Prams and Baby Seats

shockrave on 16/07/2023 - 19:18

Hi all,

Hoping for your help as I'll need to buy prams and baby seat for the first time.

Firstly, I'm aware it is far cheaper to buy them second hand. I've tried that with my wife but she said no (even if we were to get it professionally cleaned). So I accept that I won't be getting the best deal.

Firstly the tram. I visited a baby shop recently and they seemed to only carry expensive items. Out of those we saw the Uppababy Vista V2 seemed pretty good, and it could also be used if we have a second baby. The second best one we liked (which actually cost more) was the Cybex Priam, which is also only for a single baby.

So my question is, are there other brands and models, with comparable features to these that would be a fair bit lower cost? Alternatively, do the features even matter or am I being conned by the marketing. Ideally we would like something that is very easy to fold up, ideally not super heavy (though they all seemed to be quite heavy), comfy for the baby (or do they even know the difference).

Moving on to baby seats. We saw some capsule type that can be mounted onto compatible prams with adaptors (up to 12 months), the 0-4 year old baby seats that can face backwards, as well as the 1-8 year old ones that can only face forward. Wondering if it's better to buy one of capsule ones and then the 1-8 year old (given the convenience of not having to wake baby up), or if it's better to buy the 0-4 and then the 1-8 a few years down the line, as the car seat may be rather dirty and run down after a few years. Again the brands we saw were quite expensive - Cybex Cloud Q, Britax Safe n Sound, Maxi Cosi.

So my second question, any particular brands and models I should look for that provides comparable features to the expensive brands at lower costs? Or are they all about the same anyway as they have to pass testing and be safety compliant?

Thirdly, what's the best way to secure a deal on these products first hand? Go to the baby expo to secure them (e.g. One Fine Baby), or try online / eBay? Any particular stores or websites that's really cheap and would be open to negotiations for purchase of multiple items

Thanks heaps

Toys & Kids Baby Car Seat Stroller

Comments

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 16/07/2023 - 19:20
    +5

    Uppababy worth it imo

  • Mia03 on 16/07/2023 - 19:38

    Check online for the best deal then pricematch with baby bunting if possible.

    I spent a lot of time checking reviews/finding the best product but ended up not using the products as much as I expected to. I love using my tulle baby carrier and just putting baby on the beds/pillows.

    • shockrave on 16/07/2023 - 19:59

      Any ideas if baby bunting will negotiate on bulk purchases or just price match?

      • John Kimble on 16/07/2023 - 20:21
        +2

        What is your definition of "bulk purchases"? If it's a pram and a car seat and possibly a capsule…then, that's what a lot of new parents buy, so unlikely.

        If it's 10+ prams, then maybe, but even then, who knows 😂

  • John Kimble on 16/07/2023 - 19:42

    For a pram, depends what your use case is.

    Cybex Priam is great, but exy and has a tiny basket relative to many others. There's an electric version that is even more exy that would be nice to have if you live in a hilly area and have the money to burn.

    I am a capsule convert. We have three kids and didn't get a capsule for the first two. We decided to get one for the third and it's been great. He's just turned one and still just fits in there (but we will be swapping him out soon). Probably not worth it for those that have giant babies that grow out of them within 6 months?

    Try and find ones that have removable and washable covers.

  • lakes_8 on 16/07/2023 - 19:46

    Bought a rover3 cause didn't want to pay too much

  • gamerkonks on 16/07/2023 - 19:53

    Britax QuickFix for cat seat has been great. Had good ratings on the NSW safety website.
    Didn't go with capsule, haven't had any problems with baby waking when taking out of the seat.
    Redsbaby Jive 5. Super easy to fold / unfold. Has all the features we needed. Online only, unless you see at an expo or open day.

  • Motek Benzona on 16/07/2023 - 19:56
    +2

    And also when your nice new $1000 pram is covered in caked in food and scunge and you only get $20 for it on marketplace remind your wife of the futile waste of money she succumbed too

    Oh.

