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prams, travel systems, 2 in1, 3 in 1, am i stupid, please help

12 replies

pud1 · 15/08/2007 09:38

hi all

i know the topic of prams and travel systems come up alot but i am so confused. i dont drive but i do need a car seat for my partners/granparents/friends car. i have looked at so many different options i feel like my head is going to explode. i was just wondering if i should by a travel system at all as i people tell me that they didnt get much use out of them as they bought a lightweight stroller as soon as they could. i would also like to know the difference between a travel system and a 3 in 1. could any one recomend a product sutable for me. i like them to look quite traditional so no 3 wheelers.

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stanleysmother · 15/08/2007 11:12

I didn't bother with a travel system as I was really paranoid about keeping ds in a car seat for too long... really didn't fancy pushing him around all scrunched up for hours on end. When they are small it's easy to transfer them asleep from car seat to pushchair, but i carried him in a sling as well as I live in London and it's easier to hop around on buses and tubes like this. I'm a big fan of Mamas and Papas - the Pliko Pramette is really good...it's a pram (albeit a modern version) which converts into a pushchair by flipping the seat over. Really easy, lightweight and not too clunky, plus comes in loads of fabrics so you have a massive choice. I bought a M&P stroller as well for about £90 which i keep in the boot of my car, but I still prefer to use the Pramette as ds is now 17 months and the seat is much more upright for him than the one in the stroller. Just my opinion but hope it helps!

ImBarryScott · 15/08/2007 11:23

we don't have a car, but did get a car seat as you never know when you might need one!

if you're using public transport a lot you need something light for bumping off and on to buses. the narrower the better too, as it's more likely to fit easily into the buggy space. we nearly got the m&ppramette, but in the end got the maclaren techno xlr travel system. i have never used it as a travel system, just as a buggy, but it was a good value way to get a decent car seat!

DITDOT · 15/08/2007 16:20

I had a mothercare travel system with DD1 and found that I used the car seat too much when she was asleep due to convenience. With DD2 I got a M&P Pramette and when in pram mode can not be used with car seat so made me take her out and lay flat in pram. Fantastic choice and still use it now (she is 15 mths) as it is comfy and sits well up just like stanleysmother says. Mine is the A3 so a bit bulky but fab. Have also got a M&P pulse buggy for hols and bus etc. Have a friend who has a JANE and they look very comfy but pricey!!

MrsBadger · 15/08/2007 16:38

Get a good carseat completely seperately.

Then look for a pushchair that meets your needs.

If you're urban and go on public transport a lot, something light like the Maclaren Techno is good to hoick on and off trains etc and is easy to fold and sling on your shoulder if you get a stroppy bus driver.

If you do long walks something bouncy with good suspension (Silver Cross Sleepover, M&P Ultima type) will be nice to push but a pain to fold and/or get up steps etc.

A compromise between the two would be a M&P Pramette or a Silver Cross 3D.

Up to you how important you think it is that you have the baby facing you.

hayley2u · 15/08/2007 17:28

i got the mamas and papas pramette too. i did get a travel system for ds1, but found as he was quite a chunk,in the winter when he had his big all in one jacket on the poor child looked squashed in. had to use the push chair after 4 months.
i vowed i would never buy another travel system and glad i,v got m&p prammette as baby can lie flat, which is best for them. i did get the matching car seat, but i will most probably keep that in car permantly to be honest.
m&p prammette was voted best pram for baby for last 3 years, i think its really pretty too . good luck though as its hard when so many choice.

fawkeoff · 15/08/2007 17:34

i had a chicco 3 in 1 travel system with dd, i rarely used the carrycot.....so i bought a travel system that just consisted of car seat and pram for ds which was about 100 quid cheaper than dds pram

fawkeoff · 15/08/2007 17:34

i had a chicco 3 in 1 travel system with dd, i rarely used the carrycot.....so i bought a travel system that just consisted of car seat and pram for ds which was about 100 quid cheaper than dds pram

lizziemun · 15/08/2007 18:17

I have a 3 in 1 mamas and papas with a classic frame. I did have a car when i got for dd now 3 1/2, but i don't have a car this time.

