When to start pram shopping? Whenever's right for you!
As soon as you discover you’re pregnant, you’ll have lots to think about. In the early months of pregnancy you’ll probably find yourself juggling symptoms like tiredness and sickness alongside hatching exciting plans for your soon-to-be son or daughter. Even when they’re only the size of a bean, your baby is likely to be occupying a lot of your thoughts and plans.
When to start looking at prams
Shopping for your baby’s pram is an exciting part of pregnancy, and most parents-to-be have lots of fun choosing the right pram for their baby. There’s no rush to decide on the best pram for you, and you’ll want to do lots of homework before committing to a purchase to make sure you’ve found the right pram or pushchair to suit your needs.
That being said, it’s 100% fine to start looking as early as you’d like to - there’s never any harm in being prepared!
Lots of people enjoy browsing pram shops to get an idea of the different pram styles available within their budget. It’s also usually a good idea to view a pram in front of you to know if it’s a real contender, even if you end up making the actual purchase online.
We find many mums-to-be visit our stores more than once during their pregnancy so that they can try out different prams, before returning to make their chosen purchase. In between those visits they report lots of online research and from this usually have a list of their top must-haves. Pram shopping involves some serious thought and commitment!
What’s the latest date to order a pram?
There are no hard and fast rules around when you should buy your pram and you have to go with what works for your personal circumstances. However, some prams have lead times, meaning they may take a while to arrive from the point of ordering. This can range from a week to eight weeks, so it’s best not to cut it too fine!
If you decide on your pram when you’re 20 weeks pregnant, for example, and want to buy it then, you can usually arrange for delivery at a later date so you don’t need to have it sitting at home for months. Paying for prams on interest-free finance is also a popular option, and in this case you would pay for your pram in installments over a number of weeks or months and delivery will take place once the full payment has been received.
What to think about when pram shopping
The most important thing with pram shopping is feeling happy that you’ve found the right one to meet the needs of you and your baby. With this in mind, before buying your pram you need to decide what your new, growing family needs and whether it’s a pram, pushchair or travel system that ticks most of your boxes.
Here’s a lightning overview of the three:
Pram:
A pram allows your newborn baby to lie flat, snug and cosy on the move. They come with a mattress and are essentially a baby bed on wheels. Prams have a traditional, classic look and are generally the preferred option for newborn babies. They usually take up more room than a pushchair and the full carrycot and frame/chassis may not fit in every car boot.
Shop prams
Pushchair:
Pushchairs are suitable from babies through to toddlers, so are an excellent value option. They fold in either one or two pieces, with some designed to be especially compact for families who are short on space. Many pushchairs recline fully, so are suitable for use from birth, too.
Shop pushchairs
Travel system:
Travel systems have a 3-in-1 set-up for use with a pram carrycot, a pushchair and with a Group 0 car seat. Many families choose a travel system as they’re convenient and combine the best of both worlds for hitting the road with your baby. We’ve written this full guide to travel systems explaining how they work and the options available.
Shop travel systems
What mums tell us about choosing a pram
We asked some new mums about their experience of pram shopping:
When did you start shopping for your pram?
‘I started looking for my pram when I was about 5 weeks pregnant! I was so excited and couldn’t wait to look around. There was so much choice I’m actually really glad I started early, although we didn’t actually buy it until I was 22 weeks.’ - Amy
‘We first went pram shopping the day of my 20 week scan, it was a celebration! I had looked online before, so I knew loosely what I wanted but it was so nice having a play with the different prams and seeing what looked and felt right.’ - Louisa
‘I couldn’t wait to start pram shopping and had even had the odd quick look before I was pregnant! We bought our pram fairly early, on a payment plan so it would be paid off and arrive a few weeks before my due date.’ - Ellie
What did you consider to be most important when choosing a pram?
‘I wanted a really neutral, classic looking pram in a colour I could wipe clean. Once I started looking I realised there were loads of other things to consider as well, and realised an adjustable handlebar, good storage and a carrycot that my baby could sleep overnight in were most important. Luckily, I got everything I wanted in the iCandy Lime, in a gorgeous neutral grey too!’ - Rachel
‘We knew we wanted a travel system as the baby would be in the car a lot as well as out for walks locally. I also wanted something that would fold in one and not take up too much space as we live in a flat. We went for an Oyster 3 in the end and it was perfect!’ - Cara
‘As much as I would have loved to take my pick of every pram on the market, our budget didn’t stretch that far! When shopping, I asked to look at prams in my price range and that narrowed it down straight away. I wanted a carrycot for the early months and a pushchair that could face me as well as the world. We chose an Ickle Bubba and I’m so glad we did!’ - Rebecca
At Little Angels Prams we offer unpressured, expert advice online, in our stores or over the telephone. Just contact us here or on 01159 305772 with any pram, pushchair or travel system questions and we’ll be glad to help. Happy shopping!