Thoughts on buying a pram/pushchair/stroller

When choosing the right pushchair/pram or stroller for your baby there is a lot more to think about than which one looks the nicest. When you get down to the nitty gritty it becomes an absolute mine-field of specifications.

When we were looking for our little ones pram we were so focused on having a top brand, Swiss Army style pram that we were sure "would last forever!" In reality we needed something practical and cost efficient as for us and many expectant parents money was tight. I originally wanted a three wheeler like a Quinny Buzz as they look so stylish. However when I actually looked into it I realised that most three wheelers are quite wide and also much heavier than their four wheeled comparison. As I live in Spain where the roads are very narrow this meant I had to dismiss the Quinny and its friends as simply impractical. I am sure in a big city with wide pavements and Goliath supermarkets they are wonderful, however I didn't fancy trying to maneuver one around my local bodega!

My next thought was a classic Silvercross. The Rolls Royce of perambulators! I had one as a baby and have always had a fantasy that my baby would have one (however in this fantasy I also lived in Victorian England with flowing dresses and rolling hills.) So I dismissed this idea until someone offered us a newer, second hand Silver Cross for free! OK so it wasn't the Kensington style that I had dreamed about but it was a Silver Cross. However...as it got closer to the arrival of baby I started to have doubts...firstly we were having to buy a separate car seat as the model we were getting wasn't compatible with one....and those static wheels. Everywhere I walked seemed to be twists and turns and I began to panic. This pram was beautiful but even more impractical than the Quinny. What was I thinking!

Eventually we wrote down what we needed for our lifestyle:

• Detachable car seat, (means baby can fall asleep in the car and simple be carried into house.)
• Narrow, light frame
• Easy to fold
• Good on all terrain
• Big shopping basket
• Tall handle height (my husband is 6ft 4")
  

These were our specifications and there are so many other things you may need to think about yourself:

• Where do you live, city or country :- does the pram need to have good suspension for bumpy roads, does it need to be light enough for you to get on and off a bus etc?
• Does it need to be compatible with a buggy board?
• Will it fit into your car? Do you need to take the wheels off to do this?
  
• Do you need a travel system? Many hospitals now will not let you leave without a car seat!
• Do you want a carry cot so the baby can lie flat?
• Do you want it front or rear facing?

As I said, it is a minefield! Remember to look at product reviews on the Internet (although many of these vary,) try prams out in the store remembering to try putting it up and down with one and two hands, ask friends who have recently used one what they think.  My brother in law spent £400 on a travel system for his son for it only to last six months.  I think nowadays with safety standards etc the vast majority of what we spend goes onto name and design.

As for us, we looked at all the top UK and Spanish stores. We instantly dismissed all the Spanish brands as the handle heights are too short and everything on our island is an import and the Spanish brands are VERY expensive.  So, after looking in what felt like every store in the UK and online I flicked onto Gumtree.com.

There we found a travel system (carseat and pushchair,) not too heavy, large shopping basket with a very high handle height for the grand total of.......£15.  We couldn't believe it, and it was in the area where we were staying, so we phoned the owner and asked for some details.  She said they had hardly used it as they didn't have a car and the only wear and tear was a little fading on the pushchair seat.  Well we flew round to her house to have a look and were amazed, it was as she said in brilliant condition.  It needed a little clean up but other than that it was perfect.  We snapped it up at that price and our little girl loves it. I think she would sleep in it more than her cot if she could!

SO, put your snobbery aside and consider second hand. Unless of course you're rich in which case shop ahead.  Because we saved on the pram it meant that we were able to buy a cot and moses basket with the left over money!