Pram - HELP

[CalFairy]

I’m 33 weeks and we still haven’t decided on a pram. We liked the Egg 2 in store, but they’re super expensive and I’m struggling to find one second hand locally and starting to get to the stage where I just want the pram sorted!

Other options are: Uppababy Vista 2 and Bugaboo (possibly Fox?) all seem similar price range and don’t want to make the wrong investment.

Can you all please advise if you have one of the above three brands and how it has been? Positive and negative comments welcomed!

• Boot space / ease of folding etc
• Walks on pavement and woodland
• Overall in terms of longevity, ease of use, any other factors?

Out of the three, if you do want to walk in the woodland / off road the bugaboo will be the best. When I went to the pram shop (wich is a good idea, you don't need to buy one just get a good look and feel) they told me to stay clear of the egg for anything off road and they didn't even have the vista in there off road section.

I actually went for the m&p ocarro as wonderful off road and nippy for pavements and shops but a fair bit cheaper. Still very robust and luxurious I felt as well!

I also have the mamas and papas ocarro, very good for off-road. I'm a dog walker so more often in fields and parks than on the pavement! A lot of buggies have tiny wheels or are so light that they don't handle well off road x

I have had an egg 2 for my last baby and a mamas and papas for my first. 100% would say the egg was worth the money. It's durable, folds well, nice and responsive to push and looks lovely. The mamas and papas felt a lot cheaper, harder to fold and we ended up ditching after 8 months.

Another vote did the ocarro- really great for walks and can fold it with one hand to pop in the boot!

Bugaboo Fox 5 the best, if you head to John Lewis bigger stores, you can try them out and if you book the nursery appointment they give you a discount code. They also have a terrain tester which u can push the buggy along on fare grass, dodgy pavement etc. It is strong and easier to push than other prams, with more control on brakes etc.

The uppa is more if you think you want a second child soon after and can make it into a double buggy (by buying extra seats later), but some reviews have said the way the set up is not practical as one child is facing the wrong way etc.

I have uppa baby vista 2. It's amazing. We've done some forest walks and tiny hikes and cobbled streeets. It's served us very well.

I have the Vista 2 and quite like it for off roading! We're out with the dog often and it can handle bumpy paths, tree roots etc. no problem. The only surface I've struggled on is sand, but I think most buggies struggle on sand.

As someone said, it's often bought with a small age gap in mind - it's how justified the cost, but we actually ended up getting a side by side for when our second arrived, but still get a good amount of use from the Vista either when my big one is in nursery, and when he prefers to walk. It's a big beast, so you'd want decent boot space, and probably avoid if you get a lot of trains as it doesn't fit down the aisle!

I wouldn’t worry too much as in a short space of time you’ll either want a side by side double if you have another or switch to a stroller.
A carrycot that’s safe for overnight sleeping is a good idea

I’m a child care provider and my last family had the Uppababy Vista 2. I loved it. We routinely did 5/6 miles and baby was very happy. But that was paved streets, not rough terrain. It did almost blow over on me one day though, which was quite scary. Someone ran to help me hold on to it.

We have the vista (not sure which model, sorry, but bought in late 2017), love it. It's been in continuous use for well over 5 years now, 3.5 year old still hops in and out on long walks. It's very sturdy and the basket is enormous. We've used it in our local forest loads of times and it's fine.

Edited to add: hated it as a double though, far too cumbersome.

Check out the Nuna Mixx. We went with that one after going to look in John Lewis and Mamas and Papas

the bugaboo bassinet can also double as an overnight cot, because it has the breathable space

(Contrary to MN expectations, we never switched to a smaller buggy although we do have one for flying etc it's only used when necessary.)

We got the egg2, one of the things that sold it to us was that it can be made into a tandem pram if you're thinking of another baby soon after- if that's something you're thinking might be worth checking if the other brands do the same?
I found it to be a great pram and stayed in immaculate condition. We were able to use an NHS discount and a store discount combined, just recently sold it and it held its value well.
Have a look on marketplace and Vinted - check there's 3 spokes on the wheels as that's a quick way to check which version egg it is.

Thanks all! Just checked back and seen all of the replies. I’m still just as confused haha! We were told in store that the Egg was fine for woodland walks. I wouldn’t say it’s essential, but we do have a large dog and I feel like the potential to do those type of walks will pop up. Although I have seen some people say they just used a carrier for walks so maybe it’s irrelevant?! FTM so I have no idea. Think we might have to go and take another look at everything in store. I tried the Ocarro and found it quite bulky and heavy to fold down compared to the Egg?

@CalFairy dog walker here too; carriers are amazing, but don't do much when the weather is bad and all also have a lower limit of 8lbs wich can mean there not usable for a few weeks depending on babies size ( we had a 5lb dot so was a few months before we could use ours).

To be fair I think even the best off road prams have their limitations, even three wheelers so I'd just go for what you like best and the perks it has (Foldability, added extras, look and style!) I think most decent all terrain branded prams these days can tackle a woodland trail with leaves, twigs mud and some grass 😌

I have the Fox 5 and I've used the Ocarro before. Much prefer the Ocarro. Fox 5 feels more sturdy and feels expensive but it's very bulky

Carriers are hard to predict. My eldest spent a lot of time in hers in the house but I hated it out and about as nowhere to put bags etc.

One more question, in terms of longevity did you find you changed to a lightweight buggy after the first year? That’s all in my mind when considering forking out over £1k for these prams.

@CalFairy I haven't but do use for walking dog so wouldnt be able to use a buggy in these areas. I also feel they can't be as comfy

Ugh hit send to quick lol
Fell they can't be as comfy, plus in winter months my pram has the foot muff etc on to keep little one warm. I have a big car though so have no issues with it being in the boot all the time! Only have a buggy for holidays and this is for the weight limit only. Plan to use it for my second as a baby! Probably will get a double buggy for walks though, but glad to have single for when eldest in nursery. So there's that to thing if as well ☺️ feel it's is worth the cash for me!

To be honest, once dd got to 6 month I bought a cheap lightweight buggy (forward facing) and used that 90% of the time. If you have a car and don't walk that much I would seriously recommend waiting, just use a baby carrier at first and see what you really want it for. There's reversible, lie flat options from around £120 - work out why you need to spend more???

I have a bugaboo dragonfly and it’s not great OFF road but is fine on park paths, unadopted pothole roads etc. very light, dream to fold and so easy to steer. I had an iCandy before and I love the bugaboo.

We’re BIG walkers. Pre children we’d walk 15 miles in a day regularly. We didn’t get an all terrain buggy because we wouldn’t be able to go anywhere with it. Kissing gates, styles etc. My sister has the Vista and it’s HUGE. My other sister has a Nuna and they never use it because likewise can’t actually go anywhere with ut. We were given the Nipper secondhand and that’s fine for like agricultural shows but that’s about it. Honestly we carry the children. We invested in an Osprey Poco Plus and an Ergobaby omni 360. My eldest is 2.5 and he mostly walks unless we’re doing more than 3 miles. Just get the pushchair you need for the supermarket, don’t bother with the all terrain function, I doubt you’ll need it.

ETA we got a lie flat from birth buggy because at the time we had a Mini Cooper (Cybex Beezy), everyone I know has opted for a smaller pushchair once baby can sit upright. And ours is perfectly fine in muddy country roads (we’ve done 10 miles with it). Bonus is you can lift it over things on your own if needed.

Yeah I changed to a Bee once DD1 was walking and I needed something easy to push with one hand whilst she toddled alongn