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Original poster

Prams as a status symbol/pram snobbery

182 replies

Mamamooligans · 08/08/2019 17:58

So today I was looking at prams and overheard a woman telling who I assume was her mother 'we're only looking at the icandys and bugaboos, I wouldn't be caught dead with anything else.'

Is this a common attitude? To be honest I don't really like the look of most icandys and bugaboos, I think the bucket seats look uncomfy. I don't get why anyone would rule out other brands, surely you want whats comfiest for baby and suits your lifestyle best? Not just based on brand or cost?

Do people choose prams as a status symbol? Do you judge people based on what pram they have?

OP posts:
Passthecherrycoke · 08/08/2019 19:39

A pram doesn’t depreciate ffs 🤣 that makes no sense whatsoever. Are your shoes depreciating? Did you supper depreciate? Is that TV your family watching depreciating?

StarlingsInSummer · 08/08/2019 19:41

And DS never ate in it so no crumbs or smears! I’m not a big believer in stuffing children’s faces to pacify them - if we ate while out, we’d do it in a cafe or restaurant and he’d be in a high chair, once he was weaned.

EssentialHummus · 08/08/2019 19:43

A pram doesn’t depreciate ffs 🤣 that makes no sense whatsoever. Are your shoes depreciating? Did you supper depreciate? Is that TV your family watching depreciating?

Er... yes. Except the supper, no idea about that. But if I buy shoes for £10 and try to sell them on eBay for £10 once I've worn them for a week, I likely won't get a buyer - people will expect to pay less. A lightly used TV costs less than a new TV (and that's before you start on warranties etc). Frankly even if you bring your brand new pram home, open the box and then change your mind, you'd still need to offer a buyer a (small) discount - otherwise they'd just go to the shop.

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TinyMystery · 08/08/2019 19:45

The only activities we use the pushchair for are naps in the backgarden (could literally be any pushchair or stroller for this!), the occasional run when I don’t have alternative childcare or me and DH want to run together, the odd walk into the nearest village when we need to do a bit of shopping so the sling isn’t appropriate, or going ‘into town’. Needless to say, we have an all terrain jogger. Which on reflection was amazing value compared to fancy travel systems.

I feel like people who have big fancy travel systems must ‘go into town’ and be doing shopping a lot more than me because I literally cannot fathom how you get thousands of pounds of usage out of a pushchair that can’t even be comfortably pushed across grass.

Buyitinbamboo · 08/08/2019 19:45

I always comment on these threads but to the posters suggesting running with a uppababy vista, I wouldn't recommend. Running buggy should really have 3 wheels (front one needs to be locked), air pumped tyres and good suspension. Obviously there are proper running buggies but the out n about 360 is fab for meeting these criteria and also is great as a normal every day pram.

We spent a stupid amount on a silver cross and I've used out second hand £40 out n about far more.

Lucylou321 · 08/08/2019 19:47

I get complimented all the time on my mother care pram which people assume is an expensive one because as PP have said unless you've got babies of similar age you don't really know what's in fashion in the baby world and unless you look closely it looks very similar to other prams of that style. It cost me less than a third of the price of an Icandy and does the same job. I know a few people with babies similar age who've asked me what brand it is and then probably silently judged me but I couldn't care lessGrinI actually have a friend who admitted she loved my pram having spent crazy money on a fashionable one.

harrypotterfan1604 · 08/08/2019 19:48

Yes people do this and yes it’s utterly ridiculous!
My SIL refers to her pram as “the bugaboo” every time I hear it I want to slap her across the face and the scream you mean the pram fucking you twat!

LaPufalina · 08/08/2019 19:49

We have a silver cross pioneer travel system (bought new by the baby's grandma) and a mountain buggy duet (lent to me by my sister, she bought it second hand) and the third-hand mountain buggy is just amazing. No idea how much they cost but hadn't realised how difficult the silver cross was to manoeuvre until we got it and compared. I did have the matching change bag for the silver cross Blush and gave it to MIL within a month as it looked so twee. £45 wasted and we use a free rucksack instead Hmm

Passthecherrycoke · 08/08/2019 19:49

@EssentialHummus that’s not depreciation. That’s resale value

llangennith · 08/08/2019 19:49

DD2 bought a bugaboo system when DGS was born. I was doing all the childcare and couldn't fold the damn thing or assemble all its bits so I bought a large secondhand Mothercare three wheeler. I think it was called a Giraffe??
DD sold the bugaboo a few weeks later and we all used the big buggy.

lazylinguist · 08/08/2019 19:50

The fashionableness and expensiveness of the pram seems to be inversely proportionate to the classiness of the parent imo. The most mc/upper mc people I knew had second hand or fairly cheap prams. Ditto with kids' clothes. Fancy prams and tots in designer clothes are just a bit tacky. I can't even remember what brand my prams were tbh.

