We're at the 'researching' stage...looking around at prams, cots, car seats etc.
It is sooo confusing! And none of the employees at any of the baby stores we go to seem to be very willing to help. We are after a pram that can be forward or rear-facing (where bubs faces you), that isn't too wide or heavy/bulky and preferably is easy to fold up (i.e. with one hand). Not sure if we're being too fussy here, but we can't seem to find a pram that has all of these features!
Does anyone have any suggestions, doesn't matter what price range??
Our wish list for the pram sound very similar - we wanted the reversable handle, I wanted a compact model as I drive a smallish car (Suzuki Swift) and need it to fit in the boot and we were not set on a price range.
We went with the Steelcraft Eden - 4 wheeler.
It has a reversable handle, is light weight, fits nicely in my car boot and is quite easy to collapse and fold/unfold.
It's relatively unisex in colour - brown and neutral colours.
The only downside for me is that it is called 'Eden' which was top of my list of names for a baby girl. So we've had to search further afield for a baby name
I think it was just under $400 - my inlaws actually purchased the pram for us - so really quite cheap in the spectrum of what you can pay for prams.
Hi Erin, we have the Steelcraft Acclaim. The handle is reversible, which personally I think is heaps easier than reversing the entire seat. I can pull it out of my car & unfold it while holding DS. To fold it up you just press a lever with one hand while pushing on another lever with your foot (is much easier than it sounds!!).
I don't find it very heavy or hard to manage. I can pick it up & lift it into the back of my 4WD with not much effort.
As for width - well I've never gotten jammed anywhere so far!! it's narrrower than my sisters 3 wheeler anyway.
It came with the foot muff, storm cover & sunshade mesh.
One thing I will say about it - when you reverse the handle you have to also lock/unlock the wheels. The back wheels have to be fixed or it will be very hard to control. It's very simple, you just flick the bits with your foot. Everyone I've spoken to who complained about the wheels didn't know they were supposed to do this. Hope that didn't confuse you!!
It's so hard to find something that ticks all the boxes. I would not compromise on the reversible handle when we were looking around & found the Acclaim was the best of what was around at the time.
Happy shopping!!
Thanks guys! It's good to know I'm not the only one who has specific requirements they want fulfilled!
Thrilled - I think I've heard of the Eden. I'll have to have a look, it sounds good. And lol to it having the same name that you wanted for bubs! I think you should still use that name if you like it though, I doubt many people would make the connection, and you'll only be using the pram for such a short period of her life anyway.
CM - I'm the same, having a reversible handle or seat is a must for me, I want the option of having bubs face me, and I'm disappointed at how few prams seem to have this feature! Seems like Steelcraft might be well worth a look. Thanks for the tip!
I had a Love n Care pram which I had bought from Toys R Us for DS. It's not my favourite pram (I have a Babyjogger one now) but it certainly did the trick and had the reversible handle.
Maybe have a look at the Peg Perego Skate. The current model is on the heavier side but apparently there will be a new much ligehter one really soon. Ptherwise it fits the bill (but is quite exxie - I lust after one...)
Hi, I don't know wether you have thought about toddler seats yet. But It may be a good idea to look into prams that have the option of being able to buy one.
Our first pram was great until we had #2 and had to purchase a whole new pram to accomodate the 2 kids.
I loved my fisher price travel system from target! It has been rebranded to Hipod now and the stroller is a bit different. There are various ones available on the market though. My FP one is the same as the Steelcraft eden stroller (not the reverse handle one) and the safe n sound unity capsule. Just different fabric.
It is a capsule and stroller, where the capsule clips into the stroller. It is just a normal umbrella fold stroller, but with the capsule in it it bub faces you. Strollers are so much easier than prams. Smaller and lighter so they are easier to get in and out of cars and get around shops. This stroller also lays back completely so is suitable for a newborn. I would strongly recommend a travel system as bub can stay in the capsule and be moved from pram to car to house. Then the stroller by itself is great for when they are bigger.
Now the only thing is that strollers aren't great for a walk in the park or around the block. The small, hard wheels make them harder to push. But because this was a cheap option I just bought another pram for walking. My stroller stayed in the car all the time and my pram stayed in the house. Because I wasn't taking the pram in and out of the car it didn't matter how small it folded or how light it was, this meant that I didn't have to spend much.
Anyway, so that is my recommendation for car seats and prams. If you can't find everything you are looking for in one then buy two! Most people eventually give up their pram and then use a stroller anyway.
Thanks for the advice everyone, we have bought one now - the Love n Care Adiva Sport! It is relatively light and not too bulky - a lot narrower than the Striders that we originally looked at. It is a one-piece, meaning that it converts from a bassinet to an upright seat, saving us from buying the bassinet extra, like you need to with some. And the seat is reversible rather than the handle, which is great, we found with some that have a reversible handle that once it is in rear-facing position, the swivel wheels are at the back and it is quite hard to steer! It's on order, we don't have it to play with yet () but I'm very happy with our decision!
Tiramisu - We looked at the Combi Urban Walker, it is incredible light and easy to fold up, easy to manoeuvre, but when we looked at some reviews online, almost everyone said that it was very frustrating in rear-facing position, as it has a reversible handle, and they haven't allowed enough room for your stride, so you end up constantly kicking the back wheels! Given that my DF is very tall, we decided that wasn't the one for us. And yeah, we couldn't really work out the difference between the Urban Walker and the Prestige! The brand is very new in Australia, not sure that the Prestige is even available here yet?
Hi Erin - I've found out that the only difference between the Urban Walker and the Prestige is the Prestige comes with a boot cover.
The Combi is great but in the end my husband and I bought a Baby Jogger City Elite. It cost more than we were planning to spend, but I don't like complicated things and it's really easy to fold, unfold and adjust. Also we decided the likeliness of us having another bub within a couple of years of our first was a good reason to buy one that can take an extra seat in future. So that's what we've done
Help with prams please!
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Good luck! xx
) but I'm very happy with our decision!
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