Pram recommendations first time mum to be

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Hi everyone. Super excited to finally have a positive pregnancy after 2 years of trying.

So I’m wondering can anyone tell me what prams you recommend, I love long walks and going to plenty of places without the smoothest of surfaces.

Currently looking at both the Ocarro & Bugaboo

Congratulations ! I have the bugaboo fox 2 . It’s lovely and I enjoy looking at it and walking round the block .. however .. I live in a very rural area with stunning walks which are not pram accessible . We will mostly be using the ergo baby carrier especially with lockdown. There’s nowhere to go with my gorgeous pram. Also I was very excited when I was pregnant and spent £1k , but now that baby is here it really doesn’t seem important anymore .

If you live somewhere with lots of pram friendly walks then go for it . I bought the ocarro first , got it home and hated it. Swapped for the bugaboo . The ocarro looked a bit Essex to me.. but it’s personal preference.

If you live somewhere more rural or want to walk on mud / grass mostly then get something cheaper and a nice carrier. If you’ve got lots of cash to spare and you enjoy the pram regardless then go for it.

You need to consider if you are planning a second child in quick succession. I know it took you along time to conceive this time round but I know than more person whose first child was IVF and the second was a lovely surprise but with a much smaller gap than their ideal.

Congratulations!
We went for the Uppababy vista which I love for lots of different reasons, easy to manoeuvre, large basket, can be adapted for if we have a second before our little one has outgrown it.

It manages different terrains well but for most walks that aren't largely on paved or well worn surfaces we use an ergobaby 360.

Not helpful given lockdown but we found it most useful to go to a department store or specialist baby shop to try them out and get a feel for the one that worked the best for us.

Good luck...I found researching prams a bit kind boggling - there's so much out there!

If you're on a budget I recommend the Joie Versatrax. We were between that and the Ocarro. I think the versatrax was more than half the price and I liked the more muted look to it, abit less flashy than the Ocarro.

We have found it nice and light to maneuver. We have pitted it against all sorts of terrain and it has always done well. And the basket is huge and really easy to access.

City jogger mini is the best buggy I’ve had! It does have a carrycot option too for newborn. Otherwise I really reccomend oyster buggy’s

I have a bugaboo bee and love it. BUT I live in the city - bugaboo is a city pram, so I wouldn’t recommend it if you want to go walking away from footpaths - I’ve taken it to the nearby forest a few times and it’s def not suited for it!

If you live in off road walking areas, a three wheeler off road type might be more suitable.

Mountain buggy, baby jogger, Thule, all have various styles which might work for you

Get one that can stay parent facing. Bugaboos generally can. I find it bizarre that any pram outward faces just as they can start having proper interaction.

Another vote for the Uppababy Vista! Cannot fault it; easy to push, sturdy, comfortable, giant basket...love it!

Don't even glance at the Bee or similar for anything other than smooth and flat terrain! I love mine because I used to get in the tube a lot but it's crap over bumps.

I recently found The Stroller Workshop on YouTube and recommend looking at their reviews, they see a lot of the bits that got wrong over time and what holds up.

Oh and parent facing for me is a must, we taught DD to sign including to sign that she needed a wee and it's important I can see what she's on about

Also first time mum! I've got a Joie travel DLX system as it is lighter and easy to collapse. I would 100% go for the uppababy if I didn't have a budget limit. Both are easy to manoeuvre, collapse, fit in most boots and doesn't feel 'clunky'. I don't live in a city either.

Love my bugaboo bee - I'm also London based and agree it's a city pram.
We've also had a quinny mood - suspect it would be fine for countryside but dreadful for the city.

@Clockstop surely part of interaction is seeing the outside world rather than just looking at the parent all day? Both mine loved looking outwards as soon as they could! We have the Joolz day pram it’s very pretty very sturdy and good for all terrains but expensive (ours was second hand) and quite bulky. We swapped for a cheap buggy as soon as DC started nursery and never looked back. DC2 lived in a sling. I’d agree don’t get carried away and spend a fortune!

[quote Napqueen1234]@Clockstop surely part of interaction is seeing the outside world rather than just looking at the parent all day? Both mine loved looking outwards as soon as they could! We have the Joolz day pram it’s very pretty very sturdy and good for all terrains but expensive (ours was second hand) and quite bulky. We swapped for a cheap buggy as soon as DC started nursery and never looked back. DC2 lived in a sling. I’d agree don’t get carried away and spend a fortune![/quote]
But they can see everything around them when parent facing still and bugaboos allow you to switch so you can do both anyway. I have a older cam and a stroller and I cannot stand my stroller as I can't hear a word dc say in it. Also when it gets sunny it's far easier to regulate their shade if you can directly see them. I see a lot of people pushing around kids who are getting roasted in outward facing prams simply because the parent can't really see how pink/hot/unshaded they are getting

The Ocarro is brill...I had this and will reuse for the next baby. My sister had the Bugaboo Chameleon and the only thing I preferred on the Bugaboo is machine washable everything and the five point harness over the three point on the Ocarro. However overall the Ocarro wins for me. Especially the all in one folding option with the chair attached. Gamechanger. Mama’s & Papa’s do a clean and MOT service though which I’m planning to use soon.

Congratulations
If you have enough space I would invest in something like Emmaljunga with good,smooth suspension.
I had loads of prams and buggies ( including few models of Bugaboo)
and nothing beats old fashioned ones that have proper bounce.

We have a Bugaboo Fox and love it, have walked miles with it across all sorts of terrain. It's also lightweight to carry when folded and very easy to steer-regularly manoeuvre it one handed round the supermarket while carrying a basket in the other hand. And the bassinet is a good size, DD is a long baby but was in it until 5 months.

I have a bugaboo fox and a babyzen yo-yo- I love both but have to say I prefer the babyzen! It's so easy to fold/unfold, is absolutely tiny and I love it. We use the bugaboo when going across fields etc though.

I have the Uppababy so another vote for this. I live semi rural and love walks. I loved the huge basket, the fact it can fold with the seat in situ, how smooth it is, easy to push, and the bassinet was suitable for overnight sleeping.

The ocarro was my other choice, but I liked the warranty on the uppababy, and when testing it just felt better. I disregarded the bugaboo as it didn’t fold as a set.

I love my bugaboo fox! Sturdy and good for countryside walks, easy fold and open again. Can be parent or forward facing.