What Pushchair to go for? Very hard decision - first time mother??

[MumToBe2015R]

Hello,

Firstly I don't know if this is in the right catogary, couldn't find actual catogary.

I am 7+1, but looking in to prams & car seats now.

I want something that will last until baby is 2/3. Quality wise should be good, which will last.

I've seen on the Internet:-
Silver cross - pioneer
Silver cross - wayfera
Bugaboo Bee3
Bugaboo Cameleon
Oyster 2
Stoke Scoot

Would be really helpful if you could give me reviews @ personal experience with these prams.

I've just got mix feeling about all of them as all have mixed reviews.

Also when is the right time to start looking in store for prams,carseats, furniture etc?

Thank you in advance xx

If I were you I'd go into stores and start to have a look at them. It's really difficult to get an idea online as to whether it'll suit you (in terms of height, bulkiness etc).

I love the Oyster 2 (as in, I saw it in John Lewis and fell for it) but it's sadly out of our price range. I'm looking at the Mamas and Papas Sola 2 myself.

We bought a car seat about a month ago (I'm 18 weeks now), which felt very early, but it was half price in Mothercare so thought we might as well!

In the products section there is a pushchair section, you may get more answers there. It depends on your requirements: forward/parent facing, urban/country, house/flat with stairs, car/public transport/walking. I've gone for the baby jogger versa gt, the new easywalker mosey seems to be popular on there at the moment.

In my experience, most people stop using the travel system and start using a light maclaren type buggy once the baby is around 12 months, so I wouldn't worry too much about getting something that'll last years.

I would also recommend to go to shop and see them in action.
I would go for 4 wheeler with reversible handle. So from your list I'd choose Cameleon. I wanted it, but couldn't afford, so got Frog off ebay and just fell inlove when got it. Lightweight, easy to fold and sooo tiny compared to others.

Maclaren techno xt. Suitable from birth and you only need to buy one buggy, and you can have a rueful laugh at the other parents who spend £800 on a travel system and then buy a Maclaeen Techno XT 12 months later

That said the Maclaren isn't cheap either! It's a minefield, good luck!

When I was having my daughter I went into mothercare and fell in love with the mothercare orb. I loved everything about it. You could have it forward facing or not. As there is a swivel mechanism in the middle. My daughter is now 7 months and I've had to send it back 2x. As with the car seat or normal seat sat on the chassis it went really wobbly. The 2nd time it was sent back. They gave me one of their orbs to use while I was waiting. Well this one decided to collapse while I went out and about walking. It just folded in it's own. So be weary. I know it wasn't on your list but thought I would say as I was so sad about it. They are now letting us change to a completely new pram and we've decided on the oyster max as I can add to it once the baby comes along. I definitely recommend going around the big stores and trying them out. Try folding it and putting it up by yourself too. Goodluck x

Thank you for all your comments guys x

We're planning on going browsing today, so lets see what we find (excited)

Will take all reviews in mind too when we're browsing. My husband works in Mothercare so he already knows what we should get (he's a pushchair geek), But I just wanted reviews from mums out there who experience the prams with their kids.

Thanks again x

Are you a planning to have another close in age? If so something like uppababy is good as you can add a toddler seat.

Otherwise I think the bugaboo be is great. Sturdy like a big travel system but you devo won't need to buy a stroller as well like some people do.

I did research online and then started looking & ordered when I was around 6/7months.

Its not on your list but Mamas and Papas Sola - damn good pushchair - so good infact I didnt really do strollers at all, (the sola was lighter and smoother to push & steer than any stroller I tried). This was unlike everybody else I knew who had got fed up of their (different) big travel systems by 6-12months.

Also Mamas and Papas now have one called the armadillo flip? Or something like that, that looked really good when I was in there the other day. I didn't dare look at it too much though as I can't afford a new pushchair for this one, especially as my sola should easily be up to another couple of years use.

I have a stokke scoot and love it. Reversible seat was important for us, it's really easy and great quality. It's also not as bulky as some so good on public transport etc.

But I second going to a big store for a proper look.

