Shopping for first baby and need some impartial, experienced opinions.

[dozyrosie]

Before I started looking I had no idea of how much there was to choose from and all the things there are to consider. After weeks of trawling the web, shops and books I've just made my mind up on a pram, car seat and cot.
With the aim of getting good quality, value for money, that will last as long as possible. We have a small house, my DP drives a Ford Fiesta, and I use public transport.
This is what I'm thinking of getting:

Silver Cross Surf
www.silvercross.co.uk/prams-and-travel-systems/surf/

Britax First Class Pluss car seat
www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_763171_langId_-1_categoryId_165763#dtab

Kiddicare Space Saver Cot
www.kiddicare.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/productdisplayA_2472_10751_-1_45694_136162_10001_14687

I'm in need of some impartial, honest experience and I'd really appreciate your thoughts on any of these. I just need to know that I'm choosing wisely.

I don't know about pram or car seat, but I would think about getting a slightly bigger cot if you can fit one into the bedroom- the smaller standard size which I think is about 120 x 60 cm? (I think there's a bigger 'standard size of 140x70) unless you know you will move your child into a bed quite early. I would think that a one year old would be a bit cramped in the cot size you're considering. Our DS is quite tall and is still sleeping in his cot at just turned 2 years, and 120cm gives him plenty of space.

The cot you're looking at looks fine otherwise, I don't think you need a heavy or expensive one.

The one thing I wish wish wish I had bought is a bedside cot. The type you add onto your bed. They are supposed to be brilliant for the first few night feeding months! Is that an option until you move to your own room?
Pram looks fab (and light!)
Exciting times.

agree that the cot is extra small and will almost certainly NOT last a long time!!! A normal cot is 120cm so id go for that (saying that i personally have got a cot bed for my baby due in 4 weeks)

Britax car seat..... if you are concerned about the which crash test reports etc there are plenty if safer seats avaliable for baby to travel in...

personally id get the car seat that goes with the buggy, and get a different (also safer) car seat when baby is 9kg+

agree with leonie

and if you get the Maclaren techno XLR then you can have a cocoon carry cot from birth and it links with a car seat.

almost everyone has a maclaren as well, and you can have this instead of.
Have used the XT for years nannying and will be buying an XT for myself as well as my mountain buggy!

I have the Silver Cross Surf (in Lime) and love it. Its very lightweight and my only criticism would be that the shopping baskets are very small.
When you fold the pram down to put it in the car you have to take the seat unit off, which does take up a bit of room.

If I was you, I would get the Ventura Plus S car seat that is compatable with it. You can then use the pram as a travel system. My baby was usin this car seat until he was about 9 months old.
I think they are also making adaptors for the Maxi Cosy car seat to be compatable with the surf as well.

Unless you are really short of space, I wouldnt get such a small cot. babies move around so much in the night and mine sometimes looks squashed in a normal size cot!

I have the First Class Car Seat for DS1 and will be getting another for DS2. I think they are great and you really get your money's worth as they last until they are 4. My DS is big too, and still falls asleep in his at 3.1.

The advantages of those little portable seats only last a few months if you have a big baby, and then you are faced with either buying a First Class anyway, or switching baby to front facing before he or she is big enough.

We had a car accident when DS was 4 months old and the First Class was great, as it has a metal frame and was very secure. DS was fine.

I've got the Surf in lime and although I've not used it yet I think it's great! Would definitely get the car seat that goes with the Surf, as mentioned above. Great choice with the Surf!

As for the cot. I would get an ordinary sized cot, as it will last longer and therefore save you money in the long run.

I have the carseat (in cowmooflage print) - and although I am 39+1 I have tried it with my friends 5 month old.
I love it
The only downside is that we have a Honda civic (new style) which has tiny back doors - thus there is only a tiny gap between top of carseat and top of door I the rearfacing mode. Not a huge probelem as it's easier to sit in teh back seat to place baby and fasten carseat.
But I bought this because my DD was really long born and an infant carrier would last a mere few months if this DC is anythink like DD (according to scans it is :))

I agree with others - get a full size cot - I see you already have linked Kiddicare, they have great offers on cots. And from everything I have bought from them I cannot fault the service one bit. Delivery is amazing.

