Buggy research - manufacturers' responses
The results of the buggy survey were sent to key buggy manufacturers, with a request from TTYB for their views on the findings and also on the issue of the availability of affordable rearward-facing buggies. Following are the replies we received.
Bebecar
"Bebecar already sells pushchairs with fully reversible seats, but they do not retail for less than £200, as that is not the market sector that Bebecar competes in."
Hauck
"Hauck Group has been producing a two-way facing buggy/pushchair within its range for the past few years. It has a selection of buggies/pushchairs that deliver the facility of a reversible seating unit, which enables parents to have child facing them or facing outwards. The Hauck Group has been manufacturing pushchairs with reversible seat units for many years, and realises the benefits on offer to parents by delivering them the choice to choose a rearward facing buggy. The Hauck Group has a wide selection of rearward facing buggies within its range and will continue to add more pushchairs with reversible seats into the Hauck Group range over the next 12 months."
Hauck has a range of reversible and rearward facing buggies. The Hauck Infinity is the lowest priced at £199.
Maclaren
"Maclaren is launching several 'parent-facing' products in 2006, particularly targeting parents of new babies, as at the early stages parents in particular benefit from being able to look at their newborn whilst out and about. However, when children get to six months + most are sitting up. They are very inquisitive and therefore like to look at where they are going. Communication with children over this age, while out and about, is pretty constant, and can be anything from pointing out the surroundings or bending down to pick things up that they have dropped. Because of this face to face communication is constant but not necessarily for long periods of time. A long period of eye contact is something more suited to sitting down with a child rather than on the move. This type of communication cannot be controlled outside unlike the interaction between a carer and a child inside (a controlled environment)."
