Expectant Parents, Looking at Prams without The Ridiculous Price Tag, Possible?

davidinho on 24/04/2022 - 19:22

Hi all,

Not sure if this has been covered, but looking for a pram in the next 6 months.

So my wife found all these mainstream retail brands that cost between $1-2k which everyone tells me is standard but I think it's ridiculous.

I feel like it's like a mainstream tax, same as what you pay when you buy Apple products.

So my questions is, to be concise, what are the 'Android' brands of prams? Half the price with comparable quality/features.

Maybe it doesn't exist but thought the best answers I'd get would be here.

Cheers!

Toys & Kids Stroller

Comments

  • bobbified on 24/04/2022 - 19:26
    +70

    these mainstream retail brands that cost between $1-2k which everyone tells me is standard

    They should be much much cheaper on the second hand market if you don't mind that.

    • wartortle on 24/04/2022 - 22:28
      +31

      I second this. Bought almost everything for my kids second hand - ended up paying significantly less than if I bought it new.

      • Dr Techno on 25/04/2022 - 14:56
        +4

        same purchased almost everything 2nd hand expect for baby car seats and cott.

      • SpendLess on 25/04/2022 - 20:42
        +8

        i third this! especially infant clothing. Some of the new born stuff they only wear it for less than a month and they grow out of it!
        i remember picking up a bunch of bonds wondersuit for like 50c to $1 each and they were practically brand new for new born sizes. Brand
        new they were like $10-$15 each

      • 30Something on 26/04/2022 - 21:56
        +1

        Gumtree and Facebook market is yiur best friend

    • davidinho on 25/04/2022 - 10:31

      i agree, but my wife is totally against this unfortunately

      • MorriJ on 25/04/2022 - 10:59
        +56

        If only you knew this 8 months ago!

        • htc on 25/04/2022 - 13:18
          +3

          You could also find them left on the streets.

          • michaelTito on 25/04/2022 - 14:52
            +39

            @htc: The wife?

          • Jackson on 25/04/2022 - 23:55
            +1

            @htc: Is that where the ones that buy new 2k prams are?

            • htc on 26/04/2022 - 06:48

              @Jackson: Not sure which 2k prams you referred to, just to clarify, you will often find used pram on the streets that people dispose of so other people could use it.

      • twjr on 25/04/2022 - 14:39
        +2

        Why? Find one that's been used by the grandparents. Will have had a lot less use.

        • OBone on 25/04/2022 - 23:31
          +1

          And only been used to go to the shops and back once a week.

      • jacross on 25/04/2022 - 15:35
        +18

        Your wife is totally foolish in this regard. Your wife is taking sweet cash and wiping her bum with it and setting it on fire.

        You need to put your foot down on this. Second hand prams are fantastic. If you let your family be taken to the cleaners because of this inclination you are not doing right by your family.

        • Harold Halfprice on 25/04/2022 - 18:23
          +44

          Relax… The guy came here asking for advice on prams, not relationship advice.

        • Jackson on 25/04/2022 - 23:56

          Cash always lights better once it has some fences on it.

          Whatever you do OP, just don't put your foot down on a burning paper bag, it might be on fire but it's probably filled with feces

      • SubNoize on 25/04/2022 - 18:58
        +3

        Why ? There's plenty of people who only have 1 kid, use a pram for 4-5 months and then move it on for less than half price.

        Wouldn't she rather something much better for less than something worse that's brand new ?

        Goodluck lol

        • pat25d on 26/04/2022 - 07:35

          Who only uses a pram for 5 months?

          • Krankite on 26/04/2022 - 07:59
            +3

            @pat25d: Once a child can sit independently there is a whole new range of prams available that are smaller and lighter, we personally made the change at 1 year from the massive war wagon to a smaller pram although I ended up preferring the $15 umbrella stroller and a backpack but don't go suggesting that to your wife.

      • Powlie85 on 25/04/2022 - 21:53

        Loads of saving with this:
        https://youtu.be/wpfad7DaitE

      • MikeKulls on 25/04/2022 - 22:39

        Women are like that and the shops/manufacturers take advantage of it. My wife was the same. The prices are ludicrous, for $1000 you can buy a decent pushy with disk brakes and carbon fiber, or a crappy plastic pram. The pram will look like crap in 6 months being dragged in and out of the car

        • iknowtj on 28/04/2022 - 00:47

          Not these days you can't. Bike pricing is through the roof.