EssentialHummus · 08/08/2019 19:51

EssentialHummus that’s not depreciation. That’s resale value

What's the difference from the point of view of the original owner/purported seller?

VocalDuck · 08/08/2019 19:52

I agree it is a status thing and those that it is important to are those who cannot afford them or who think newborns need designers outfits and treat them as an accessory. Everyone I know who really is well off and can afford a different pram for every day of the week, and in a variety of colours, almost without exception opt for one pram and it’s the Babyzen Yoyo.

Passthecherrycoke · 08/08/2019 19:53

Because that’s not what depreciation is. Depreciation is an accounting treatment. Of Course there are many things you sell second hand for less than your bought it. But it’s not depreciation. Many people won’t even bother selling their pram when they’ve finished with it. It’s not an an asset, even if an individual could attract depreciation.

PixieLumos · 08/08/2019 19:55

As long as it gets us comfortably from A to B I’m happy - same with cars, I’ve never had a clue about those either. If anyone’s buying expensive prams to impress other mums like me you’re wasting your money.

RainbowMum11 · 08/08/2019 19:56

I absolutely loved my Uppababy and wouldn't give a damn if it was 'out of date' - was absolutely fab, and I was tempted to have another children just to be able to use it again!!!!

ApplestheHare · 08/08/2019 19:56

I used to think this was ridiculous and then someone gave me an iCandy and it's been hands down the best thing we've had for both kids so I can see both sides.

Howtotrainyourhamster · 08/08/2019 19:57

I noticed with my third child that prams has become much less relevant - at least around here it’s all about baby wearing and owning the right sling! Prams seemed pretty much looked down on in comparison (and actually slings were a lot easier - don’t think I’d even have bothered with a pram if I’d known that).

EssentialHummus · 08/08/2019 20:07

Because that’s not what depreciation is. Depreciation is an accounting treatment. Of Course there are many things you sell second hand for less than your bought it. But it’s not depreciation. Many people won’t even bother selling their pram when they’ve finished with it. It’s not an an asset, even if an individual could attract depreciation.

Super. Same question again - what's the difference from the point of view of the original owner/purported seller? I'm sure you're also smart enough to understand that depreciation is used informally to refer to a reduction in the value of something over time, so all the "ha ha do your shoes depreciate?" chat is just a bit... silly.

user27495824 · 08/08/2019 20:10

Oh definitely.

Middle class: more likely to be practical off roader over trendy. Uppababy, Mountain buggy, Phil and Ted's, City Mini GT, Maclaren.

There are some middle territory prams that can go either way like Bugaboo which is both very middle class and loved by chavs. Joie and Hauck vary depending on model. See also Silver Cross.

Then in my opinion the working class prams are things like the Icandy, Egg, Cosatto, Mybabiie.

Light-hearted obviously... kinda.

Passthecherrycoke · 08/08/2019 20:10

Because the seller doesn’t know what depreciation is Hmm saying you’d be “insane” to buy something with a lower resale value than you’ve bought it for- after you’ve had full use out of it- is stupid. Especially when you describe it completely incorrectly as depreciating

mummywingingit · 08/08/2019 20:17

When we went pram shopping we were given a budget of £1000 from the in laws. We had to look more as size over anything as our boot is so small...we ended up with a silver cross wayfarer that was in a sale. We paid £700 in total from the travel system, car seat and isofix. It wasn't about being snobby of the brand, it wa s the pram was much nicer than the cheaper ones...is was nice to push, the carry cot has a memory foam mattress, and just small other things that made it for us. I have no regrets at all for buying a more expensive pram. My sister went with a £200 pram, and after just 7 weeks has gone and bought a cosatto whoosh to replace it. I do believe you get what you pay for, as with anything in life, most things that are more pricey so tend to be better, lasting quality (not always, but mostly)
If I'm looked at as a pram snob, then so be it!

aliensprig · 08/08/2019 20:20

Reading this thread as an expectant FTM yet to buy or even research a pram and thinking... If most people on MN think £300 on a Mothercare pram is "cheapo" then I must be really fucking poor 😂😭

Passthecherrycoke · 08/08/2019 20:20

“We paid £700 in total from the travel system, car seat and isofix”

That’s quite a bargain actually!

JanewaysBun · 08/08/2019 20:21

If you live in London I think the Cameleon is amazing, compact and turns 360 on the spot, I walk everywhere (but only really pavements) so great to load up and go out for the day. I have a few friends who got a mothercare one and ended up getting a different one as the baby didnt like it. I dont think it's a status symbol round my way as pretty much every mum has it, it's v practical for where we are. I also have a (2nd hand) umberella one which i find much less useful

I have to say i love that you can chose the colours - i always wanted a red pram Blush