confused about strollers

i am so confused as to what pram i should buy??? :-s

All of my cousins have now got 3-wheeler jogger prams and say that they are great, that is what i am leaning toward. But then a few people swear by their Emmaljunga prams and one of our friends just has a maclaren stroller.

i want to use my stroller from newborn up, for long walks, trips to the shops, to take in the car on trips (we have a large car) i want the baby to be able to comfortably sleep in the stroller.

Do you experienced mums have a recommendation for a confused first timer??? :)

Hi widdly,

I agree, it can be SO confusing choosing a pram as there are just so many options out there!!

Have a browse through our Recommend a Product forum and there are quite a few threads on prams...

I bought a Childcare Deluxe 3-wheeler for Aidyn. It has been fantastic for me, because I dont have a car, and its the perfect sort of pram to take for long walks over rough terrain etc. One of the downsides though is that its really heavy (15kg), though I think these days they make them a fair bit lighter.

I think the best thing would be for you to go and check some out for yourself at the shops, and see what appeals to you the most. Eg. Some of them have reversible handles, so you can have bubs facing you when he/she is little. That is a feature I wish that my pram had!

Goodluck! :)

Personally I'd be steering away from the big Emmaljungas, as they can be a pain to pack into and remove from the boot of the car all the time. The weight of the pram becomes a real issue here, especially if you develop any sort of back strain.
With the three-wheelers, just make sure that you have a sturdy model so it's stable to leave the baby in without holding the handles all the time.

Go into the shop and try assembling and folding them a few times before you decide, as each pram has its own pros and cons, and they all seem to fold differently!

We had a good, sturdy, four-wheeler Brio last time around which served us well, but it was not easy to maneuver it into the boot all the time, so this time we'll be looking for a good, solid three-wheeler that collapses easily and isn't overly heavy. I think they're better for long walks, easier to push, but I haven't picked one out yet! I'm waiting until I can get down to the shops with DH, I won't let him choose one on his own.

Kerrie

I just wanted to say in relation to the three wheeler prams, as Custardtart said you need to get a good sterdy one.
I know there are alot of cheaper ones on the market and while I was at the shopping centre on Monday I witnessed one falling over - thankfully no baby inside!!! but baby stuff went everywhere.

I bought a great second hand medium size stroller that is lightweight and can be folded down with one hand while holding baby in the other - this for me has been great.

Although I did purchase a large pram that also converted into a bassinet which I used for walking and was great for baby to sleep wherever we went and in the loungeroom- also great because it was safe to rock her to sleep and leave her in it all night.
Hope this helps.

I have 2 prams and for each of their purposes they are great.

I bought an Emmaljunga pram for the farm (ostentacious, I know 8-[ ) but we bought it becasue it has large pneumatic wheels and will travel over the paddocks, gravel and cow poop. It also has excellent suspension and is extremely comfy ride for Pup. It also takes a toddler seat if/when needed at a later date. However, it is very heavy (13kg or so) and is quite bulky, so I'm glad I'm not packing it in and out of the car. it stays on the farm, but i have occasionally taken it in the car where I know we are going to be doing some "off road/footpath" typs travelling. I have a Ford Territory (big SUV type car) and the pram takes up most of the room in the back.

The pram I have for the car and for town walks is a McLaren stroller and I cannot say enough good things about them. I have the Vogue model and I LOVE it. It weighs about 5kg and packs up to bugger all. It takes up very little room in the back of the car and whilst it is strictly a stroller (ie you can't turn the handle around to have the bub facing you), you CAN lay the seat right down and it is a proper pram for a newborn. The vogue model (and the next one up) also come with boot covers, so they look like a pram anyway. The downside of it, is that it has smaller wheels and would be a bit harder going over surfaces that were not paved (though not impossible). The other advantage of the McLaren is that it will definately last more than one kid, but the downside is, because it is a stroller, not a pram, there is no ability for a toddler seat.

Both were relatively expensive....we got the Emmaljunga on sale for $450 and family bought the McLaren for us which was $330.

If you are mainly going about town and paved surfaces, my vote is for the McLaren. I have convinced another mum at our mum's group about the McLaren - she turned up last week with one and she LOVES it too. BTW, she has a small car (like a Festiva) and the McLaren fits fine into the back with room to spare.

Hayseed

well i have bought one but not used it yet LOL - but will still give one bit of advice.

i chose mine based on lots of the issues raised here, looking at it thought it would easily fit into my boot (mazda 323, average sized sedan), and while it does fit in the boot, it takes up HEAPS more room than i expected it to. so i would try it in the car too, just to be sure it suits.

good luck - its not an easy purchase to make!!

Linda

I've got the same pram as Kate and it's excellent. My friend also bought one and has the toddler seat attachment. I love how it can go on the front or on the back.

Sure is, Kate. It also seems to be slimmer than the other big 3-wheelers so it fits through checkouts etc. a lot easier.

I have an Emmaljunga which i LOVE. it is heavy and does take up a fair bit of room in the car, but i walk a lot and it's been fantastic. It's very comfortable for baby and has great suspension (that the 3 wheelers don't have). It was priority for me for comfort for baby and easy to push over all sorts of terrain. If i could afford it, i would consider a 3 wheeler stoller for around town/shopping centres though just for ease of getting it in and out of car. I have used the bassinette up until this week when i decided to put the stroller part on as Evan likes to look around now!

I think everyone goes through this dilemma! Especially when #2 comes along!

I swear by my Mother's Choice stroller / pram with reversable handle.
It is lightweight, compact yet holds so much when you are out and about. It is great for newborns with the reversable handle and steers super! Great for walking too - I found that I could reverse the handle if the sun was in baby's eyes.

Also great to add a skateboard to for a toddler.

I also have a Bertini Bidwell 4 wheel steer with a toddler seat. While these are FANTASTIC for walking the streets I wasn't too taken with them in a busy shoping centre. Really hard to get around the tight spaces of department stores and very heavy. But it served it purpose for a newborn and toddler. I still use it for walking around the neighbourhood to the pool / playgroup etc. And great for day trips to the zoo. Just not practical enough for every day use.

I also have an umbrella stroller for quick trips into the shops.

But really - the good old standard 4 wheel pram / stroller is the way to go IMHO.!