      • a-friend on 25/04/2022 - 22:50
        +3

        I had the same conversation with my wife, took me 5 minutes to convince her.

        Just tell her about the time, when the little one will head to childcare. Nothings gonna be brand new there.

        Also bought layers and head supports like this

        so the little one had minimal contact with the cleaned second hand stuff.

        Good luck

        Cheers

      • morse on 26/04/2022 - 06:19
        +2

        Sometimes you’re better off buying new. Resale on good quality, popular brand, well looked after baby goods is decent (with the exception of cots). We have sold a number of items for 50% of their original cost after they’ve been used. So we effectively paid the same as the person who bought it from us. e.g. $160 play pen used for 9 months, still in great condition, sold for $80, but we got to have the brand new one (raw timber so preferred new for this). I’ve successfully done this with pram, play pen, high chair, love to dream suits and bonds zippy suits. The trick is to buy popular brands and flip it as soon as you’ve stopped using it. Easy to resell pram brands include, bugaboo, babyzen yoyo, valco snap ultra. A Kmart pram though you’ll likely only get 20% back on resale. The trick of course is if you are expecting more kids than this one, deciding what to flip and what to hold on to. Also not sure if this works in all locations, but does here in QLD.

        • meharly on 26/04/2022 - 09:18
          +7

          But the person who bought the play pen for $80 from you probably sold it for $60 in 9 months and therefore only cost them $20. We bought most of our stuff second hand and then sold it once we were done.

          • morse on 26/04/2022 - 18:35

            @meharly: This is true but at this stage it’s got two babies worth of grub on it, which for raw timber isn’t the best. It also looks way better before the wood darkens. At that point the resale has gone down.

            Bonds zip suits are another example. Buy at 40-50% off for $12-15 resale is $5-10, but you get the new one, the second person gets the faded/stretched one.

            Don’t get me wrong, I buy plenty of second hand but for some things new makes more sense to me.

      • juki on 26/04/2022 - 08:32

        i can be fun to dress them up in all sorts though i bought quite a few costumes off aliexpress. I also bought second hand prams but i believe the expensive ones are more modern and practical. all my colleagues bought their stuff new.

        realistically you just need wipes and a few nappies, most of the stuff marketed for new parents is useless or doesnt make life easier

      • CalmLemons on 26/04/2022 - 18:40

        Just make sure to have 5 kids so you get the most value out of it.

    • jellykingdom on 26/04/2022 - 10:00

      Ditto. We got our $900 (Baby Bunting) pram for $120 used

      Our baby pram was second-hand gifted, so it was $0

    • virhlpool on 26/04/2022 - 11:03
      +1

      Second hand pram, unless fully washable, doesn't give comfort to many parents, particularly those who are cleanliness freaks.

    • agrobudgie on 29/04/2022 - 02:04

      Go to a park during playtimes and see all the different types of prams parents use.
      Get something light, cheapish ($300-$400 new), easy to fold and sleep drop down back rest. Heaps of cheaper options without the gimmicks, marketing, social and commercial poo attached to it.
      If your budget is $1k+ and it gives a sense of comfort go for it. Otherwise don't waste your money

  • jaejae69 on 24/04/2022 - 19:27
    +11

    Go to baby bunting and pick out the stuff you like, then buy it online and save literally hundreds.

    We saw our pram at baby bunting for 699(supposedly discounted during a sale), ended up buying on Amazon with free prime shipping for 400.

    • davidinho on 25/04/2022 - 10:31

      i did, and all the online prices were exactly the same as in store

      • jace88 on 25/04/2022 - 10:43
        +1

        Wait for the expos where towards the end, they'll usually be willing to either discount or throw in freebies/bonuses. That being said I did go to an expo recently at ICG and unlike the old ones from a few years at places like Moore park, I noted that there wasn't much stock on hand and they were delivering… so maybe this pricing strategy won't work anymore. That being said though, the deals are usually quite good at expos, and if you can get a flyer, you can then head to a Baby Bunting and they'll price match it (and you can use discounted gift cards/etc potentially).

