Pram Advice

[TCO]

Hi folks, as said in another thread my wife is expecting our first child.

She is only 19 weeks so we will be waiting till after our scan on the 17th to buy anything but we were hoping to buy a pram in the january sales.

Problem is it's so confusing to us, we have looked around but I feel a bit out of my depth as I have no idea what to get for the best.

We obviously need something suitable from birth and will also need a childseat etc but it's just balancing out a good deal and a good pram.

Has anyone any advice?

Thanks so much

 

[2Tiggies]

Hi Tom

I am out of touch now with the new models - I do remember though that we treated the purchase of our pram much like we did buying a new car

Until someone more 'with it' comes along with brand specific advice, here are some things to consider

• It may sound obvious, but if you have a small car, make sure that it will easily fit into the boot
• Although you don't plan on making a purchase right now, pop into a few stores in the meantime and get your hands on a few that appeal to you. What is comfortable for one person may not suit the next.
• Models that can be clicked into place and collapsed with one hand are a lifesaver
• If one of you is much shorter/taller than the other, adjustable handle height is a good idea
• Washable upholstery is a big plus if you plan on using the same pram when baby is weaned

Keep in mind that despite the fact that most people buy cleverly expecting to use only one pram until the little one insists on walking everywhere, at some point in the first two years, the majority of us eventually want something cheap and lightweight towards the end so don't stress about it too much.

Most of all, have fun choosing it together.

 

[kieras nana]

fitting it into the boot,is definately something,that does get overlooked,so that was a good point,to bring up
tracy

 

[joolz1910]

I have had a lot of pushchairs / prams and the best one I've had was my heavy duty Quinny. I do a lot of walking and it was definitely up to it! It wasn't small or lightweight though, so I also had a Maclaren for that purpose. My Quinny had a Maxi-Cosi carseat which clipped on to the frame and a carrycot too. The actual pushchair reclined fully. I never got a puncture and the adjustable handle was great as Dh is a foot taller than me. I think this is the new version of it: http://www.quinny.com/gb-en/strollers/heavy-use/speedi

Congratulations on expecting your first child.

 

[buzz for boys]

Another pushchair a holic here!!

Whenever I get asked this question I have to say I always reccomend Mamas & Papas they are so easy to use lightweight and cover all options.

Personally I hate to see newborns not lay down flat - just my bug bear!!
I like the carrycots with the pram style M&P as it also doubles up as a place for baby to sleep day and night for the first few weeks and if plans change and you are heading out you just lift it back on pram!
Similiarly with little fuss the car seat comes out the car and onto the frame!!

If you have a smaller car Id highly reccomend the M&P Pliko which still lies flat and faces you !!( Another thing I dont like about some lightweight buggys is that you cant see baby!!)

My best advice though would be to look on internet and then go and try them out in a store near you!!
Its amazing how different each pushchair can feel!! You will know the right one when you see it !!!

 

[MazdaUK]

For our first we had a mammas and pappas with carry cot and pushchair seat - it was huge and filled the back of a Volvo estate!! It was very comfortable, and the carry cot lasted until DS was 6 months (and he was a BIG baby - a moses basket would only have lasted 4 months).

Apparently, if you get the systems that haven a car seat as part of it, although it helpfully means you don't have to extract baby to load into the pram/pushchair, they're not very good for long use so shouldn't be used for very long car journeys (or a day round Bluewater)

I'd recommend talking to sales assistants in somewhere like John Lewis, and also checking out the latest Which? reports. And as others have said, check the dimensions and tht they can fold one-handed.

 

[hildasmuriel]

Good few years since I was choosing one, but I hate to see grubby upholstery on a pram. You'd be surprised how much grime can get on a pushchair just from everyday use - and that's before your baby starts weaning!
I would advise a darker colour that doesn't show up every mark.

 

[tinks_1989]

Hi I come over from your other thread in the planning forum!

We went with the Graco Symbio I love it and can't wait till she is here to push her around
http://www.toysrus.co.uk/index.jsf?fh_eds=%EF%BF%BD&fh_view_size=10&fh_start_index=0&fh_location=//brus/en_GB/categories%3C{brus_brus}/itemtype%3dproduct/brand%3E{brands_brandgraco}&fh_disable_redirect=true&omitxmldecl=yes&fh_refsearch=graco
It is still on offer at Babies R us. £389.97

(The video shows it better then I could ever describe)

Other push chairs I liked were the
Quinny Buzz 3
http://www.toysrus.co.uk/Babies-R-U...lers/Quinny-Buzz-3-Pushchair-in-Black(0073518)

and the I candy
http://www.johnlewis.com/Shops/DSTemplate.aspx?Id=392

Reasons why I picked the one I did and didn't the other two

Our seats are very easy to change and the frame is very easy to collapse (even I can do it lol)

The seat can face either way so baby can look at you or look where you are going

Very easy to get up and down curb I found the Quinny to low

Decent size storage underneath the Quinny being low didn't have great storage when I found out how much stuff you have to take out with you I was glad for the room lol!

The seats are at good height my friends push chair is so low she has to bend down to interact with baby where as mine is much higher I much prefer that

The I candy was lovely but at £980 for the total set I just couldn't part with that much money my first car was only a little bit more.

