Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 86 total)
  • Pram for newborn – which and why?
  • qtip
    Full Member

    With the first mini-qtip on the way, we’ve just starting looking at prams. Seems to be a minefield with lots of conflicting opinions (surprise surprise), various systems and combinations, and loads of annoying jargon.

    Any recommendations? What should we look out for? What should we avoid? Happy to throw a bit of money at it if that means an actual functional improvement, but not bothered about brand or whether it’s trendy or not.

    Any help in narrowing down the options would be greatly appreciated.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    Sling at first, then figure out what you actually need after it arrives.

    Buy the minimum up front, then on demand.

    grahamt1980
    Full Member

    Go somewhere scary like a kiddicare and try out a load.
    We ended up getting an Uppababy vista as it was the most robust one in the shop.
    As it turns out we love it.
    Things like having the release for the bassinet on the top of the handle so you can remove one handed, the basket underneath is massive (very useful for shopping and kid stuff), it comes with adaptors for car seats too.
    The other bit is that it has reasonably big wheels so the ride isn’t too bumpy.

    These are the things we looked at as important, another one being an adjustable height handle if you and the OH are different sized

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    qtip
    Full Member

    Sling at first, then figure out what you actually need after it arrives.

    Buy the minimum up front, then on demand.

    That would be my sort of thinking, but my wife is outraged and the very thought of carrying a baby home from the hospital in a sling! I think we’ll be making a trip to Mothercare very soon.

    Ben_H
    Full Member

    We’ve only ever had a Maclaren – one that can lie flat. We bought ours in 2009 when our first was born and it’s literally the best value thing we’ve had.

    Lots of our friends bought various different “travel systems” or massive buggies, only to find them obsolete for the next step of childhood – or too big to transport around.

    jekkyl
    Full Member

    Any of the Britax range, they’re great. You get a set of wheels and you start with the carry cot, which is like a pram bit and you also get the car seat which fits onto the wheels and then you get the pushchair bit which fits onto the wheels too. The pushchair bit sees them through until they’re walking. My advice is ebay, there are hundreds up for sale at great prices. Worth investing in a steam cleaner, with the money you save not buying newm to properly disinfect it and get the stains out.

    deadlydarcy
    Free Member

    Having something where you can transfer the car seat to a buggy is handy for the first 6 months or so when they’re asleep a lot.

    Most important thing to remember is that we all want the moon on a stick with buggies…light, portable, go-anywhere, fold-up, blah blah blah. AFAIK, that buggy doesnt exist, so decide what’s important, then go to kiddicare or John Lewis and try a load.

    Then buy second hand on eBay.

    Rich_s
    Full Member

    For the first sprog, get something you can plug a car seat straight into. Trouble is these things are expensive generally and are made of cheese. They do make your life easier though! We still use our 5 year old maxi cosi seat on an isofix base in the car and a mothercare my4 which as a combo has seen 3 little people.

    Trouble is, as they grow you realise how inflexible it is, so we now shove them into a City Mini stroller when they can support themselves or a Phil n ted double (E5?) when 2-up. This was 80 quid off the ‘bay and will be resold for about the same I’m sure.

    The mothercare was 550 quid iirc and is worth a tenner. Get someone else to pay for it if you can!

    twicewithchips
    Free Member

    Phil & Teds
    Not the cheapest, but we put two through it and sold it on (having replaced the tyres cos Mrswithchips put so many miles in). We had the Sport (Navigator looks like the closest equivalent if you are buying new), which let them lay flat when they were tiny, and sit up later. There’s all sorts of add ons you can get too, if you are that way inclined.

    A second hand sport would be my choice if I were doing it again.

    SaxonRider
    Full Member

    Sling at first, then figure out what you actually need after it arrives.

    Buy the minimum up front, then on demand.

    This. Parents can end up wasting so much money on prams and such. Especially seeing as we tend to overestimate what will be needed for our little ones.

    DT78
    Free Member

    Upababy vista for us.

    Went to the baby show and tried all of them

    Main benefit for us was we hope to have a second soon and it can be converted to use with 2 little ones. The large cargo bit is great and wifey uses it most days.

    it’s great. Buy from John Lewis for their guarantee.

    We had a problem with a front wheel locking, got a loaner whilst it was sorted in a week.

