Ahhh there’s nothing quite like choosing a new pushchair. And I LOVE getting into all that nitty gritty boring detail about pushchairs. When I found out that I was pregnant again I was so excited about choosing a new pushchair I sometimes thought people were congratulating me on that basis rather than the fact I was once again with child. I knew selecting the pushchair of my dreams would be no easy task... I had already had my fingers burnt on my purchase for my first child – a gorgeous Mamas and Papas Mylo... which I bought when I lived in nice smoothly paved suburban Birmingham. Sadly, at about 6 months pregnant we upped sticks and moved to the very rural Scottish Borders.... where there aren’t even any pavements, let alone smoothly paved ones!
With this in mind (and finances considerably tighter!) I worked long and hard in my search for ‘the perfect double’ and to be honest I’m not sure it exists but I reckon I’ve got as close as I can get (although I haven’t used it in anger yet!).
Here are the 5 steps I followed to find the perfect buggy:
1. Make a list. I know, it sounds dull right? But I divided a piece of paper into 4 and wrote 4 headings: “Must have”, “Mustn’t have”, “Would like”, “Wouldn’t like”. Think carefully about what you need and what you want...
2. Research, Research, Research. Go crazy on the internet, read trade magazines, ask others (it was during this process I came across Pushchair Trader website and their very friendly and informative Facebook Page). Get a budget in mind, but don’t rule anything out at this stage as deals and offers often crop up and even buggies far out of your financial reach might have a good feature that you hadn’t originally thought of which you may be able to find on cheaper models.
3. Make a shortlist. List your favourites and highlight any compromises you might have to make on features or important things you want to see in ‘real life’. Find your nearest store that displays your choices, preferably try and find a store that stocks as many of them as possible so you can compare them side by side. When you go to the store there should be lots of questions you want to ask like... “Can you machine wash the fabrics?”, “Does it come with a raincover/bumper bar/puncture repair kit etc?” “How wide is it?” “can you fold it with the carrycot on?” “Can you fold it with the rear facing seat on?” These are just some examples but try and think of as many as you can, lots might be covered in a demo by the staff, so be sure to take a pen and note down any interesting answers. Also, make SURE you get the staff to show you how everything works, and then have a go yourself... at everything (not just folding), even down to asking to see the raincover and how it goes on. Don’t forget to take a tape measure to measure widths and things (remember to measure the boot of your car and the opening aperture of the boot door first) if you’re buying a side-by-side double measure any doors you need to fit it through before you go too!
4. Shop around. Okay, get the prices from the store, and toddle off home with your favourite in mind and research prices like crazy, but bear the store you went to in mind if they were helpful and go back to them for their ‘best price’ it’s only fair!
5. Spend Spend Spend and Enjoy Enjoy Enjoy!
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