Looking for advice on buying pram/buggy/car seats for 1st baby

kifi

Hi All,

Our first child is on the way and I haven't a clue about which type of pram/buggy and car seats to get and how it all works. I've heard that if a second child comes along close to the first, that it might be better get a buggy that is adaptable to a double. I am really just looking for advice in general on getting properly setup.

Thanks!

bp

If you are getting an ISO base not as part of a deal get the family fix base as this will take the seat of a 1+ year old front facing seat.

Check ease if accessibilty underneath baby, if you are shopping with the baby or even putting the baby bag there it needs to be easy to access, especially with a sleeping baby

Ok started writing this two hours ago so apologise if advice has been given!

mirrorwall14

My advice would be buy second hand if you want an expensive one (except on car seats!!) or borrow if you can at all for the first while. I loved ours but our boy got big fast and he was just too heavy in it. I ended up getting the lightest one fold recline I could get on a budget at 5/6 months and It's excellent. If you are going to spend a load of money then if you could borrow for a week in the first month then it could end up saving you. I know so many people who have either bought a new one or are stuck using one they hate coz they can't afford a new one

bp

Ah crud half of my post didn't work.

I also said make sure your car seat can work with it (if child is asleep in car and you need to go somewhere or even just to run into shop).

Get one that can also be a double or single (especially if 2 under 3).

Make sure car seat works and allows the second child also sit in seat.

Check weight and boot space.

Ask around and try laods

Millem

Kifi I remember giving myself a headache over travel systems :rolleyes:
My guy is almost 2 and has started refusing to go into buggy so you might not use it for 4 years or whatever shop tells you!!

Some people will say they swear by one or hated another! It's really what are your needs and budget.

I needed one that is light to push as had 3 big dogs!!! I also wanted proper wheels on it. So we got a bugaboo cameleon. We bought the package in Tony kealys. One thing I wish someone had told me was to reject the 0-13kg car seat in the package and pay a few €€ extra and get a 0-18kg one. Extended rear facing seats are expensive so you would save money but car seat couldn't be used on buggy as the 0-18kg stay in the car.

We had narrowed it down to the uppababy vista and bugaboo cameleon. We found uppababy too heavy to push.

I think every buggy will have it's flaws! The bugaboo is so expensive and is a two piece fold! Plus the harness on the seat is dreadful! And don't get me started on the car seat adapters :mad: But for me it was the lightest to push....even now when he is almost two! It will fit into a small car's boot. I personally love a proper bassinette not a cocoon or snug thing. It doesn't go into a double and tbh all the tandem ones were just too heavy to push in single mode!! We never looked at out n about 360 nipper as I didn't like the Bassinnette. In hindsight it is a great buggy and has great wheels, I would of bought one as car buggy

I have a MacLaren quest in the car and bugaboo stays at home for walks.

Diamond Doll

We went for a very expensive Uppababy Vista travel system. I.e. with the pram, buggy, and carseat, Iso-fix base, etc.

If I were to go again, I'd go for a much cheaper lightweight buggy, with a raincover and footmuff, and a good quality sling/carrier.

There is no need really to have the car seat that clips into the buggy, it's handy at times but mostly unnecessary.

mirrorwall14

By the way this is my joie one http://www.kiddicare.com/p/Joie_Mirus_Pushchair_Ladybird.htm

I'll likely use it from birth next time round depending on when we go again. If I still need a buggy for the current lad I'll be buying second hand from adverts/donedeal or a car boot sale

LegacyUser

Just to prove Millem's point, we have the uppababy vista and love it

Our little one is 18 months. When we were looking I had a few priorities:

I wanted a travel system, because everything was included in the package and I didn't see the point in paying for everything separately. Generally I felt the travel systems worked out a bit cheaper, depending on what you want from your buggy.

I had this whole thing about getting a car seat which would transfer from the car to the buggy (your standard maxi cosi does that). Great - except my baby had reflux and howled blue murder in the car seat unless the car was actually moving!! She was never one of those babies that fell asleep in the car and then could be moved in her seat to the buggy so she would stay asleep. Never happened. I was always jealous of those babies.... So that ended up being a completely moot point for me!!

We got an Isofix base - I felt it was more "universal" rather than the specific brand bases that come with some seats (Cosatto etc). That was a personal thing.

We wanted one that would convert to a 2 seater. The Uppababy was one of the few on the market at the time. Now no.2 is on the way and there will be a 21 month gap. As it turns out, our Uppababy will convert but the newer model of it - the 2015 one - is probably the better buy, because the 2 seats can face multiple directions. (you'd have to scout online to see what I mean). As it turns out a friend is willing to do a swap - ours for her newer one - so we're lucky that way.

I wanted something with big wheels, but not pumped wheels if I could manage it.

We both wanted something that had an extendable handle because OH is tall-ish and felt he was stooping over quite a few of the buggies out there. Given that we walk a lot, this wasn't a good thing.

All in all, I love our buggy. That said, getting herself to stay in it these days is a battle. But definitely very happy with it. It's a bit bulky alright and I will advise you to do 2 things if you decide to get it - (1) measure your boot and (2) measure your front door. It's got a fairly wide base.

