I'm overwhelmed by pram choices. Can you experts guide me through my options?

[HamblesHandbag]

This is my 3rd DC, but unexpected and 4 years since last DC. So we've chucked all our babystuff and it's been 7 years since I last looked at the pram market.

So... I started another thread here about a specific pram, the M&P Sola. I got some good advice there, with suggestions of the Oyster and Bugaboo Bee too. But maybe I need more general advice?

I need/want:


From birth. Preferably to last into toddler years, rather than a traditional pram.
I don't need to use it on public transport.
I don't need it to handle rough terrain.
It will mainly be for putting in the car and pottering around town or the park and things.
Car seat compatible.
Easy to use with minimal faff.
I would consider a carry cot if I could use this as a bed in our room for the first couple of months (instead of a moses basket, which we used for previous DCs).

The Bugaboo Bee seems £££, but do other brands add up to similar once you buy the car seat and everything? I'd rather not pay loads for a big fashion statement, but I would pay more for a genuinely good quality pram.

We previously had a M&P Pramette which I liked because it was from birth with no need for a carry cot. But it was a real PITA to fold (and stay folded) and the straps weren't long enough for my toddler.

Any advice appreciated; I know there are some VERY knowledgable pram folk here!

[HypatiaTheProcrastinator]

You haven't mentioned if you want it to be parent facing in pushchair mode.

If you don't mind I'd say Baby Jogger City Mini 4 (or the new GT, but it's expensive) or Britax B-Agile, both of which you will easily use into toddlerhood.

Or otherwise an UppaBaby Vista. Noone ever has anything bad to say about them! It comes with the carrycot that is safe to use as a moses basket and Maxi-Cosi carseat adapters and costs about £550.

Honestly though, there are loads of options for you since it doesn't need to be tiny or go off road. Eg. Mutsy 4Rider, Oyster (but not if you're likely to have a tall child), Jané Rider, iCandy of some form. There are probably loads more I could suggest but I just can't think of them!

Do you have a budget we could narrow it down with?

[HamblesHandbag]

Brilliant thank you!

I don't need it to be rear facing in pushchair mode.

Also, maybe I should have said, I amd 5'2" and DP is 6'1", so I guess we need adjustable handles?

[MuslinSuit]

I posted on your other thread but just popping on to say make sure you do the maths for the total cost - £275 is the ticket price of Sola, but it came to just under £500 by the time you get the carrycot, overnight-safe mattress and footmuff. I saw a fresh young couple in John Lewis being sold an iCandy and being at the total cost, which was about double the ticket price!

[HamblesHandbag]

Thank you Muslin, excellent point!

[Tiggywunkle]

I agree with Hypatia - we are beginning to sound like broken records aren't we?
But her choices are excellent. If you need an adjustable handle then have a look at the new Baby Jogger City Mini GT. Its a little bit more han the standard GT, but it has adjustable handles. You honestly wont get a less faffy pushchair that is packed with features, will last from birth to 4ish, chucks easily into the car etc. There's a choice of 3 carrycots too plus the option to strip the fabric off (easily) to make it more pram like if you wish. The car seat fits on easily and the adaptors can be left in situ.
I had my order for one confirmed last night :D
(I have had three City Mini's and an Elite and this combines the best of them all)

If you want something more pushchair like then the Vista is top of the range for specification with a carrycot and car seat adaptors included plus the seat will parent face. Its easy to fold and can be folded with the seat on, but it does make it long if the seat is left on.

[HamblesHandbag]

Thanks Tiggy, I like it when folk come here saying the same thing - it means it's TRUE!

MN jury is always right.

[hermionestranger]

Another vote for baby jogger city mini. it's just fantastic.

[Snowbeetle]

I adore my OBaby Zezu. because:

It goes from birth to oldest toddler, is very versatile in seating and lying positions and adjusts VERY easily
It will in (either pram mode or pushcahir mode) face either towards you or forwards depending on mood of you and lo if you fancy a change
It handles really easily including with one hand only
It isn't expensive (friends who paid more for theirs are always admiring it for its brilliance)
It looks nice enough
It can do dirt tracks if you did go for a stroll off a pavement one day
It can fold small and fits comfortably in a ford fiesta boot if need be
It is comfortable
You don't need to buy extra accessories it comes with everything
Its basket holds a reasonable amount of stuff
Handle will go to lots of different heights and me and dh are very diff and both like to use it

[HamblesHandbag]

Thanks Snowbeetle!