    Prepare to be shocked at how much buggies cost….I was expecting a few hundred.

    swedishmatt
    Free Member

    Uppababy vista. Adequately overpriced while so having the best bicycle like welding and decent wheels. Net: go with what you like.handybto have a pram that has adaptors for your category 0 car seat so your partner can lift baby while still being in said car seat onto pram/car

    mike399
    Free Member

    We love our Mamas and Papas Urbo. Very maneuverable and compact yet large shopping space underneath. Well built and all alloy frame. Folds down nice and small to go in the boot. Car seat, carry cot and buggy seat all clip in with the bracket system.

    Worth a look, but advise looking around at as many as you can… just don’t go for something that looks whizzy and like a spaceship but is impractical in everyday use.

    bazhall
    Free Member

    Mini bazhall is due in May and we have put a deposit down on a Mamas & Papas Sola2 MTX. We had a look at other prams/buggies and decided on this one as for the money it was alright value. It has pnumatic tyres with no bad tread which means we can take it off road such as round Walton Nature park and Pugneys. We went for the quad package which comes with isofix base, car seat, carry cot and buggie. It also comes with adaptors so we can clip the car seat in to the frame of the buggy for when we need to go for messages or visit friends and family. Can’t wait to meet mini bazhall when she arrives in May

    chiefgrooveguru
    Full Member

    We went with a Babystyle Oyster – compact enough, good fold, fairly durable, excellent customer support, great buggy board option for when no. 2 arrived. We use slings too but they are have plenty of downsides which their proponents ignore (especially in winter or bad weather when you’re in and out of buildings and either freezing or boiling half the time). Great for country walks though. And a McLaren once the child is bigger and you’re not using the carrycot or transferring a baby car seat onto the chassis.

    We looked at a frightening amount of buggies at the Kiddicare HQ – the Oyster was usefully narrower and better at folding than most comparably large wheeled alternatives.

    tor5
    Free Member

    Sir will find a bugaboo chameleon goes nicely with his Five, A6 and wood burning stove.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    my wife is outraged and the very thought of carrying a baby home from the hospital in a sling!

    I feel pretty sure the baby would much prefer it.

    I did too. Snuggling your kid is lovely, farting about with an awkward contraption is not.

    As for the weather issue, my jackets were big enough at first to go over them, then we’d use a blanket. Still liked it. Never had any worry about wakibg them up getting out of the car either cos they would always gaze into my eyes for a while then go back to sleep.

    This was only for three or four months mind. After that we mostly used a quinny zap, being small and manoeuvrable and not requiring the purchase of a huge car to carry around like my sister in law did.

    neilnevill
    Free Member

    theres been some differences of opinions in this household over prams in the last 6 months. I clearly new nothing. I must admit though….our little girl does seem very happy in her ‘Mega pram’ as its been christened. How can a pram cost soooo much?! Jeeeze, I could buy a bike for that. I got to have final say on the car seat though.

    If you get a big push chair/pram like the icandy peach (aka Mega pram), you’ll also want a stroller like a maclaren to sling in the car boot. I was lucky to get a used one for free….i count my blessings.

    Pook
    Full Member

    BIG WHEELS. GET BIG WHEELS

    There’s nothing more irritating when you’re desperate for what little fix of the outdoors you can get as a pissy wheeled pram stalling and buckling at so much as a twig.

    Oh, and lie flat. Removes all sorts of “we’ve got to get him across to the cot” nonsense. Don’t worry about car to house stuff. That convenience is just for the lazy – and sitting in the car waiting for a child to wake up is perfect STW browsing time.

    neilnevill
    Free Member

    Although SWMBO sort of favoured a travel system, we decided it made little benefit to us. when sainsbury shopping DD (see how easy i slip into mumsnet lingo) stays in the car seat and the seat goes in a second trolley which SWMBO pushes, we don’t do many other short journeys with DD in th car, and the recommendation is not to leave them in the car seat for more than a few hours (as its not entirely flat, so back development can be hindered). So whether you wake them to shift them from the car, or to shift them from the car seat once inside, you’ve woken them.

    we liked the peach as it is solid, glides very easily on decent size wheels, and is well thought out making stuff easy to use….most are though.

    deadlydarcy
    Free Member

    Look, I know I’m a bit on the short side….but neil, you’re just taking the piss now. 🙂

    molgrips
    Free Member

    GET BIG WHEELS

    See, big wheels come on big prams, and they are a major faff. Sling or backpack for outdoors.

    gravity-slave
    Free Member

    Uppababy Vista was our choice too, based on similar to above.
    Big basket, easy fold, good wheels, single hand recline, carry cot also works for travel and nights away and was in use as a buggy up to 2 1/2 years old. The only wheeled transport we used for him – as well as slings and carriers, but it’s nice to be able to put him to sleep in it and step away. It was great.

