Day three of three. Choosing a buggy. The influencer’s guide. And this is something I always advocate: if you can, try before you buy…
If you know that the buggy at the top of your wishlist is on display in one of the big retailers then make an appointment and go and test it out. Ask if you can push it around the store for a while. Try opening and closing it, attaching carry cots, car seats. Try out the basket for size, play with the hood (does it have a secret zip that extends it?) What about the handle bar, does it clip in and out easily, does the carry cot release with one hand or two? And for goodness sake get someone to show you how the straps work… I have wasted more time than I care to share fiddling around with straps because each brand has its own special way for making adjustments. What about the rain cover – how easy is it to work out how it goes on? Because trust me, when the heavens suddenly open on your precious new bundle, you’ll want to get it on in micro seconds. Do not be fooled, they’re not as easy as you think 🤯
Don’t be embarrassed at taking your time to thoroughly get to know the pram. One of my NCT friends arrived at my flat a week or so after having her little boy with her carry cot not fully extended so it kept collapsing every time she took it off the buggy! Once baby is here, you won’t have much time to start reading the manual (rtfm is a long standing family motto in my house) so get to know it before the little one arrives…
ALTERNATIVELY if you know someone who has the model you have your eye on, meet up for a coffee or a walk around the park and see it in action, get their feedback on it. And these days you can even rent buggies – so actually if you didn’t make the right choice the first time around or you’re of the more sustainable persuasion, you can simply return and swap for something more suitable.
I really hope you’ve found something useful in these three days of detail about how to choose a buggy. I’m super passionate that all mums know what’s out there. For new mums it can be navigating a whole new world (whilst highly hormonal!) and for those of us who have done this several times, there are always new models on the market to consider. Please feel free to message me if you have any questions. TTFN x