Prams - what would you choose

[reren]

OK - I'm months away from needing a pram - but I'm bored and daydreaming about babies - so going to throw another pram question into the mix...

I hope i'm not exactly replicating other posts - i did a search and couldn't find anything that quite answered my question?

If you had it to do again - what would you buy as your main pram? I'm slightly horrified at the cost of things like the bugaboo - but if I've understood the advert correctly it looks like it gives you the option of using it as a carry cot for a very new baby to sleep in - which I guess would mean you'd save money on that (I'm thinking I'd like to have the baby sleep in a cot next to my bed for the first couple of months)?

It also seems to suggest that it is very flexible - allowing you to use it for a very new baby and a child up to about 3? it also seems to get good reviews in terms of ease of movement and ability to easily get on and off buses?

I assume that money on a good pram is money well spent - but do you think its worth spending as much as a bugaboo costs - or are there cheaper alternatives that give you all the same (or more) options and flexibility. I've got a few months to save up for a bugaboo if it really is worth the money! From other posts it seems quite a lot of people aren't happy with their pram-choice and end up ditching one pram in favour of another - ideally want to avoid buying more than one (though perhaps that's unrealistic from other posts it seems lots of people have a couple?)

[Ruth_Baldock]

We have two:

Our 'big' pram is a jane slalom pro, very good and sturdy but stupidly heavy and we live on the second floor (no lift!!!) and I had a c-section and it still hurts to push it about. However, it did come with a carseat that lies flat, so it's like a travel system.

Our second pram, the one I use, is the bugaboo bee and I LOVE IT, can't fault it at all. It weighs about 7kg and doesn't hurt me when I push it around, and Bubs seems to like it too (he slept in it all the way from our place in SE5 to Guildford via a 'big train' from waterloo last friday, so must be comfy!

I think the chameleon is worth the money because of the different 'modes' (newborn carry cot etc) but have heard they're very very bulky and difficult to steer sometimes.

[sanity girl]

Definitely a maclaren techno xlr as it will see you through from birth to toddler. That's what I've got lined up for 2nd baby. I'm going to use it fully reclined with a fleece or phil and teds cocoon when the baby is tiny, and then it will be great as a normal pushchair once baby is 6 months or so. I used a peg-perego travel system for first baby and a maclaren soon took over from that. They're just so much more convenient than anything else - easy to fold, well-made, compact etc.

[jac428]

I love the Out n About Nipper 360 or the Mountain Buggy which has a carrycot option. The nipper is very light, can turn round in very small spaces, easy to push. Anything with three wheels is great! Just be careful getting on/off buses and trains, get off backwards otherwise you have to balance on one wheel and it can get stuck in cracks. Other then that the three wheels is perfect and can be used from birth until you no longer need a pram!

[The Nappy Lady]

Yes, I'm with jac428, don't like buggy's with little wheels, but it depends what you are going to be doing....things to consider;

- Do you need to fit buggy in the boot - if so things like Bugaboos don't fold down much so still take up a lot of space, so you may need a 2nd buggy for the car

- Do you need to carry it up and down stairs? If so weight is a big issue, and 1 handed folding can be too if baby is in other arm

- Do you need to get on and off buses etc

- Will you be doing a lot of 'shopping' - think manoeverability(sp?), width, and size of basket underneath

- Will you do a lot of walking on rough ground - we do lots so big wheels essential for us

- Is space an issue in the house - things like the Bugaboo take up quite a bit of space, and don't fold in a way that helps, where as with my Mountain Buggy I can fold it and pop it under the stairs, which is good when we have visitors etc. and want to feel 'tidy'.

Personally I wouldn't buy a buggy new, unless it is such a recent model you can't get it on ebay. As you've noticed many people end up trying a few until the find the 'right' one for them, and new prices are crazy. Take time to 'watch' a few Ebay auctions and you'll get a feel for the going rate on there, and may well get a bargain.

I had a Bugaboo Frog for baby no.2 and loved the newborn carrycot option, but when out in the car tended to take the base unit and clip the car seat on, otherwise with carrycot too the entire (estate car) boot was full!

Happy hunting!

Molly

[edanna]

I wouldn't bother with a really expensive pram if I were you. A Maclaren Techno or similar is light, easy to fold and get on the bus etc. You can get a cheap Moses basket to keep next to the bed - bear in mind that newborn babies need to lie flat so the car seat/carry cot option from travel systems often isn't suitable for anything longer than a short period of time.

