Help choosing a pram please (sorry know it's been done before)

[Issy42]

Am really struggling to choose a pram and have posted a thread in the pushchairs bit here, but noticed that the pram threads in this topic tend to get more replies, so hope you don't mind me cross-posting.

I would like one that can be rear or forward facing and can fit in a small car (Nissan Note - boot not much bigger than Micra).

Ideally I would like one that also:

• has a separate carrycot (as she's due in January, so protection from cold and would give me a daytime sleeping solution);
• can cope with gravel paths and city streets;
• is not too expensive.

At the moment the Loola Up, MyChoice 4 and iCandy Cherry are the front runners ... but worried about Loola Up on gravel/slightly pot-holey paths, you can't use the Mychoice carrycot off the pram and have read a few bad reviews of iCandy.

Any thoughts/suggestions?

[woowa]

not any other suggestions, as i had pretty much the same criteria. I'm going for the mothercare mychoice 3 to cope with rough ground, but i had never thought about the carrycot not being usable unattached - i suppose you could put the cot back on the pushchair for daytime sleeping?

The reason i'm going for the mychoice is that you can change the chair back into the cot as they get older if you want them to lie flat. With the icandy the 6month+ seat is bucket shaped so they can't lie flat any more.

I think mamas and papas do a pushchair that can be forward or rear facing, and will go flat, and has four wheels - can't remember the name of it, but worth going to a store to ask if you have a branch close to you. click here to find one.

hope that helps a bit!

[humanfraggle]

Hi Issy

We've really been struggling with the decision over a pram, and sounds like our criteria is similar to yours.

We spent 2 hours in Mothercare yesterday talking to the really helpful manager, she gave us loads of advice without being pushy, trying to up-sell us or push her opinions onto us.

In the end we've gone for the Mothercare Xcursion, it fits all of our needs and is reasonably priced too (works out about £200 cheaper than the my4!)

I would suggest you having a look at this, and don't be afraid to ask in Mothercare for advice, every time we've asked they've been so, so helpful - we're clueless first-timers and need all the help we can get!

Good luck! x

[tinierclanger]

Icandy cherry is great, the chassis has been changed so doesn't have problems any more. Carry cot v small and they will be out of it before 6 months. The stroller part is bucket shaped but will recline fully so still good for sleeping.

[bubblesincambridge]

I liked all the icandy range and have just ordered a peach. Its lightweight and has puncture proof tyres. Stroller can face forward and back, you can get a carry cot separately and add to it if you have another child. It was expensive though and I'm not sure if I would have chosen it if my mum hadn't given me some money. But I'm hoping it will last me so I don't have to buy anything else later.

Cherry is also great, but note it has no suspension and the handle can't be adjusted in length. The apple is quite heavy and doesn't have puncture proof tyres.

[Issy42]

Thanks Woowa and Fraggle. Will try Mothercare again and insist on getting helped. They may be better during the day but when I go after work they just stand there chatting to each other in an empty store and don't offer any help at all or give one word answers. Their website doesn't give folded dimensions either. I could leave the pram up but previous owners left light beige carpets throughout house so was hoping not to wheel pram any further than hallway, where I'm having wood flooring put down. Guess could buy a cheap rug to put pram on or something.

Tinier and Bubbles - thanks for the info on iCandy. Have baby advisor thing at John Lewis tomorrow so will check them out there. They may be a bit too pricey for me though. Am only going to JL because there's a free goody bag for going - the things I'll do for a cuddly toy .

[Stormfly]

Similar criteria here. I seriously considered the Loola but have now decided on and ordered a Britax Vigour which comes in either a three-wheeled or four-wheeled version, both of which are good on gravel according to the reviews (and a couple I pounced on at a festival this summer who were pushing one round). I am paying 300 pounds for the (reversible) pushchair - having the carrycot too would take it to 400. Buying on the internet would take 30-40 pounds off that though.

The difficult bit was finding one to try out - found one in an independent nursery shop, wheeled it over various rugs and it seems to give a smooth ride compared to others. It fits in our Honda Civic - dimensions are given as 83x63x46. It will also take the Britax car seat we are buying. I do think trying them out is a must though - I had to disregard the Mamas & Papas because I kept kicking the wheels when pushing it. Good luck - hope you find the right one for you!

[PootleTheFlump]

I have friends who rave about the iCandy cherry, but they have an MPV so I couldn't comment on the car boot issue. We have gone for the iCandy apple because of the suspension for rough ground, but it barely fits in the boot of our Ibiza so may come up a bit big for you. Another friend has the Loola Up and like the lockable wheels on rough ground but found the windoo cot bit quite small. HTH.

[woowa]

issy, my mothercare let me take all the prams outside to put them in my car boot, i'm sure yours will too.

[BlueChampagne]

Our icandy apple fits in the boot of a citroen C3 with 2 suitcases! I have found punctures easy to fix (but then have had quite a lot of practice on bikes). Don't forget to look on ebay. Pliko Pramette was also in the running but apple won for rough ground and extending handles.

