Pram do'a and don't's

[ttcttc]

Looking for recommendations for prams. Prams you've bought and loved and prams you've regretted

Obviously everyone's needs are different but just to give me options to look at

Thanks.

I did look at them actually. I've only seen it once properly, had a quick look on a whim but obviously it's too early. I think it's between this and the venicci Tinum up line

Why did you for that car seat? X

I am a mum to two, my advice would be don’t think one pram will fit every need, we bought 3 within the first few months, a travel system, fold up buggy for my car, fold up buggy for DH car. Then when DS2 arrived 21mths later a twin mountain buggy.

Ickle Bubba Astra I think ours is could be moon we got the Travel system and I love it. Its easy to move, light and packs up fairly small.

Whatever you get I would look at online4baby as they do some really good packages

Congratulations xx

What sort of lifestyle? Walking loads? Driving loads? Off road walks? Pavement walks? Use lots of public transport? Live up 3 flights of stairs that sort of thing.

Not in my experience- I’ve had one YoYo for nearly 6 years!

Measure your boot and how far your front door opens. Don’t buy a pram too wide to wheel into your house (for when baby has fallen asleep on a walk) or which won’t fit in your car boot. As others have said, as baby gets older, you may well end up with various prams for different needs (eg one for car boot/holidays and a more robust one for local walks).

Sort of semi rural. We live in Cumbria so plenty of walks, coast, lakes, harbours etc.
I'll need to be able to get it into the cars as public transport is crap/non existent but we don't need it really. So sort of a multi purpose really.

I second this I've got one and it's the best pram my little one is 16 weeks and loves it better than my last pram x

I hated using prams. I used one about ten times for my first baby, my second used the cot part to sleep in downstairs but never went outside/got wheeled in it and my third never went in a pram at all. There was just so place to store one and so very few places we could go with one that it wasn’t a total PITA. Basically, it could go on walks to parks and that was it. It couldn’t even really go on walks to the canal because the way to get there is over two stiles and a narrow lock bridge. Couldn’t take it shopping because needed space in the car for the shopping. Couldn’t take it to local shops because it didn’t fit. Couldn’t take it on the bus and the train was ridiculously stressful. Was worried about babies shaking over all the cobbles endlessly and hoofing it up and down hills was hard work.

It’s a lot of cash for something to walk around the park in!

So did you just carry baby?

Maybe she just used a sling

My biggest recommendation is to buy a pram with the right wheels for the terrain you encounter - if you live somewhere with terrible or non-existent pavements, get an all terrain pram.

I started with a silver cross which had wheels suitable only for perfectly smooth shopping centre floors, and it was useless for anything more uneven as my baby was bounced about and used to scream, and I'd be cursing as it got stuck on any tiny bump.

Also don't spend loads - you'll probably end up having a few different prams/buggies/strollers as your needs and your baby's needs change, and they don't really have any resale value. Secondhand is great!

Some people like baby carriers/slings. It depends on your lifestyle and preference.

The next person, such as me, hates baby carriers and uses my pram all of the time. My baby cried in the baby carrier but is settled in his pram.

I have a pram and a baby carrier I use pram more but like baby carrier for wen I take my other child out

How much are you going to be using your pram? My friend spent £1000.00 on a pram but it lived in the boot of her car, she carried baby in and out in the car seat and after six months got a stroller because she found the pram too heavy to get out of the car by herself!

I don't drive and walk everywhere so I got a big heavy prams because I have to battle strong winds most of the year where I live. I wanted a big basket for all my stuff and the frame to be strong enough to hang my shopping off.

My first pram broke after three and a half years of daily use, the front wheel broke (I replaced that) then the frame snapped. I went through three rain covers (you can save a fortune buying the generic ones off eBay rather than the manufacturers one).

How much do you want to see your baby? My first pram wasn't parent facing which I really regretted, not being able to see baby in the pushchair mode. For my second pram I got a parent facing one but DS asked for it to be world facing at around age two. On my second pram the wheel broke and I couldn't get a new wheel because the pram was discontinued (I got it cheap for that reason but keep in mind if you get a discontinued pram you might not get any replacement parts).

You can get your pram serviced. I had a Silver Cross first and found this out after I wrecked it!

Both my prams took up a lot of room in the car boot but you can always buy a cheap stroller for holidays if you need boot space for luggage.

That's what I meant. Sorry maybe come across like I meant babe in arms I meant like a carry sling

For those suggesting babylo.. what model do you have please?

I have been through over 100 pushchairs, my absolute favourites and I still have is the uppababy vista and the new Minu V2, the vista is amazing sooo nice to push and can get loads in the basket, lots of combinations for seats, carrycots, car seats and buggy boards I just love it. The Minu is also lovely to push and folds down very small for a small boot too

Oh and forgot to mention the Uppababy customer service are fantastic and replace broken items with proof of purchase in my case, I also paid for the service £85 and I got new wheels, chassis and seat fabric!

@ttcttc the cybex cloud z can lie flat when attached to your pram or if you carry it in the house is baby is asleep so you don’t have to wake them up. I think there’s now a z2 version that lies flat in the car too but the original is great. It spins 360 in the car on the base so you can put them in without having to awkwardly lean in. It’s got so many extra safety features too and just seemed ultra safe, I loved it

Whatever you go for - mamas and papas will do a price match deal where if you can show a pram is a lower price in a physical store they’ll price match it. Very useful being able to take it away then and there!

also check out joolz aer instead of babyzen yoyo

Mamas and papas flip xt3. Very similar to the popular ocarro but hundreds cheaper!

My favourite one ever was a Bebeconfort who are now owned by Maxi Cosi. I did try out a couple of Maxi Cosi ones for DS2 and loved them but ultimately ended up with a second hand Mutsy Evo, which was fine.

Def look at the Maxi Cosi options if you can, they are a lot cheaper than some of the high end brands but still decent quality and have a lot of features.

Also Cybex Balios S Lux I really liked the look of for the money.

Have also used a Britax B-Agile which has been great for 1y+.

Look at The Stroller Workshop videos on youtube.

Go to a big pram centre (preferably independent) and try different models out to see what features you like. For me for example I really wanted one where the recline is the seat actually having a hinge in it rather than something where it was just a moulded bucket seat which tilts back and forth. And I wanted parent facing. With these two features I could skip the carrycot altogether, though we did use a carrycot with DS3 once we had a bigger car.

Fab will def have a look at these!