        Otherwise, work out exactly which model you want and do it the OzBargain way and look for deals. Whilst I didn't think the Fox was such a great choice in the end, we did get it for about $1100 from memory including the bassinet/etc thanks to discounted DJ gift cards, promotional sales pricing (from memory it was like 25%?), and a long delay which led to DJs giving us credit.

        • Starlight8 on 25/04/2022 - 14:56
          +2

          Agreed with the expo strategy, I went last year but didn't end up buying much at the expo. Only some struckets lol

          I bought a Bugaboo bee 6 and what i did was:

          1. Compare Baby bunting with Baby village and other reputable sites then email Baby bunting and ask for a price promise which entitles you to an extra 5%.
          2. Use cashrewards/shopback for an extra small percentage off

          Happy shopping :)

      • bobokingdom on 26/04/2022 - 17:48

        You have time, they always go on sale every few months. Decide why you need the parm? Is it just going to the parks that are 5 mins away? Will you be taking public transport?

      • 777 on 27/04/2022 - 04:33

        Did you checked BoB, highly recommended if you like running outdoors and safety wise got aircraft grade metal.

      • haggertm on 27/04/2022 - 08:27

        My wife was the same when we had our baby. She didn't want a second hand pram because she thought it would be dirty, and I'm sure some are. We were offered a second hand one for free from a work college and she didn't want it. I brought it home to show her and she agreed to use it until the one she wanted went on sale. We never even looked at prams again and still use the one that was given to us. Maybe take your wife to go look at a couple second hand prams and she might feel more comfortable to get one when she sees the condition that they're in.

    • kranix on 25/04/2022 - 23:59
      +1

      Baby Bunting do price matching, or at least they did a few years ago. I found that handy.

      Seriously, the best thing I did was buy a subscription to CHOICE and use their buying guides and reviews as a starting point. Saved me heaps of time and money. A lot of the expensive baby stuff is just over-engineered or overly fancy, and often unsafe. They typically underperform much cheaper and simpler products.

  • SF3 on 24/04/2022 - 19:49
    +15

    Kmart.

    • SnakeCasablanca on 26/04/2022 - 13:47
      +5

      Kmart has car seats that are made by the exact same company as Baby Bunting car seats but are branded differently and cost 60% as much.

      Babys, Weddings and funerals… All have huge "emotion" mark ups.

  • WreckTangle on 24/04/2022 - 19:56
    +11

    I see abandoned strollers on the side of the road everywhere i go

    • gdogdiggity on 24/04/2022 - 21:43
      +2

      Yep, got an uppababy alta, gave it a clean, love it.

    • slow on 25/04/2022 - 10:51
      +4

      Same here, we upgraded both of ours to ones from hard rubbish… and made a profit by selling the old ones

  • CrypticM on 24/04/2022 - 19:58
    +19

    Kmart and target ones are too cheap. Will be very difficult and uncomfortable for parent and bub. Don't go for expensive ones as well ..you do t find much difference.

    Stick to $450-550 ones. I recently got Steelcraft one2 V2 ..best bang for buck.

    • Ughhh on 24/04/2022 - 20:15
      +1

      I recently got Steelcraft one2 V2

      That's the model I've been looking to get. Decent price with possibility of turning it into a tandem pram, actually almost half the price of other brands of similar type.

      No regrets with this one?

      • CrypticM on 24/04/2022 - 20:45
        +3

        Nope. Very comfortable to move around. Seat converts to newborn basket. Very comfy. Big under storage also. Good wheel suspension too.

      • Allwentmarching on 24/04/2022 - 20:48
        +2

        3 kids here, used lots of different prams :)
        Im not sure on that model but we have had previous steelcraft prams and they are a good compromise between too cheap / wont last and ridiculously expensive.
        Work out what you will actually need the pram for - will you do a lot of walking outside or will it mainly be shops etc. If you dont plan on walking much and the pram will mainly be in the car you can possibly get away with a lighter one like a city mini GT .

    • Princess1226 on 24/04/2022 - 21:16

      That’s the one we got too, CrypticM. Looks nice and very easy to push around. I was eyeing the expensive ones but the cheapskate that I am couldn’t bring myself to pay more than $500 for a pram!

    • brendanm on 24/04/2022 - 21:01
      +25

      Will take longer than the gestation period of the child to arrive.

