Pram "porn" and my pram ideals

If 'pram porn' were an illegal activity, I would be in the slammer right now. I am obsessed with prams, and am always checking out other people's - even people I drive past. I am a total pram snob, but not for the most expensive, or the most exclusive brands...I have my very own set of likes and dislikes which lead me to conclude whether I like or dislike a pram almost immediately.

Since 2008, when I saw one on a school run during my time as a nanny in Norfolk, I have loved the Quinny prams - the Quinny Buzz in particular. My love intensified when my sister-in-law picked the Buzz for her first pram, and I got to use it (complete with my special pram walk!). It had everything I needed and wanted in a pram. And that's where my pram snobbery comes into effect. I have a very specific set of things I think a pram should be/have in order to be attractive to me.

* 3 wheels: I don't really know what it is about 4 wheelers that I dislike so much, since they make up the bulk of prams, but I just can't have them. I look at them and I see a boxy, square, bulky thing, like the Obaby Zezu (left).  Now, I will concede that some 4 wheelers do look better than others - the Uppababy Vista (right) would be my 4 wheeler of choice. I know that in reality, 3 wheelers are actually more bulky than 4 wheelers, but it's something I just can't get past.

* Black goes with everything: Coloured prams are not my cup of tea at all. I think the pink Oyster on the left is horrendous, and even the green Mamas and Papas Sola on the right just turns me off right away. I may be particularly boring on this point, and I know lots of people like to have something different, and bright and quirky for their little one, but it just is not for me. Unless you are a 'city slicker', I also think that it's hugely impractical to have a coloured pram. Ours is covered in muck from the country lanes, so black hides it well.

* Parent facing: if you have a pram that is not capable of being used parent facing, such as the many strollers on the market, I am just not interested. It is integral to me that I am able to face my baby. Luckily, almost all travel systems do allow this.

* Frame structure: Some buggies are just so WEIRD looking, and this is one thing that really makes me turn my nose up!

So, you may be asking yourself, does my Quinny Buzz meet all these requirements I appear to have? Well, after all that, I don't actually HAVE a Quinny Buzz. No, during my extensive pram research (to be honest with you, it was carried out before I was pregnant), I came across the Mothercare My3 pram. Think of it as the Tesco own brand version of the Buzz, and it's actually made by Quinny for Mothercare. A few reasons we chose it in the end:

* it came with everything included - carrycot, rain cover, cosy toes - we didn't need to buy anything else

* it's significantly cheaper than other, similar, prams

* although available in colours and 4 wheels, there is a black 3 wheeled version

* it can be parent facing, and also used with our Maxi-Cosi car seat

No, it isn't perfect. The shopping basket is a joke, and it is a 2 part fold, but I am so incredibly fussy about prams that this is as close as we are going to get. It won't be everyone's cup of tea, but I absolutely love it!

So there you have it, I am a total pram snob. But it's not the price tag or even the brand name that dos it for me - it's 100% based on looks. I know they say don't judge a book on it's cover, but when I see someone pushing a 4 wheeled, coloured, non-parent facing, weird framed buggy, I can't help but turn my nose up ever so slightly...

(Sorry to anyone who owns one of the aforementioned prams!)