As you've probably realised by now, the price of prams and pushchairs range from the reasonable to the ridiculous. That's partly because there are plenty of parents out there with a 'money no object' attitude that are happy to part with £800+ to have whatever the latest cool pushchair model is, but also because modern prams are being made with hi-tech materials and coming with more and more gadgets that the manufacturers can justify charging more for. As a result, it's really easy to find the price of your dream pram creeping up.
The best way to control your budget is to make sure you've done your homework: Understand what features you really need and what you can live without. Look at the prams that meet those needs and go out and test drive them to see whether they work for you. Then decide on a realistic budget and make sure you stick to it. And most importantly, shop around.
"Shop Around" is the mantra when buying a pram as prices can vary dramatically from store to store. Use websites like Kelkoo to check prices for a pram or pushchair across lots of shops. Also check out bargain pram websites such as BabyValue.co.uk, which can offer huge discounts on certain models and will often advertise reconditioned models at big savings.
Don't get too taken in by a bargain though. Not to sound like your mother, but if it isn't what you need, then it doesn't matter how cheap it is! Stories abound of parents buying several pushchairs because the first one they bought didn't meet their needs. Spend a bit of time to research the correct pram, invest wisely and you could save yourself a fortune in the long run.
Unless you're paranoid about germs then the easiest way to save a large amount of money is to get a used pram - you can save well over 50% on the price of a new pram by going second-hand and, if you look carefully, you can often find prams in great condition.
If you're looking at a used pram or pushchair though, you need to make sure it's got the British Standard Kitemark BS7409.
You should also check that:
The brakes and wheels are in good condition and work effectively
There's a five-point harness for your baby (older models may only have three points)
The pram comes with instructions so you know you're using it properly
Finally, beware of buying the car seat components of travel systems second-hand. Unless you can verify their crash history, they're not safe to use.
If you decide to head down the used route, eBay is a great starting point for a bargain, and you could end up paying a tenth of the original price if you're a canny bidder.
Also worth looking at are Preloved.co.uk, a classified ads site which has thousands of ads for used prams and pushchairs and Pushchairtrader.co.uk which specialises in advertising used pushchairs on behalf of their owners.
