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Help with prams

Hey girlies,



Just wondering if anyone has decided which pram they're going for or any of you 2nd time plus mums have any advice? I thought it would be as easy as shopping for anything else but jeez, i'm realising its a whole mine of information & I haven't got a clue where to start!!



Any advice/information would be greatly appreciated image



L xx

Replies

  • Hi lorna3980 - I can't help, but I just wanted to say that I would be really keen to hear second mum's advice too. One friend has recommended the Bugaboo Bee and another has told me to get a Phil + Ted Explorer - really not sure who to listen to! Just want something that is light to push, can be swapped around as they get older, and is easy to put down.
  • sorry totally g/c from the home page- I have the babystyle Oyster and its easy to push (even one handed- have a 2 handled stroller which is a nightmare if you need a freehand)car seat and carry cot (which I found I rarely used btw) can clip in, can be forward or rearward facing and collapses both ways and also has a decent size basket. Much cheaper than others in its class and can be put up one handed too. However I would seriously consider what sort of age gap you hope for (if you plan more than one bubba) and if you're going to want a double at some stage. The babystyle does have one of the cheapest buggy boards going though x
  • We initially had a second hand Mamas and Papas Pliko for dd which I loved until it broke. It had a massive shopping basket, folded up small and was quite roomy. Only disadvantage was that it was difficult to push one handed.



    We then bought a second hand mamas and papas Luna and again it had the same benefits as the Pliko and in addition you could push it one handed. We've bought a carry cot so that we can use it for this one as well when dd is at nursery (we still need to get a double). The disadvantage with it is the "freedom harness" as my dd worked out how to escape from the pushchair at about 15 months. We usually use our lightweight stroller now, but occasionally use the Luna.



    My advice would be:



    1. Think about what is a must for you and what you can compromise on.

    2. Think about your lifestyle - do you walk, drive or catch public transport?

    3. Make sure it fits in your boot and hallway / porch and you can get it up and down the stairs if you live in a flat.

    4. Don't feel that you need to spend loads and loads - second hand is just as good. And many people spend excessive amounts on an all singing all dancing pushchair only to then swap it for a lightweight stroller after 6 months. (this applies to pretty much every piece of baby equipment, I know so many people who spent hundreds on a highchair only to buy the ??15 Ikea one a couple of months later, myself included)

    5. Don't feel like you're going to do some sort of dreadful harm to your baby if you can't get one that has rear and forward facing options - some people will tell you that it will affect their speech development, but my dd has pretty much always been forward facing and has a bigger vocab than a lot her age, is always pointing out dog! bird! bus! etc when we're walking and twists round if she's in a shopping trolley. I think it only really matters if they're going to be in it all day everyday.

    6. Have a look at which "from birth" models people with toddlers are still using. You'll probably notice that lots use lightweight strollers, but some will still be using their original pushchairs and that probably means they're a good investment.
  • I have the Obaby Zezu and I love it. It changes from carrycot to seat unit by flipping it and doing up a clip underneath and I still use it all the time now. The two big wheels come off and it fits snug in my 206 boot. I still use the different positions depending on if lo is sleeping or watching what's going on. Also, the hood is big and useful when it's sunny and it's got a good raincover. We paid ??229 for it and it's totally been worth it. Lo can still sleep flat now and he's 11 months old (I know because he fell asleep in it yesterday).



    Also, another bonus was when he was sitting but not moving; I was able to flip it to carrycot mode and put toys in there when having coffee with friendsimage kept him entertained and safe (obviously until he was able to pull himself up).



    We do have a lightweight stroller too for when we went on holiday (Silver cross pop) but I still prefer the Zezu hands down. They can be forward or rear facing and also the height of the handle is good for me as I found a lot of the other handles were really low.
  • I definitely agree with a-nonny-mouse, you need to think of how it needs to fit into your life and narrow it down from there. We spent hours and hours pram shopping for ds and eventually got one that I said we wouldn't be getting...bugaboo chameleon and I'm so pleased we did! I still use it everyday, although we also have a maclaren stroller we had to get for holiday, I love it so much still and for all the reasons we got it for. I can't wait to have in back in pram mode this time although am excited about having an excuse to have a new buggy as we'll need a double x
  • I'm sticking with my one and only pram purchase. My faithful M&P 03SPORT. It's very much a personal choice what features you need from a pram to suit your lifestyle. We decided when i was pregnant that my criteria were:

    Robust 3 wheeler with good ground clearance on pneumatic tyres, we have horses and dogs and my pram was destined to go through all sorts of terrain (and as it turned out two foot of mud on occasion and the same with snow!). we also were adamant that we wanted a travel system compatible pram and the car seat had to have isofix and fit in a BMW 330CI. So it rapidly narrowed down our choices in fact in 2008 to just two different prams.



    Edit: Wow that was a huge post, but hope its helpful, my message is more about thinking carefull about your lifestyle needs than recommending a particular pram!



    I was very pleased with what we chose and it wasnt extortionate, i still look longingly at the Phil & teds but its more about style that practicality as didn't meet all our criteria and was three times the price.



    Unlike some I have only ever had the one pram and will be using it all again this time round.



    My one top tip is even if you think you have a huge boot, check that your pram fits for sure! We have a huge boot, and got pram in boxed no problem, only to have huge hormonal mummy crying in a puddle on the driveway cos "IT WONT FIT!!" until oh so practical daddy came along and immediatey turned pram upside down and it fits, but only just!
  • I should've added...we were sold on the mothercare my4 as it ticked all the boxes...except fitting in my boot (mothercare will let you try) x
  • My friend had my4 and said its great but the only down fall is it keeps getting punctures image Other than that great and good size image
  • We bought the M&P Sola and I absolutely love it, we still use it all the time. The important things for us were one that could be parent facing or forward facing, one that was easy to fold and relatively light, and one that was easy to steer and the Sola ticked all the boxes.



    We bought the carry cot with it too, we didn't use that for that long, but it's suitable for overnight sleeping so in the first few months it meant we didn't have to cart the moses basket to my parents every time we went to stay which was great. The seat unit is suitable from birth though and you can put a car seat on the chassis too. Oh, and it has a good sized basket.



    It looks great too, although ours is a purply colour which might be a bit girly if this one is a boy. It comes in loads more colours now.
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