Best budget travel system or pram

[threecatsandcounting]

FTM here, baby is due Feb 2021.

I've been looking at prams on and off and I am in some groups on Facebook with women due the same time as me. Everybody seems to spending a ridiculous amount of money on prams (particularly travel systems) and I'm wondering if anybody ever actually spends less than £400 as everyone seems to be buying ones £800 and even £1000 and more!

I'm not sure whether a travel system is the "Best Buy" or if they're just made out to be an essential thing when they're not really. I've looked at loads of them and I don't like the ones where the carrycot turns into the upright stroller seat as they look so uncomfortable and I can imagine buying an umbrella folding stroller instead after not very long.

Does anybody have any recommendations of travel systems (3 piece ones where the carrycot doesn't turn into the seat) or am I wasting my time?

I don't drive so would mostly be used for walking around my local area/shopping centre etc and occasionally on the bus (depending on what things are like next year realistically I might not even be going anywhere on public transport!)

I think I'm being sucked in by the nice designs and the fact everybody seems to be getting one but I don't have anywhere local to go and try out prams so it's making the decision a bit difficult.

Ideally would like to spend less than £400 if possible!

Thank you in advance

Infa baby 3 in 1 travel system! Expecting our 2nd baby and i just ordered it. I read some amazing reviews about it and theres a realllyyyyy good offer going on now. It was 400 we got it for 280!!

Im sorry im gonna have to correct myself it was 499 and weve got it for 289

I got a £200 travel system from Smyths, baby isn't here yet but we've set it up and it all looks good and decent.
Babylo 2 in 1

Hauck travel system, loved it

I got a Diono Quantum travel system including a maxi cosi car seat from precious little ones for about £400 at the beginning of the year.

Would you go second hand? I got an Icandy 2 years old, with John Lewis receipts to the total of 1100, off Facebook marketplace for £200

I bought a second hand Sola2 when pregnant with my daughter (for £75). I used it for 5 months and then got rid and bought a smaller and lightweight stroller which has seen us through until DD turned 3 and we don't need it anymore. We live in a Victorian terrace with very limited space so the travel system wasn't practical, it only just fit through the hallway! My daughter hated the carrycot so that was barely used. We had a car seat which stayed in the car and if it was practical I would carry DD in a sling. I'm very glad I didn't spend £500+ on something which was only used for a few months. The stroller (a Mamas and Papas City2) was £175 I think.

Dont do it!

We got ours for 1k 16 months later we don't use it and are selling it.

Would you consider second hand and paying a buggy revamp Company?

We had a baby jogger city mini. Lies flat from birth and can put car seat on with adapters. Still fits our 5 year old (not that he uses it). Folds flat with one hand.

We were very fortunate that my parents ought our travel system, I couldn't have afforded it myself.
Prams can be crazily expensive but you can tell the difference in quality between the decent brands compared to budget ones. If you will be using it a lot I probably would buy second hand rather than buying a cheap new one.
Facebook marketplace and local parent buy/sell groups are a great place for a bargain. there are also companies that do really deep cleans of prams (I used pram parlour when getting my travel system out of storage for my second baby) so it will be good as new.

I've just ordered a travel system from online4baby. The baby jogger city premier... Reviews are great and it was less than £400 for the bundle. Some really good deals on there

We’ve got a joie chrome dlx. I think I paid roughly £400 for the bundle with car seat and isofix. Haven't used it yet (baby now overdue) but seems fine!

I echo what other people have said. I got an UPPAbaby second hand for £80. I just replaced the mattress

I’ve just got the whole icandy travel system including all the extras and isofix for £1200, I had exactly the same last time and sold it still looking brand new as he never had food or anything it in for about £400 so maybe there’s so decent second hand knocking around?

I have considered second hand I just have no idea what to look for!
At the minute I'm looking at a Hauck Rapid 4 because it folds nicely, and it's got a separate stroller seat that's big and roomy and isn't the carry cot flattened because I don't like those I feel they wouldn't last long and I'd be buying another stroller so I don't want to spend money just to replace it after a year or so as I know a lot of people do that (my SIL did exactly the same thing).

