What type of pram/pushchair should i buy?

[cmac]

Hi I'm a first time mum and currently trying to decided which type of pram to buy. my friend had a baby last year and bought the graco symbio but it has so many clip on/off parts and features and looks bulky to me. we can never fit it into a coffee shop thats at all busy and its a tight squeeze in my boot. She has ended up buying a stroller anyway.

But she said i need a travel system with carry cot for a newborn to lie flat which i dont think i need since so many pushchairs say they are suitable from birth?? But she has told me they aren't secure enough for newborns? She also spent a lot of money on her travel system which i dont think is necessary. I dont mind paying for good quality but so much baby stuff seems unnecessary and such a con.

My friend is the only one in my group of friends who has a baby and shes a bit of a "supermum" type who bought every possibly thing they sell for a new baby and she keeps giving me so much information about what i need, im now so confused - i dont think i need all this stuff. it seems so excessive? i dont think she used half the stuff she bought or not for very long anyway.

I would like some advice from other mums on what is the best thing to buy. Basically i want something from birth that i can use for a few years that isnt bulky and doenst have lots of different parts. I need a carseat and would prefer one that can attach to the pram but would be grateful for any advice/experience.

Thanks!!!!

 

[NinjaKitty]

Best bet is to go somewhere that has lots on display and play about with the ones you fancy. There's all sorts of shapes and sizes out there. You'll know when you find one that ticks all the boxes for your needs. I'd then go home and try and find the one you want for the best price on the Internet including eBay for second hand and lots of baby shop sellers selling new. I managed to get the one I wanted with all sorts of extras included. Save myself a couple of hundred pounds.

 

[NinjaKitty]

Also t'internet is useful for user reviews do you can find out if there are any problems with the ones you like.

 

[littlemiss83]

I went for a travel system with my 1st & its more or less the same model I got for this baby, its Graco. They are totally fine for using with new borns. It comes with a car seat but the car seat can come out & baby can lie flat. Its great coz it does from birth all the way through til they no longer need a buggy any more.

It is quite bulky, but tbh I like my buggies like that, as I like something that's sturdy & strong, rather than a flimsy thing that looks like its going to blow away with the wind. It also has big chunky wheels which I love as we do alot of walking & we're set for a snowy winter here in Scotland again this year.

I'd say go & have a look about, try them out, bear in mind things like wheels ect when looking at them (alot of ppl forget how important the wheels are)

 

[Mrs N]

YOu need to think about how you use it so if you go for hikes on bad terrain then you need something really hard wearing wereas if you just go for town walks then you dont need that. I drive a lot for example so I went for something that was light to lift in and out of car and is easily assembled but if you walk more then you want something a bit more sturdy. Also think about wether you are going to get a cheapy lightweight stroller later on as you might not want to spend as much on a pram if you are going to stop using it after a while.
Just try a lot out and start ruling a few out!!!
xxxx

 

[cmac]

thanks for the advice. i think i definitely need to have a look for myself!

 

[tinkerbell86]

You really need a list of things you need it to do like fit in the boot of a car, from newborn, fold easily, price etc and then start crossing off! Maybe get a mothercare or babies r us brochure and go through looking at what each one offers and go from there! I have more than I need (3) but I won a pram and that seems to be the one used most so far!

 

[Mrs N]

If you live near to peterborough then pop down to the kiddicare showroom. It is amazing there!! There is a massive floor of pretty much every pram you would ever want!! We got our nursery furniture there so we could see it!!
Defo worth a visit if your anywere near!!
xxxx

 

[Katie7415]

I use Anex Sport and am very satisfied with it. It's big and comfortable for my child. The only drawback is the bag instead of a basket but I guess one can get used to it.

 

[Phoenix85]

Just a warning about car seats, although it is very popular to use travel systems where the baby sits in their car seat attached to the pram or the frame, it's really not advised at all, car seats should only ever be used in the car as they are not good for spine development, plus the angle of them especially when used as a push chair puts the baby at risk of breathing difficulties as their head slumps so their chin is on their chest and that can compress the airways.
Lie-flat prams are better for that reason before around 4-6 months when the baby is able to hold their head up properly.

About prams however, with my last child I bought a fancy lie-flat pram suitable from birth to toddlerhood.
But I only used it about 5 times.