I wanted a pram with a sturdy carrycot as dd was born at the end of january. We used it untill dd was about 2 1/2yrs i then changed to a stoller.

I have to say on a personnel level i do not like travel systems or three wheelers.

Emprexia · 15/08/2007 22:36

I have a Graco Travel system and i've loved it.

DS is 1yr old in 3weeks (wah, he's not my baby anymore sniff) and still uses the carseat.

I do have a lightweight stroller, but that lives in DH's car, the Travel System stroller is in my car.

What i did, because i needed to be able to use the carseat in 3 cars (mine, hubbys and my parents) is i bought the travel system, which came with an in-car base, then bought 2 extra bases so i can just switch his carseat between cars with ease.

AmandaElla · 02/04/2011 22:08

Hi i have a silver cross linea freeway pram at the minute.....

It's such a big pram to get in and out of the car. I have been looking at smaller prams where the chassis are smaller than the bulky silver cross but there are so many to choose from, can anyone recommend a specific make of pram?
Thanks

Underachieving · 03/04/2011 04:40

If you only need a seat for other peoples cars then you don't need a travel system. Just fish the baby out of the car seat and pop her in the pram.

I would catagorise the types thus (ignoring that some are systems and some are not as systems fall into all camps).

Real Prams. These are the silvercross type sprung things Mary Poppins would like. They are good if you walk everywhere because they are comfy and have much bag carrying capacity. The are also good because they are simple to fold, of a bit large (not so large a taxi or decent car would worry, but might fill an MR2 or Corsa boot) . They can be bulky on the bus/train unless you can easily stand for your journey and they are rarely travel systems.

Pramettes. Like real prams, but a bit more modern, including that they fold smaller which can be helpful on busy trains or if your house has no space to keep a pram. These convert to puschairs for later use. Most are part of a travel system, which you may consider a bonus- not strictly needed but nice.

Pushchairs/strollers. These tend to fold up small, which is helpful for public transport, but are generally less comfy to push and have less storage than the above types. I wouldn't pick this kind for you as comfort for lots of walking is more important than convenience of folding since you will not use a car most of the time. You also need to check the age as only some are suitable from birth.

3 wheelers. You don't like them, but if you did I would say they are good for walking on grass/gravel/mud, they are stable and don't tip easily (except if you line them up wrong coming off a kerb), they tend to be solid/durable, many can have a second seat fitted for new arrivals. They are bad because they are expensive, they are not your personal choice for the prettiest and they are the worst kind to fold.

For you, I would say the choice is between a real pram and a pramette. Go to a shop that sells this stuff and have a really good play with the models on display. Ask to see how it folds and to have a go yourself, also have a go at every other major adjustment you can make, eg seat angle and handle height. Wheel it round the shop at a slow march and see if when you take big strides you kick the axle (which is a total PITA when you are rushing somewhere). Jiggle it about a bit and see if it seems to have good suspension. Ask yourself:

Is it comfortable to push?
Can I get it on the bus/train (if you use them) without a fold (tip, if it's a disabled access bus/train then they'll all go on ok)
Is it pretty? Do I actually like it?
Can I afford it?
Does it look trustworthy to me or will I worry about leaving the room if DC falls asleep in it in the hall?

BeetleBaby · 03/04/2011 09:10

Underachieving's advice is very good, especially about going to the shops an trying them out, some of them are just so big when you see them it's a bit of a shock!

I would add to go with a list of things that you really will not compromise on (for me it was no 3 wheelers, must be forward and rear facing, must have hight adjustable handles as I'm a short arse and DH isn't, price, weight).

Then a list of things you would like but are happy to compromise on (e.g mine were one handle instead of two, colour choices, if a carrycot could be added/included, car seat).

I found this limited things to a number of choices that was much easier to get my head around. In the end we went for the M&P Sola as we got a very good deal on the price and it ticked all the 'must' list and also the 'compromise' list. I also found it very useful to look at the Which? reviews, I even signed up and paid the membership for a month or so to get all the safety test info and the like.

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