I need the pram that does everything, does it exist?

[hopefully]

I've posted this on the pregnancy board, so apologies to those who've responded there, I'm still looking for advise! I need a pram which does everything, and I'm hopping you wise MNers will be able to help.

My ideal pram:

• Goes off-road, on the beach and in woods on footpath etc ? I do a lot of walking on all terrains!
• Is not too enormous to take to town and get round shops in (potentially moving to small city soon after birth, but still doing lots of walking)
• Is suitable from newborn (carry cot would be preferable)
• Fits in the boot of our not very big car (Renault Clio - don't mind losing most of the boot space, as can stack things on passenger seat if necessary)
• Has a rear facing seat option, not just the carrycot, so baby can face me once it's sitting up, not just when it's tiny
• Travel system would be nice, but not essential
• I have a budget of up to about £700, but that has to include the car seat, so if it?s not a travel system I suppose we?re looking at about £600
• I don't have any definite plans, but in an ideal world I'll be having a second baby at some point in the future. I'll probably get a secondhand Phil&Teds or similar when that happens, but suppose potentially a pram that could take a buggy board would be useful?

I had initially considered a 3-wheeler like a Mountain Buggy or a Quinny, but am put off by the lack of rear-facing seat and the size and weight for going to town. Newest consideration is a Bugaboo Chameleon, as those people who use it in ?chariot? form or use snow tyres on the beach say that it?s fine. however, others have said it?s rubbish in mud.

Any thoughts will be eternally appreciated, as I am going to drive about 2 hours tomorrow to go to a massive showroom to try lots of prams, and a shortlist would be helpful!

lennied, have you tried a framed backpack - most people do NOT rate them better than the Ergo for comfort, as child is carried further away from you and in a less ergonomic position.

mothercare do 2 different 3 wheelre-all terrain ones that have rearfacing seats.

I carry my 18m DS in an ergo and it is not much harder than using the buggy in the city. In the countryside it would be loads easier as pushing through mud, over stones, negotiating stiles/gates etc would be a nightmare.

Can you report back in 6 months to tell us how many walks you have managed

The answer will probably be 1, NUT!

After my off-road obsession, I have decided to go for a less off-road pram, but one which has the rear facing seat, and use a sling/carrier of some description for walks - we figure if we end up doing loads of off-roading and my back is suffering or something, we'll buy a second hand mountain buggy or something and just knacker it completely.

Sadly DP has now played with the chameleon, and is obsessed. Now I am trying to persuade him that there are other prams in the world... What is it with men and prams with lots of buttons and twizzly bits and suspension?

MrsG, we haven't tried one yet - DD is just too big for the ergo now. She doesn't sit right in it anymore and cos she is wriggly anyway it is uncomfortable. Are there any other options you know of? We were thinking of getting a second hand bushbaby carrier, but I can see what you mean about her being further away from us.

Sazm, we tried out one of those mothercare AT pushchairs when we were looking at alternatives to the Mountain Buggy. I think it is a stretch for them to call them all-terrain. Maybe OK on a beach and gravelled surface but not over anything remotely soft or uneven. Plus the tyres burst easily.

Bugaboos are rubbish on rough ground/sand, impossible to push with the big wheels at the front, the small wheels get clogged up, ime babies want to face forward by the time they get to around 9mths so once out of the carrycot they don't rear face for that long. And they're a pita to fold, and take up loads of space in the boot (apart from the Bee - haven't tried one, but it does look tiny)

Mt Buggy is the bees knees (I have the Urban) - I sold my 2.3 yr old Bugaboo Frog and still had enough to buy a brand new Mt Buggy & footmuff. It can cope with anything, takes a buggyboard, and a carrycot, carries loads of shopping, good sized seat. I love mine

i have a mothercare urban detour,and it has been great,it is now 5 yrs old and has been used through fields/beach/forests since it was bought,the tyres have never been repaired and it still looks like new. there are a few different versions of it,but you can tell by looking at it if its going to be good off road.

hopefully, posted this in pregnancy for you but thought i would add it here too.

i too had decided on the speedi but didn't like the fact that once the baby was out of the carrycot it would only be forward facing. like you i needed one that would go over all terrain.

found teutonia spirit s3 online and went to see it. brilliant, guy in the shop said it was their most popular 3 wheeler and in the last year they didn't have one returned with any problems. was really light and very easy to push-much easier than the speedi or jane slalom.

ordered it online from ping pong a german company-they were really helpful and got the pram with carrycot and other accessoris for just over £500.

i had a bugaboo for childminding but didn't like it off road as i found the small wheels used to get clogged up with muck/leaves etc.

hth.