    2 friends also had the Vista, one stop going strong with kid no. 2.

    As it happens, got an all black Vista we’re going to sell, (carrycot and buggy) with red ‘footmuff’ and maxi cosi car seat adaptors. Email in profile if of any interest.

    bencooper
    Free Member

    Definitely a sling – far, far less hassle than having to cart around a big contraption. I always feel very sorry for sprogs who are stuck in prams with no-one for company – and those modular systems which let you transfer the child from car to pram to childseat without ever touching them? Horrible.

    paulneenan76
    Free Member

    Uppababy Vista and Babystyle Oyster were the top rated when we had our first child; Vista is still the best. Pricey but worth it. Good value if you have further children – strong resale value too

    Pook
    Full Member

    See, big wheels come on big prams, and they are a major faff.

    oh we’re sling coverts. Awesome things. But there are times only a pram will do. And then you need big wheels.

    deadlydarcy
    Free Member

    without ever touchingwaking them

    makecoldplayhistory
    Free Member

    We’ve had it all. slings / back packs / umbrella buggys and ‘systems’.

    The Baby Bjorn (sp?) was great. It’s handy when you can’t be arsed with a buggy.

    We had a Chicco Cortina. The Car seat has a base which stays in the car and the baby can be lifted in and out of the car clipping into either the car seat base or the buggy part. The buggy part goes completely flat. Very waterproff should you be caught in the rain and plenty of stowage space underneath. Quite heavy but sturdy for it. Ours is on its third child and still going well.

    We have a Maclaren buggy for when they’re bigger and you want an umbrella buggy as they take up so much space.

    Key things to look out for when buying a system, well, one really, get a car seat and cot thingy in one. When you’re pushing them around, being able to lift the whole thing into the car instead of waking them and getting them strapped into another harness is a pain.

    batfink
    Free Member

    The timing of this thread couldn’t be better: went looking at buggies yesterday (early recon) and am left completely baffled. Thanks for all your insights….. I’m freaking out slightly less now

    Wally
    Full Member

    maclaren xlr stroller – very popular for a reason. Before this we strapped the nipper to our chests for warmth and smell. Keep it simple and cheap IMO. The real expenses are yet to come. Did not go full Focker with a false nipple, but close.

    DT78
    Free Member

    As mentioned above the other selling point of the vista was it is the cot bit is rated for little one to sleep in at night or when away. We used this a lot. Every night I would stay downstairs and settle them in the cot, to allow the missus to get some sleep, then when we handed over the “shift” I’d carry it upstairs and it was next to mum on a stand. Then I’d go sleep on the sofa….

    Congrats for those expecting btw. My boy is 8.5 months now, got to say the first 7months weren’t that much fun for me…but he is a great laugh now and glad we made it without me throwing him out of a window….

    King-ocelot
    Free Member

    We bought a Quinny modd and a maxi-cosi pebble car seat that clips into the frame. It’s been superb, the frame has a hydraulic mechanism that raises and collapses itself. My friend has a baby of the same age and bought a silver cross that seems a faff and not as well made.

    Use a baby-born sling too which is fantastic on country walks were the buggy can’t go.

    edenvalleyboy
    Free Member

    Instead of brands ask, yourself how will it be used? City folk (who may use public transport) have very different demands than rural folk etc using a pram that converts to a car seat…also size of car is major factor (will it collapse in boot?)..

