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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to not know what pram/pushchair system to buy

27 replies

bluebeau · 29/04/2019 10:12

Good morning Ladies

Expectant Dad here with baby due in 7 weeks,

So me and the mrs initially like the Oyster 3 system. Looked smart and reviews in terms of practicality looked good.

Anywho, from reading the safety report on the car seat it doesn't look suitable at all. The video on here is shocking.

www.which.co.uk/news/2019/04/safety-alert-babystyle-oyster-carapace-baby-car-seat-with-duofix-i-size-base-named-which-dont-buy/

So i started looking, looked on the review page on this site but honestly i am losing my mind trying to find one.

Mrs wants one that obviously looks nice but also practical, easy to use and safe. As a bloke i just want one that works and does the job and makes her happy.

Do any of you wonderful ladies (& dadsnet gents) have any tips or recommendations?

We are off to the baby show at the NEC in a few weeks but i didn't want to spend all day testing and being sold at at every concession just for a pushchair.

all comments welcome

Thank you :)

OP posts:
LongtimeLurker29 · 29/04/2019 10:15

You don't have to buy the oyster car seat. I have a maxi Cosi seat and you can buy the adapters to fit the oyster pram

zombee · 29/04/2019 10:17

I bought the orb all terrain which looks lovely and isn't hard to push around. It doesn't come with the car seat but you can buy the car seat if you want it all to match. I got a seat in a mothercare closing down sale as I don't actually drive so didn't want to spend hundreds on something that will only be used a few times. Not sure on others reviews of the system but I love it as it's suitable from birth as it starts as a carry cot then moves so baby is sitting up, is very easy to put up and down, and comes in two colours which are both lovely. It also made sense for me to get it as it's bulky and works on different types of ground so where I walk everywhere I needed this.

Karwomannghia · 29/04/2019 10:19

One thing to bear in mind is the bigger they are the heavier they are and more difficult to put up and down get in and out the house car and shops. If access, storage and steps isn’t a problem then a travel system is ok but I’ve always got on better with a smaller pram and car seat that stays in the car.

Jfw82 · 29/04/2019 10:20

Just to note that the which article is based on using the seat with a base. You can use the seatbelt to secure the car seat and the article says results may ch better in that set up

Original poster
bluebeau · 29/04/2019 10:21

@LongtimeLurker29 thank you for that, i saw that we can change the base on it but would you say getting a maxi seat & base would be better? didn't know they did adapters thats great thank you :)

Thank you @zombee what is different to the all terrain to the std prams? better grip wheels? better chassis?

OP posts:
NoodleKT · 29/04/2019 10:21

I got the Cosatto Giggle 2 I've found it really easy to use and we got the travel system with the car seat and isofix base too!
Would definitely recommend. They have really fun patterns as well, ours is the magical unicorns one 🦄

mclady · 29/04/2019 10:26

Another Cosatto fan here. Got the Giggle 2 travel system and have been really impressed.

tablelegs · 29/04/2019 10:26

Baby jogger. Adapters for car seat. I use cybex car seat.

One hand fold and can fit in a clio boot easily without needing to take the wheels off.

Mylittlepony374 · 29/04/2019 10:26

We had Quinny Buzz with Maxi Cosi car seat. Great buggy, easy to use, easy to clean.

My sister had Bugaboo Cameleon. More expensive than Quinny but lasted her 8 years and 4 children and is still going so worth the initial outlay if you plan on having a few kids.

Lifeonmars77 · 29/04/2019 10:27

It depends what you would mostly be using it for. Will it be short trips round town/walks around the park, long walks across different kinds of terrain, jogging?

I had the Britax B-agile with the car seat and carry cot, really practical, lightweight and easy to fold and chuck in the car. Plus Britax are some of the best on the market for car seat safety. The only downside I found is that once you remove the carry cot, it is only forward facing... unless you clip in the car seat.

When DS was about 6 months old we also bought the Britax Bob (all terrain) as we like to get out and about. It has bicycle wheels that can be easily reinflated/replaced and the thing is a machine, goes across sand, snow, rough terrain, hills and is great for jogging.

There are so many to choose from, it's mind blowing. Good luck Smile

zombee · 29/04/2019 10:30

This is it. It's got very sturdy wheels which aren't going to wear down quickly/get issues as quick as some pushchairs so it's long lasting. The wheels also I presume have better grip to be able to take into muddy fields or along pebble beaches.
The chassis folds down so that it ends up being smaller than the carry cot/seat (you do have to take the two apart to take it down, not sure if you have to do this with others). I haven't actually used any other prams from birth so can't compare it but have used pushchairs and they just seems so flimsy in comparison.
It also isn't actually a heavy pram so when I need to get the bus alone I can easily have a bag on my back, baby in the seat, and carry the chassis with no issues and I'm 5foot nothing and have spd to give an idea on my strength.
It's a bit bigger when up than my friends pram but not so much so it's inconvenient.
It's definitely worth going into a mothercare or somewhere with a big range of prams to get an idea as you and your partner might not like the steering on some (I don't like the two handle pushchairs but love the bar) or the one you like could end up being too heavy or bulky to be putting up and taking down when travelling.

AIBU to not know what pram/pushchair system to buy
zombee · 29/04/2019 10:32

Also as you might be able to see from the picture you can change whether baby faces you or faces out to the street (if people ask to see baby I'm just gonna turn the seat bit so I still have control of the pram and they don't have to stand next to me)

Karigan195 · 29/04/2019 10:32

Best thing is to make a list of your priorities and then find one that matches them then check reviews. E.g for us size didn’t matter as we have a large car so our priorities were 1) reversible seat - babies learn speech faster if they can see your face as you talk but when at the zoo etc you can switch it round
2) sturdy country proof tyres
3) comfort
4) long term use.