      • plmko on 24/04/2022 - 21:25

        Maybe if you're a rabbit that can shoot out kids in a month.

    • 777 on 27/04/2022 - 04:30

      Not ali express 2 different things
      Wholesale vs retail

  • dust on 24/04/2022 - 20:07
    +4

    Second hand or hand me downs.

  • Porker on 24/04/2022 - 20:09
    +12

    We got this, worked qell for both our kids.

    https://www.productreview.com.au/listings/baby-jogger-city-m…

    • kipps on 24/04/2022 - 20:35
      +1

      Same. Can recommend. Not ridiculously priced either.

    • SBOB on 24/04/2022 - 21:30
      +1

      had the non gt version
      Folded down easy and flat to throw in the car boot was one of its biggest benefits

    • [Deactivated] on 25/04/2022 - 06:58
      +1

      Yeah, we had the mini GT too but the double stroller. It's good quality and lasted for 3 kids, then we gave it to a friend who was expecting. It's definitely worth spending money on a decent stroller instead of the el cheapos at kmart. I wouldn't spend more than what a GT costs though as it was good quality, we never had a problem with it, and it was so easy to pack away into the boot - which is a god send when you're trying to get the kids in the car but they don't want to leave the park and the last thing you want to be dealing with is jigsaw of a stroller which takes 5 minutes to fold up.

      • serpserpserp on 25/04/2022 - 11:06
        +1

        The double side by side stroller is a bit garbage for inner city footpaths. If you can get a "over under" double stroller that is a good one.

        • [Deactivated] on 25/04/2022 - 11:20

          It was fine in the suburbs, never had an issue but we didn't live in the city so yeah.

    • sonome on 25/04/2022 - 20:22
      +1

      I also can recommend the City Mini GT - my kid is almost 5 and we still use it occasionally (unlike my friends who went for the higher $$$ prams and then had to replace them with a stroller once the kid got a bit bigger).

      My only regret was that I didn't get the bassinet attachment. I had my newborn in the lie-flat seat, which was fine, but he'd get overwhelmed at the shops by all the activity/not being able to see me well. I suspect he would settled better in the bassinet.

    • kimbo56 on 26/04/2022 - 10:58
      +1

      Another vote for the City Mini GT. We also picked up a second hand non-GT version as a spare for second car, whilst it was still good definatly spring the extra for the GT, just easier to move around once bub gets bigger. The GT is great, folds down super easily and is pretty compact when folded. The cover is also fully removable (might need to take some screws out) so is fully washable.

    • N30NF15H on 26/04/2022 - 11:20
      +1

      Came here to recommend the city mini gt too.

      Did the whole "everything must be new, the baby will know if this is a hand-me-down or we didn't spend full price" and bought a $500 pram and really disliked it. Ended up buying one of these second hand for $50 off my colleague and never used the other pram again.

    • foxpants on 27/04/2022 - 09:57

      Another City Mini GT endorsement here. At the time they were $800 new, about half that second hand, and then the new ones went on special for half price!

      Honestly great little pram though, especially the easy of folding and unfolding for transport, and child comfort. My only real gripe is getting larger bags in and out of the carrying section below the seat.

  • joshhayes on 24/04/2022 - 20:10
    +2

    We ended up really liking the look and feel of the uppa baby prams. Then found a good second hand one on Facebook for about $400 and it’s been great. Had it 13 months and zero problems

  • zonra on 24/04/2022 - 20:12
    +3

    Check out Baby Jogger GT, this was on my short list when I was shopping for pram a few years ago.
    We eventually went with the Bugaboo Fox for twice the price (even after a 20% discount). While the Fox isn’t bad (it moves great), it doesn’t fold anywhere as effortlessly or quickly as the BJ, now I wish I’d gone for the BJ and pocketed the savings.

    • tight-ass on 24/04/2022 - 21:22
      +1

      Another vote for the Baby Jogger GT.

      We had a Bugaboo Cameleon loaned to us for a couple of years. After going on a holiday O/S and hiring a Baby Jogger GT we preferred it over the Bugaboo. So easy to manoeuvre it and fold it up with one hand.

      • serpserpserp on 25/04/2022 - 11:07

        Adding my vote here too. everything else is a hassle and frankly, a rip off.