The disadvantage with the bog-standard pushchair option is that you don't have the option for the baby to face you, though I have seen some people with a carry cot that fits into the seat with the baby facing them - this wasn't available when I had baby no 1. That's worth a look. Most people I know who started out with a Bugaboo or similar system moved onto a Maclaren not long after because they are so much easier to fold/get around etc. The Bee does look good though - again this wasn't around when I had baby no 1. If you're hoping to have more than one child you could cut to the chase now and get a Phil and Ted's so you don't have to buy another when you have baby no. 2?

Good luck with it all....

[crystal7]

I love my Cameleon (v generous gift from proud first time grandparents). I do lots of walking and it's so nice to push and steer, baby sleeps really well in it and we used it as a travel cot in the early days. It's fine on the bus and train (although not if you ever need to fold it up) and from what I've seen it's narrower than lots of other parent facing prams. But we did buy a Maclaren when I went back to work as my childminder doesn't have room to store it. I think we'll use the Cameleon until my daughter is a confident walker who wants to get out at somepoint on every trip then we'll use the Maclaren full time.

If I were to do it again though I may consider the Bee (though my OH hates them) as it seems to do everything and be very small? Although I've heard for rougher roads they aren't so good whereas the Cameleon is ok (never tried proper off roading with it though, we use a sling or backpack for that)

[Pickle]

We had a Bugaboo Cameleon and a MacLaren Techno XT - the cameleon for getting out and about round East Dulwich, and it was fine on buses etc. The Techno XT is our "in the car" buggy, useful for day trips, and invaluable for taking on flights (it's just back from it's 5th return trip to NZ and still looks as good as the day we bought it 3 years ago, can't fault it).

My son always slept like a dream in the carry cot in the Bugaboo, and always seemed really comfortable when we converted it to a seat. We had to convert to a Phil 'n' Teds when we had #2, and I was always quite sad that my daughter didn't get the luxury of the Bugaboo experience :-$

If the Bugaboo Bee had existed when I was first pregnant I would have bought one, I think they look great and seem very practical.

[sandy_rose]

I've just ordered a bugaboo bee as it's the only one that seems to do everything we need it to do, ie usable from birth, parent or forward facing, attaches to car seat, folds down one handed without having to take the seat bit off and is light and small enough to fit in our tiny boot as well as carry upstairs to our top floor flat. We're also planning to do quote a bit of travelling with the baby this year so wanted a small one without lots of different attachments to take on to the plane. When I initially started looking I was horrified at the price of the bugaboos and assumed people only got them to show off (!) but they seem to be the most versatile ones out there. Cons with the bee is that it looks a bit low so you have to bend down to pick baby up, and it's probably no good for muddy walks in the countryside.

You can get them second hand for ?300 with all the extras on eBay buy having reAd reviews (can recommend mumsnet) we decided on ordering the new 2010 version out next month. This one has some improvements on the old one, mainly a smaller hood so baby can see out more and it fits a slightly taller child so can use it for longer. Am hoping to make some of my money back eventually by selling it once we don't need it anymore! And most of the old accessories fit the new one so I'm still getting these on eBay.

The chameleon is more expensive but you get the proper carrycot and a sturdier pram with bigger wheels. It's also bigger, heavier and not as easy/quick to fold down.

Anyway, that's what I can tell you about the bugaboos having done the research but my baby doesn't arrive til May so have to wait til then to find out if it really is worth all that money :)

[sandy_rose]

Forgot to add re sleeping in the early days, we've been offered about 4 Moses baskets already by friends so that's that problem solved. You can get these really cheap anyway, especially if you don't mind second hand. We've also been given a samaonite travel basinette which folds down tiny into it's own bag so that is what we will use for travelling or sleeping in the garden etc.

[Indiana]

We bought the Bugaboo Cameleon which I really like but you need to consider the practicalities.....you need space to park it in your flat/house and as per the posts above - they are not easy to fold down and take up too much space in the car.

I therefore now use it around ED and have bought a Maclaren Techno XT which is kept in the car and is great for weekends away/holidays. I too have friends who decided not to buy a fancy buggy and went straight to the Maclaren (it reclines almost flat) but I wanted to have my baby facing me when she was little and the Bugaboo is so flexible/easy to push/turn and feels v 'safe'. She sleeps v well in it too

I bought both of these second hand - this forum or ebay are great for this (if ebay you can search for sale items within a 10 mile radius so you could go and view/test and not pay hefty postage costs). The Bugaboo I bought for #350 and the Maclaren Techno for #73 including the #40 foot muff. I would definitely not buy these new as they are so pricey!

[snowboarder]

If did it again I THINK I would get a Bee - I've loved my icandy apple but it's kinda heavy. But has been SO comfy and I love that baby faces me and we can chat. Think the cameleon is lighter than the icandy so maybe that would have been better - I really liked having the proper pram carrycot when he was tiny as that was where ha slept in the day mostly - never had to bring the moses basket downstairs....