I'm just not sure how good Hauck actually are, they have mixed reviews and I can't go anywhere to actually test them out which is what bothers me.

I'm 5'11" too so I need something that's going to be a comfortable height to push etc.

There's so much choice I was even dreaming about prams last night I feel like I look and I'm still none the wiser!

I know it sounds a lot but spending hundreds isn’t actually that ridiculous if you will use it heavily for a long time. Obv only if you can actually afford it I mean. We got an uppababy Vista when they were £650 and have used it almost daily, waking miles and miles some days, for nearly four years between two kids. I have probably done more miles in it than my car most months!! In that time we have spent zilch on replacement parts or repairs and it’s a dream to push, particularly with one hand which is handy when holding onto a toddler while pushing. Obviously if money is tight then I wouldn’t suggest splurging what you can’t afford, I’m just saying that while the cost can sound astronomical, for some people it’s a significant piece of kit in day to day life and getting something good quality is actually really sensible. However, don’t be that person who buys and sells pranks every six months because they’ve gone off the pattern, that really is silly!

@threecatsandcounting

I have considered second hand I just have no idea what to look for! At the minute I'm looking at a Hauck Rapid 4 because it folds nicely, and it's got a separate stroller seat that's big and roomy and isn't the carry cot flattened because I don't like those I feel they wouldn't last long and I'd be buying another stroller so I don't want to spend money just to replace it after a year or so as I know a lot of people do that (my SIL did exactly the same thing).

I'm just not sure how good Hauck actually are, they have mixed reviews and I can't go anywhere to actually test them out which is what bothers me.

I'm 5'11" too so I need something that's going to be a comfortable height to push etc.

There's so much choice I was even dreaming about prams last night I feel like I look and I'm still none the wiser!

I'd recommend an Uppababy Vista. they're on the larger side for a travel system but so durable and I've seen really decent second hand ones on FB. It's what I have and has seen me through 2 babies and lots of abuse. Also very comfortable to push as a taller person too (I'm 5ft 10 and DH is 6ft3 and also found it great). I also liked the ride height of the pram, lots have the baby a lot lower to the ground and they feel so far away. Also the shopping basket is massive. I've managed to fit a whole weekly shop in there before now.

@threecatsandcounting have you looked on pramsy.com? They refurbish and clean the prams before sale. Some real bargains on there!

Baby jogger city mini or the GT version.

Can fit a carrycot to either and carseat.

Should last till you no longer need a buggy.

I have a cosatto giggle quad. I got it for £425, didn’t get the car seat as we got a longer lasting one and it’s not good to have baby in a car seat for long, but you can get the car set. It has a separate seat and carry cot, adjustable handle bar for different heights, is really nice to push and looks lovely. Baby’s not here yet but can’t wait to use it.

Have a look at maxi Cosi outlet website, it is genuine. I had the maxi Cosi Adorra system and bought the carrycot separately instead of a Moses basket. It was more like £550 for the set but I looked at the £800 plus ones and couldn't see how they were any better. I love my Adorra but I did get a second hand Mura for the better off-road ability. There are some beautiful second hand systems out there although I'd still want a new car seat and carry cot mattress. The Adorra has been great for us and the carry cot was well worth it as used every day for 7 months or so.

Should say i only use the Mura chassis when we're going off road, that's the only thing the Adorra isn't good at.

Joie Versatrax is brill. The update to the Chrome.

IME very few people actually need the features of the £1000+ ones.

Cosatto Giggle 2 looks great. I got one super early as I had my eye on a bundle for £750 and found the exact same on FB marketplace with all the extras like car seat, Isofix base, rain cover, changing bag all barely used for £80.

It's hiding in the cupboard as I bought it way too early.

Pick the one you want then get it secondhand! I bought a bugaboo cameleon for £100 - all the fabrics are washable and I cleaned the chassis with hot soapy water. Looked as new once I’d done that. Sold it after a year for more than I bought it for!