    • randome on 26/04/2022 - 12:25

      Another Vote for Baby Jogger in general.

      We have the Baby Jogger x3 Summit as we are both on the taller side.

      Excellent pram that is below 1k

      My wife has had people randomly stop her to check out the pram. One person told her they spent 2k+ on their pram and it was not as good.

    • samba on 26/04/2022 - 20:06
      +4

      " I wish I’d gone for the BJ and pocketed the savings "

      Are we still talking about the pram? Or a memoir from life post-children?

      • zonra on 27/04/2022 - 09:07

        Made me chuckle, here’s the +ve.

  • brendanm on 24/04/2022 - 21:00
    +6

    I had (have 🙄) a Valco snap ultra tailormade, was about $5-600. Worked perfectly, couldn't see why on earth you would pay 4 times that amount for a pram.

    • morse on 25/04/2022 - 02:08
      +1

      Had this one too. I liked that it was lighter than the more expensive ones so better for lifting in and out of the car. Decent storage room for underneath for outings. Nice amount of shade.

    • Faithgrrl on 25/04/2022 - 08:42
      +1

      +1 for valco but I got a valco snap trend. One button one step fold and the pram takes a beating. 7.5 kg. $445

    • brandt on 25/04/2022 - 20:06
      +1

      Yep. We've used the same one for 2 babies and think we paid $500 for it ages ago.

    • ganymede on 25/04/2022 - 21:52
      +1

      +1 to Valco

      Had a Valco Snap, bought it second hand for $120, used it for a few years, travelled with it to 4 countries. Sold it for $120.

    • pat25d on 26/04/2022 - 07:36

      Another +1 for this.

      Bought it due to being one of the lightest prams we could find and it's been great for 3 years now.

    • Coruscae on 26/04/2022 - 16:04

      Another +1 for the snap Ultra! It's great.

      If you have time, wait for a good sale.

    • hdog on 26/04/2022 - 19:58

      Agree! Currently using a Valco snap duo with two under two, used from newborn with the littlest one laid flat just fine. We prefer the Valco to our babyjogger city mini from the days of just one kid, and also have a bugaboo donkey that is so bulky it never gets put in the car. Prams everywhere but the Valco is the mvp!

  • meowsers on 24/04/2022 - 21:41

    There were some that were recalled a few years ago that amputated a few kids arms. Ouch.

    • SBOB on 24/04/2022 - 22:06

      amputated a few kids arms. Ouch.

      fingertips.. less sensationalist, but bad either way :)

      • meowsers on 24/04/2022 - 23:24

        Oops. Yes still bad.

    • Brumby92 on 25/04/2022 - 11:51
      +1

      I just looked into that. I was wondering why no one else has a Maclaren. I love mine. Great size and features. But yeah, Maclaren was the brand voluntarily recalled all strollers after a number of fingertip incidents.

      • dbmitch on 27/04/2022 - 21:35

        damn, that was what I was born into, kinda scary that I came out unscathed, I guess maybe they were better in the 90s?

  • Ametric on 24/04/2022 - 21:42

    Have a look at egg stroller, and buy an additional carrycot for it, the stroller is significantly cheaper on Costco website. It goes so easily, and folds very easily too.

  • jolee3 on 24/04/2022 - 22:07
    +4

    Most newborn strollers are pricey because they have plushy bassinets and are very sturdy with big shock resistant tyres. Downside is that they are heavy and bulky and you will want to get rid of it and use something lighter as soon as you can (6 months or earlier). They are great while they last, which is not long.

    We had a hand me down newborn pram, but when we travelled we got a light travel pram that's 6 months+, the Baby Jogger City Tour 2. Folds down quite flat (one handed with practice) and most airlines will let you take as carry on and put in overhead locker. Lightweight, easy to push. It's marketed as a travel pram but we used it as an everyday pram. It was $400 a couple of years ago, and you can get the bassinet attachment for <$200 to use newborn until they can sit up. The only thing I wish it had was a bigger storage basket underneath.

    • goraygo on 25/04/2022 - 12:39
      +2

      This is such a true comment. Years ago we bought a comfy pram with bassinet and found out most supermarket checkouts are too narrow for it.

      A one man trip to the shops become constantly going around checkouts to pay. It’s annoying as hell.

      We ended up with a light weight pram and life can’t be better.

