Looking for a pram that is suitable from birth

[wondering7777]

I’m hoping to buy a lightweight pram (I use public transport a lot) that is suitable from birth onwards as I don’t want to buy two. I’m keen to buy from John Lewis as they have a good deal on at the moment where if you spend over £500 in one go, you get a £100 gift card.

However, most of the prams seem to be suitable for babies aged six months plus.

Do I need a pram at all from 0-6 months or can I just use a sling?

The amount of options out there is completely overwhelming!

@mynameiscalypso Do you need to buy the bassinet for the Bee for newborns, so they can lie totally flat? I think it’s an extra £200 or so which is quite a lot!

I will look into the iCandy raspberry too, thanks to those who suggested it.

@Jessikka love the look of the Ocarro, thanks!

You don't need the bassinet, no. There's a newborn insert (it's called a cocoon) which you can use instead. It doesn't go totally flat but I preferred it to the bassinet because you could strap the baby in which you don't do in the bassinet (we had both). The advantage that the bassinet has is that you can use it as a Moses basket / somewhere for the baby to nap when you're at home. In retrospect, I would have just gone with the cocoon though.

@mynameiscalypso thanks! I thought newborns needed to lie totally flat, but it seems like a lot of people do use the Bee with a cocoon from birth?

I'm in the exact same position and EVERYONE I've asked has told me to get the Baby Jogger City Mini GT. annoyingly John Lewis don't do them anymore but when I went there I asked about it in comparison to the ones they showed me and they admitted the City Mini was superior. Also a great price. I know people who spent loads on icandy's etc then gave up with how heavy and cumbersome they were after a few months and bought the city mini. You see them everywhere where I live.

I’m not sure I like the look of the Baby Jogger personally, but each to their own!

The recommendation is sleep completely flat till 6 months, hence why they say to not leave them sleeping in car seats now. Have a look at the lullaby trust website for guidance and base your decision from there. Everyone has different views based on experience or opinion of risk.

I found it really hard to choose so just went with what I felt gave me the most options as a first time mum (within budget).

Also you will likely only use first car seat for up to 12 months then you'll need a new one, so think about whether adaptability will be needed during that time.

I’m looking at the cybex Mios or Priam-spring blossom.
Both can be used from newborn without the bassinet.
And The cybex z cloud car seat reclines to a near flat position so we can use that too for quick trips out when attached to the buggy.
Not cheap but this car seat has won awards for safety

Xx

I loved my bugaboo bee! The cam3 is lovely but quite big..still lightweight though!

My pram you can use from birth but honestly with two kids I got very little use out of it until they were older. Neither liked the carrycot attachment and I didn’t like it either. I used a sling 95% of the time.. so if you’re considering that it’s definitely a decent plan.

The cam3 is lovely but quite big..still lightweight though!
I do not find it lightweight!! Really difficult up and down steps.

We also use public transport a lot as we live in London and don't have a car. Initially we thought we wanted something as lightweight as possible so were thinking down the Bugaboo Bee, Uppababy Cruz, Yo-yo sort of lines. However when we tried them out in the shop we realised we'd need something a bit bigger so that we could fit more in the pushchair itself and for taking if to the park/on walks as the wheels just seemed a bit too lightweight for everything we wanted to do. We got a mamas & papas Flip xt2 and it's been great - we've had it for a year now and I take it on the bus most days. We also have a lightweight buggy for when we want to be sure we will get on the bus/taking him on long distance trains when you have to fold up your entire pushchair bit we didn't get that until he was about 7 months.

Do not get a Bugaboo Chameleon or Uppababy Vista. These are not compatible with buses as they have massive wheels which stick out meaning not as many pushchairs can fit on the bus and you'll be glared down from other mums such as me if we then can't get on the bus. Plus they're ridiculously heavy.

Oh and we've also got a sling which I generally keep in the bottom of the buggy for times when I can't get on the bus and need to be on that one otherwise I'll be late for something important, but I definitely couldn't have only had the sling for the first six months of his life but that depends on how you are as a person and whether your baby likes being carried.

Oh and definitely try putting the pushchair down yourself if you'll be taking it on buses as some are really easy and some are a lot more complex which if you've got a bus full of passengers waiting for you then you'll be thankful for... Although I think I've only folded down the pushchair once on my own as every other time if I can't get on the bus then I just wait for the next one and build that into my timings for getting to places. Now we've got the lighter pushchair I take that if I'm worried about bus space but that's for 6+ months.

If you want to buy only one buggy then look at the Baby Jogger City Mini.
I prefer the GT version because it has larger foam filled (so no punctures) wheels and is nicer to push and a more comfortable ride for the baby.

It's very simple to fold, genuinely with one hand only. The seat is big enough to take a large toddler, the rain cover is easy to use, there is a carrycot available but the seat is suitable from birth because it lays flat but probably needs a bit of cosying up a bit with a comfy footmuff and lambskin (I always preferred a carrycot but loads of people on here don't).
It's also car seat compatible when you need it.

All of this and the build quality is top notch so it certainly will last the whole time.
Worth a look.

I have the bee5 and love it!! It's really light but sturdy. We have a yoyo as well and I'm not really a fan (it was my sisters). You can just get a big standard maxi cosi car seat. We got the bassinet but our son (98th percentile height and weight) our grew it by about 2 months as he was so long! He then went into a cocoon in the main buggy.

I would look at the Baby Zen Yo-yo. I wish I had bought that one. I bought a City Mini GT and regret it. In many respects it’s a good buggy, but I found it to be huge for taking on the bus and pushing round shops. I ended up buying a lightweight pushchair after 6 months or so. I would also look at slings - perhaps try a sling library. I wish I had mastered using a sling with dc1.

micra lite
qbit
tutti
tutti 2
Jane 1
Jane 2
Jane 3
Jane 4

I tried various prams as I needed one that was lightweight and bought the Oyster 3, it's one of the most light weight I tried. I bought the Joie i level car seat in the sale which fits it. The seat reclines so it's safer for a newborn

I loved my Bee!

OP I used it until my children got too big for a pushchair altogether, it makes a great toddler buggy as well as a pram. Lightweight and easy to fold. I used it on London buses easily.

Parent faces which you can swap round when they’re bigger and has height adjustable handles which was good for DH as he’s taller. Also I bought the cocoon for when they were tiny which kept them snug.