How do you even begin to pick prams and cots and car seats?

[Marshmallowtoastie]

I went to have a little look around this week, and I was so overwhelmed by the choices.
i feel like I may need to dedicate hours of my life to figuring out what kindof pram I need for example. I really thought it was mainly a style choice, but there seems to be a lot more to it?

then cots, I thought it was just a cot, but there’s next to me, there’s ones that grow with them, there’s travel cots and so much else

and car seats? I assumed they’d all be safe so just pick any, but that’s not the case either?

i don’t even know what I need and I don’t want to spend loads of money and then have to buy something new, or regret that what I bought doesn’t have this special feature that would’ve made my life easier.

how did you figure out what you needed? Or just tell me what to buy please

Start with what your lifestyle is then find something that works with that.

Pram - will you be walking a lot, do you want a pram you can jog with, will you be getting the bus and need something more compact, will you be walking home with lots of shopping and need a big basket....

Car seat - might be resolved with the pram solution if it's a travel system that comes with a car seat. If not find a car seat centre and have a look at them, talk to a member of staff, see what will fit in your car.

Cot - do you have room next to your bed for a next to me crib? Baby will be in your room about 6 months, dependent on size of baby a Moses basket may only last about 3 months. DD was 8lb11oz at birth and 98th percentile thereafter, me and DH are both tall, so the Moses basket was abandoned relatively early. We have a cot bed that went in the corner of our room, then moved to her room when she was a bit older. It lasted till she was about 3 and a half, was converted from cot to bed when she was 18months old and figured out how to climb over the bars.

Cots are probably the easiest out of your list - you need something that will go in your room for the first 6months. A next to me is really handy for ease and will last longer than a moses basket. I just chose mine on personal style preference and price. Then a main cot for after 6months - they are all mostly the same. Dont overthink that one. If your room is big enough, you could just put your main cot in your room then move it to baby's room when they are old enough.

For car seats, there is really good advice over on the Car Seat forum on MN or join Car Seat Safety UK group on Facebook. Basically avoid the ones that come with a travel system unless they are a big name like Maxi Cosi or Cybex. Avianaut always seems to be highly recommended. Most buggies will have adapters for the big name car seat brands if you want to be able to attach the car seat to the buggy. So you dont need to buy the same name pram.

Prams there is definitely a lot of choice. You can narrow it down by thinking about your lifestyle. Are you in a city and using lots of public transport or do you live in a flat and going to be carrying it up and down stairs? That will rule out a lot of the big buggies as you'll want something lighter and easy to fold. Are you rural and need something with chunky wheels? That will narrow it further. Do you have a small car? That also makes a difference as personally i couldnt be faffed taking wheels off to fit it in the boot, for example. Read some reviews online. Then go to either a John Lewis, Mamas and Papas or a local shop and test a load. I had my heart set on one particular buggy but when i saw it in a shop, it was far too low for me (5'8) and DH (6'2). We went for something completely different that we liked when we pushed it round.

It was ten years ago, but our rationale was to get a very lightweight buggy because of steps up to our front door, so we went for a Bugaboo Bee. I also liked this one because baby faced us.

WRT the car seat, we got a swivel one (very glad we did this, as baby was heavy and having made it down the steps it was difficult not to just drop him into the seat facing sideways) with isofix.

And we chose a cot that converted into a cot bed further down the line.

I can’t remember any of the brands apart from the bugaboo but we got it all through John Lewis.

Lots of the stuff they sell for babies isn’t needed at all, but I was really glad of the Hippy Chick.

Do you have friends and family with children? Ask them what they have.

Highly recommend a swivel car seat - so much easier!

Prams: start with your budget, then whether you're going to walk a lot, go running, take it on buses (so need an easy fold), do you live around lots of cobblestones so would benefit from a better suspension and bigger wheels, do you want a carry cot fitting so the baby can sleep flat in there, etc.

For our first baby we had a carry cot pram that could swap with a pushchair set up, and a large shopping basket underneath as I used to walk everywhere and do groceries. We also lived around a lot of cobblestones so I need larger wheels and a really good suspension. It was a fantastic pram, but not at all suitable for buses.

With DD3 we needed a new one as attaching a buggy board incorrectly damaged the first pram. I didn't walk as much so got one with a quick fold for buses.