Also recommend getting the car base
http://www.toysrus.co.uk/Babies-R-U...ries/Graco-Logico-S-Car-Seat-Autobase(0072953)

The seat just clicks in if you car has an Isofix (all cars after a certain year have them) you attach this base to that and the seat belt then the car seat just clicks in and out with a push of a button. Less disturbing for baby not having to worry about fixing seatbelt to chair and when in a hurry e.g raining you won't have to worry about all the fuss of fitting your car seat

Apparently, if you get the systems that haven a car seat as part of it, although it helpfully means you don't have to extract baby to load into the pram/pushchair, they're not very good for long use so shouldn't be used for very long car journeys (or a day round Bluewater)

That is true that they are only aloud to stay in car seat for so long but you can also take the pram part with you if you plan for a long day out. Its not even like you would be carrying much more about as if you had a fixed pram you would still have to have a car seat and a pram

 

[Laurafoster]

We bought ours in the sales last year

We went for a Pliko Pramette from Mamas and Papas in the end, for several reasons -

1. Price! It was a bargain lol! We got it half price as it was a discontinued fabric(dark grey so didnt bother me!)

2. I have a smallish car so i needed something that was easy to fit into the boot.

3. I wanted something that was quick and easy to fold. My friend had a pushchair that she pratically had to dismantle each time she put it in the car!

4. It was great for use in Pram mode when my daughter was small, but it then converts into pushchair mode when they are able to sit up. Its well padded and very easy to steer.

5. It has a car seat that clips onto it - this was great if Megan was asleep or if i just had to pop into the shops for 5 mins etc.


I dont think that there is ever such a thing as a "perfect" pram/pushcair. The main issue with mine is that my daughter is now pretty much to big for it (but she is a relatively big baby). However now she is getting on for 9 months im ready for her to go into a easy lightweight pushchair - i have my maclaren ready

 

[TCO]

Thanks for the replies, we had a brief look at one we liked in Mamas and Papa's think it was called the Pilko Switch, were at the Trafford Centre this week anyway so will have a look at some in John Lewis.

Thanks again for the advice.

 

[joolz1910]

You could always be totally impractical like me and buy a Silver Cross. Here is my youngest DD in mine.

 

[MazdaUK]

SC is lovely if you're not using it in a car - there's a childminder near us who also fosters tiny babies and she uses it all the time (often with a toddler sitting in the seat you can fix on top) - its what my mum had for us and she said she didn't need a car as everything could go under the pram (or inside it with baby)

Discontinued colours are a great way to get a bargain - our friends got a bright red pram and it was easy to see amongst all the navy ones in 1993 a lot of M&P upholstery can be detached for washing - certainly with my model the carry cot lining snapped off and into the washing machine when DS(11) got too big for it and was only using a small buggy occasionally we sold the M&P at a boot fair - it was still in full working order and the couple who bought it were very pleased.

 

[mushumadness]

I aore my quinny buzz, i has the carrycot part too as I like newborns to laye flat

go I wish quinny did a double

 

[joolz1910]

I aore my quinny buzz, i has the carrycot part too as I like newborns to laye flat

go I wish quinny did a double

A lot of mums I know love the Phil & Ted's pushchairs. I have seen twins in the double 3 wheelers like this: http://www.kiddicare.com/webapp/wcs...displayA_75_10751_-1_14559_105801_10001_14051

 

[ely3857]

Buying a pram is a minefield!

We've had three for our 14month old but for genuine reasons (other than just changed our minds!) and have tried to learn from previous mistakes....

1st ~ Silver Cross Linear Freeway ~ Ventura carseat was massive and very heavy before baby even went in it and once we sold my car (Picasso) we realised the car seat wouldn't fit in our Fiesta (seatbelts too short) and the pram wouldn't fit in the boot! Another thing we learnt was our next one also need to be better for Gavin to push, he is 6ft 2" so not shocking tall but the handle on this pram adjusted upwards rather than outwards meaning the taller person actually walked closer to the pram so they were now kicking the wheels!

2nd ~ Maxi-Cosi Mura ~ Bargain as last years colour (alot of these about in Jan/Feb) and the Maxi-Cosi car seat was easier to carry baby in and clipped onto a base in the car (godsend not faffing with seatbelts when it's raining!), car seat clipped onto pram frame if only needed for a quick shop and the main seat reclines fully, nice and big pram seat with a fab hood for or rain sun shade. Massive tyres so a fab smooth ride for baby and very easy to steer.

3rd ~ iCandy Pear ~ Expecting baby #2 before Alba will be walking everywhere so need a double. Currently using as a single and it's the pram of my dreams! Fits the Maxi-Cosi car seat we already have when the baby comes. Easy to get in and out of car, easy to recline, fully if necessary and a dream to push.

Had we thought more in the beginning we probably would have gotten the iCandy pear straight away. We knew we were planning babies close together to the potential for a double pram was always there, the iCandy's handle adjusts very low & high meaning it's the best we've had heightwise for either of us to push and it's certainly the pram Alba has seemed comfiest in.

The only real advice I can give is don't buy the first one you like because it's cheap in the sales, if it ends up not been that practical it could be money wasted. Think about what you're using it for (alot of outdoor walking or just nipping on and off the bus onway to town etc) and try and match your pram to your lifestyle. Happy shopping!

 

[lexie32]

Having bought 4 pushchairs for my first ( now 6) i did alot of research 2nd time round

loved my 3 wheeler for walking but a pain for getting in and out of the car

m & p lightweight one - far too low for my dh to push comfortably

m & p pilko - broke so got money back

finally a top of the range maclaren - used constantly from 6 months to 5 years been on approx 20 flights at still going strong for my niece

This time i got another Maclaren http://www.kiddicare.com/webapp/wcs...playA_54+605_10751_-1_14601_87969_10001_14601

My daughter is now 13 weeks old and i love it, i get loads of the mums at school saying they wish this had been an option when theirs were born and my friend with a icandy has already admitted she will end up buying a maclaren stroller when her son gets a bit bigger!

 

[TCO]

We have decided on a Mamas and Papas Mylo, it's more than we wanted at first but the wife fell in love with it and there was an offer with a free car seat and accessories.

We liked the Buzz but was a bit heavy and Nikki was worried after hearing of people getting punctures.

Thanks again