2-in-1 prams

[daisystone]

I am on the hunt for a 2 in 1 pram and have been reading reviews on various sites.

I am shocked by how expensive they are - do people really pay £600-£800 for a pram???

I need one that lies flat to begin with and then converts into a stroller later.

Reviews are so mixed on sites. What one person says is excellent, another person completely rips apart.

I really balk at paying more than £300 for one. I have looked at the OBaby Zezu and the Mychair 4 wheeler pushchair chassis and both seem ok-ish but both seem to have problems as well. Is there anything great out there that doesn't cost the earth??

I don't need one with a car-seat as we have a separate car seat already.

Any advice or help would be great because I am beyond confused.

I've got a mamas and papas Sola. They are £260 (although I got mine from Very through quidco which meant I got 10% off from Very and 8% cashback from Quidco).

They lie flat without the need for buying the separate carrycot.

The footmuff is separate though and about $50 if I remember rightly.

Having a pram that takes your car seat is a HUGE benefit - no waking a sleeping child to take them in and out, fiddling with straps etc, just grab the handle and clip them on! Which car seat do you have? Of start there with your pram search! We had the maxi cosi car seat which clipped onto our pram wheels - there was a carrycot too but we used that more in the house really, and then a pushchair attachment when he got bigger.

Having one which is rearfacing is I think very important, so you can see each other and the baby doesn't get over stimulated. Ours faces both ways and also will sit upright and is height adjustable so we never need a highchair when we're out.

Ebay, get an amazing pram 2nd hand...

Sorry, posted too soon... go to a shop and push a cheapo travel system around, then a super duper posh one. The difference is amazing. But it does depend on your circs, I don't have a car and do a lot of walking both around town and in the countryside for pleasure. So for me life is too short to have a crappy pram. Also my baby is coming in the winter so cosiness is more important to me than if I was due in June.
If you drive everywhere it may not be so important to you.

My budget is £300 max (will probably spend nearer to £250) and the pram I am getting retails for around £900 with all the extra bits

As someone who has a hugely expensive pram (bugaboo cameleon) I have to say I love my pram .

We've had absolutely no problems with it, and after 2 years of heavy use (literally - DS is huge for his age and we walk miles every day) it is still going strong.

Saying that, if you're in and out of the car a lot (we aren't) chances are you'll swap whatever you've got for an easy to fold Maclaren by the time your DC is 1, so you may as well get the cheapest option out there to do you until then.

Incidentally, although we have a maxi cosi, which can clip onto the pram, we hardly ever used it, as DS literally never fell asleep in the car. A friend didn't use hers either, as her DS always fell asleep in the car, but could be moved to the pram without waking him, so don't assume that you have to stick to something that goes with your car seat.

exactly Hopefully, can you tell which pram I am getting?! I am a student so my second hand cam+ car seat+isofix will still come to £500 pounds or so (& I expect I will award my frugal self with some new fabrics) and is a lot for me at the moment but worth every penny. I looked at what I can get new for the same £ and it all looks cheap and not at all hard wearing in comparison

As this is my 2nd baby I have figured out what it's worth spending on and a pram for me is number one.

Thanks ladies. I probably won't be doing as much walking as some of you - and when I do it will be pavements not off-roading.

I do rely on my car a lot.

So perhaps for me I can get away with a less expensive all-singing-all-dancing one.

I was worried about buying off ebay as can't be sure of quality? Not sure if this is correct. I have never purchased off ebay before but was considering it for this.

Mine is going to be a winter baby (November) so I probably won't be out and about as much as i would be in the summertime.

It is a bit of a gamble, but I know lots of people who have got baby stuff from Ebay and it all seems pretty good, touch wood! Look out for my posts at the end of October when I complain I have spent all my £ on a load of old tat that I can't afford to replace...

I will use you as a guinea pig Giddyup! If your stuff falls apart - i won't bother!

I am a big ebay fan! I got a mamas and papas 03 series pushchair and car seat for £30 and got a mothercare 3 wheeer on freecycle (for free obvioucly). Both in good condition and useful for different situations and seriously cheap! I'd say it's a good idea to look on there and you could be amazed how much cheaper they are when they're second hand. Most listings you'll be collecting it and can pay cash on collection, so you can take the money but if you're not happy that the condition matches the description you just say you don't want it and don't pay for it. However, in my experience, people are honest and answer questions honestly.

I'm going for a mothercare trenton deluxe (£230 at the mo, usually £280), comes with everything inc. car seat. V. easy to fold down with one hand. Suitable for country roads. Seems quite bulky if you have a small boot. Can't review it for you properly until Dec though!

The biggest issue with the MyCHoice afaik is that it's a bit tricky to get the car seat or pushchair off the chassis (and it won't fold without). A friend has a 3 wheeler one which I really like and when I was looking after her LO I got the knack of seperating it quite quickly. However I went into Mothercare a few weeks ago and couldn't reliably take the shop one apart!

With ebay, just be careful, ask questions and don't assume anything (e.g. that something works, isn't damaged at all, etc). I've always done quite well with it though.

You shouldn't buy a car seat secondhand unless it's from someone you trust to have looked after it well (not dropped it as well as not having had a crash in it!).

The Stokke Xplory does everything, and is height adjustable too. They're pricey new but they've just brought out a totally new revamped version which has kicked the price of the older versions. You can get the whole kit often plus extras for about £400 off eBay. It's the best thing we bought, v sturdy, great design and takes them from birth to about 4!

Hello
I'm having exactly the same issues - need one from birth that it also suitable when baby gets a bit bigger. Has to be small and light to get it around London plus I live in a first floor flat. Am quite shocked by how expensive they are. Off to have a look at some next week - am quite taken by the mamas & papas sola which doesn't seem too pricey and ticks all the boxes. . .

Have a look at the Mothercare own brand version of the Bugaboo Chameleon. Can't remember what it's called - sorry. It's really not bad at all and is about half the price of a Bugaboo.

I'd deffantly look at a seocned hand one, pram's are offten not used for that long and most of the people I know have swiched to a puschair within the first year. So additional expence in getting another puschair.

Most babies are out of the pram part by 3months, some sooner as they are bigger. If your not going to be walking lots you could go for a sling then a cheeper lie flat puschair which would last till they don't need a puschair anymore.

Anyone know if Katie's Playpen (Blackfen, Kent) is open on Sundays? Been calling them all morning to check but goes to answer-phone. Could be no one is in the office (all out on shop floor for example) but can't be bothered trekking from East London if it's shut.

(no opening times on their website)

Thanks very much

Sorry - posted in wrong bit

We've bought the Britax be-smart (though haven't used it yet) but 2 friends have the same and have had no problems with it. We spent just over £500 from kiddicare but that also included the car seat and isofix base so was probably was £340 ish for pram and carrycot (and that was because hubby wanted the denim colour which cost more). Easiest by far we thought to put up and down and not too weighty, and chair faces both ways.

Had to battle my mum somewhat, as my SIL bought the I-candy peach back in Janurary and my mum thinks it is the best thing in the wold and how can we consider anything else. I'll tell you how....it cost over 3800!!

Sorry that should be over £800!!!!!!!!!!!!!