Pram or stroller?!

[Noodles14]

We are currently looking at prams and are quite shocked at the price of them and how big they are although we do really like the Uppababy Vista. So I started to look at strollers as we are planning a holiday next year (and want to take one with us) when baby is about 5/6months old and started to wonder if a stroller is suitable for a baby instead of the expensive, large prams...all the time not just for holiday!
Any thoughts?
So I've just looked at the Silver Cross Zest Stroller (£125) for example and wondered if anybody has opted for something like this? I suppose it depends on lifestyle, budget etc but would this be suitable for everyday use (from newborn) or are they generally suited to older babies/toddlers?!
Any thoughts?!

I’m sure they are suitable from birth when fully reclined but I wouldn’t do it personally. I appreciate the support a carrycot offers, I also like the fact the car seat can be attached so the baby doesn’t get woken up and I like the fact the Pram seat can face me so I can see/talk to the baby. I had a stroller briefly with DC1 and I hated it, it wasn’t very sturdy at all. eBay is great for second hand prams.

For a newborn you would need it to lay flat so I don't think most strollers would be suitable. Not 100% sure on the above, but I can whole heartedly recommend the Uppababy vista! I loved mine. The basket is incredible, carrycot is lovely and safe for overnight sleep and the toddler seat lays flat for naps once baby is older. X

We have a babyzen yoyo- suitable from newborn, you can attach the car seat and great for holidays as you can take it into the cabin as a carry on. If you live primarily in the city and don’t need a pram that can handle rough terrain/off roaring then I’d save the money skip straight to the stroller. If you enjoy a country walk then I’d get both.

Strollers a rubbish, especially for little babies. I fly regularly and have always taken a proper pushchair for my ds. Better support, choice of parent facing, generally better sun canopies etc.

We hardly used our pram - baby was in an ergobaby most of the time and at around 6 months we got the silvercross zest. We use it everyday, and highly recommend it, but agree with pp - technically you might be able to use it from birth, but I wouldn’t have been comfortable doing that, certainly not until they can hold their head up unaided. It really depends on your lifestyle whether or not you’ll use a pram, as I said, we rarely did. Have you looked at the Babyzen yoyo? It’s a bit pricier than the silvercross zest but you can get a new born attachment for it.

You will also want parent facing.

I would 100% consider second hand. I saw a vista on a local selling page for £125 the other day. Mama and papa armadillo also looks good but much cheaper.

If public transport - especially buses - is your only method of transport then a pram is a big giant no no. It may not be perfect to have a forward facing buggy for a newborn but it's better to have one of those than to not be able to go anywhere.

We bought a stroller for our first baby, one that goes flat and is suitable from birth and it was half price at £80. I bought it thinking I'd get a 'proper' pram once the baby had arrived but we found we didn't need another. My baby also had reflux so had to be slightly inclined all the time anyway so we'd never have used a carrycot attachment. The option to mount the car seat to the pram is handy in the early days but realistically they get too big and heavy for it quickly.

I'd spend money on a decent sling/carrier instead (we do live in a v hilly area so was much easier with a sling than pushchair).

There's a few Joie and Graco strollers that allow you to attach a car seat.

Thanks for your responses. We live in a small village with decent paths but also some woods that I walk in a lot with the dog (although I was thinking of getting a carrier for these times). Also drive so public transport isn't something I use at all. Go to lots of parks and coffee shops and just worried about fitting in a huge pram! Now I'm really torn...
I agree that a newborn is probably safer and more secure in a proper carrycot but I have friends who have said theirs have grown out of them very quickly. I'll have to go and look at some in mothercare I think!

Ours all hated the carrycot and we didn’t use it.

Having a car seat that goes on the base is a big plus with a proper travel system. You may find you’re fine with a car seat and stroller and not the carrycot. It depends how long they’re in in.

Spent over a grand on a bugaboo, went from carrycot to sit up bit in 4months. At 12months walking and hates being in a pram. Sold it and got a stroller. Won't be spending that much next time round. Wish we'd just got a stroller

I used a from birth stroller by Joie. It was completely adequate for a newborn and really easy to use and store, as well as take abroad on planes and use on public transport in city. Couldn't recommend more. I used to work in a shop where we sold big prams and travel systems and tbh hardly anyone didn't come back after 4 months or so and buy a stroller.

I have purchased a travel system for when our baby is born but I’m also looking to buy a newborn stroller as we live between two countries and a stroller is much easier to travel with. To be honest I’ve found that most strollers need an additional nest/cocoon or even carry cot added to make them suitable for newborn. Then also if you want them be able to have one that you can fit a car seat on you need to purchase adapters so in the end the decent ones don’t end up being any cheaper than a pram/travel system so if one of the main reasons for a stroller is cost it may not even work out better. That said I’m also looking at the babyzen yoyo as I love how small it collapses to but with the newborn addition it works out just as expensive as some travel systems.

I have the Uppababy Vista and love it. It’s not small but it isn’t huge by any means. I walk miles so wanted something that was sturdy, good on all terrains and cosy for DC. A stroller wouldnt have been as good by any stretch. I love that I can do the shopping and stash it underneath and I travel via car and bus around our city with no problems. The carrycot was great as it is certified for safe overnight sleeping, so we could use it for naps too. I’m hoping it’s a sensible investment should there be baby #2 (and it can be converted to a double with some adaptors).

I’ve also just bought a Cybex Eezy S for holiday and traveling on longer train journeys. It folds up to hand luggage size and weighs just under 6kg and has a one handed fold. It’s for 6 months plus, but should be handy for the next couple of years.

Buy a vista off Facebook/gumtree for a couple of hundred quid. See how you get on with it. If you hate it, you’ll sell it for pretty much what you bought it for.

We have the Silvercross reflex!
It's a fab stroller and can be used from birth with an accessory pack which lies flat and looks like a carry cot.
Great wheels, can push one handed and has an extendable hood which comes all the way down to cover the child!

We've just bought the vista for our 3rd. Got an old model off of marketplace for £140. It included everything including carrycot, raincovers, the works. I do appreciate that with your first you do want to buy new and we did too, but I really see the merits of buying second hand. Baby really needs to lie flat for their wellbeing and to tuck them in you're going to need a carrycot (you could probably do it in a stroller but they will be more comfortable in a pram). If you've not heard of the fourth trimester have a Google - babies like being all squished and cosy and a carrycot will do a better job than a stroller.

My dn was in the tatty teddy stroller from birth. It laid flat and had the head support cushion and im sure was under £200 think it was by obaby. They loved it and it did the job they needed it to as they relied on public transport a lot.

DS1 had a pram travel system with rh3 detachable car seat.
DS is only 13mo and we're expecting DC2 now. I've brought a double stroller, it was the one I liked the best and came within my budget. Also have a tiny car. Fingers crossed it's not as bad as most people are suggesting. But I do have a sling for newborn to one year. And a hiking backpack for toddlers, so between me and DH if we was going anywhere slightly off road we'd just have them attached to us.