Buying stuff-anyone else so overwhelmed?

[DannyWallace]

HELP!!
So, I live relatively rurally. The closest big city is a couple of hours away so I don't really have any good shops (mothercare/department stores)close by.
Anyone else find the choice online soooo overwhelming.

I need a buggy that is suitable for pavements plus a bit of off-roading as I spend a lot of time in forests with my dogs (I will be using a sling/baby carrier but also want a buggy suitable). I also preferably want one that I can use from birth and will last a few years.

There's just sooooo many car seats. Also would rather one that I can use from birth for a few years.

It's just so difficult to see online what furniture is actually nice in real life (the colours look different in real life I think).

I want to use reusable nappies but even the choice of those is crazy!!!

Any advice?!! I'm happy to spend whatever money I need on something I like, but I don't want to waste a lot of money (everything is in the hundreds!!) on something I hate!

Why don’t you write a list of potentials and then make the journey to look at the items? Personally I wouldn’t have wanted to have selected my travel system without seeing it.

If that’s not a possibility have a look at reviews online about the items and filter to specific words that apply to you.

@Thetigerwhocameto I'm actually going with my mum next month so that's a great idea to make a list first.

What kind of travel system did you go for? I feel completely clueless!

I found the choice online so overwhelming too that in the end I went on the mum and baby awards website, looked at the top three of each thing I needed and picked the one I like.

I can also strongly recommend the Mamas and Papas Ocarro pram, which in my opinion meets the spec you have stated.

Asking questions in the pushchair and parenting sections here will help- if you get a short list together and then check the Which and Pushchair Expert reviews before visiting big mothercare or nursery store to push them around and see if they fit in your car etc.

My twopence- I think the Out N About Nipper (buggy) and Joie 360 (car seat) would be worth looking at from what you said it your op.

Reusable nappies!! I can help you :)

I use totsbots night time nappies for the night (look on their website) and miosolo all in ones for the day. Easy!! They’re on sale on amazon right now. - you can also loan kits from a nappy library first if you’d like.

Bugaboo Camelion is great for all terrains and last from birth all the way through to whatever age you need.

Baby slings are amazing 😍🙌🏼 I loved my soft wrap one, it was a baby shower gift but think they got it from amazon xx

Amazing advice!! Thank you all

Do you have a John Lewis anywhere near you? They do a special appointment that you can book online - someone will take you round all their stock and talk you through the options and you can try things out. We looked at buggies, car seats, furniture, feeding stuff...everything! At the end they make a list of everything you liked that you can access online sort of like a wedding list.

In my experience there was absolutely no pressure to buy anything. We didn’t buy anything there and then and went away with the list the see if we could find things cheaper (most we could)

It was a great experience and I’d highly recommend it!

Similar situation to yourself ... (we’ve gone the Jane trider FYI but also seriously considered mountain buggy) I started out by emailing about 6 ‘proper’ independent pram and baby shops outlining our lifestyle ie a rugged off road buggy, wanted lie flat car seat etc, 3 replied and on that basis we visited 2 - one 2.5 hours away one 3 hours away! Both shops spent over 2 hours with us understanding our needs. Yes we probably could have got slightly cheaper on online but the personal service and help with things like checking fitting correctly, demonstrating functions etc was more important. Actually because we placed a large order (pram, seat, nursery furniture) and paid up front we were able to negotiate a few £100 discount. We also ended up spending more with them as well as we picked up clothes accessories etc in our visits.

Oh and on the birth to a few years car seat - we were told to bear in mind even if you never have an accident, (even a fender bender requires replacement) change car etc, the polystyrene will deteriorate and it’s recommended to replace every 3-4 years anyway (depends on manufacturer) so these ones that say they do birth to 12 y o are never going to see that lifespan

Best bit of off-road buggy advice I was ever given: buggies with 3 medium sized wheels are good on most types of terrain. Wheels with tyres that can be re-inflated are generally more durable and better quality. Buggies with 4 small wheels are often not great off tarmac (some high quality ones even struggle on gravel).

I signed up for Which? Membership when i became a parent and now i usually get whatever is their best buy recommendation for any baby equipment. Its also great for choosing household things like washing machines and vacuum cleaners! The choice online is overwhelming