Buying a pushchair - online or instore?

[eimb28]

I am certainly confused by the range of pushchairs, strollers, travel systems etc out there but when I have worked out which one I want, I am not sure how far I should be going to see the model that I want in a store before perhaps trying to find the best price online?

I was wondering whether most first time mums or other mums track down the model they want in a store and then go off and buy online or buy it there and then in the store? Or is the information online enough to be able to buy one online without having seen it?

Any pointers would be great.

its a bit off to go and try them in a store and mess with display models then go and buy from somewhere else online who can offer a cheaper price because they don't have to have display models.

agree with abermum. Tha last time I bought a pushchair, I researched online, went to a shop and tried it out, and then searched for the best deal I could get. There was more than £40 difference between one local shop and Boots.com where I bought it in the end.

If yours is for a new born, I would really try and get a rear facing one - so you can see your baby and baby can see you! There are plenty on the market that can lie flat and face back and then ad the baby gets older, you can sit them up and face forward

you definitely need to tgry them out - make sure you can collapse it, it suits your purpose etc. You can get brand new ones from ebay that are "last season's" colours - so if you don't care about that, you might get a good bargain!

Try before you buy, absolutely!
Also, see how easily you can fold it, attach/detach car seat etc, how heavy it is, how easily it can be manouvered.

FWIW, both of mine ("big" pram with all bits and bobs, v sadly underused as was too heavy , and lightweight umbrella buggy, used to death) were bought online.

I do not have a problem trying something in a shop and then buying online. 'Tis my money, I get to choose how I spend it.

I can only imagine this is what is happening especially in the current climate, there are so many pure online retailers of pushchairs etc, they must survive by mums doings just this or I suppose mums buying without seeing the model they want in any store?

I guess I am interested to know if mums think the information out there on each make and model is good enough in combination with what mums say on mumsnet to do this or have mums got into problems doing this?

I wouldn't buy one without trying it out first. You need to know if the handle is a comfortable height for you. If you're going to put it in and out of your car boot, how easy is it to fold down and what size is it folded? Some we looked at were too big for our car boot, some were too awkward for me to lift.

I don't have any decent pram shops nearby so often have bought 'blind' so to speak that may be why i've gone through so many! that and being a total pramaholic too.

if this is your first you need to consider where you will be using it, do you walk to shops or drive? do you want baby facing you? do you walk offroad at all? do you want hard or air tyres. do fabrics come off to wash? does it come with a carrycot and does it include accesories like footmuff (which is a good size) and raincover?

if you buy from somewhere that has a good reputation online like kiddicare.com their c/s is excellent and they pricematch.

good luck.

Thanks for the advice, but I can't seem to find anywhere that offers advice on the complete range of pushchairs available in the UK. There are so many makes and models I am big into researching products so I wouldn't want to feel I had missed out on a smaller make and model that is not so well distributed in the UK that might be perfect for me. What would be good would be a one stop resource for all things pushchair and car seat related. "Which" doesn't seem that comprehensive and I see they offer links to retailers which to me undoes their "independent and unbiased" stance wouldn't you think? Do mums just go to the websites for each manufacturer before deciding?

tbh I think it's virtually impossible to be sure you've made the right choice, especially with a first baby. You're imagining what your needs will be when the baby arrives and the reality may be totally different. I wouldn't get too hung up on the 'perfect' purchase.

I do agree with all the advice on here, I wouldn't buy a pram without seeing it and practising folding it up and down etc even if you look instore and then buy on line.

Having gone thrugh the whole process my best advice would be to post what you are looking for on here- what you want to use it for, how tall you are, if you want travel system, if you have space to store it, town or country, etc, and let us help you narrow it down. Then try 4-6 models in shop- mothercare, M&Ps, john lewis etc, until you find the one you love. Then buy if off kiddicare! I felt like you did about smaler brands, but there is a reason why maclarens, mamas and papas pliko, bugaboo etc are so popular, not all brands can complete in terms of quality.

We are very lucky to he an excellent independent baby shop a 5 minute walk away. They have a sign up in their shop that says "Got a problem with your pram? Imagine how much more of a problem it would be if you bought it online!"
To my mind it is well worth the extra money to have the personal attention in the shop & to be able to take the pram in if there was a problem. They also let you borrow a pram of the same make if yours needs to be sent away.