tried. You may not have the same problem if you would use it on smooth trail surfaces or inside shopping malls.. I just didn't feel like it would be a great city stroller for us.

I have heard that but we don't live in the city. There is a girl at work who has one and loves it. Mostly I will be using it in parks, boardwalk and neighborhoods and shopping. I think it will do fine for us. I love the colors! I am going with the seagrass.

[jacksmoma]

flyer is nice looking but seems to not have a great push- i've read a lot of negitive reviews about the flyer. i do love my b. indie, got to love all those great colors even though i went with boring black :) air tires would give the nicest smoothest push...

[PGTB]

flyer is nice looking but seems to not have a great push- i've read a lot of negitive reviews about the flyer. i do love my b. indie, got to love all those great colors even though i went with boring black :) air tires would give the nicest smoothest push...

I like the Indie too, it's definitely a totally different category of the quality of the ride in comparison with the flyer model and it's fairly lightweight too. Unfortunately, the seat does not reverse :( And I love the Seagrass color as well! it would have been such a pretty stroller, I think if I were going for a 3-wheeler full service stroller I would go with that one or Mountain Buggy over BJCE.

[PGTB]

I have heard that but we don't live in the city. There is a girl at work who has one and loves it. Mostly I will be using it in parks, boardwalk and neighborhoods and shopping. I think it will do fine for us. I love the colors! I am going with the seagrass.

I love the seagrass color!

[elizardbethday]

I put my infant seat (Snugride 32) onto my BJCM all the time - it works great!! We just nestle it inside the belly bar.

It's gone over speed bumps, up & down curbs, etc, and never had a problem. (For big bumps, I do tend to put one hand on the carseat - but my husband doesn't, and he's never had any problems.)

This has worked great for us!