[Snowbeetle]

There is good info here:
www.obaby.co.uk/product_details.php?category_id=0&search_string=obabybox&pq=0&fq=0&s_tit=1&s_cod=1&s_sds=1&s_fds=1&item_id=1388

and you can watch a vid to see how it works. I can't praise it highly enough and it was £225 from boots nearly 2 years ago. (and all the boots points it got me went to nice smellies for me)

[Snowbeetle]

Oh sorry
Just spotted you wanted car seat compatible. Zezu does have that but it is the one thing you have to buy extra.
We didn't get it and bought a concord car seat instead which goes from birth to only needing booster seat instead. But that's just us. :)

[HamblesHandbag]

I'd forgotten Boots do prams. Excellent excuse to spend loads on frivolous smellies. Good call!

[teaandbiscuitsplease]

Another vote for the city mini - I have the 4 wheel version and it is truly brilliant. I think it combines big pram comfort and features with the weight and easiness of a stroller. I've previously had a bugaboo cameleon (good pram but nowhere near as rock solid build-wise as the baby jogger and in my opinion more faffy to live with) and a maclaren xt (good pushchair but feels very rickety against the baby jogger and is much harder work to push) and i would never in a million years have them back now I have the city mini. I honestly can't find fault with it.

[teaandbiscuitsplease]

Another vote for the city mini - I have the 4 wheel version and it is truly brilliant. I think it combines big pram comfort and features with the weight and easiness of a stroller. I've previously had a bugaboo cameleon (good pram but nowhere near as rock solid build-wise as the baby jogger and in my opinion more faffy to live with) and a maclaren xt (good pushchair but feels very rickety against the baby jogger and is much harder work to push) and i would never in a million years have them back now I have the city mini.

[HamblesHandbag]

OK, the votes are adding up for the Babyjogger...

[teaandbiscuitsplease]

See - it's so good I've told you twice!

[HamblesHandbag]

HAHA! You voted twice!

So why are bugaboos so coveted? Any thoughts? (and should I be coveting? )

Or are they not coveted, and they are soooo 2005?

[cairnterrier]

I've got a Bugaboo Bee and I love it - had it for 2 yrs now.

Re the carseat thing, when they're newborns, the advice is for them not to be in a carseat for any longer than 2 hours which sounds a long time, however, if you were going shopping, say you put them in the carseat, then 10 mins faffing leaving house, checking change bag etc, then 20mins to drive into town, park etc, assume same time frame for coming home (i.e. 30 mins overall). That only leaves you 1 hour free to do anything.

I spent hours researching which pushchairs were carseat compatible, however I have NEVER fitted my carseat to the Bugaboo as it was so easy to put up, that I just put DS in it, lying flat so he was comfy and then there were no time limits on the amount of time that we could be out for.

One thing that I hadn't thought about but still find really handy is that the seat lies flat so that even now when DS is 2, when he falls asleep, he can still have a proper lie down sleep even when we're out and about. I think of it as being the difference between a liedown airline seat and a recliner.

HTH.

[HamblesHandbag]

That sounds good, Cairn. Being able to lie the seat totally flat could be useful. My DC1&2 never EVER slept in their prams from 6 months onwards, but I have high hopes that DC3 will break the mould in this respect!

[Tiggywunkle]

I took my Bee out today for the first time and I have to say I prefer something chunkier and more sturdy. It does what it says on the tin ie a lightweight, easy fold, stroller. Yes the seats face both ways etc. But its kind of too light IYKWIM. I will see how I get on as I have two more outings today with it. But the BJCM feels nice and solid and sturdy in comparison - and yet it folds much smaller. The Bee fills my boot because it is long plus its curved in shape so chunky - in fact the Donkey and Cameleon both fit better (which is why I never got a Bee years ago now I remember lol)

[OnePramWoman]

franjayne, you should get a pr job with icandy and get some commission

[smogwod]

Another vote for the city mini! It's just so versatile and the huge sunshade always gets covetous looks in the summer. It's my 4th buggy, I so wish I'd bought it first and saved myself £££s. Only downside is that I'm seriously struggling to get my 3.5 year old of it before she starts school in September!!

[Tiggywunkle]

I am not sure what "majorly expensive" is. But by the time you have bought the Strawberry pushchair £450, the flavour pack £75 and the carrycot £95 and carrycot flavour pack £75 - all essentials for a newborn - never mind a footmuff, its not cheap at £695. I would call that a high end single TBH.