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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that prams have got out of hand?

198 replies

Pandora2016 · 31/03/2016 18:06

I'm current up duffed with my first, so will need to buy a pram.

I naively thought it wasn't much more than a small bed/chair on wheels business.

No. They are now called 'travel systems' and can cost almost as much as our car.

What fresh hell is this and how the bloody hell do you choose one??? Babies don't vary that much surely??

Thinking that a lot of this is sales spin......

OP posts:
Sparklingbrook · 31/03/2016 18:45

I tried a sling. Or baby wearing as it's now known Hmm It made me hot and uncomfortable and felt like I was pregnant again but with a huge baby.

chocolatecheesecake · 31/03/2016 18:45

My first peak was an Icandy cherry which I bought discounted but new. Great because it had a carry cot and a seat, seat could be used in both directions, it had a big basket and it was light so good.

BUT it folded in two pieces so if you had to fold it and hold a baby you were in trouble. And DC2 was a 99.6th centile baby and outgrew it by 2 years old. DC1 was 75th centile and was in it until she stopped using it. Sold it for about half what I paid for it.

I then got a baby jogger city mini second hand for £90, sold it a year later for what I paid for it. FAB pushchair. One hand fold, light, lie flat, big sunshade, decent sized basket. What I wish I'd got first time around with the benefit of hindsight. But when I was pregnant first time I thought I needed a traditional pram and didn't realise I would only need it for a brief period and some kind of hand held cocoon would have been much more useful.

That was it apart from a brief period with a second hand Phil and teds when I had two under 3, which was great apart from folding it as it was complicated to fold and heavy.

Bunnybop · 31/03/2016 18:45

I think it's like anything else you get what you pay for. I spent quite a bit on a pram for my twins and I'm so glad I did because I use it everyday and it's made life much easier.

If money was an issue I would rather buy a decent pram second hand than a cheaper one brand new.

BitchyComment · 31/03/2016 18:47

I've just had a Google and found the pram I used to have for my kids in the early 1990's

I could get two kids in the bassinet bit and an extra one hanging off the back.

to think that prams have got out of hand?
weebairn · 31/03/2016 18:49

Sorry witsender Grin

Sparklingbrook, i found a sling super easy with DD1 who was a titchy baby but never liked it at all with DD1 who was a big baby plus I had a young toddler who wanted picking up.

weebairn · 31/03/2016 18:50

*DD2 who was a big baby

supposeitmightbe · 31/03/2016 18:50

I listened to friends and bought a travel system, waste of money as walked most places and hated dd being kept in the car seat so always used it with the carry cot. I would buy a separate car seat if I had my time again rather than getting caught up in the hype!

TwinkleCrinkle · 31/03/2016 18:51

Definitely agree! We got a Bumbleride Indie (new but last yrs model) for about £350. I'm shocked that most of my friends and so many others have Bugaboo Push chairs. At almost £1000 new, crazy!
The other model we considered was the city mini but the bumbleride has larger wheels that are better for 'off roading' and can be used for light jogging (not that I've actually tried!)
We also have a Maclaren which we keep in the car for shopping etc.

Sparklingbrook · 31/03/2016 18:52

It was a really hot summer when DS1 was born and I couldn't cope with having a hot water bottle baby strapped to me wee. Grin

DinosaursRoar · 31/03/2016 18:53

You know those old fashioned prams my mum had in the 70's with big "coach" wheels and the like were similar priced? Mum said it was the same as my teacher dad's monthly take home pay so were v glad a grandparent paid (and of course babies didn't need car seats then).

A travel system is just the equivalent of buying 2/3 products in one (lay flat pram for under 6 months, buggy for 6 months - 2.5/3 years, and car seat - with the advantage of being able to clip the car seat to the frame for short trips).

Think about how you'll use it, some thing with tiny wheels will be hard to push up hills for a few miles, big fat wheels are a lot easier for distance, but a bugger to get in and out of car boots.

weebairn · 31/03/2016 18:53

Ah yes, both of mine were autumn babies. Slings in summer drive me crazy.

MyLocal · 31/03/2016 18:53

OMG I feel your pain, my first born arrived 1994 and it was already silly with 4 in 1 style systems which we paid a fortune at the time.. A small carry baby seat (used for a few months max) a pram with carry cot, used about twice and a push chair, used about twice. I carried baby most places in a sling and as soon as he was old enough got a fantastic lightweight McLaren buggy, can't have been that old as he had his first shoes on and walked at ten months old. The buggy was worth every single penny, did two kids and used for playing dolls with later. The Silver Cross 4 in 1 was a TOTAL WASTE OF MONEY.

Maybe different if you don't have a car, but I did so pointless.

weebairn · 31/03/2016 18:53

Twinkecrinkle, I used to run with my city jogger. Looked like a knob I'm sure.

