HELP! Wise heads of seabreeze - I need help
I am trying to work out what kind of pram, stroller, wheelbarrow or shoppng trolley I should buy for a baby... This is so bloody complicated - particualarly compared to shopping for windsurfing kit!
my $0.02 worth....
Consider getting one with decent (large diameter) wheels. Some of them have wheels so tiny and crappy that any surface rougher than a polished floor becomes a pain in the butt to push them on.
Good luck 
Choice's reviews:
www.choice.com.au/babies-and-kids/baby-transport/strollers-and-tricycles/review-and-compare/prams-and-strollers
Get one that can be put up and down one handed (other hand will be holding the child) get the lightest, simplest, smallest, least complex, easiest to use you can get.
That's Comming from a father of 2 kids (now adults) and soon to be grandpa. 
Essential Baby might be a better forum for this question, if you dare.....
Basically - if you have heaps of money and image is important to you then get a Bugaboo or a Stokke (allow $1,000 plus accessories).
The midrange prams all honestly seem much of a muchness - they all work, they all fold quite easily blah blah blah. They generally have good reviews.
Main differences are size / weight / ease of steering.
And 3 wheeler (better for off road type stuff) vs 4 wheeler (perceived as more stable and generally can carry more stuff in the tray underneath, also generally a bit easier to fold).
Then there are solid wheels (bumpy) vs proper tyres (will need pumping and may get flats).
Some people get really hung up on something where the baby can face you - some babies get distressed if they can't see Mum / Dad, others don't care.
You can get prams that take 'capsule' attachments - ie you can move the whole capsule plus (hopefully) sleeping baby into the car / house whatever without waking bub - these sound like they're great for about 6 months then as the baby gets heavier get really difficult to carry and manoeuvre.
Cheap prams might be a massive pain in the arse. You (or your partner) are probably going to be using this thing a LOT for about 2 years. Better to get a second hand pram on gum tree than a super budget model. That said though - a lot of people seem to dump the big heavy pram and switch to a small, light stroller type thing later on.
Check that it will actually fit into the boot of any car you plan on taking it in.
FTR we go a mountain buggy swift - because it's quite light and manoeuvrable and should be ok on rough surfaces. We don't get the baby till Feb so I can't tell you whether it's any good or not though. But I've done the research!
Have a look at the mclaren strollers. They Are compact, light, and easy to fold and get in the car. These are the 3 biggest considerations you'll find. Around $500 from memory.
^ This.
We started with a Bugaboo. What a ****ing pain in the arse. You need a bus to transport it. Forget catching planes and ferries and such. They're awesome, but simply too big.
Now we have a $20 one from Aldi.
We've had both a double and single Mountain Buggy Terrain (fixed front wheel) and they've been great for the beach and rougher terrain but not the most manoueverable if in confined spaces i.e. you have to lift front wheel off ground to turn tightly although I never really had any issues. We got both ours second hand too as I would have had to sell a kidney to buy one new. They collapse flat but yet again I think there are more compact ones on the market if tight for boot space etc.
EDIT - I've just noticed they don't seem to produce a fixed wheel front anymore so manoueverability may no longer be an issue http://mountainbuggy.com/en/buggies/our-range
You dudes obviously have no experience in these matters.
The correct answer is; whatever the missus wants.
dont forget ....Parking Brakes.... couple of times here in Adelaide, granny took the new bub for a walk in the park, and stopped a minute or two on a slight slope, distracted a moment and away to te water rolled the pram. Very sad ending in both cases, so much so that it is now recomended to have a 2-3 metre strap from the pram to the pram controller. There is more to it than meets the eye 
can't support you there Gypsy, the umbilicol toddlers leash was enacted on me
pre 1950, iv'e been disturbed ever since, waiting for an official "SORRY"
^^Poor mini-nebbian really ought to have his shots or he won't be playing with mini-kiteboy. 
Pug mini-kiteboy prefers his 3 wheel steerable trike. It has 3 stages, from a 4 strap harness and ring that holds them up (6 months +) it converts till it's a normal trike for them to ride (3 yrs +). I have put at least 150kms on ours, probably over 200! If going to local shops, supermarkets or bunnings, or any kind of festival or market then the trike is better. And it has a beer holder
