In choosing which pram to buy we looked at a few prams in a high street store and then bought this one online. There were a few things that we wanted in a pram and these were cost, ease of use, weight and size. We plumped for the Silver Cross as in my view it manages to tick all of the boxes. The 3D pram system is named in such a way that a buyer should understand at once that it is one of these new type of prams that is almost like a Transformer toy. By this I mean that it can change from a pram with a flat cot type bed for young babies, into a standard buggy by pulling levers and rearranging items. It sounds hard, but once you have played with it you can understand how it works. Just make sure that the Grandparents don't touch it before they get instructions on how to use it as they could get into one hell of a mess!

For the first criteria the pram cost us £250 via an online website, which was cheaper than the high street store where we first saw the pram. For the savings made we were able to buy the extra pack at £60 which included a Sun shade, a matching carry bag with mini changing mat and a foot warmer for use in buggy mode. As a cost comparison I'll use the Mamas and Papas Pinco Pramette which looked really nice, had a similar style but was too expensive in our view at around £350. With the pram we got everything for using it in the pram and buggy positions as well as a rain cover. The pram comes in three flavours and I really mean flavours as one is called 'Pistachio'! We went for the 'Marina' style which will get you a pram coloured in shades of blue.

The 3D pram duly arrived before the baby which was a good thing, but only by a few weeks. I read the manual from cover to cover and afterwards I realised that I was confused by all the options that I could do with the pram. So I followed each item step by step to make it into a pram for a young baby. Looking back it wasn't too hard to make the pram into what we wanted, but at the time I felt as if I needed a degree in pram building to make it work. From the box the pram is in a closed position, the same state that you will need when you are storing it away in cupboard or in the boot of your car. In a closed position it is still a large size, but the front wheels are still in contact with the ground and there is a carry handle on the back for help in lifting it up. These items are good as you can wheel the pram about locally and then lift it up into a car boot. This is particularly easy for Mrs Cad as she is after all the main carer and she has found the pram easy to move around when it's closed up.

Getting the pram from its closed position into its useable state is relatively easy once you know what you are doing. The only problems you might encounter are during the first few times of use. I won't go into a detail description of how to open it out, however once you have the knack it should only take no more than a minute to get it ready for use. The only quibble here is the pram was stiff when new and could be difficult when you tried to open it up for the first few goes. After a week or two it became easier to unfold and hence easier for Mrs Cad to use.

Once opened the pram is still not ready for use and it is at this stage that it can be used in either pram or buggy mode. This is where you will need the manual for the first couple of goes. All the fixings to the pram are by various means like poppers, plastic cleats, Velcro and metal lever locking systems. Again I won't go into detail as after a few times it can be make ready in no time at all. The end result is a pram that has a very good solid feel to it yet it is not too heavy or too bulky.

Out on the streets the pram handles well and easy to get up and down small steps like kerbs and minor steps. The double rubber/plastic wheels are good over most surfaces including gravel and the front wheels can be unlocked for better turning circles. One minor thing we did find a problem with was the seat of the pram. For some reason it wouldn't lock in its flat position needed for a young baby. If you ever got it stuck say in a door way or on a large step and tried to push it by a knee or leg on the seat you would lift up the seat. This had an undesired effect of pushing the cot bed up and taking poor babies feet up in the air, the base would then lock in position and would not come down until you reached under and unlocked it by pulling a lever. It only happened once or twice, but after that we realised that trying to go through a doorway forwards was bad and the best idea was to go through backwards.

Getting the pram back to the closed position requires the reverse of the procedure for erection, but is so much quicker and easier when you are trying to get it in the boot on a rainy day. Other things to note for the buggy is the carry area at the bottom of the pram for small items, which is a little difficult to get to as it is right at the bottom. It will require you to get on your knees which is okay in the dry, but not so good in the wet. Talking of wet the rain cover that comes as standard fits well over the pram and also allows the handles to stick from the cover. In short it has been well thought about and fits the pram very well.

In conclusion then both Mrs Cad and myself have used the pram without any hitch so far. We have found that it is easy to use, carry around and lift up. It is light enough to picked up and carried short distances to a car or up flights of stairs. It is well built, feels sturdy and never feels cheap or flimsy. We have no real problems with it so far, however we have only been using it for about two months now. The only advice I would give someone owning the pram is to practise opening and closing the pram a couple of times in the dry comfort of your home. It helps you hone your technique in private and stops you looking like a fool in public. I can certainly recommend this pram to people with young babies who are looking for a pram that is good, not expensive and is easy to use.

(c) 2007 buzzard_cad
This review can be found at other websites under the same user name and is also written by me.