The one thing that I regretted when it came to baby purchases the first time around, was our choice of pram. We were on a tight budget after the IVF and we couldn't justify the crazy prices of the more expensive options - so we went with a basic pram that was light and easy to fold and store. That was fine... except for a few things we didn't realise at the time.
- The pram we bought was actually not ideal for newborns, as it didn't recline flat and wasn't supportive enough for wee ones on its own. The pram would have been compatible with an infant seat, only we were planning on getting a regular convertible car seat and so the sales lady didn't bother explaining that to us. Needless to say, as a baby, Georgia HATED the pram, and I ended up hating taking her out in it.
- It only faced outwards. As I mentioned just now, I had a pretty miserable baby in the pram those first few months, so I was constantly having to stop, walk around & check in on her when she was upset - I really, really needed the option to have her parent face. It got so bad that I ended up purchasing a clunky old cheap pram second hand that DID flip around, just so I could see my poor kid while we were out and about.
- The basket was useless and hard to get to, and because it was so lightweight, I could hardly hang my nappy bag on the pram without it feeling unstable and not particularly supportive.
Keeping that pram was NOT an option, so we ended up selling it and going back to square one this time around. To be honest, I was dreading shopping for a new pram, because once again we were on a limited budget - and this time, I knew what I wanted, and I knew it wouldn't come particularly cheap. I made a spreadsheet of the prams that were in budget, just out of budget, and impossible to afford, and I researched pros and cons to them all. Even with all that research, I still walked out of the first baby store we went into and cried, because it all felt hopeless. We'd either be paying a small fortune, or we'd be settling for another pram that wouldn't do what I needed it to do.
Luckily, we decided to go into a different store & found another option - the Steelcraft Strider. I knew of this pram, as my brother/SIL had used it with my nephew, but I had assumed it would be totally out of our budget. This store had an ex-display model marked down, which we were considering.. except it had some fairly decent marks on the hood and looked a little battered. I had seen a better price on the pram at a different store, so hubby asked if they would price match on a new one, and they did... with a further 10% bonus! That brought it down to our maximum budget, but it was do-able.
It has a nice sturdy frame that's easy to fold. It steers like a dream; G was pushing it around the store. It comes with a seat that can just lift out and be either forward or parent facing. It's part of a travel system, and can be used with a bassinet or an infant capsule. And it has a beautiful big basket that's easy to access. Tick, tick, tick. We purchased it that day!
I've also been on the hunt for a capsule to fit it, as being baby #2, we decided to use an infant carrier this time around. I can't imagine wrangling a 3.5 year old and carrying a newborn everywhere, so it seemed like the way to go. Fast forward to last week when I bought one for a great price, and we now officially have our pram/car seat sorted for the first little while. This is the pram frame with the infant seat attached - the actual grey toddler seat is still upstairs in the box.
It's no Bugaboo or iCandy or Silver Cross, but it's perfect for what we need it for. Miss G likes it too!
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