I went for Quinny buzz as you don’t need a separate carry cot when baby is tiny and will last plus hits all the other requirements, was half price and the reviews were good.

So make a list. Then take it to some place with lots of options. Collar an expert and tell them that’s what you need. It should help you get a short list to choose from

caoraich · 29/04/2019 10:36

Seconding the adapters for a maxi cosi car seat.

The thing is though you will only want the car seat on it if you're going to be using in shops etc. So personally I only think it's useful with a travel system that has a massive basket. It's impractical to push a trolley or carry a basket while pushing a pram so you just use the trolleys with baby seats.

But we have the uppababy vista and it's really handy- basket is enormous and so I take it to the shops and can fit a full £80 weekly shop under the pram, handy for walking home or for if baby is asleep and I'm in the car, that's when the car seat option comes into it's own. You can also fit a shopping basket into it which I do a lot as it's handy when you get to the till.

I also like the parent facing option for the seat now baby is older.

I'd recommend going somewhere you can test some out to make sure they fit in your boot, then seeing if you can get a better deal online.

Seat wise we also have a britax seat as a spare in DH car and I think it's actually comfier for baby

MotherWol · 29/04/2019 10:38

A lot of it comes down to personal taste - I don't really like three-wheelers or pushchairs with two handles, or really wide/big wheeled buggies as I live in a city and take public transport a lot. So I have a Bugaboo Bee which is compact, easy to push one-handed, and easy to store in a small flat. You might have plenty of storage space, want to put your buggy in the car, and need something with big off-road wheels. There isn't really one perfect pram that suits everyone, it all depends on what kind of life you're living.

TurquoiseAndPurple · 29/04/2019 10:40

Another vote for cosatto! We have the giggle 2 but the wow is great also!

TruffleShuffles · 29/04/2019 10:48

I purchased the silver cross wayfarer travel system and I wish I hadn’t bothered with a proper travel system at all. I travel by plane a lot so also purchased the babyzen yoyo+ and I wish I had just bought that instead. It has the optional addition of a newborn pack and you can also buy adapters to add a car seat too. It folds down to carry on plane size and is so light and easily manoeuvrable.

notso · 29/04/2019 10:49

I wouldn't look at the car seat and pram as one unit. It's not recommended that babies are in the car seats for long periods.
Choose a car seat that best fits your car/cars and then make a list of must haves for your pram/pushchair.
I loved my bugaboo chameleon, the babyjogger city mini and out and about nipper.

Thehop · 29/04/2019 10:51

Just change for a maxi coat seat and buy an adaptor. Oysters are very good and practical.

octonoughtcake3 · 29/04/2019 10:56

Most prams comes with adapters that are suitable for maxi cosi. I would personal buy either a besafe seat or maxi cosi with their isofix base. They will fit all main stream travel systems.

doubleshotespresso · 29/04/2019 10:56

We got a Silvercross Wayfarer travel system and this was by far the best thing we ever bought for our DC.

I had a very traumatic birth, so was very weak for a good few months after and unable to lift too much, but this system was great for me and easy in and out the car and in an out of places. Chassis was lightweight and pram/ car seat and buggy bit all been a huge success. Also the bar handle is fully adjustable so if you have suffered back injury or are tall like my DH it's no issue. All folds down very easily and has been dubbed one of the safest options by far -we also looked at lots of scary videos as you have.
The big bonus compared to other friends with different systems was the huge storage basket underneath- I amazed myself some days with what I managed to fit under the pram ;-)

Best of luck!

MindyStClaire · 29/04/2019 10:58

Depends on where you'll live and what you'll use the pram for. I have an Uppababy Vista that I absolutely love, I'm slightly evangelical about it and DH is the same. But, if you live in London and need to be taking it on and off buses and tubes it'd be far too big and cumbersome. In the suburbs, it's brilliant.

Practicality is all. You don't care about looks when you're exhausted and just need to get from A to B.

Look around at the travel systems you see people around you using as they presumably have a similar lifestyle, and pay attention to whether you see toddlers in them or just tiny babies (which would imply parents don't get on with it and replace with a stroller or similar at an earlier stage).

MrsGrannyWeatherwax · 29/04/2019 11:03

Wayfarer plus adapters for maxi cosi if you want an all in one option. But I have a spin permanent car seat for ease of lifting in and out, only occasionally use the maxi cosi with the system in husbands car. We brought the system second hand but car seats from new.

It’s a minefield and really depends on how you intend to use the system, to what functionalities are really important. The silvercross wayfarer is bulky and takes up most of my boot with the carry cot but fits in most boots if you’ve got nothing much in them.

NCforthis2019 · 29/04/2019 11:05

Uppababy always - it’s a which? Best Buy and is sturdy as hell. I’m using the same one for my son as I had for my daughter - still amazing since 2014! Versatile too, the basket can be converted to a Moses basket and the space underneath the prank is one of the largest on the market. Very easy to navigate.

SpinningDizzy · 29/04/2019 11:08

You need to figure out what and where you will use it most.
3 wheelers are a bugger to get out of buses/trains and can be awkward on pavements but generally better on rough terrain like paths or forest.

Using the car - small lightweight one. I never took buggy in the car so it didn't matter that it was a bulky fold. Also didn't need to fit a car seat.