Mothercare will price match and give you a £10 voucher if item is over £20 and you are ordering by phone/online.

I would get a cot bed and get them to match it to this one. You can always move a chest of drawers from your bedroom into babies room.

www.preciouslittleone.com/product-information/51/3916/east-coast-morston-drop-side-cot-bed---antique/#reviewtab

Britax first class. Good seat if it fits rearfacing ok in your car. It doesnt in mine or any of my old cars. Short belts. Get it check out properly. May also limit whether you can get lifts with grandparents/friends etc.

I am looking at extended rearfacing for this baby so maxi cosi cabriofix then possibly britax two way elite.

Pushchair- . Apparently its very nice by I have had loads of pushchairs and know what I love and what I dont! May be too bulky for public transport. Would prefer a baby jogger city mini/elite if parent facing wasnt a issue.

Join Which.co.uk on a months free trial basis and have a browse through the pushchairs and car seats.

The Surf is not suitable for public transport as it folds in 2 pieces but something like the Jane Solo Reverse is still parent facing but unusually it folds with the seat parent facing.

Make sure the Britax is suitable for your car as it is very chunky rear facing. Generally the dedicated stage seats are safer as they don't need to multi-task so I'd say have a browse at what fits your car and shop around.

If you can get a bigger cot or cot bed as it will last you until 4/5, if not try Ikea as this one is fine and a lot cheaper but the almost same size as the Kiddicare one. This size will only last until around 12 months though.

The Surf is fine on public transport that has space for pushchairs/wheelchairs, which seems to be most at the moment. It's also small and yet suitable for a newborn - most prams are not small at all!
My aunty has the Surf and loves how compact and light it is.

Get a cotbed not a cot. Will last til over 3 years

Do you need to do much shopping on foot? The Surf doesn't look so good for that. Or much walking at all, really (NB: I walk about 3 miles/day).
What worries me is that you haven't lived with a baby enough to know what your needs are; 500 quid is a lot to spend on something that might not suit. (Or ?maybe I'm just cynical because I never contemplated spending more than 100 quid for my first pram).

I am never sure about carseats for birth to 4 yrs, seems to me like better to get a separate specific carseat for 0-14 months, probably does a better job than a one size does all thing. Carseats that can be fitted on/off prams are very useful, though.

I have posted this on pregnancy and products and got tones of responses, thanks for all your help guys. I guess when you ask for advice on mum's net then you really get it. Having read all the feedback and some more reviews I will...

Definitely stick with the Silver Cross surf as it has had some great reviews on here and in Bounty. It should not be a problem getting on our buses as they have pram parking spaces. My dad has also very kindly offered to buy the pram .

I will see how the First Class car seat fits in our car (Fiesta), but I may get the car seat that goes with the SC Surf www.silvercross.co.uk/car-seats/ventura-s/ , making the pram in to a travel system. This has also had good reviews and DC will also then be able to go in GP's cars.

From what almost everyone has said about the small cot, I will not get it. DP's old cot is in MIL's loft, so we can use this when DC goes in to their own room. There is just noway a full size cot will go in our room. I think Moses baskets seem to be a waste of money if they only last 3 months at most. I will look for an inexpensive bedside Co-Sleeper, the ones with 3 sides that are level with the our bed to use until DC is 6 months. Can anyone recommend a good one ?

Sorry for another really long post. And thanks again for your help, it is very much appreciated.

Check that your DP's old cot is reasonably safe -- may not meet modern safety standards, may have lead paint on it, just check it out.

We had a dropside cot wedged up next to our bed with one side removed, so effectively was like a bed extension. I wonder if that's the sort of set up you need.

Some babies are in Moses basket past 6 months, btw, but I guess you can't be sure about that.

Happy shopping!