    And get a capsule bassinet pram system.you need all three. Have you ever transferred a sleeping newborn from a capsule to a pram? DONT BOTHER

    Save the seperate seat for when they cannot fit in a capsule that you can click in amd out

    • Protractor on 16/07/2023 - 20:04
      +1

      All about image. Such ppl deserve to lose $$$ big time, although the downstream harm can't be undone any more
      Western waste streams have (profanity) the planet. We were waking up mid 2010's and then the LNP got back in. Now we drive RAM utes, own every gadget on earth and turn them over regularly. We collect stick vax like golf clubs

    • giantxtc2joshua on 16/07/2023 - 20:09

      As a dad of two, i completely agree with this, what il add is make sure the pram you get is easy to fold and not too heavy as it can be difficult lugging around a heavy pram. If planning on having more than one baby then i would spend the little bit extra on a suitable pram.

    • morse on 18/07/2023 - 03:03

      My baby transferred sleeping just fine from car to cot - capsule was a waste of time for us. Lots do, lots don’t. My kid is nearly 4 and I can still carry him sleeping from the car.

      We bought a new pram for $300 and sold for $150. Stroller however we got for free from marketplace.

      Some of your examples are a bit exaggerated.

      Re sale on some items is actually pretty good. Bugaboo, Babyzen Yoyo etc have decent resale. It’s easy to clean up a pram to sell.

  • reidy76 on 16/07/2023 - 20:21

    We have the Babybee Duo 2 and can't fault it, they have just released the Duo 3, but you can still pick up the 2 for a decent price:
    https://babybeeonline.com/products/duo2
    You can also get a capsule adaptor for a number of different capsules which does help

  • Trying2SaveABuck on 16/07/2023 - 20:25
    +1

    i have an uppababy vista - u will get the best deal as the re-sale value on them is fantastic once baby is out of the pram and you dont intend on having anymore sell it you will probably get half your money back assuming it is in decent nik

  • soan papdi on 16/07/2023 - 21:02

    We used a baby city jogger model for 7 years. And still got about 30% back when we sold it. Very hardy and foldable with one hand, not too heavy and large wheels. IMO whatever brand pram you get, 4 wheels are better than 3.

  • locapez on 16/07/2023 - 21:52
    +1

    If baby bunting is an exhibitor at the baby expo they often sell their demo models at the end of the 3 days for 20% off. So go first thing on the first day with a list of what you want and ask if they will sell it to you for that price. You then have to go back at the end of the last day to pick up. Best price i found on car seats.

    We have a britax graphene and its great. Ive only heard good things. Dont need to remove them from the car to change the settings and more breathable material than the cheaper ones. And the more expensive ones become bulky as they have overkill in airbags.

    Same for uppababy vista. Personally if you are willing to pay that price ive never heard anyone regret theirs as everyone ive talked to love theirs.

  • yellowfever on 16/07/2023 - 23:15
    +2

    I was once in your position and knew nothing better.
    My tip for you is
    1. Listen to you wife. Buy new. But for the rest of the purchase, you manage it your way
    2. There are a million options.
    All have pros and cons. There is no perfect or best pram.
    Try them at the store and make a judgement on what you think is best and assume you are the baby in the pram, would you like it?
    3. Comfort over convenience would be my pick. I would be okay to lift a bulkier pram if that means my bubs and wife get a better experience pram.
    Bigger wheels, thicker/better quality covers all make up for a durable pram and more comfortable ride. There no point having a light weight shitty pram that is wobbly and hard to navigate thru gravel paths.
    4. Seats
    I have Infrasecure Attain and Britex Graphene.
    Attain is just alot better because it's bigger inside and the fabric is very good quality .The safety ratings is high for both.
    I also had Cybex Cloud Q capsule, which was great for 12 months but wasn't necessary.

    Alot of parents say your kid will spill food or vomit all over the pram and dirty it anyway. But I would still buy new for the sake of warranty and not having to deal with issues that you may not know about.

  • morse on 17/07/2023 - 07:12
    +1

    Valco baby snap is good and cheap. I liked how light it was to lift in and out of the car.

    Britax has a great range of car seats. I’d go for a 0-4 with extended rear facing. Re the capsule, I did one as I managed to pick one up through a David Jones price error for $50, but pretty much never took it out of the car even though I had the pram adaptors. I wouldn’t get one again but other people swear by them. I was lucky to have a baby that would transfer whilst asleep without waking. Also be mindful you shouldn’t leave a baby sleeping for too long in a capsule as it can kill them, so for me the utility was low.