It ticked most of my boxes (like lie flat, had a large shopping basket underneath, could either face me or face out. I didn't need it to fold up small because I don't drive so didn't need to put it in a car boot etc. It fit on the bus)
However it was still a bit cumbersome as it had fixed wheels so was hard to turn and get up & down curbs.
I ended up buying a couple of slings on my friend's recommendation and found them much more practical. I then used slings all the time until she was around 2/3yrs old when I used a lightweight stroller now and then.

This time round I'm not buying a push chair or pram as I know it won't be used enough to warrant it.

 

[Unicorn]

I definitely agree with the importance of baby lying flat and with finding what you want and then buying it for a fraction of the price online. I think we're going to go with Mamas and Papas Armadillo Flip as it has been recommended by a friend in work who is on her 3rd pram and fully recommends this one. It ticks all of our boxes for baby lying flat, lightweight, sturdy, collapsible with one hand etc but I am also interested in what others recommend xx

 

[kittykitchn]

Feeling so out of my depth with this... Started looking this morning and have absolutely no idea
As helpful as my sister is, she links me to really expensive prams ect and we just can't afford to spend £300+ on a pushchair. I feel bad saying we need things on a budget, but with only one of us working now...

 

[Phoenix85]

It makes sense not to spend loads on one, kitty, they rarely hold their value, and most of my friends who got expensive prams and travel systems ended up switching to a lighter weight stroller type push chair by the time their baby reached 6 months.
The baby won't know or care either lol.

 

[kittykitchn]

There's countless travel systems and prams on Ebay from Europe, but should I be worried about safety with something like that?
I it better to buy a pram and a separate car seat?

 

[caseysmummy11]

Kitty with my first baby I got a mothercare curve ( not sure if they do it anymore ) it came with car seat that clipped on to pushchair but the pushchair turned into a stroller once they reached 4 months and it was only 180. Also if you can't afford the outlay all at once you can pay weekly/monthly at mothercare on things like pushchairs, I found this helpful with my first too. Mothercare also have money off coupons in their catalogue sometimes for pushchair. To pick a pushchair the main things to look at are where your going to be using it? What type of car do you have will it fit in boot? I also recommend going into mothercare or kiddicare etc and having a go with a couple and get a feel for what you like too hun. Xxx

 

[Nutsyputs]

I'm an avid believer in preloved. Both the push chairs I've bought have been preloved and I've bought new car seats. There is loads of selling pages on Facebook where you can get things for a fraction of a price. In fact most of our baby stuff has been preloved. They get used for such a short amount of time I just couldn't justify spending loads of money on them. The only this I would recommend buying new is mattresses and car seats.

 

[Jojo84]

I think it depends on your needs. Personally i woukd akways go for a pram type rather than just a stroller type, I use mine every tine I go out (unless I'm with my mum) and I couldnt do without it. Some strollers dont have adequate head support either and yiu end up buying extras which is just a pain in the arse.

I like to buy new prams as I like a warenty in tact incase it goes wrong

 

[MamaJay]

Hi!! I bought and ICandy Peach 3 with travel cot and Cybex car seat. Was pricey but i plan on selling mine on as they hold value pretty well.

Anyway, car seat on the pram if fine if you doing your shopping or whatever. I stuck to the no longer than 2 hours rule. That included in the car. They recommend you shouldn't go over this.

Deffo recommend a travel system that grows with your baby. Much easier. Just find one you find easy to fold etc. Save a load of messing.

One thing i would suggest is look at crash tests online with car seats i was AMAZED how badly some did! I found ones like Graco, Cybex etc etc did FAR better than maxi cosi. What scared me was they tell you in the shop Maxi Cosi is fine up 70mph. What they DONT tell you is this is 35mph per car each side. So if a car drives into another both doing 35 mph then the seat would be fine. Just really do research xx
Hope that helps!

 

[Jojo84]

Also make sure you check your car against the car seat. Not all cars have been crash tested with all car seats. Mother are and halfords will tell you

 

[tinselcat]

My ex decided to get a Mothercare pushchair in the sales. One thing he didn't consider was how lightweight it was, so when I put the heavy baby changing bag on the thing, it just tipped over. Also the brakes were pants and wouldn't stay locked. Lastly I wasn't allowed to have a pushchair that allowed baby to face me.

I now have a travel system with a maxi cosi carseat with an isofix base, plus adapters for a really nice pram & pushchair I got from mamas & papas. It gets lots of compliments from people about how lovely it is, and is really practical. Only downside is the lack of storage space underneath for shopping but other than that it's great. I've seen it on sale at a massive discount online periodically.

I think you need to look at what your key requirements are, some practical things (as I've just mentioned above) and then go and try out several in person.

xx