Im going for mamas and papas Sola2! Folds very small without having to remove the seat, is light and not too bulky which is perfect for my needs. And not (too) expensive!

I've got a second hand bugaboo frog too and won't swap to a stroller when ds is 12 months. But mostly we walk places and we have a large hall so very rarely have to fold. Two-part pushchairs (like most travel systems) are a pain to put in the boot and large to store. So it really depends on how often you will need to fold it.

I'd wait till after 20 weeks to be buying any of the major purchases. But that's just me. But when it comes to prams etc you want to go in and have a good play with it. I had my heart set on one particular pram but it didn't fit in the boot of my car without having to pull all the wheels off and dismantling the parcel shelves.

In the end we went for the icandy peach jogger. Yer it's expensive but unlike what other people have said we haven't had the need for a lightweight stroller. This pram has seen us from birth to now where dd is 2.5 and pretty much walking everywhere.

Plus they seem to sell second hand quite well so that's the plan after Xmas

First time baby here too :) we didn't know which one to go for either and the ones we liked the look of online , we weren't overly fussed when we seen them in store. We have decided on a navy mylo2 from mammas and papas, seems lovely, safe and sturdy but not too heavy to push etc. cant wait for it to arrive :)

wow a bit early to be looking at things like buggys, i always wait till at leadt 5 months begore thinking about a buggy. Stop stressing about prams and concentrate on getting to 12 weeks when you know there is a viable pregnancy.

The baby jogger range is good, I've got the city GT. good luck with it all xx

I've got a bugaboo cameleon and I still love it now 6 years & 3 children later!

I love my bee. Genuinely the best thing I have purchased for D.S who is 2.11. And whilst I'm at it...I also recommend the Tripp Trapp highchair. Still in use 2 years later.

Definitely go into some stores and make up a shortlist of pushchairs that work for you. Take into account where you will store it, will it need a neat fold, fit into a particular car boot, need to go on the bus or tube often, be suitable for off-road so need big air tyres? Do you want reversibility, large hood, 3 wheeled jogger type or four wheels, carrycot or lie flat seat?

Get a shortlist in your mind then go here and compare them all.

Go slightly mad and have fun!

I'm still using our Uppababy Vista at 14 months and planning on expanding it to a double soon. We have a stroller but only for holidays. In my experience those who change to a stroller quickly didn't think through what they wanted!

Its a really difficult thing though, as you can't quite imagine what life with a baby is going to be like until you get there. If you can try though, think really hard about how you will use your pram. Buses? Car boot? Lots of walking? Do you need a big basket to carry lots of shopping? What's the acces to your house like? Will you be dragging a full pram up steps to your front door?

If you're mostly going to be pushing a pram round shopping centres, you don't need anything fancy. If you're going to be walking dogs twice daily through woodland, you need to plan for this (and get a good sling!).

I've heard great things about the Sola. Lots of my friends with bugaboo bees look at my vista and are environs of the sun shield and large basket. If you have a bugaboo budget, go to an independent store or John Lewis and try the prams they don't have at Mothercare.

Thank you for all your comments. Went to browse prams & cots today. Didnt find anything that I would say I want 100% as yet. But liking the icandy Peach. Wasn't on my list but seems very easy to push, fold & lift. Not very heavy & when folded - very compact. Another plus point - Large Basket!!

Thank you all once again for all your reviews & advice.

Xx

Evangelical about the bugaboo bee. I have the bee +, have used it for our only pram until ds1 was almost 4 (only on the odd occasion at that age), used it constantly as I was car free on mat leave. We covered miles and miles.

Now in use for ds2, 4 mo just finished using the new basinet from the bee 3 upgrade which fitted the bee plus. It was brilliant. It has much more life left in it and I think now you can get the bassinet for the bee, why would you bother spending the extra on the cam?

One handed folding, no need to remove the seat to fold, extendable handle, parent and forward facing. I could go on . .

As you can tell I love my bee.

UppaBaby Vista. Used with my 2011 baby and will be using again with this one.

Fantastic pram.xx

Love our bugaboo bee ...brilliant lightweight, good suspension, easy to steer and easy to fold, but good quality and suitable from newborn to until preschool