to be amazed at the price of prams

[Greavesey]

Firstly, Hi. Post Number 1. Ever. :)

Went pram shopping with DW the other week and was massively shocked at the price and complexity of these previously unknown machines. I mean I've looked online as well and its mental. DW wants the full-monty travel system with Isofix pebble cabrios etc, we're talking the best part of £800. AIBU for two things.
1 expecting prams to be cheap
2 expecting hoping DW to consider 2nd hand, ebay etc

Short and sweet.

*insert some kind of sense into that last post

Brian before buying my babyjogger, I had a Silver Cross Linear. Only used it for 6 months because it was heavy and didn't fit in my car easily. It was lovely and strong and protective for a new born, but by the time I sold it, I couldn't wait to get rid.

I'm going to go against the grain...

With DC1 we looked at the price of prams, went and bought something for under £200 that ticked all the boxes (rear facing option, lie-flat, car seat fit for short hops to the shop) and was fine but had big downsides too (had to take seat unit off to fold, heavy, car seat was fiddle in the actual car).

For DC2 we have spent £700 on a Bugaboo Bee and accessories, which does absolutely everything I we want it to and fixes the niggles from the first one. It would have been a lot cheaper to buy it first time round!

I had two travel systems off freecycle with DS1, then a new Maclaren Quest, then a new Maclaren Techno XLR with no 2, which is the best of all worlds if you don't drive or don't drive much, my childminders want the Techno. It's one of the most expensive Maclarens, but it's suitable from birth not 6 months, and it's good for much longer. DS1 was huge for his age, and we had real difficulty moving him on from a buggy, and the Quest says it's suitable up to only 15 kg, he was so much bigger. The Techno has a much higher maximum weight for baby, and you get all the bits included in the price, no need to buy separate footmuffs (and you do need something if you're going to walk a lot with it).

If you drive a lot the travel system makes more sense, but they can be a real pain if you're not driving. My pet hate when my children was in a buggy, or one of them, was other mums with huge travel system creations with one big handle.

You may not win this argument, but my suggestion is, if your wife drives a lot, get a good car seat and try and get a pram or even prams off Freecycle or from Nearly New Sales (run by the NCT and other organisations) or from local classified ads initially, then choose the best buggy when baby's actually here and you have a much better idea what you really need.

I have the Maclaren Techno XLR. stroller that also fits a car seat on and a soft carrycot. I shopped around for the componantd to get the cheapest.

Karma I don't have a car, I walk/bus everywhere. Baby's dad does have a car though, so suppose I have to consider that, he does lots of walking too - he may be better off buying a second hand pram for when he has baby.

Now then, this Maclaren XLR . I've just had a peek. I like BUT do those of you in the know, know if it is suitable for heavy use.

I will be on/off 4 bus's a day when I return to work PLUS the school run, plus other every day use.

Also, I see there is a carrycot option - which I will need (and want) as it will make it easier than dragging the moses basket downstairs in the early days, after a c-section (which was a big problem with DD and i didn't like leaving her in her car seat for long periods, in the house)

Sorry OP for hijacking your thread

I spent £££s on a (at the time)top of the range pram. But after three children and over 7 years it is still brilliant.
It does depend on your lifestyle though...

oh hang on, XLR is forward facing. I wanted rear facing.

are you my husband we've been having this conversation and think brand new for the travel system is a bit daft so we have compromised ebay/ second hand for the system and a brand new car seat.

Join the national childbirth trust and go to one of their nearly new sales they are a bit of a bun fight but you will save loads and its quite good stuff

I haven't read the whole threat so someone might already have pointed this out.

Not all babies like prams, some only want to be in a sling/babybjorn type carrier. So I would not buy a very expensive pram. I would consider to buy something on ebay to start off with or a cheaper style pram (I thought that Mamas and Papas had some cheaper ones or no longer?).

They only need to be fully flat for a short time. After that they probably enjoy a stroller (a sturdy one like BabyJane or JaneSlalom or something like that if your are a lot in the country side, otherwise the cheaper ones are okay) so they can look at things and it could also be that your dc wants to be carried all the time ....

I definitely would check ebay though!

