Best stroller, pram, pushchair, whatever...

I'm continuing Stacey's thread re: getting good baby gear. I'm really keen on getting a good stroller. I'd be grateful if anyone would share their thoughts on strollers - good ones/bad ones or general advice on what to look for would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers
Mimsy200

Depends entirely on what you'll primarily be using the buggy for - parks, malls, heavy city use, unpaved tracks or trails, etc.

Are you talking about for a newborn baby or older baby/toddler? Like Expat says different types of prams suit different needs.  For a newborn I would say get some kind of travel system, ie the kind that have the car seat that slot into the pram, even if you don't have a car.   I loved ours (Graco Sterling) when Ethan was little(r!) - we would just carry him around in the car seat  and he could sleep peacefully and when he got a bit bigger would rock himself to sleep in it even.   He grrw out of that at about 7 months and since then has been in the upright bit of the pram (which reclines flat for sleeping). He's now almost 17 months and we are looking at getting a lighterweight stroller for him.

i had heard that graco were nice.

i will be looking for a newborn one, and definately want one that can double as a car seat. i had also been under the impression that you could convert some newborn ones to regular strollers for kids. maybe that is just the graco though.

will be using it for getting around town and maybe some light trail walking. i'm also tall and want to make sure i can get a push handle that comes up high enough so i'm not permanently stooped.

Yes that is what a travel system is - when they grow out of the car seat you dump that and you are left with an upright pushchair (stroller) but they are kind of bulky and heavy - that's why we're looking for a lighterweight one now that will take up less space and be easier for getting on trains and stuff.

For trail walking you might want to forget about a pram and get a baby backpack. We have one that looks just like a normal kind of backpack with a metal frame except it has a baby seat instead of the bit where you pack all your stuff. You can get them from travel/hiking type shops. 

We have a graco travel system as well, the car seat part was just great!!! Often at night, just getting him to settle, we would put him to sleep in that!! He's going to be three in may, and we are still using the stroller when we go out for long periods of time. Although he's big for his age, he still will fall asleep in it comfortably, but he does not do that often! He's more interested in walking and pushing it. Even when we go out for just a short jaunt, he demands we take the stroller, just so he can push it. Which I guess is a good thing, because I can control him so long and he's holding onto it. 

Have you looked at the Urban Detour collection at mothercare.  It comes with a car seat  and buggy.  http://www.mothercare.com/invt/lx0511&bklist=

We use a 4 wheel forward facing pram that lies baby down,then as she grows up we can sit it up ,graco brand

Mimsy, a good way to find out what's best for you is to go along to Mothercare and have a chit chat with them, they will show you the different kinds of pram and explain which ones are good for what and they won't pressure you to buy anything.

Rich and I were out looking today!  It's all so confusing.  I'm still thinking the Hauck Infinity is good which includes about everything.  When I was in NY everyone had a bugaboo, and while they are light and cool to look at, I can't justify spending that much money on it.  Just seems silly to me.  After leaving NY I realized I was leaning towards it because everyone else had it.  Plus my mothers friends have said their son just got one and it's a b*tch to unfold.  Comes with a DVD to teach you how.

We took ages to decide and didn't get ours til 2 weeks before Ethan was born. In the end we chose it because it has a funky clock/thermometer thing on it and is black velvet and the price was ok.    Bugaboos are VERY expensive considering you are only going to get 2-3 years use out of it really. As someone (I forget who) said to me you might as well buy the baby a car.   

ps don't get one with a drinks holder or people will try and put cans of beer in it.

I think I saw that pram today at Mothercare with the clock Thermometer thingy.  Of course Rich thought it was the coolest thing ever!

My SIL has a Jane and loves it.

I agree about the Bugaboo.  My moms other friend laughed when I told her I wanted one.  She told me to lean toward the Cadillac of prams rather then the Rolls Royce.

The only suggestion I would make is if you or your husband are tall, make sure that the handle is at a comfortable height.  The stroller I was in love with was too low for my husband to walk with without having to stoop to reach it.

I'm a big lover of Graco, but I'm in suburbia where I can toss it in the back of the car.  I don't think I'd want something that bulky if I were in a more urban setting.

Oh, and if you can, give cup holders a miss.  Everything you put in them spills everywhere when you walk.  So much for my daydreams of taking walks on crisp fall mornings with a cup of coffee!

Now I have to find a place that has the Hauck and test it out.  I'm 5'9" and Rich is 6', so we need something that will suit us both.  Are the handles on most adjustable?

I hate 3 wheel buggies.  I like to walk fast - keeps me in shape, too - all my buggy use is urban, and there isn't a 3-wheeler around that can match a sleek 4 wheeler for manouvreability, ease of folding down - for stairs, public transport and getting around scaffolding or narrow pavements and shop aisles, and light weight.  I need something I can push w/one hand, b/c so often w/babies you need another hand briefly - to wipe spit up or spills, hand over snacks or cups, straighten baby's hood or blanket, sip a drink, etc.  If you stopped everything you had to do that, you'd get nowhere.

Need something that's easy to clean, too.