Strollers all the way now. Until we have to (Oh lord) think about a double....(NOT YET!)

[anna_r]

I am a bit of a pramaholic - started with a bugaboo cameleon, which was fantastic in the beginning, baby slept great in it (perhaps too great - difficult to get her to sleep in a cot...) Then we started a nanny share so bought a phil and teds sport, although we still use the cameleon sometimes. And I got a second hand mclaren off the forum.

If I were starting again I thnk I might just get the phil and teds. It is comfortable to push. I and husband have both occasionally used it for running. And we now have number two on the way (only 18 month gap) so will be used a lot then. Have bought the cocoon, so depending on how the baby sleeps in it, that may become the main newborn pram instead of the cameleon. I've also bought the carseat adaptors (also takes the maxicosi) which we found newborn slept really well in too on the cameleon. On the downside the P&T is quite heavy and difficult to fold. It is a sensible purchase though if you think you will do a nanny share or if you think you'll have a second before the first is out of the pram.

The maclaren is essential for trips like going swimming and stays in the car. ?60 well spent.

[Keef]

We were given a graco teavel system, and it did fine. Since then, we've found 2 bargains in charity shops. I think it is obscene the money people spend on these things!

[Superstarpen]

I got obsessed about buying a pram when I was pregnant. I ended up with a pram from Ebay which faced me and then we bought a Maclaren Quest Sport. Second time round I'm ditching the pram and I'll be using a sling (Hugabub and then Sleepy Nico used) till they are able to go into the Maclaren.

Think about when you are actually going to use a pram. If you are someone that likes to get out and about and do lots and will be using public transport then I'd recommend a sling and lightweight buggy.

[Ko]

i have a bugaboo bee which i love. lightweight and easy to manoevre around shops, on buses, etc. baby (5 mths old) has always liked sleeping in it. have used it loads (almost daily!) so has been worth it. really nice that baby faces you.

[everywoman]

I agree with sanity girl.

I have a naclaren techno xlr and have used it from birth with baby nO1 and then with No2. just lay it flat then they can sit in it.

have had it for 5 years and no regreted it one second.

\good luck.

[Keef]

Our sling was the best thing we bought. Got it for a fiver via this forum. Has been invaluable.

[Gimme]

Worth looking at:

Britax Vigour 3+ travel system: we got the frame and pushchair, bassinet (pram attachment), car seat and Isofix car seat base for under ?500 brand new on Kiddicare.com. It has been perfect for our wee one.

Reason we bought it was because Which? reviews rate it much more highly than the Bugaboo Cameleon but at a much lower cost. The best things about it are the excellent manoeverability and the ease with which the bassinet and carseat clip into the frame (no adapters required like on the Bugaboo). The worst thing about it is that it is quite chunky if you have a small car boot (but the wheels can be detatched very easily which does make things a little easier).

[chantelle]

i love my maclaren four seasons (a limited edition version of techno xlr). We used it from birth and it has always been a breeze to use on public transport, etc. and to travel all over the world with us.

[benjaminty]

I fear I have been sucked in but time will tell. On the face of it the Mamas & Papas Mylo looks like it does the lot. My only concern was how well it will handle the pavements of South London but time will tell. Concerned that it's been out a few months now and now that I inspect every single pram that I see... I've never seen one of these.

It's upright and means no or little bending down. Car seat slots neatly into the wheel base. It's pretty light and it folds very very easily and fairly flat.

But piggin expensive!

http://www.mamasandpapas.com/mylo/

[prm]

What do you people think of the Stokke Xplory? Apart from the fact it is very expensive, but I was wondering in terms of performance, how easy it is to handle, how well if manouvers & folds etc.

Cheers!

[reren]

OOh - yes - that's weird - i was thinking of posting to see if anyone had used the Stokke - saw one for the first time this weekend and think they look interesting (though husband thinks they look 'weird' so I'm not sure if i'd win that battle even if we did decide to fork out that kind of cash!)

[Sanne Panne]

> I have a naclaren techno xlr and have used it from

> birth with baby nO1 and then with No2. just lay it

> flat then they can sit in it.

Can you use a buggyboard on it when it's in the lie flat position?

[Fuschia]

Sanne Panne Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> > I have a naclaren techno xlr and have used it

> from

> > birth with baby nO1 and then with No2. just lay

> it

> > flat then they can sit in it.

>

> Can you use a buggyboard on it when it's in the

> lie flat position?

I would think so. The back of the seat top would possible stick out slightly into the space between the handles where the older child stands but I doubt it would be too intrusive. The mclaren is the best buggy to go with a buggy board, IMO, due to the two separate handles.