    I agree with your wife with new for these two, wheels get jammed up, they don’t fold as easily etc second hand for a pram and second hand car seats are often pretty gross with the upholstery packed out. I also did new cot and mattress and haven’t regretted it, he’s still in it at near 4, plenty of room still. One thing I didn’t anticipate was needing a bassinet as well, he spent the first 6months in one of these. I actually didn’t know the baby is meant to sleep in the same room as the parents for the first 6-12months, hence the need for bassinet. I lasted about 4 months, then gradually transitioned to cot full time by about 6months.

    Congratulations! All the best for the rest of the pregnancy.

  • Overclocked91 on 17/07/2023 - 07:15
    +1

    Vista 2 pram with the Britax Safe N Sound Graphene. So far, we haven't had any issues with either product. Both products are also sleep-safe, which is particularly important.

  • Ggggggggg on 17/07/2023 - 08:16

    I love my uppababy, definitely recommend it! We have a Cruz though and have two children with a piggyback board at back. The large basket at the bottom is quite handy too.

  • Ggggggggg on 17/07/2023 - 08:18

    For car seat,vill recommend Britax all the way. We're using Graphene and a maxi guard pro

  • jellykingdom on 17/07/2023 - 08:39

    Britax Safe N Sound Graphene too (so that it did 0-4yrs old), with a second hand Steelcraft Strider. Then now that she's 3, we went to the 1-8 booster style Maxi Cosi (don't recall the model but it was about $600)

    I would never skimp on the car seat, even if it could be overkill. A cheaper second hand pram isn't going to result in potential injury or worse in a car crash!

    Holy hell it was hard work cleaning out the car seat after a poop explosion. I would seriously recommend hop onto ebay/Amazon and buy some car seat plastic liners that you can machine wash. It only happened 1x ever but it was the worst experience of my life, trying to clean out a poop filled car seat at the park, because we couldn't take her home without it! These car seats have a LOT of nooks and crannys…

    • clarebear on 17/07/2023 - 11:27

      Plastic liners on car seats wouldn't have been used in crash testing and wouldn't be recommend also they would also be a huge fire risk.

  • azero on 17/07/2023 - 10:02

    +1 for the uppa baby vista.

    2 kids and 7 years later, we still use it once in a while. The bassinet was so comfy that my little one used to sleep in it for entire shopping trips.

    Also you can put the content of a whole small shopping trolly in the basket of it.

    Back then the whole thing cost around 2k, (adapters, second seat etc..) but it has paid itself off many times over. I can probably still sell it for 6- 700.

    The rule for car seats is use the smaller one until they grow out of it and then move a size up.

    I used rear facing euro ones for capsules, technically illegal here. But much safer and easier to use than the idiotic rear tether set up that is in here.

    Don't skimp on the seat, in the off chance you have an accident.

  • jm7 on 17/07/2023 - 17:10

    Unless you're planning to have 2 children really close together, I wouldn't recommend the uppababy vista. I bought one and decided to sell it when I realised I wouldn't be having another baby super soon. It's a big heavy pram and I swapped to the bugaboo fox. 2 children using the visa (2 seats or seat and bassinet) looks incredibly impractical and uncomfortable. Not to mention, the bassinet needs to go under the seat. If you're keen on uppababy, I'd get a cruz which is much cheaper than the vista too.
    We also have had a Britax Graphene from birth. Our daughter is really comfortable, it's easy to get her in and out and she loves sleeping in it.

  • shockrave on 17/07/2023 - 22:35

    Thanks all. Looks like I'm sorted for the car seat but will need to consider the pram situation a bit more

  • MeesusEff on 17/07/2023 - 23:45

    I got a city select Lux when I was 2 months pregnant, no research, just jumped the gun on an Amazon deal. Luckily I love it. My sister bought a Bugaboo Fox and regrets it. I didn't look at other prams but make sure your pram is easy to fold and how big it is folded, big basket space (with no bar in the way) and FOLDABLE SEATS. For some reason the Bugaboo Fox seats won't fold so it takes up practically the whole boot. Whereas mine is all flat and just takes up one side of the boot.

    Didnt bother with bassinet for 2 kids, just used a capsule. We don't go out much and stay out long so it worked for us. Maybe look for a pram that can convert to a double just incase #2 surprises you.

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