[MumNWLondon]

We have the jane buggy with matrix car seat. Not sure what the new version is called. Fits in any tiny boot (which is why we bought it). Car seat can be used upright or flat like a carrycot to protect against cold weather, and DD slept everywhere in it - also don't have to worry about being in car seat for too long as its flat. Worked well for us.

[hoops997]

issy I am currently 18 weeks along and my mother and I went pram shopping the other day, I settled on the Mamas and Papas Ultima 8 in 1.

I went for this one because it folds up really small and have everything you need ie car seat, carry cot and pushchair/highchair thing......th e only downside is the cost......it was £600!!

My mother and I have gone halves and am paying for it monthly so have spread the cost.

[donandpea]

We had a very small boot mini so went with loola as it turns out have ended up changing car but still nice to have compact fold for storing at home. I have not had baby yet was due 2 days ago. Can't wait to use my loola feels very sturdy. As for the carry cott I did not buy it as was too expensive but like yourself wanted a home sleeping option for day/ in place of mosses basket. in the end got the winadoo carrycott for loola off ebay use but in mint condition for £50 so always somthig to consider. I'm excited this week as mum and dad have brought me a sling too which will be good for walks in the woods ect. Just want my baby now.

[Issy42]

Thanks everyone for your help.

I had another depressing pram shopping afternoon where:

• John Lewis were very good but had limited choice (iCandy - Cherry suspension not good and Peach too expensive, Quinny - a little too expensive or Bugaboo - way too expensive).
• independent pram shop just ranted on to me about internet shops putting them out of business - I didn't mention the internet and felt like telling them it was their attitude and not the internet putting them out of business - they didn't even show me the Norton pram I wanted to see folded up. I walked out after 15 minutes of the ranting.
• and Mothercare told me they were unable to try anything in my boot as they were too short staffed (they had 3 people serving a queue of one at the checkout and more staff in store than customers) and they could only really help on a Saturday.

Anyway all of the prams I did see folded up wouldn't fit in my boot without me moving the back seat so far forward there would be no leg room in the back and all would have needed the carrycot to go separately in the front, so I've decided to go with two prams - one for local walks and one for town - which will cost less than the Quinny. I tried the Mura at Kiddicare on Saturday (they have last year's colours going cheap with carrycot & footmuff for £220) but didn't get it then because it takes the entire boot for just the chassis and very heavy. I've now ordered it and will try to manage with just that and the sling until she's old enough for a cheap, lightweight stroller. I can always get the Streety which is suitable for newborn if I need one sooner.

Hope those of you still looking have better luck finding what you need and thanks again for your help.

[naomi83]

Issy, I'd be careful with the Mura, my friend had one (cos of the good price) and she had an emergency section and couldn't lift the buggy for first 2 months! I'd swap it for a britax vigour to be honest, and then get a quest for the car when baby hits 6 months.

[Issy42]

Thanks Naomi. Afraid it's too late now as I ended up ordering both the Mura and the Streety (paid the extra for the 09 version so hopefully no faulty wheels and can use the car seat base) and they're on their way. I'll just have to stick with the Streety if I have a c-section and avoid the gravel and potholes.

[lola2008]

The icandy cherry is really light weight and folds so easily and really small, a friend has used one for a year and half and just loves it, comes in dark purple now which is better than the beige she bought last year. She's had no problems with hers and you can buy from John Lewis so no after sale worries anyway.

[OrangeAnge]

You've already ordered your buggy so I'm a bit late with my post (I always seem to be actually!) but anyway...

I was going to suggest the streety to you. It was our first choice but unfortunately, the handle was too low for my boyfriend. It's not adjustable. I didn't really like the feel of the Loola Up handle (but it is adjustable!)

We were then looking at the icandy but we are hoping to get a babystyle Oyster instead. It ticks all the boxes - lie-flat carry removable carrycot, front and rear facing pushchair, small and relatively light (10.6kg) They appear to be out of stock everywhere until the end of November though....so would appreciate any feedback people may have on these. (Sorry to hijack your thread!)

[Issy42]

Thanks Lola. Too late for me but may help others. I didn't go for it because the woman in John Lewis thought the suspension may struggle with the gravel path around my local nature reserve, which I'm hoping to walk around most days, and it would only fit in my boot with the back seat pushed right forward meaning no leg/shopping room in the back.

Orange - don't worry about hijacking. I really like the Oyster but not the colours, but that's just my personal problems with pink and green (though I ended up with a pink Mura!). Also I was wary of buying such a new pram in case it had teething problems. One of the Norton prams is similar to the Oyster. They're relatively new under their own name, but have been making prams for other people for a while - apparently the Mothercare Excursion is made by them. They tend to just be in independent stores but PreciousLittleOne has them online.

[Issy42]

There's also a Bugaboo Chameleon rip-off mentioned on some of the pram threads here. It's called something like MiWheels and is only £250. I could only find it from one e-bay seller when I googled though and I'd already ordered the other two, so was trying not to look to hard .

[Issy42]

too hard

[2010Dad]

DW is 16 weeks pregnant and we are really keen on the Mutsy 4rider Light. Well worth a look.