Tips on Pushchairs and Prams Home

PramPushchairs — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 17:22:25 CST

Here are some tips on baby pushchairs and prams that new parents may find useful:

'No one I know used large prams for a long period of time. I did get an umbrella-fold lightweight buggy, which I used from 6 months, to use on public transport and in the car. You really need to consider what you will be using your buggy for, whether it's town or country, public transport, and how big your car boot is, before you buy.'

'Three wheelers tend to be heavy and unless you do lots of country walking then most people don't use them long. A friend of mine had one with pneumatic tyres, which she had to keep pumping up and hated.'

'I had a newborn and an 11-month-old baby and went through a lot of prams during this time! I found that the side-by-side models couldn't go through my front door and shop doors and aisles. I ended up with a tandem and found this much easier.'

'Buying a buggy is largely a case of personal preference. I switched from a 2-in-1 pram to a buggy when my son was only five months old. He was always so nosey and wanted to see what was going on! Other babies might prefer to be in a pram facing you for longer. I guess it's up to everyone to decide what's best for them and their child.'

'Buying supermarket brand accessories such as rain covers can save you money.'

'I found a travel system great in the first few months as it meant I could lift the car seat out of the car and place it in the buggy without disturbing my baby. I did find that the straps on some pushchair harnesses were too long to hold a newborn baby securely.'

'I used an umbrella-folding pushchair from birth as it had a lie-flat position. I found it brilliant as it was so easy to put up and down and it fitted into my car boot without any problems.'

'I have had more double buggies than hot dinners!! My daughter was 22 months when my son was born, and I initially had a twin pushchair, which was very light and easy to push, but the seats were a little narrow, it didn't fit through my front door and I had to turn it sideways and drag it through. When my son was 8 weeks old I sold it and bought a tandem pushchair that accepts a car seat and was great when my son was small, easy in shops and lifts, and my daughter loved riding at the front. When my son got older and wanted to look round more, I bought a lightweight umbrella fold twin buggy. I still have this now and although I don't use it much as my daughter prefers to walk, it's really narrow and light. I also tried a buggy board but we didn't get on with it well as the children couldn't interact with each other and I found it made the pram hard to push.

'I had a lazy three year old and a newborn and survived quite well for the few months with a front carrier and buggy for when my toddler wanted to hop in. However, I did end up buying a double pushchair as the summer progressed and we went out further a field for longer trips - toddler was fine going places but would tire on the return and he would ask to sit in the pushchair and as my daughter got heavier I found the carrier too much effort - and with the hot weather, and a hot baby - I would be saturated by the time I got home - it's was like hugging a hot water bottle around town!'

'It's probably worth setting a weekend aside to go to a few shops and look at a variety of types. Before you go, make a few notes of things you definitely do and don't want, to avoid being totally overwhelmed by the choices! Try the folded pushchairs in your car boot, and get any car seats that you are looking at checked for fit in your car. Have a really good play with the travel systems in the shop, have a go at folding, lifting, changing seat position etc. Grab some brochures and then head home to have a chat about things rather than making a decision there and then, it is a huge purchase and should be one you feel happy with in all ways. And don't forget, shopping should be fun, so if it's all getting too stressful, there's always another day!'

I hope you found the above tips useful when considering your purchase of a pushchair, pram or buggy for your child.

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