In that case Brian, it will be lovely and cosy for your new born and the basket fits loads of shopping. I just know that when I had mine, I was knackered pushing it up hills but I am notoriously lazy.

I live in flat-Land haha, no hills round these parts thankfully.

You might struggle on the bus Brian. Iirc, it doesn't fold up all in one go, you have to take the seat unit off and then fold the chassis. Might be tricky with a baby and shopping.

That said, I did really like it and it looked very nice and would last for ages because it was very well made

YANBU. We were lent a lovely travel system which when bought new cost nearly £1000. DD is now 7 months old and we use a cheapish mothercare stroller. The travel system was too big & bulky, wonderfil when she was tiny but totally impractical now!

Our travel system is still in daily use after a year. We only ever use the pushchair bit now, I can't think when we last put the car seat on it. The umbrella folds don't look as comfy to me.

thanks for that info about the bus karma

Good to know about the quality too, I think that Silver cross are a 'good' bet for quality which is why I would lean toward that and just piss off other bus users with my HUGE pram

You only have to look on ebay/newspaper ads etc etc to see the volume of prams, pushchairs, travel systems etc that are put up for sale.

There is a huge business built around 'marketing' for new parents and sadly most of them fall for it ............ perhaps it's only us jaded parents of older children now that think you are being well and truly ripped off.

I was more than happy with a friend's cast off .

Hope you find something that you are happy with, Brian.

You too, OP

There is an 18 year gap between DC1 and DC5.
I have been through a lot of prams/buggies. I didnt drive for years so my pram was my 'car'.

They really are very much more expensive than they used to be. Everything is extra too.

I despaired and ended up buying the most gorgeous blue velvet silver cross City Classic (?) on ebay for £20!

It was big but it fit in the back of my clio.
It had a brilliant metal shopping tray and the dog could sit in it plus lots of shopping

I miss my lovely boingy pram :(

I would prefer a Maclaren Techno XT type of pushchair to the big bulky travel system type ones. They are light and fold up nice and small. They cost £200'ish including rain cover which is not too bad at all.
The fancy prams are crazy prices.

I'm not so sure that Maclaren umbrella fold pushchairs are fine for a newborn. AFAIK they do not lie completely flat, and are not as cosy as a pram. Even with a footmuff, it will still be draughty when you push it along into the wind, and the baby is closer to the ground than in a pram. buggies only have little rattly plastic wheels, not big air tyres or suspension to provide a smoother ride.

For DC1 I had a "hand me down" Britax 2-in-1, which was pretty hopeless but did not have the cash for anything better. when I saw friends M&P pram with suspension and air tyres I realised the difference - much smoother ride for baby than cheapo pram with little plastic wheels and no suspension. for DC2 quite close in age I had to have a double pushchair so not much choice.

By the time I got to DC3 I had seen the light and had to have a pram with air tyres so the baby did not get jiggled about so much. got a 2nd hand Bugaboo Cameleon and DD is still in it now at 19 months, although I thought I would have ditched it at 6 months. It seems so much more comfortable than an umbrella fold buggy - she likes to sit bolt upright and hates to be reclining even a bit. most umbrella fold buggies have a backwards slope to the seat - like a deckchair, which she dislikes. The seat of the Cam is also quite a bit higher than on an umbrella fold so she has a better view and it can be used as impromptu highchair as it is high enough to sit at a table.

I brought second hand as wanted a quinny buzz but couldnt justify a new one so brought one off a GP at work whose parents had brought her a turquoise one for her baby expecting a boy and she had a girl and she couldnt possibly use it for a girl being that colour so used a few times and sold it when baby 10mths old I paid her £200 for a £1000 system we then brought the car seat maxi cosi new and borrowed the isofix base off a friend (isofix base is sooooooo worth the money though) - I sold our quinny buzz system when little one was 18mths old for £200 so no money lost!!

we now at 2yrs - had it for 6mths have a baby jogger micro which is fab.

We brought loads second hand -cot was free off netmums - brought new mattress, clothes some second hand some new.

Check out outlet stores if she is determined to buy new as they will sell off last seasons designs and modelas - mamas and papas def have an outlet store or there are things like baby barns - where stuff is sold cheaper