CallaLilli · 31/03/2016 18:53

My favourite was a self folding and erecting pram from john Lewis. You pressed a button and it unfolded itself and stood up, press it again and it collapsed back down.

I don't think such a pram ever existed..,

SaucyJack · 31/03/2016 18:54

"Almost everyone I know who bought a travel system said it was a complete waste of money and they never used it"

Are they all car drivers?

Try and hang 4 bags of shopping off a basic stroller, and then you'll be sorry you went for the cheap option.

I've never had a umbrella stroller with any of mine. I like something more substantial seeing as we're often out all day with it. Cheap strollers are a fucker to steer, too.

weebairn · 31/03/2016 18:55

Saucyjack, no, I live city centre and rarely use a car. I like my city jogger, not great for masses of shopping but I dunno, I internet shop or go on my own when boyfriend is with the kids or whatever. Shopping with kids is hell!

weebairn · 31/03/2016 18:57

I thought travel systems were FOR car users, I thought that was the point, if you're in and out of the car the whole time it's easier to move a sleeping baby. I did go a bit nuts carrying an ENTIRE pushchair up to my flat cause I didn't want to wake the baby at one stage… got quite strong though Grin

AuntieMaggie · 31/03/2016 18:57

I had a 2nd hand joolz given me which I love - but I didn't use the car seat on it because everything I read said that babies shouldn't be in them for long periods (my pet hate is seeing young babies all hunched over and uncomfortable in them) and DS was a summer baby and they get really hot in them so the pram was a blessing. The seat should last til he's 4.

I agree with the poster that said that you realise what you need when they're about 3 years old!

weebairn · 31/03/2016 18:59

(nowadays I pick sleeping baby out of the pushchair, take her in and put her in her cot and tell her to go back to sleep - am more confident/mean with second child haha)

SquirmOfEels · 31/03/2016 18:59

Umbrella fold ones are however by far and away the best choice if you use the bus a lot. Because they (eg biggest, sturdiest Maclaren) are narrower than nearly every bugaboo etc, so you can fit 3 in the space on atypical layout bus, not 1 or 2 of the HUGE one, and you can fold if necessary.

Yes, my DMum splashed out on a coach built pram, but that lasted her over 9 years and you could fit 2 children in it and tie another one to the cover (with proper strap, it was meant to do that).

weebairn · 31/03/2016 19:00

Auntiemaggie - Kind friends with three year olds told me to buy a city jogger when DD1 was 3 weeks old, so I did that Grin

chajazam · 31/03/2016 19:03

If you are buying second hand on eBay please avoid the Herbie Ziko ( mamas and papas). My sister bought this new and some prams had a fault where they could collapse at any point.
I was pushing my nephew over a slight curb, the pram collapsed and managed to end up wrong side up in the middle of the road throwing me aside- it happened really quickly. I still thank my lucky stars I strapped him in properly as I had the thought it was a nice day and he didn't need to be so constrained- of course I strapped him in anyway... but I had the thought. He was fine, and I just had a graze on my hands where I landed. It could have been a disaster and I still think of it six years later. Mamas and papas rectified the fault and there was some communication with watchdog as it wasn't the only time it happened. However I don't think there was enough to make a full segment.

Spudlet · 31/03/2016 19:04

We have a travel system some friends gave us. We don't use the car seat as it wouldn't fit my car, but we use the rest. It's huge, but very comfy for DS and handy for loading with shopping! It should last us for ages.

Look on eBay and gumtree, there are bargains to be had. I wouldn't have bought a brand new one either. DPs have a Silver Cross 3D travel system at their place which cost £100 off eBay. It was a grandparents' house pram before too, so hardly ever used.

WhirlwindHugs · 31/03/2016 19:06

Unless you barely ever use them cheap strollers are a pain in the arse.

3 children later, I am very fussy.

My list in order of importance:
Must be light, easy to fold in one piece and not take up the whole car boot when folded.
Single bar handle to push, with adjustable height.
Really good quality tyres, designed for off road and good curb pop.
High weight limit.
Straps you can clip in one at a time.
Lies completely flat.
Reasonable sized basket, rain cover not too fiddly, decent sized hood.
Rear facing option.
Not a pale colour. Easy to clean.

Which is mostly what the expensive brands can offer - best to buy them second hand barely used on fb groups!

Rinceoir · 31/03/2016 19:11

I have to say I bought a bugaboo cam and I absolutely love it. I live in London, don't drive often and mostly stay local with DD where there's loads to do. I have used it almost every day since we took her home, she still naps in it when not at nursery, it's easy to push, to hang shopping off etc. If using bus I go off peak, or use sling. Use sling on tube. As others have said it depends what you need it for.