As Millem says though, it really comes down to personal preference. Everybody wants different things from their buggy and what annoys one person suits another perfectly. The Uppababy happens to work for us, but other people find it doesn't suit them. There's no right answer Go to a shop - Tony Kealys, Eurobaby, whatever and try them all out. Get someone to show you how to fold them, lift them around a bit,push them, see what you think. And enjoy it!

bemak

new to this game too.... started looking - quite fancy this cúpla from baby elegance but as it's new there isn't much feedback online. just wondering what people think of the baby elegance range?

thanks a mil

uck51js9zml2yt

If you want to think long term and on our second we did.
We got a rear facing (RF)seat which did from birth to about 4 years old. It can also be used forward facing (FF) when the child is older.
Its isofix on RF and seatbelt held when FF.

People tend you use car seats as a means of going around the shops on a chassis.its not what they are designed for and effect the babies ability to breath properly.
Best thing is a pram with a stroller for later.

Don't be taken in my the"latest toys" . they are over priced and won't last long as junior grows.

There is a good rear facing seat thread on the forum which has a lot of useful suggestions
Above all, try the seats in the car. Will they fit?
Will the buggy fit in your boot ?
I'm sure people in the thread would be happy to let you see theirs if you can't find one in the shop.
Once you've decided on what you want font be afraid to look online.
We got a RF/FF in Rathcoole ( they are expensive but last years) and an isofix seat (Kiddy Guardian) for our eldest (he was 3 at the time) online after looking at one here. He's tall and grew out of his seats fast.

moving_home

Princeton Late Supper wrote: »

If you want to think long term and on our second we did.
We got a rear facing (RF)seat which did from birth to about 4 years old. It can also be used forward facing (FF) when the child is older.
Its isofix on RF and seatbelt held when FF.
1

From my research I think the infant car seats are safest for small babies. I recently bought an erf seat and although it is sold by the company as suitable from birth, the shop I bought from won't sell it for a newborn. They will only sell it for use from 6 months. In the early days it is very handy to be able to run into the supermarket with the carseat when baby is sleeping. As long as a baby isn't in the carseat for more than 1.5 hours at a time they should be fine.
I don't have a baby elegance pram but my friend reckons they are fine for city living but fairly flimsy. There are better brands out there and definitely safer carseats.

Typer Monkey

bemak wrote: »

new to this game too.... started looking - quite fancy this cúpla from baby elegance but as it's new there isn't much feedback online. just wondering what people think of the baby elegance range?

thanks a mil

I got the baby elegance beep twist for my almost 3 year old and have no complaints. It served us well and I'll be dusting it off shortly for number 2 due in Feb. I think it was cheaper than the one you linked above. Some of the travel systems are an absolutely bonkers price

pwurple

moving_home wrote: »

In the early days it is very handy to be able to run into the supermarket with the carseat when baby is sleeping.

A lot of the supermarkets have trolleys which allow a carseat to be clipped on top. I think this is recent enough, i only noticed it a few months ago.

I am still a fan of the out n about nipper. Such a versatile buggy. Quick to fold, suitable from newborn to about 4. Narrow, carseat clips on, great for running, or going to the woods, and both mine loved napping in it. I have had mine nearly 5 years now, it's been around the world and into all sorts of terrain and is still perfect.

I found that and a carseat were all I needed. I Used a sling as well which was a godsend for a refluxy baby because they like to be upright all the time. And it gave great freedom for getting about places where a buggy didn't work (buildings/towns with a lot of steps etc).

mirrorwall14

A sling is way handier for shopping I found 😀. Just to emphasise the car seat is not meant to be used for longer than 45 mins at most event though they can be attached to the buggys, according to my midwife, advice online varies from 20-90 minutes) so you should be using the buggy/pray for shops generally. If you think about the length of drive to the supermarket, the walk around and the drive home I know in my case it was too long so baby had to come out of the car seat

moving_home

Everything I read and was told said 90 mins was the time limit including antenatal classes and the shop where I bought mine. I always kept to the 90min rule. To stop every 45mins isn't really reasonable if you were ever going to go on a long journey.

mirrorwall14

moving_home wrote: »

Everything I read and was told said 90 mins was the time limit including antenatal classes and the shop where I bought mine. I always kept to the 90min rule. To stop every 45mins isn't really reasonable if you were ever going to go on a long journey.

I went with 60 on long journeys, stopped twice on the way to the west. Having said that it was forum reading so could be the crazies erring on the side of caution I was reading lol

bp

I used the car seat in shops ad my children were hard to get to sleep, so if they were finally asleep and I had to run into the shop for say some milk I was not going to wake them for the sake of a five minute run in.

Personally I love that the car seat went in the buggy. Didn't do it after five/ six months as they are too heavy to lift with the car seat and they have a nap schedule.

I was also told 90minutes.

Millem

moving_home wrote: »

From my research I think the infant car seats are safest for small babies. I recently bought an erf seat and although it is sold by the company as suitable from birth, the shop I bought from won't sell it for a newborn. They will only sell it for use from 6 months.

Moving_home what shop told you that? I bought my car seats from incarsafetycentre who knew one was going to be used from birth on baby number 2. I found the shops down here dreadful on ERF car seats and gave incorrect and dangerous info....tony kealys being the worst :mad: I had to tell them about their seats.


I thought I mentioned baby elegance in my previous post. Two of my friends have the beep twist so I have seen them in action. They are fab very similar to my bugaboo and better in some cases! They don't use car seat adapters, it has a one piece fold, the bassinettte is certified for overnight sleeping, the mattress can tilt for reflux baby and you can change the colours. The wheels are not as good as bugaboo or out n about they look like plastic. Wheels are fine for walking on paths etc but don't think they would be great on bumpy roads. Also it is bigger when folded, that one friend couldn't fit bassinette and chasis into her small boot. You don't have to use their car seat as it takes a maxi cosi cabriofix but I think you need adapters.