We were more relaxed re cots and car seats, so I don't have great advice for them!

Went into the pram centre, felt out my depth and cried the minute I walked out (pramless). Didn't have a clue. Went for Nandos with partner to cheer me up. Went into boots while there for essentials and happened to spot one I liked the look of. The M&P Occaro. Got that one ordered without even pushing it. It worked out perfectly in the end (is slightly heavy lifting into the boot of car is only downside).

Remember that retailers, and due to their reliance on advertising, baby websites and magazines are trying to get you to part with your money, and much more than you really want.

Quite a lot depends on lifestyle, if like me at the time you don't drive then foldable light weight is important to put into friends cars and collapse on the bus (they don't always have empty spaces for prams, in fact they never did when mine were small, and had steps!). If you are breastfeeding, consider whether you want to cosleep at first or use a next to me type crib. For car seats do you want to leave it in the car or bring it in? How big is your car? And crucially if your baby is fairly small at birth, will the seat still fit (ours really didn't, dd was 6'3 at birth.

And don't forget to take advantage of hand me downs and buying second hand!

My DD's went straight into toddler beds from Co sleeping, for instance

I would recommend doing a which trial. We used my in-laws account and it was very useful.

We have bought as much as possible second hand which has reduced the search! I had my crib when I was baby and then found a cot bed for afterwards a 5 minute walk from our house.

For the pram I read a bunch of reviews and decided about some features that I wanted - I was going to be a walking mum as I didn't have a car so I was more concerned with it being sturdy and having the option for parent and world facing. We ended up getting an £800 pram in an immaculate condition for £100. Each time a pram in a good condition came up I checked out the review. Apparently "grandparent" prams are a thing where the grandparents but their own prams. They have a lot less wear on them with less use.

Car seats we narrowed it down to two spin chairs and waited for the first one to come on offer. With only using the car at the weekends we didn't think we needed a travel system.

Pram is probably the most difficult thing to decide.

Infant car seats are basically all safe. I wouldn't be worried about any of the infant car seats currently on the market maybe with the exception of the very cheap only online ones in case they don't meet safety regulations. But you can relax on this front - it's the next stage which matters more in terms of safety. Particularly if you stick with the big brands - Britax, Cybex, Maxi Cosi etc. There are lots of fancy models with all manner of features but a basic one from these same brands will do the job just as well.

Cot I always just had the cheapest one from Ikea. You can get more fancy and go for a bedside one or a moses basket first if you want to but IME the bedside ones are a bit rubbish compared to just converting the cheapest ikea cot to three sided (if you even want a cosleeping cot).

So to go back to prams - this is a really useful video to work out a starting point.

Once you have a starting point, it's helpful to visit a local baby store (try searching some brands and see if you can find an independent - that's even better) and see what models they have to try out. See how comfortable they are to push. Ask to have the fold shown to you. Try folding it up and down. Ask what the differences are between different models.

Once you've got an idea and maybe a couple which you like you can then look online on some of the big websites to see what models are available with the features that you wanted. It can save money to buy the pram second hand - IME it's still worth doing this look through the available models for new prams first.

If you do decide to buy new, it's well worth sticking with that local retailer rather than looking online for a discount. The reason being that a local retailer can offer after sales support and potential future advice, you can go back to be shown different features, they can help you adapt it as your child grows etc. Also always ask them if they have any clearance deals, ex display models etc, as these deals might not be listed online.

Just accept that there isnt a perfect solution, and make your best guess as to what will suit you and LO……it takes some of the pressure off

Personally…

I went for a cheap and cheerful 0-12m car seat that clicks in and out… maxi cosi with isofix and it was fine. Easy to fit and remove if needed. The baby is so light you don’t really need a swivel function, a 360 swivel is a nice to have…

for next stage we got a swivel one that was about £130 on sale - it’s a cybex or britax? and should last until my oldest is 3 or 4?

prams - if you are in any kind of city or own a car OR entry to your house is involved ANY steps I would honestly go for yoyo, bugaboo butterfly, Leclerc influencer or similar.
I was told to do this so were friends of ours
who were expecting. we all ignored it. 😵‍💫🙈🙈🙈
my friends researched extensively as did I… both got eggs and I got a nuna (they resold the eggs before their kids were 1 at a loss of £800 pounds or so each)
we still have a juggernaut that is the nuna it hasn’t been used in over a year 😑 DH won’t let me sell it BUT we got it second hand which takes the sting out of it.
My “egg friends” are both pretty bitter / salty still 😅😅😅

everyone I know has a lightweight compact stroller. We all use yoyo and Leclercs. I prefer the Leclerc as it’s more comfortable for baby IMO.

