Our first pram, stroller, buggy...?

skintchick

I have a Silver Cross Sleepover. It is fab and I love it as it lays flat for naps, and can be parent-facing as long as you want - DD still faces me at 19 months cos she prefers it, being a chatty little thing!

HOWEVER, it doens;t fit easily in my Skoda Fabia - the pram bit goes int eh boot but hte chassis I have to hook over a headrest on a rear or front seat as it is too big for my boot.

But I would still buy it again cos a) that's not such a biggie and b) I don;t use the car much and c) it is the best best best pram I've seen IMO. I much prefer it to all my friends' prams and pushchairs.

Alfalfa

skintchick wrote: »

I have a Silver Cross Sleepover. It is fab and I love it as it lays flat for naps, and can be parent-facing as long as you want - DD still faces me at 19 months cos she prefers it, being a chatty little thing!

HOWEVER, it doens;t fit easily in my Skoda Fabia - the pram bit goes int eh boot but hte chassis I have to hook over a headrest on a rear or front seat as it is too big for my boot.

But I would still buy it again cos a) that's not such a biggie and b) I don;t use the car much and c) it is the best best best pram I've seen IMO. I much prefer it to all my friends' prams and pushchairs.

We've got the Silver Cross Sleepover for our baby who's due 31st March and everytime I see it at my mam's (bad luck to keep it out ours apparently) I just can't wait to take the baby out for a walk! I think what appealed to me was the fact it's quite a traditional looking pram and I love the big wheels! Plus, Silver Cross has such a long standing reputation it was either that make or Mamas and Papas we were going to get for our baby.

It's a really well made pram and the fact the carrycot converts into a moses basket/stand was part of its appeal as we didn't want to buy a separate moses basket because the baby isn't in it for long.

debtfreenewbie

If its your first then it can be a minefield. If you are going upstairs a lot then a graco 3 in 1 may be better as you will not want to carry a large carry cot upstairs. re you going to be using the car more than buses? Using the car more than walking?
The only thing you need to but brand new is a cot mattress.
Are you ladies members of netmums? There is always things up for sale on ther and you can log into your area.
Congratulations to you all...

vroombroom

I've got this Graco one:
http://www.kiddicare.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/productdisplayA_324+54_10751_-1_14601_126147_10001_14601

not the most attractive buggy but it was cheap (reduced to £189 before Xmas) and so easy to put tgether. It fits in the back of my fiesta as well (p reg)

You're best going to Babies R Us, Mothercare etc where you can get some demostrations:D

*Twinkle*

i'm looking at the silver cross 3D, this is my 3rd baby and i've done the big expensive prams and buggies with my last two, i just want something easy, practical and that looks nice....and also thats comfy for juicy chops

delain

onlyroz wrote: »

Do you need to do any off-roading? If you do, then you can't beat the Mountain Buggy. Do you need carrying capacity? Is weight important?

We use a combination of a Mountain Buggy and a Quinny Zapp. The Zapp isn't suitable for a newborn (unless you use it as a frame for a Maxi-Cosi car seat) but it's just about the smallest buggy you can buy - perfect for taking on a plane/train/bus.

:rotfl:

Sorry but they are an absolute pig to get up and down the gap between the bus and the path, I regularly see a woman struggle not to tip her LO into the road getting it off.

Same goes for the quinny Buzz.

Oh and who said iCandys folded small or was that another thread? I saw a woman with one have to fold it on the bus the other day and the frame was huge folded and the seat unit didn't fold at all! Small my foot, she had to literally stack it in the storage place and hope it didn't fall on someone.

MandM90

caelshorn wrote: »

Wow! Thanks for your quick and honest opinions!:T

I LOVE the look of the Stokke. I always wonder why pram makers insist on putting our children at the same hight as exhaust pipes... but it's supposed to be fiddly to collapse, heavy and bulky. If I could just store it in a front porch I would totally go for it, despite the hefty price tag.

Thanks to your feedback, I've narrowed the handling test down to four:
The Stokke (just to convince myself to stop hankering after it)
Bugaboo Bee Plus (the best "Best Buy" on Which, although still pricey considering infant bed needs to be bought separately)
Mapas and Papas Sola (looks like a decent price and a decent pram)
Mountain Buggy (to see how it compares for off-road usage)

I'll be going in a few weeks (after my 20wk scan), but I'm glad I have a list now.

Thanks again! (and of course, all additional feedback will be devoured):)

I have the Bugaboo Bee and love it. It was great as a backward facing pram and my DD is a 3 year old now and it's still still SO easy to push and light. Recently tried pushing her in the Maclaren XLR my mum has and it was a HELL of a job to push. I got tired, whereas with my Bugaboo it's soooo easy to push. She's not in it very often anymore (only use it if we're somewhere and we know she'll fall asleep at some point) but we're keeping it to use for our next baby, might just change the footmuff and hood to 'freshen' it up a bit.

The wheels have lasted the whole 3 years we've had it (I know many people with the normal big chunky wheels which have worn down etc - you can hardly turn the Maclaren after two years) and the shopping basket is big enough for everything I need - will fit about two full to bursting carrier bags. Couldn't recommend it enough!

Also tried the Stokke Xplorer and that was great too. If I was buying again I might consider it but I seem to remember it's much more expensive than the Bee.

delain

I've got the Jane Slalom Pro for little Squeak which I love so far (and I've had more pushchairs than you would believe) although I don't have to fold it usually. It's very easy and light to push, and it's ability to turn is amazing.

I second what someone says about the maclarens getting hard to turn, I had the Twin Techno and it eventually broke but had been hard to turn for a while.

I've found that what's best for me is the three wheelers with the pneumatic tyres because I walk everywhere and I hate the ones with the plastic wheels, they are so rattly all the way up to the handles it can't be nice for baby to have such a rough ride.

Cat1

delain wrote: »

I've found that what's best for me is the three wheelers with the pneumatic tyres because I walk everywhere and I hate the ones with the plastic wheels, they are so rattly all the way up to the handles it can't be nice for baby to have such a rough ride.

Pneumatic tyres are fine until you have walked several miles from home and you get a flat tyre. It's a nightmare trying to push the thing home with a crying baby and bags of shopping to juggle as well. The pump they give you is useless as it's generally a full on puncture. I've got a Urban Detour Altitude which is a dream to push but a puncture magnet, I also have a Phil n Teds which has failed me miserably on several occasions too. The tyre slime stuff doesn't work miracles like it's supposed to either!!

I have a standard mamas and papas Luna stroller which is ok. Would have gone for the Luna mix had I realised there was a difference. Have also had a M&P pliko which was a nightmare to steer, especially as I have bad carpal tunnel syndrome in my hands.

digitalphase

iamana1ias wrote: »

I expect it's the bending down and twisting to pick up/put down/attend to an ever growing baby/child that can cause back issues. Pushing looks like the easy bit!

Well, you've gotta do that whatever the buggy height. I was presuming the OP meant the height of the bar for pushing.