    Personally, I think you need to accept that you’ll just have to take a guess and either you’ll work around its plus and minuses regardless or, you’ll sell it and get one that’s more suitable when your buying one bases on empirical evidence…

    This is why second hand is perfect…if it’s not right you wont be annoyed you’ve shelled out a lot of money of something you end up disliking….second hand all the way for babies IMO…

    ChrisA
    Free Member

    We’ve used a bit of a mixture of a baby bjorn & a bugaboo chameleon 3, then a maxi cosi pebble car seat. They’ve all been great for us. We’ve got a couple of labs that need to go out 3/4 times a day too, so for us we’ve got a good mixture for getting around muddy & rough surfaced things too. The bugaboo is pretty bulky, but it all fits in the boot no bother even with the dogs in.

    I’d definitely just seriously consider the sling initially though.

    Our is 10 months old now & started nursery, so we’ve just bought a mamas & papas armadillo xt to keep at the grandparents house, so they can get him about and packs down a bit smaller. To be honest, it’s brilliant & it can take a car seat too with the attachment clips, so I’d consider that option too. It was on offer when we had it, so it was around £150, which is pretty cheap.

    We looked second hand, but the bugaboo’s are just about as much second hand as buying a new one if you can get it on offer, so we just bought new with warranty. I definitely wouldn’t be looking to buy a car seat second hand though.

    There is plenty of good used kit out there though & go to the NCT Nearly New sales too, we’d done really well there buying things like a jumperoo & that kind of stuff cheap. Our local Oxfam is brilliant for kids stuff that’s never been used too.

    matt_outandabout
    Full Member

    Sling, then cheapo folder.

    Be honest, all the posh prams are the equivalent of bling alloys on a car.

    A cheaper mclaren folder does 95% of a huuuuuuge expensive carry system, and is lighter, smaller and packs down much smaller, does fit into doors and down shop aisles, doesn’t fall over like three wheelers do etc etc.

    We used ours so much we sold the expensive big thing within a year.

    Within a few months, a baby backpack is also more useful, especially if you walk places or off-road as we did.

    leffeboy
    Full Member

    Sling at first, then figure out what you actually need after it arrives.

    Buy the minimum up front, then on demand. again plus one. Less crap and turns you into a hot-mum magnet

    Edit: Plus you get to pull the trick of walking into the house with the baby sleep in the sling and say I can’t take it off as she is asleep so I’ll just lie down here on the sofa for a bit :)….

    DT78
    Free Member

    Everyone has different requirements. No way we could cope with just a sling (we do have one and it’s great for short walks in the forest). change bag with spare clothes and bottles/food equals a reasonable sized bag. Shopping goes in the cargo bit. Waterproofs as well. We live in town and walk to most things and often out for most of the day. It was a lot of £ but worth it for us.

    chiefgrooveguru
    Full Member

    I do wonder how much solo parenting has been done by the Dads who are so convinced that slings are the best solution almost all the time. Try playing with a toddler outdoors whilst you have a big 6 month old attached to you, and carry everything that’s required, when you live in town. Or have lunch in a cafe when they’re far too small to sit in a high chair – do you want to try and do that with a baby attached? Forget hot drinks if you do! There’s a reason prams and suchlike exist.

    But slings are bloody marvellous at the right time – we’ve had about half a dozen, with the Mei Tei proving most useful and the Baby Bjorn the most disappointing.

    tenacious_doug
    Free Member

    Another Uppababy Vista here, great buggy. Still fits my 2.5 year old and now also being used by our newborn, so should have had 5 solid years service by the end of its life, which is pretty good going.
    We also use and love the sling for the wee one, but less good for longer walks as they get heavier, or for chasing a toddler while carrying a newborn.
    Also got a second hand cheaper McLaren which folds up small for holidays. Great for that but couldn’t use it regularly, handles don’t adjust high enough so gives me a sore back after an hour or so, and small wheels are terrible if the ground isn’t smooth- so not great on cobbled streets in Edinburgh.

    Guess whatever you need will be dictated by where you live and what you intend to use it for. For shorter use a cheap McLaren and a sling would be fine but my wife especially regularly walks hours on end round the city with a toddler and newborn so the bigger buggy is ideal.

    Really don’t understand the level of hate they seem to get here though. Is it a reverse snobbery thing??

    molgrips
    Free Member

    Quinny zap type design can pivot about itself. Very useful for manoeuvrability.

    Re nappy bags – be minimalist. Be like thebbikepackers. The baby gear companies really are milking you for cash.

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