I felt like this!

We booked a buying for baby appointment at mamas and papas and they spend like 1-2 hours showing you all the prams, how they work, car seat regulations etc etc. found it super helpful - the lady was so knowledgable!

We did end up buying a pram while we were there, but there was genuinely no pressure to.

I would deffo recommend trying it

@DaizenShine this felt very familiar 😂 glad it’s not just me

thanks everyone, at least I know the things I need to consider now.
I’d really like a swivel chair, good to know that the baby may be too small as well! I have no idea if I want to leave it in the car or bring it in? To be honest the whole car seat thing stresses me out with how long they’re allowed in it, I’ve seen things saying no more than 30mins, but it’s at least 40 mins drive to all our family, and then if they were in the car seat on the pram that’s even longer in there. It just seems like there’s so much to learn, or my child will be in imminent peril! it’s all so serious and dramatic! But this made me question if the travel system was even worth it if they can’t actually be in the car seat anyway

I live in the suburbs, lots of dog walking in nearby parks/country estate type places so maybe need to consider that with the pram. I was debating getting one of those baby carriers you just clip them into though for anything more rural, but I suppose that only helps the first few months.
I definitely don’t want to be removing bits though to fit it in the (small!) car.

Thank you also for the reminders that I don’t need to buy the most expensive of everything, or make the perfect decision I feel like I’m being really cheap or making the wrong choices and being a bad mum already.

I’d also advise looking at Car Seat Advice UK Facebook group. It’s so informative and you very quickly realise that all car seats are not the same, safety wise. It’s been a huge eye opener.

If you're a member of Which it's got reviews on car seats and prams/buggies and covers all the safety aspects.

It's only 30 mins for the first 4 weeks and this is also a rule of thumb. If you feel comfortable going up to 40 minutes that's your choice. This is based on the previous/general advice being 2 hours as the max time, someone said hold on, 2 hours is quite long for a newborn, so they got a very old car seat with no newborn insert (!) - I don't know if this was intentional or not, the car seat model selection wasn't explained in the study. Then they rigged it up at a 40 degree angle on a vibrating plate to simulate movement of the car. This is where the 30 minute limit comes from. So yeah, if you have a really basic, old fashioned car seat which isn't set up properly and your newborn is premature then they might be in danger after 30 minutes. Most modern car seats have newborn inserts to mitigate the angle for very small babies. Some also open out to a flatter angle to again help with this problem. Only seats that are actually a "carrycot" are free officially from the 30 minute guideline. (Carrycots take up 2 seats in the back, only last to 4-6 months and may offer less crash protection due to the lateral position).

You should if possible check the fit of the car seat in your car. The fit lists aren't exhaustive and you'll get more of a sense of things like the angle of the seat, the space for the front seat, how easy it is to get in and out etc.

Swivel is a popular buzz word. Bear in mind that you have swivel toddler seats like the cybex sirona, or Joie 360 spin, which have been around about ten years now, but also more recently there are infant carriers like the cybex cloud and maxi Cosi 360 that spin on the base as well.

The infant swivel function is less necessary. When you have an infant seat you mostly get the baby into the seat in the house. Then you carry the seat to the car and most people have a base that they click the seat into. Swivel doesn't really add a huge amount of functionality, except for the part where you take the baby out and leave the seat in the car. That's a bit tricky to do without a swivel, though not impossible.

Toddler seats with spin are great. Beware of promises that the swivel base for the baby seat takes a toddler spin seat later. True, but the same brand usually has a spin seat with no separate base required and frequently the all in one spin (base comes attached) is cheaper. So you can absolutely just get a basic infant carrier and base and then a spin toddler seat later. Doing the modular sets can end up very expensive.