      • jamesorion on 28/04/2022 - 13:38

        We had twins and had a side by side pram for them and I don't remember ever having this issue. I suppose I would have checked out the overall width before buying, but I never had this issue with our Mountain Buggy either. It was rare that we couldn't get through a narrow doorway, and when it was an issue, there was always an alternative way in anyway.

    • Sharles on 25/04/2022 - 19:22
      -1

      I have the same travel pram and kinda hate it! I’m always happy to get back home and use our usual pram.

      I much prefer our full sized pram (iCandy Peach). We walk a lot and our toddler is much happier to sit in it. The storage on the baby jogger is terrible, it’s not very sturdy so not great on public transport or gravel paths.

      I think you get what you pay for when it comes to prams

    • brandt on 25/04/2022 - 20:08
      +3

      We travelled internationally for the first time with a 8 month old and took a Kmart $20 folding pram. That thing is amazing. 5 weeks, 4 countries, and it didn't miss a beat.

    • Jackson on 26/04/2022 - 00:11

      I had a hand me down steel craft and it was OK but massive, but then I picked up a SilverCross collapsible (like a stroller) convertible forward/rear facing lie flat pram and stroller all in one. That's thing was great, but it was a clearance item 6 years ago so not sure who carries them now. So smooth, tyres were good, folded very compact, came with night lights, and fits even in tiny car boots. If you want to have 1 thing for the entire 5 or 6 years you need it for one kid, and maybe even for two (provided the first can walk some of the time by the time you have the second) then this will do it as it's able to be a lie flat pram as well as a stroller

      This looks like the current model of mine, it's truly the ducks nuts, do everything model, designed in the UK, I heard over there it's a relatively premium brand but here they don't have as much if the market https://silvercross.com.au/products/zest-stroller

      OP's wife clearly has all the hormones running, telling her that if some other kids used a pram it's been shat in it multiple times and her kid is going to be poisoned by it. It's a natural guilty mum syndrome. It's also an illogical, emotion driven decision so it's hard to convince them otherwise. I have even seen people who had their first kid buy a new car because their old one wasn't big enough, they don't make cars that aren't big enough for 2 adults and a baby! (OK maybe an mx5, but none of them had one of those)

  • Benoffie on 24/04/2022 - 22:11
    +4

    We used a Steelcraft collapsible Z fold style. This is the modern version:

    https://www.britax.com.au/strollers/safe-n-sound-cosy-plus/

    $300

    Frankly the overspend on babies is rubbish. Keeping up with the Jones' nonsense doesn't pay bills, doesn't improve their outcomes and doesn't make home life easier.

    Put some boundaries in place. Buy second hand.

    • SBOB on 24/04/2022 - 22:30
      +3

      Buy second hand

      and put the extra funds buy not over-buying baby items into an index fund, and you'll likely have their first car also paid for by the time they are that age :)

  • Quantumcat on 24/04/2022 - 23:21
    +1

    Second hand or free from your Buy Nothing group. There's no need to spend hundreds.

    If you buy new, there's always the risk it won't fit in your car well, or be annoying to pack down or up, and you'll have buyers remorse. But if you got a second hand or free one you can just resell it / give it away and get a different one to try.

    You don't need fancy features, it just needs to fit in your car and not be hard to pack down or up. And you only need it for maximum 3 years or so.

  • This is the-way on 25/04/2022 - 01:07
    +1

    You could skip the pram and use one of those attachment parenting pouches where you have your kid on your chest. There's also harnesses you buy so they can face out, not just face you.

    • tebbybabes on 25/04/2022 - 04:58
      +2

      I did this a lot too. And honestly, the 'harness' that's made with just a giant strip of fabric is great. Completely machine washable and folds into a neat piece of fabric when not in use.

      The commercial harness got grotty after a while even with all the wiping afterwards. The sheet of fabric always looked new. :)

      • serpserpserp on 25/04/2022 - 11:00
        +1

        And honestly, the 'harness' that's made with just a giant strip of fabric is great

        These are perfect once you figure them out. Cheap and the babies love it. I has gifted an expensive baby carrying device and it was ok. But if you go out in hot weather and you are getting sweaty and it uncomfortable for you and bub. Plus you often are unsure if the thing is comfy for baby since they change size every time you use it!

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