Till what age would you say you needed a buggy/pram until?

[1990shopefulftm]

My 3 month old is a very big baby so looking at the percentile graph this morning, he ll be 18 months when he's over the weight limit for his pram that's supposed to last till 4 years old. Do I need to think about putting money aside for a buggy that goes over 15kg, they all seem so pricey

What pram do you have as that's a very low weight limit ? My silver cross goes up to 25kg??

It really depends. My boys both wanted to walk everywhere so we barely used ours past the 2 year old mark. We did buy a trike with a handle so we could push them along.

I found we didn't really need the buggy from age 3, I hung onto it for a holiday and used to keep it in the boot of the car if I knew we were going for a long day out like the zoo for example I'd take it with us. It usually got used as a bag carrier though! Think I finally sold it when DD was 4 but it had been collecting dust for some time. I had the Silver Cross Reflex stroller from when she was 8 months old and loved it x

They need to be able to cope without a pram By the time they start school/nursery imo. So about 3/4 is right.

I'd second the trike idea (the ones with the handle you can steer yourself) but only really good through the summer months.

We got a cheap folding buggy for £60 I think for age 2-3. After age 3 didn't really use them much

@ivfbeenbusy it's a Smyths travel system, the limit is 15kg, my baby just happens to be on the 99th percentile so he's 9kg already at 3 months old.

We still used one occasionally between ages 3-4, but primarily for days out, holidays etc. It's not fun dragging a heavy tired 3 year old around after a long day so it made life easier.

My toddler now is a big one, also 99th centile. We have a travel system but bought a stroller that goes up to 25kg.

@Crowsandshivers so I m looking at needing a solution for at least 6 months, I definitely wanted to get a trike for him to help coordination wise so I d certainly consider that as an option.
@2306IRW I can't drive so it's whether I can manage to take him places without a buggy when DH is working. Don't really have a silver cross budget unless there's a good deal on them second hand.

@HappyWipings yes the current plan is nursery just before he turns 3 so just need to figure something out between 18 months and 3.

My observation is that city kids who walk everywhere and get bus need a buggy for ages. And kids who live in the country / areas where people drive everywhere, are able to get rid of them younger.

It can be useful to strap them in and push them around at almost any age though. And they only need a folding stroller when they are toddlers eg www.uberkids.com/chicco-echo-stroller-2003148/?sku=CCO00079431850930&istCompanyId=37dca0b5-f08f-460a-9189-9153d7108287&istFeedId=b9ff17e0-1a2f-4169-bb0c-0c815ad88867&istItemId=wmwxamqqi&istBid=t&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_4TArLOC7wIVJe_tCh30swTnEAQYAyABEgLVUvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds not a full on pram

@tisonlymeagain do you remember where you got the stroller from?

Think your looking into it too much tbh. Wait and see..... you might not need a buggy for a couple of years yet....

@WashableVelvet that's exactly what I need. We live in the suburbs so there's forests for walks but we will need to get the bus occasionally

@GirlInterruptedAgain we re on a bit of a budget so want to know how many big purchases we ll need in the next couple of years to know what we need to save.

Baby jogger city mini was my favourite child item
It saw both my boys through to 3.5 and they both were “big” babies and toddlers
I still miss it

We've not used it at all since before he was 3 - we changed it back to the carry cot for the baby. Before that it was just odd trips here and there (if we went on a longer trip or holiday, or occasionally if he was desperate for a nap but wouldn't sleep in the house). We did a lot of walking in lockdown anyway to wear him out and knew we needed the buggy by autumn for the new baby so he just had to get on with it. I do have a car though so that makes it a bit easier for things like nursery pick ups which might otherwise be a pain - a trike or a scooter might be a good idea.

There are plenty of buggies around on the second hand market for sub £100 (some well less than £50) near me. Might that be a more affordable option?

My children have all mostly not wanted to use the buggy by 2.5 but it’s been used (particularly for long days out) for another twelve months or so.

He’s only 3 months old. Really large babies often adjust down in weight provided they aren’t obese so you may find this isn’t an issue by 12 months. Plus kids don’t grow as fast after 12 months compared to before so you don’t really need to worry yet.

We used a buggy until four, because we were in cities and didn't drive. DS also napped until about four too, so with weekend days out, we were reliant on buses and trains, which meant he needed his buggy to sleep in.

Another issue with not driving is that you have to carry everything with you all the time, so the basket underneath really helped for food/drinks/spare clothes etc, especially when exH or I went places with DS alone. Managing a 3-4 year old, his stuff, my stuff, and a scooter (if he's not on it) is really awkward! Whereas having a buggy too means everything gets stashed, DS has a sit down or snooze, and the scooter slung between the handles.

It was a Baby Jogger City Mini GT for the last couple of years - he'd had a 2nd hand Frog before that, but was bursting out of it. We chose it as MNers recommended it as good for older children (and DS is a 95% height centile, so needs a bit of room).

In my area you can buy a second hand pushchair or stroller in good used condition for a tiny fraction of the new product. That might be your best option.

Dc1 hasn't used a pushchair since 2.5 dc2 hasn't used one since before 2 but that is in lockdown so hasn't been anywhere other than walks.

Might be worth you thinking carefully about next stage car seats.

Figgygal I miss it too! Still in the garage, although DS is 11. At 42 and single, I should probably acknowledge it's time to let it go...

I'd really recommend the city mini too. DS was also 99th centile, very tall and heavy. It lasted him till he was just over 3. They hold their value really well so you can buy second hand, lie flat, fold up tiny and are practically indestructible.

Cossato woosh is a buggy that goes to 25kg and some of the silver gross ones do too. My 2 year old is 99.6th centile

Cross

@Boringnamechanging yes, I m struggling to know how I ll find a car seat to rear face as long as possible, his current one only goes up till 13kg.