How often do you fold a pram???

[OperaPanda]

Hi there,
Silly question but we're expecting our first kid and starting to look into prams.

I've always thought we needed something that folds with one hand, for ease and efficiency. If possible with carrycot still on it, so I was thinking of getting sthg like the Peg Perego book pop up. But a London friend told me she actually never folds her pram except for car journeys.

We don't have a car and will use mostly buses and trains. We live in Greater London and will occasionally go into central London so will use the tube. We might take the eurostar or other train a couple of times a year. I can see folding would be useful on train (but then you have time to fold with two hands if needed I guess) but the rest of the time would the quick fold be of no use? Should I be looking at other features as a priority?

We're also wondering how key the carrycot is. I liked the Uppababy Cruz if folding with two hands is ok. Technically it is suitable from birth but baby might look lost and needs to be strapped... So was thinking of buying carrycot too. At the same time, a lot of people seem to say their baby outgrows the carrycot well before 6months, same thing w Bugaboo Bee. So is it worth it?

It's hard to know before your life changes what you will need, so would really love opinion from mums who have a similar lifestyle (no car, not social animal but still planning on going out to coffee shops and trips to nearby towns by train occasionally)

Thanks a lot!

I had a Britax B-Agile buggy, it was lightweight and is travel system compatible, comes with either three or four wheeled options. The pushchair features a one-handed pull-fold mechanism - meaning you simply find the handle hidden in the middle of the seat unit and pull-up. So its really easy to fold and unfold.

No car here and we hardly ever folded our pram. That said, we live in an area with a very frequent bus service and where the buses have extra spaces for prams (separate from wheelchair space), so have almost never needed to fold it on a bus. We also used a sling a lot for public transport as it's so much easier than pram.

Everyday, but I have a car and drive every day.

We have the Baby Jogger City Mini for everyday use. And the Bugaboo Buffalo if we're going off the beaten track a bit. They're both fab, but the Mini is much less expensive.

I use public transport and fold all the time. To be fair though my main bus route into town goes past a residential home for young disabled people so I just got used to folding as soon as I get on the bus in anticipation of wheelchairs getting on.
I had a Joie chrome and a sling initially but now use a mamas and papas armadillo which folds so easily.

We are in the same situation as you. No car, live in london where there's good public transport and wanted something easy and efficient for when DS was born.

We were also worried about not using the carrycot as I got the same feedback from friends - they outgrow them quickly.

We ended up with the Mutsy Nexo. It is light, easy to fold if you need to (although we almost never do fold it) and it has a back that falls down flat so suitable from birth. Basically it's an all-in-one, and we are by and large very happy with it. That only thing ppl commend on is that the baby wasn't facing me when v little, although this never really bothered me I have to say.

I always suggest getting the carrycot second hand. They are only used for a few months so are usually in good condition.
Agree it doesn't sound like a quick fold is a necessity for you.

Personally I'd look at getting a decent sling alongside a cheap and easy to fold pram.

I fold nearly every time I get the bus (every other day ish) but there isn't much pram room here and I prefer to fold tbh. Don't live in London. Find I end up bashing the pram about a bit folding it, hence recommending something cheap and light you can replace if it gets whacked once too often.

Slings - close caboo is good for littles, or something like an ergo or connecta. Then the cheap light pram can be for fairly brief periods and transporting changing bag / shopping etc.

We got loads of use out of our carrycot, and my DS is the 99th percentile for height.

We have the Cosatto Giggle and I don't think I've ever folded it apart from car journeys.

I have the Cruz. You can get a snug insert to add to the chair so it's more comfortable for a small baby if you don't want the carrycot.

I also live in London and don't drive, but do travel a lot by train and bus. I've never folded the Cruz - don't even know how tbh!

When we lived in London I had to fold my buggy practically every time I got a bus! I switched to a sling after about 3w 😬

My daughter hated the carrycot so it was probably only used about 4 or 5 times. I have a car so fold several times a day but wouldnt need to when out and about. I'm not sure on public transport though I'm afraid.

I have to fold mine to get it in the house. We don't have room in the hallway for an unfolded pram

How large is your home? I've got a reasonably large house but I still tended to fold the DC's pushchair every evening because there was nowhere convenient to store it unfolded.

Londoner, didn't use car. I never really folded - waited for another bus sometimes - kept buggy unfolded in the hall. But didn't use a carry cot either - laid baby in Maclaren XT from birth. I thought that carry cots were for doubling up as car seats so not sure why you'd want one if no car. I couldn't lift one so not an option.

I used a sling for a while with dc2 but liked having a buggy to put her in once I got to cafes or other destinations.

Carry cots are ABSOLUTELY not to use as car seats!!! That would be very unsafe.

You can put car seats on the chassis of some buggies, maybe that's what you're thinking of.

Please don't listen to NotCitrus - it's incredibly dangerous and very illegal to use a carrycot in the car!!!

Get the Bee, you won't regret it

I live in London and get trains out to family fairly often. Very rarely fold the pram. Generally prefer waiting/walking if the bus is full but 90% it isn't. Only really fold coming back from nursery as that's rush hour on a busy route and I'm in a hurry.

On trains, most of the time there's space in the wheelchair area/bike area/vestibule (obv not if it's needed) and there aren't any luggage racks anyway on my route. I avoid rush hour though.

My baby has daytime naps in the carrycot and I hardly fold my buggy unless on a car journey- always use the carrycot until at least 6 months despite having big babies

Thanks a lot, that's very helpful! I guess yes, we would ideally fold it in our hallway. And while we wouldn't be in a rush, it would be nice not to have to remove the seat in order to fold (the peg perego has a foldable carrycot, which is what attracted me to it), but good to see it isn't a necessity.
We'll try to get second hand, so might get a carrycot if it isn't too expensive

OK I have no idea what a carrycot is if it's not another word for car seat! Unless it's like one of those Moses baskets? In which case do check as most handles on moses baskets arent safe for lifting the thing with.
Buggy technology moves on rapidly so question if you actually need most of the features or just want a Bugaboo or latest desirable make to keep up with the rest of the yummy mummies.

NotCitrus then maybe google before giving potentially dangerous advice....

A carrycot is like a Moses basket that attaches to the chassis of a buggy, like a traditional pramsuit. It's for young babies to lie flat in. They're not strapped in or supported in any way - you would NEVER use it in your car instead of a car seat.

Like a traditional pram not pramsuit obviously.

Indeed, Not Citrus, it's more a Moses basket and useful for us if we go to the baby's grandma or friends in the first six months so that baby can have somewhere to stay. The models we've seen are easy removable and can be carried around.

Not interested in fashion and don't care about yummy mummies ;) Actually not a big fan of the Bugaboo Bee as baby feels too low for me.

But you're right, folding in hallway is the main concern I guess. Now DH loves the Cruz and Wayfarer and I do too but these only fold with sears facing forward which might be a pain but he reckons it wouldn't. The prams that feature a fold either way are usually much heavier...decision decision...