Anyone got a traditional Silver Cross Pram?

[Jasmine1111]

We're thinking about getting one of these - I've always loved them and love the idea of pushing baby in one.

Just wondered if anyone had one and whether they liked it? It would be the Kensington, rather than the balmoral one.

Thanks.

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Hello!

We've noticed this thread is quite old and wanted to let you know that we've recently spent weeks speaking to parents and testing out pushchairs and buggies. Read our reviews to see which lightweight buggy was crowned best of the best.

Hope that helps!

MNHQ

nope

not value for money IMO

had a look at cleaning up the ancestral one from a friends' garage but when I realised that it wouldn;t go through my front door (and therefore not through many shop doors either), weighs a ton, would never fit in the car however you took it apart, is hard to steer and poor on rough or muddy ground I thought again.

By all means get a decent pram with a proper carrycot but do think about your real day-to-day life, not the lovely mental image you have in your mind.
Try Bebe Confort or Emmaljunga for trad-looking prams that are actually compatible with modern living and (usefully) can convert to pushchairs later.

I was lent one after the birth of my first dc. I liked it. It was surprisingly easy to push around given how big it was. It did however cause quite a reaction and this may or may not be a good thing to your mind. People in the street generally got out of my way when they saw me coming and I was found out later I was often referred to as "the woman with the PRAM". People would always stop and comment on the pram, which I actually quite liked because it got me chatting to lots and lots of random people at a time when I didn't really know many people locally. Of course, they are completely impractical if you want to go on a bus or need to put in in the car, but you could always get a McLaren for that.

My sister has one - she loves it! Believe it or not, she found it in a charity shop - mint condition with all bits and bobs - for fifty pounds! Please note however, she does not live in London (as I do) and so managing it's bulk isn't really an issue for her (I'll be getting a MacLaren!). If money isn't a real issue, and you like the look of them, I say go for it!

Thanks for your opinions! If we do go for it, we'd get a smaller more practical buggy for quick trips in the car. But I think I would be able to get it in the boot of a car - from looking, the size of the wheels isn't too much bigger than that of other traditional looking prams, so it's jsut the carry cot part which is bigger.

I had an old Silvercross type pram that I was given by a friend of MIL.

It was wonderful. great for ds2 to sleep in. Easy to push. Very much admired by old ladies. What more could you want

I used it until ds2 was over 1. We moved house and it was trickier to manhandle it in the porch otherwise I might have carred on using it for longer. We did have a cheap folding pushcahir for the car too.

We had one as babies and I remember pushing my sister in it. It's not practical for me to use, which is a shame because in terms of comfort for the baby, it's lovely. Like sleeping in a double bed instead of a camp bed.

I borrowed one from a friend for my 4th child. I absolutely loved it - it was perfect for the baby to sleep in during the day and he was a summer baby so he went in the garden in it too. i never took it out of the house because i prefer to use a baby sling when thy're tiny and then moved straight to an umbrella buggy. have bought one off e-bay for my 5th child. one of the great things about them is their size and stability - which feels safer if you have other children who try to climb in with them etc. i wouldn't fancy trying to go to a cafe or small shop with one though - they're pretty huge! planning to keep this one for my grandchildren......

Mmm, mixed feelings. My mum and dad have still got (and used with ds) their original one from the 70s. Ds slept like a dream and they loved showing him off in it, having old ladies cooing over them. They always went out together, so didn't need to take it in a shop and only used it 'for walks'.

In a practical 'real life' situation it's a pain - too big to take on a bus, to take in a shop, you obviously can't leave it or your baby outside a shop, narrow pavements are a nightmare and it's not easy to get on and off the curb. Oh and you need a massive hallway to store it in.

So, depends how you'll use it.

DH and I played around with one in John Lewis. It appears to be more manouverable and lighter than a Bugaboo Chameleon, at least around the shelves in JL's baby department...

Mind you, that's the new and super pricey version. I guess the ones from the 70s are a bit heavier.

If someone bought me one I'd be delighted, except I'd have to keep it in the shed (vv narrow hallways at home).

'wouldn;t go through my front door (and therefore not through many shop doors either), weighs a ton, would never fit in the car however you took it apart, is hard to steer and poor on rough or muddy ground I thought again.

'

It fits through my bog-standard width double-glazed front door. The pram's 22" (55cm) wide.

Goes through all shop doors so far.

Weighs 10kg, that's as light as a medium-priced buggy.

The carrycot detaches from the chassis and the chassis folds down, though the wheels don't pop off, it's still smaller than a double buggy.

It's been bounced over ploughed fields at a steam rally..great suspension! Not easy, you have to take baby out first, ideally!

It's actually shorter than my Jane Powertwin: 45.5" long. I'm taking it on the bus tomorrow (modern lowliner 'buggy friendly' type), I'll update next few days whether it fits in that buggy space (wheelchair space)and how well or not in manoeveres into position (some of those spaces have a vertical bar in the way and narrower aisles).

I've just moved from Todmorden in West Yorks which is a bit of a nearby Hebden Bridge hippy overspill town (like Heb it's full of Londoners ) and only 1 Silver Cross in Tod, owned by just one of them types).
Now in a Northamptonshire village, I'm the only one with a Silver Cross, but I'm thinking these are gonna have a popularity resurgance since some pesky 'Slebs have been out and about with them in LA...

I recommend it. I feel like a proper old-fashioned mum who's put baby's comfort before practicality and/or vanity.

strange how things are different all over the country - I live in kent, and the only people who have silver cross type prams are 'chavs' - of more specifically, gypsies, complete with massive gold hoops, scraped back permed hair in a scrunchie, and 15 other kids in tow. It really is, around here, the marker of someone who lives in a home with wheels. (sorry, completely stereotypical view, I know, but trust me, not far from the truth)

Strange - I remember my brother being pushed around in one, I must have been too, and I think back then (70s)it was what everyone had.

I wouldn't consider it now - not just the 'chav' thing, but we would not get it through the door of our very narrow victorian terrace - in fact have no idea at all how we will get any buggy through the door - possibly might be going for a sling as a carrier instead of a buggy! or some kind of a 'buggy shed' in the front garden!

I had the Silver Cross Sleepover for dd2. I know it is not the traditional but it might be a good compromise. I loved mine in pram mode. DD2 has never slept as well since she outgrew the carrycot.