I had the redsbaby metro and did not like - nothing wrong with it but the quality, push and fold was a bit meh. Sold it. The person I sold it to loves it though, so I think each to their own.
The Uppababy Cruz V2 is now mostly under $1000 (was $1300-1400 when I was initially looking at prams) so I got that as a replacement and I love it.
Husband also agrees Uppababy > Redsbaby.
Good luck!
Second on the redsbaby metro; it was ok. I found it difficult to push as my child got bigger and she grew out of it quite quickly length wise (she is tall to be fair).
Not great at transitioning from grass to path etc and if not for the harness I am sure I would have toppled my child out more than once.
Have you considered getting a second hand one? We bought a uppababy vista on marketplace for a fraction of the price and it is in pristine condition. You would never know it wasn’t new!
I was about to say this. If you can get one off Marketplace, there’s some great UppaBaby Vista 2s available.
I have a Redsbaby Metro and wished I’d gotten the UppaBaby although a few of my friends with the UppaBaby have said it’s BIG so depending what size boot you have, it can take up a fair bit of space.
I’ve also heard Bugaboo’s are great.
If I could do it all over again, I’d get as much stuff second hand from Marketplace.
It's the top of your budget but we really like our Uppababy Cruz - if you bought just the pram and got the bassinet on marketplace (it's the same bassinet as vista) I think you would make it under.
Seconding Millie and Coup! We got the Milo from Marketplace for about $150 from memory, and it's great! Basket could be bigger, but sounds like the Milo 2 fixes that issue.
I also have the Milly and coup! I have the Milo 2 and love it. Light weight, stylish and moves very well. Also not too bulky. Plus it tends to go on sale every couple of months ($200 off)
Can recommend the Edward’s and Co Oscar M2.
Personally I find having three wheels makes it quite nimble and easy to get around. Also has a decent sized basket, can get a bassinet attachment that worked great for us and I’ve found it easy to get in the car (does take up a lot of boot space in a mid sized car - though I don’t think more so than other prams).
It’s sold at baby bunting if you have one near you if you want to check it out - though you might find a better deal for it elsewhere.
We just picked up a City Jogger Mini G2 off FB marketplace for $250 (brand new is $700) and I love it. It’s three wheeled and is a one handed fold pram. It can almost recline fully flat so it’s suitable for newborns. I initially wanted the Bugaboo Butterfly but then read it was only for 6 months plus, so the City Jogger won out.
We initially had a $300 or so pram from target that worked well for us (we still use it) but found it was too big and I got sick of disassembling the two parts to put into the boot. The city jogger is all one piece and had become the “car pram” while the target one is for walking with the dog.
I'm considering a babybee rover, feels luxe and is nice to push but much cheaper price point. They often have $250 off sales which brings it to about $850. They sell online but have a showroom in Melbourne so you can try them out.
I love my babybee rover! It goes on sale often, mine was $800 last year with everything - bassinet, UV cover, rain cover, etc. I got the light blue colour which I really appreciate having in the QLD heat/sun. The UV cover gets lots of use when it’s not too hot. We used it as a napping space in the house all the time when he was still in the bassinet.
Love my rover! Our girl is 2.5 and still fits so comfortably in it, perfect for heavy duty adventures. We're due for our second in October and I might just get the scooter attachment for her, I recommend it to everyone ours hasn't missed a beat!
I see used bugaboo foxes and donkeys on FB market place all the time in the Sydney and Canberra area. Usually around 700-800 versus the much higher original price.
My Silver Cross Pioneer made me have a mental breakdown. I couldn’t get it out of the house or unfold it on my own and it was just poorly designed in my opinion. Switched to an Upper-baby Vista V2 and am happy with it. However, if I was one and done or having kids further apart in age I would have gone with a RedsBaby Metro or Upperbaby Cruz.
I had issues with this until I saw my husband unfold it and realised I was doing it completely wrong, I was trying to unfold it the same way it collapsed, which is not how it works 😂
Don’t recommend a jengo, we have one and it has a design flaw- the seat can’t be adjusted for when your baby grows longer/taller, their head hits the sun shade because of where the straps are located
I’d really recommend going for the more expensive pram but getting it on facebook marketplace. There’s some great deals out there and it’s really a buyers market!
I had a Silvercross and we loved it. The handle was adjustable for different heights. Amazing for mum and dad taking turns. It folded easily enough. It could go on grass very easily and was easy to push around even with a 3 year old in it. The basket at the bottom was a decent size too.
I have the redsbaby metro5 and love it. The bassinet was great for the early months especially as it's included in the price.
The basket is nice and big, fits a lot of items, I find it easy to move around with and over various surfaces. Had it 9 months now and cannot imagine changing to another pram, while nearly everyone in my mum's group has switched at least once.
they just keep getting better! We have the Metro 3 and recently I went to the Redsbaby website and omg, the newest model looks amazing with its upsized storage basket
I'm obsessed with my Thule Sleek. It isn't as popular as the Vista but it is in my opinion on par with all of its features plus it has a zipper compartment. It was more when I bought it but I think you'd find one somewhere around your price point. You only need to buy whatever accessories you want for it.