Join 'car seat safety uk' on Facebook for car seat advice. Whilst all infant carriers are tested to the same standard, some offer a very poor fit for newborns and can sometimes put them in a very dangerous chin to chest position. It would be better to get the car seat separately from the pram so not in a bundle.
A couple of the best infant carriers are the Maci Cosi Cabriofix I-size and the Avionaut Pixel Pro.

We had the maxi Cosi mica 360 they probably have a newer model but my daughter was a 6lber and we didn't have issues with her being too small.
The lowest length for it is 40cm and if I track my daughters length back to birth (9-25th percentile at 5months) she would have been around 50cm.

Check out the reviews and minimum sizes for each of the seats.
I love my spin seat and still use the spin feature on my 3yo although she is still small!

So do I need an infant seat for the first few months and then I change it? I can’t just buy one that will see us through?

I didn't buy a cot or pram. I used a pushchair from about one. Car seat was a well known brand with good safety ratings but the basic end of the market. I just got a reversible seat from newborn to four.

Most infant seats will last at least a year. If having another baby I would pick one that lies flat in the car as we had terrible head flop in ours every time DD fell asleep despite being from a reputable brand. We have upgraded our infant seat to an extended rear facing one which will last until she is ready to be in a booster. I think you will always need at least 2 car seats as none of the ones that last until age 4-5 will fit a newborn well.

It’s quite hard to find the perfect pram. We live in a city with narrow footpaths but also like going on country walks and to National Trust type places at the weekend. We ended up with an Uppababy Cruz which is great off road but I bit bulky for the city. The large basket is great though. We also have a Yoyo for travel but even though it’s easier to get around I still prefer the more sturdy Cruz for every day use. The basket is quite small on the Yoyo too.

We opted for a Next to Me crib and a Moses basket for the living room but ended up only using the Moses basket for the first few months as the Next to Me was too large. I also only used the Next to Me as a crib and never attached it to the bed as it made getting out of bed quite annoying so we could have just brought a normal crib without the fold down sides.

Bertie Botts is right on the swivel seats with a single base. Cybex (the absolute fuckers) have rendered our base obsolete in just under 12 months as they changed the model. We’ve just upgraded to a BeSafe Izi Twist toddler seat instead of trying to put the new Cybex seat on a base it wasn’t built for.

I found a travel system useful but most prams sell universal adapters. Maxi Cosi and Cybex use the same fittings.

We bought an all terrain pram which was utterly useless on our rural roads (let alone paths). It made my baby cry as the suspension was insufficient and EVA wheels don’t absorb shock well. Lots of friends with Nuna, Egg etc prams found the same. After 6 months we switched to a Joolz travel buggy and an Out n About off road buggy. The latter is absolute amazing for off-roading, so light to push.

You can buy one that will see you through, but most of these can't be taken out of the car.

There are two which go up to approx 4 and have a little lift out infant carrier, Jane Groowy Nest and RECARO Salia Elite. But I'd recommend trying these in your car before buying as the angle can be steep and fitting the infant portion in can be fiddly.

Most people prefer the convenience of a separate infant carrier and then change to another seat at about 9-12 months. The most common seats to change to at this point are a spin seat up to approx age 4, an extended rear facing seat up to approx 6 years or the kind that starts out with a 5 point harness and changes to a booster seat going up to 12 years. (Worth noting that this last option isn't really recommended straight after the infant carrier and babies must be at least 15 months to forward face, but the longer rear facing the better.) There are also combo spin + all stages seats.

The other thing to bear in mind is that these ages are based on average sized children. If you have a teeny tiny dot of a baby/toddler they can fit into the infant carrier much longer, but if you have a heavy/tall baby, they might outgrow an "up to 4" seat before they are 3 and need an "up to 6" seat to get them to a safe age for a booster seat. So that's another reason to wait because you can gauge what growth centile your baby is on.

If you wanted a seat to go from birth I'd not recommend the all stages options but there are a few which are good up to approx age 4 or approx age 6/7.

They would be

Besafe izi twist B or turn B
Besafe stretch B
Axkid One2

People do sometimes use the Joie spin seats or Britax, maxi Cosi spin seats etc but seem to have variable experiences with these. Again probably checking the fit in the car is a good idea.

Lastly there are the modular sets where you have a base that you put the baby seat on, then change that for a toddler seat that goes on the same base. But as I explained previously most of them work out extremely expensive doing it this way.