prams..what to buy or not to buy??

[blondebaby111]

Can anyone give me some advice on prams/pushchairs/ travel systems that don't cost the earth??
I havem't had my 20weeks scan yet so nly browsing trying to get some ideas but really really have no idea?? Any advice??

we're getting the Mothercare Xpedior it's fab! budget, lightweight and space saving as the seat turns into a carrycot. our second choice was the sola but bit too pricey for us.

Can you use the carrycot on the Xpedior as a moses basket?

No it's not a solid carry cot that you can seperate. You could use it for daytime naps though I am sure, set up on the frame?

I would only advise that most people will advise you to get what THEY needed, not what YOU need! For example, all the people above saying to avoid the big, heavy, wide, travel systems.... Well, I live in the country and drive a landrover, never use public transport and like outdoor Persuits so none of those things matter to me! Similarly, anyone who says use a sling and don't bother with a buggy till 3 months - no good if you have a bad back! I would advise you make a list of what you want it to do, what you need it to do, and then go to the biggest baby store you can find to try them out, then look what you can find second hand as they are so overpriced. Good luck!

I always recommend the Baby Jogger City Select. If it had been available when I had DC1, I would have bought it then. But it was only released in 2010. I now use it for DTs and DC1 rides on the buggy board. I also had a Maclaren Quest for when I only had 1 DC with me. But as its forward facing only, I wish I'd bought a 2nd Baby Jogger to use as a single.

I'm currently trying to decide between a baby jogger city mini, bugaboo bee and icandy cherry - all very light and compact if that's what you're after! The city mini looks so practical, but we're leaning towards the Bee. Struggling to decide though!

We have the mamas and papas sola and very happy with it. It's great for living in town and we've taken in on a few country walks and it managed fine. The basket underneath isnt massive but big enough to fit a bit of shopping underneath. The carrycot seperates so you can use it as a crib for the first few months. The buggy seat turns to face and lies flat so you can use it when your baby is still very little. You do need both hands to fold it (unlike city mini) but it's a very easy system to fold and unfold, and it fits in our car (which is quite a small one) without taking off wheels or anything silly and it's also not to heavy to lift.

I have 2 older dcs already. I'm now pg again. From my own personal experience, I can't abide the big trolley like travel systems. And a carrycot is a must. I hate seeing tiny tots screwed up in car seats for hours on end. A rearward facing seat was my own personal preference.
I rarely go town shopping, have my own car and like countryside rambles. In my loft is an old fashioned silver cross coach built pram. I had it for dd. it was fabulous. I'm going to use that! If I need to go anywhere, the body fits in the boot, the wheels can go on the roof!

Oh, and whatever you get, get one continuous handle. If you buy one with two individual handles, they are a total pig to steer without both hands.

If you want a travel system, I can't recommend the Uppababy Vista highly enough. The carrycot is lovely and comfortable for the baby. Haven't got as far as the pushchair yet but very happy with the pram. It has won the Which award and is half the price of a bugaboo. Happy hunting. Go and try some out.

Another fan of the uppababy vista here! It's fantastic, really and really well made.
Go to John Lewis and ask the shop assistant to show you the various options. Try them by pushing them and folding them up. You don't have to buy in the shop (I don't think many people do, as the store staff don't seem to expect you to) but it's really useful to get your hands on lots of different options and see what you like.

We got an iCandy Apple but now fearing it is too big to get around :( has anyone else used this and found it okay? Got a feeling I will dump it for a lightweight buggy as soon as baby can sit up and it will all be a huge waste of money! Silly hormonal woman jumping at the first one I liked haha xx

Don't scrimp and buy an umbrella stroller for a young baby. They really aren't suitable from birth regardless of what the blurb says.

My DD2 spent a lot of time in one half of a twin stroller due to a small age gap, and never looked comfortable, and fortunately this time round I can go back to having a proper carrycot thingy for the newborn.

I'm 26 weeks and I've bought the Stokke Scoot, mainly because I've found it easy to steer and its so compact when folded. It was £587.50 for the buggy, footmuff and car seat. I will still need to buy the baby softbag as its not suitable from birth without but that's only £45. Xx

cally I'm having to go for a small pram because of my ridiculously impractical car boot size so I'm limited to a few options but I'm actually really glad with hindsight that it got me looking at smaller prams as now I've realised the lighter and smaller the better, for me personally. Can you return/exchange if you change your mind? You could always sell it second hand if you do downsize a year or two in? Everyone's different and someone else might say that pram is fine, I'll just prefer as small and light as poss I think.

We went to 'Baby Barn' near Rugby, Warwickshire and they are so helpful there. They will demonstrate putting the prams up and down and swapping carry cot for pushchair till your heart's content. They will then happily cram everything into your car boot for you to see if it fits or not

I've got my heart set on an icandy strawberry now, for it's size, colour, ease of operating and that it fits in our boot.

But it's soooooo pricey. Even second hand.

I've got the mamas and papas sola and love it. Used the carrycot part when out for walks and for my baby to nap in downstairs in the early days. The buggy part can lie flat so is also suitable for a newborn if you didn't want to buy the carrycot part. The buggy also faces either way, which I love. I also have the carseat that clips on to the frame, which is very handy and great when your baby is asleep in the car and you don't want to disturb them. As a previous poster said, the basket underneath isn't the biggest, but it's still ok to fit a few bags of shopping in. Its really simple to fold and is also free standing when folded. It fits into the boot of my fiesta no problem! Can't recommend this pram highly enough (I don't work for M&P honestly!)

Hi we also bought the xpedior 3 wheeled version, our problem is the flat pram setup feels loose like its not secured properly? Any help would be great

I've just bought an uppababy vista after a very long time researching various options

Test drive definitely!
I had my eye on the following: Britax Affinity, Chicco Urban, Silver Cross Linear Freeway, Pioneer and Wayfarer, Baystyle Oyter, Graco Evo and Icandy. In the end, Graco Evo ticked my boxes.

• Lie flat function suitable from birth *Less than half the price of icandy, buggaboo, etc.
• Easy to collapse *parent facing *Sat my tall nearly 3 year old in it and he was able to sit in it comfortably. Also it was on offer - 379 for the carrycot, pushchair and car seat. I originally didn't want the carrycot hence why I was looking for a lie-flat pushchair but I wasn't going to say no as the car seat was over 100 as it was plus the 299 for the pushchair.