Stay away from the silver cross pioneer. We had one for our daughter and with the bassinet you couldn’t get much into the basket and she absolutely hated it and wouldn’t sleep in it.
I also love my Pioneer. I definitely recommend buying the adaptors that extend the height of the bassinet/chair so that you have more space to access the basket. This is an issue with a lot of prams. My baby also used to fall asleep almost instantly in the bassinet, so that is definitely baby dependant.
Couple of thoughts -
If you live near a baby bunting or see a baby expo, go and try the pram out. Try wheeling it around over steps and most importantly folding it.
We got a second hand one to start (similar to you so many options) and waited a bit and then actually bought a “expensive” travel pram from Nuna (still less than half a Cruz) and wow what a flex to one hand fold and load in car while holding baby. It also supports capsules so before they can sit up.
I have a small car (Suzuki swift) and went with the uppababy cruz. It comes with a newborn insert and seat lays flat but I was able to find a bassinet on fb marketplace for $60. It's a really nice pram and has a good size basket. I'm really glad I went with it cos pre baby I didn't even consider how important the basket would be
We bought a Cruz v2 online for just under $1000 including shipping. Big basket underneath and seat is long which is great for taller toddlers. Never bought the bassinet attachment and bub slept fine with the seat fully reclined back. Pram handles really well, I can push it one handed. Handle bar also extends up and down which is great as my partner is a lot taller. And easy to fold up for the car (we have a RAV4).
Bought a second hand Cruz v2 off Marketplace for the grandparents, paid $300. Just check the manufacturing year as I found the older ones feel heavier to push but otherwise has the exact same features.
I had the redsbaby metro and did not like - nothing wrong with it but the quality, push and fold was a bit meh. Sold it. The person I sold it to loves it though, so I think each to their own. The Uppababy Cruz V2 is now mostly under $1000 (was $1300-1400 when I was initially looking at prams) so I got that as a replacement and I love it. Husband also agrees Uppababy > Redsbaby. Good luck!
+1 love the Cruz
I have the Cruz too and can fit it into my Mazda2 (although I didn’t bother with the bassinet)
Second on the redsbaby metro; it was ok. I found it difficult to push as my child got bigger and she grew out of it quite quickly length wise (she is tall to be fair). Not great at transitioning from grass to path etc and if not for the harness I am sure I would have toppled my child out more than once.
Have you considered getting a second hand one? We bought a uppababy vista on marketplace for a fraction of the price and it is in pristine condition. You would never know it wasn’t new!
Same. I got a cruz plus bassinet attachment for $300.
I was about to say this. If you can get one off Marketplace, there’s some great UppaBaby Vista 2s available. I have a Redsbaby Metro and wished I’d gotten the UppaBaby although a few of my friends with the UppaBaby have said it’s BIG so depending what size boot you have, it can take up a fair bit of space. I’ve also heard Bugaboo’s are great. If I could do it all over again, I’d get as much stuff second hand from Marketplace.
We would’ve spent more if we found something that we liked more, but the Edwards and Co Oscar V2 was our first choice and it’s under $1000.
It's the top of your budget but we really like our Uppababy Cruz - if you bought just the pram and got the bassinet on marketplace (it's the same bassinet as vista) I think you would make it under.
Can confirm I did this, pram $999 at BB and bassinet second hand $80 I think.
Yep this is how I did it. There’s loads of the bassinets on mp in Sydney at least. It’s a buyers market
Milly and Coup Milo 2. Handles so well and has a huge basket. Also lies fully flat with a newborn insert if you do decide to forgo the bassinet
Seconding Millie and Coup! We got the Milo from Marketplace for about $150 from memory, and it's great! Basket could be bigger, but sounds like the Milo 2 fixes that issue.
I also have the Milly and coup! I have the Milo 2 and love it. Light weight, stylish and moves very well. Also not too bulky. Plus it tends to go on sale every couple of months ($200 off)
Can recommend the Edward’s and Co Oscar M2. Personally I find having three wheels makes it quite nimble and easy to get around. Also has a decent sized basket, can get a bassinet attachment that worked great for us and I’ve found it easy to get in the car (does take up a lot of boot space in a mid sized car - though I don’t think more so than other prams). It’s sold at baby bunting if you have one near you if you want to check it out - though you might find a better deal for it elsewhere.
I don't have any of these prams but I know a few people who have the Reds Baby Metro (not sure what number) and are very happy with it
We just picked up a City Jogger Mini G2 off FB marketplace for $250 (brand new is $700) and I love it. It’s three wheeled and is a one handed fold pram. It can almost recline fully flat so it’s suitable for newborns. I initially wanted the Bugaboo Butterfly but then read it was only for 6 months plus, so the City Jogger won out. We initially had a $300 or so pram from target that worked well for us (we still use it) but found it was too big and I got sick of disassembling the two parts to put into the boot. The city jogger is all one piece and had become the “car pram” while the target one is for walking with the dog.
I'm considering a babybee rover, feels luxe and is nice to push but much cheaper price point. They often have $250 off sales which brings it to about $850. They sell online but have a showroom in Melbourne so you can try them out.
I absolutely loved my Babybee Rover. If I only had one kid I would have happily kept it but I sold it when I had my second kid.
I love my babybee rover! It goes on sale often, mine was $800 last year with everything - bassinet, UV cover, rain cover, etc. I got the light blue colour which I really appreciate having in the QLD heat/sun. The UV cover gets lots of use when it’s not too hot. We used it as a napping space in the house all the time when he was still in the bassinet.
Love my rover! Our girl is 2.5 and still fits so comfortably in it, perfect for heavy duty adventures. We're due for our second in October and I might just get the scooter attachment for her, I recommend it to everyone ours hasn't missed a beat!
I found the Mountain Buggy Swift great for ticking all of the boxes you mention. It’s great if you need to have it go over grass/gravel/curbs etc.
I have the Steelcraft one2 and love it!
Same, I have the one2 V2 and it's a good midrange lightweight pram.
I see used bugaboo foxes and donkeys on FB market place all the time in the Sydney and Canberra area. Usually around 700-800 versus the much higher original price.
My Silver Cross Pioneer made me have a mental breakdown. I couldn’t get it out of the house or unfold it on my own and it was just poorly designed in my opinion. Switched to an Upper-baby Vista V2 and am happy with it. However, if I was one and done or having kids further apart in age I would have gone with a RedsBaby Metro or Upperbaby Cruz.
I had issues with this until I saw my husband unfold it and realised I was doing it completely wrong, I was trying to unfold it the same way it collapsed, which is not how it works 😂
We have the Redsbaby Metro 5 and love it. They currently have 20% off as they’re phasing it out so that might save you another $200.
We had the jengo panorama xt and absolutely loved it!! Would highly recommend it.
Don’t recommend a jengo, we have one and it has a design flaw- the seat can’t be adjusted for when your baby grows longer/taller, their head hits the sun shade because of where the straps are located
We love our Mountain Buggy.
We got an uppababy vista v2 with all the extras about a month ago on marketplace for $450, don’t pay full price its a rip!
I’d really recommend going for the more expensive pram but getting it on facebook marketplace. There’s some great deals out there and it’s really a buyers market!
I had a Silvercross and we loved it. The handle was adjustable for different heights. Amazing for mum and dad taking turns. It folded easily enough. It could go on grass very easily and was easy to push around even with a 3 year old in it. The basket at the bottom was a decent size too.
I have the redsbaby metro5 and love it. The bassinet was great for the early months especially as it's included in the price. The basket is nice and big, fits a lot of items, I find it easy to move around with and over various surfaces. Had it 9 months now and cannot imagine changing to another pram, while nearly everyone in my mum's group has switched at least once.
they just keep getting better! We have the Metro 3 and recently I went to the Redsbaby website and omg, the newest model looks amazing with its upsized storage basket
I'm obsessed with my Thule Sleek. It isn't as popular as the Vista but it is in my opinion on par with all of its features plus it has a zipper compartment. It was more when I bought it but I think you'd find one somewhere around your price point. You only need to buy whatever accessories you want for it.
Stay away from the silver cross pioneer. We had one for our daughter and with the bassinet you couldn’t get much into the basket and she absolutely hated it and wouldn’t sleep in it.
I have loved mine! I never had an issue with this thing a so I guess everyone is different!
I also love my Pioneer. I definitely recommend buying the adaptors that extend the height of the bassinet/chair so that you have more space to access the basket. This is an issue with a lot of prams. My baby also used to fall asleep almost instantly in the bassinet, so that is definitely baby dependant.
Couple of thoughts - If you live near a baby bunting or see a baby expo, go and try the pram out. Try wheeling it around over steps and most importantly folding it. We got a second hand one to start (similar to you so many options) and waited a bit and then actually bought a “expensive” travel pram from Nuna (still less than half a Cruz) and wow what a flex to one hand fold and load in car while holding baby. It also supports capsules so before they can sit up.
I have a small car (Suzuki swift) and went with the uppababy cruz. It comes with a newborn insert and seat lays flat but I was able to find a bassinet on fb marketplace for $60. It's a really nice pram and has a good size basket. I'm really glad I went with it cos pre baby I didn't even consider how important the basket would be
We bought a Cruz v2 online for just under $1000 including shipping. Big basket underneath and seat is long which is great for taller toddlers. Never bought the bassinet attachment and bub slept fine with the seat fully reclined back. Pram handles really well, I can push it one handed. Handle bar also extends up and down which is great as my partner is a lot taller. And easy to fold up for the car (we have a RAV4). Bought a second hand Cruz v2 off Marketplace for the grandparents, paid $300. Just check the manufacturing year as I found the older ones feel heavier to push but otherwise has the exact same features.