I am a grandmother of five and regretfully waited until my last grandchild was born seven years ago to buy a coach built pram so I could have the pleasure of wheeling her around in it. I say regretfully as I wish I had done it when my first grandchild was born almost eighteen years ago!.
The model I bought was a re-conditioned 1960's model. A beautiful pram made by Silver Cross in their Wilson range called ''La Vicomtesse''. This model has distinctive curved sides to the body known as the Versailles type, white with navy blue strip, and navy blue hood and apron, and strap hung suspension, it glided along like a dream.
My grandaughter and I loved it. She could lie down flat and get a proper sleep, and when she started to sit up she could survey the world from a position high enough to avoid the traffic fumes (safely strapped into a harness) and look like a princess riding in a carriage. It was a completly different experience from pushing my other grandchildren in their modern unsprung travel system type pushchairs, when I felt every bump in the pavement so the babies must have felt if they were being jerked along, and they looked so squashed in those narrow seats.
I bought a big white canopy from e-bay for the summer so the pram could look even more beautiful as well as providing the baby with a sunshade, plus a shopping tray and navy blue pram bag and with these accessories the pram was completly enhanced in appearance. I dont have to add all the compliments we got when using this pram and needless to say I took every opportunity to take her out.
DISADVANTAGES
These prams are impossible to get into a car-a fact that did not endear it to the baby's parents-so beautiful as they are, a car owning family buying one of these prams will need to have a foldable buggy. Even if you do not own a car you will still need a small buggy for use on public transport, as these prams would not be allowed on a bus.
Owing to their size it goes without saying they are not popular in shops.
I had a coach built pram for my two children but this was in the 1970's when the world was a much safer place and you could leave your baby outside a shop in a pram.
You need room in your house to ''stand'' it in.I kept this pram in my hall but as I have a narrow hall space it did cause a few problems, also not advisable if your house has steps at your front door'
When your baby begins to sit up, a pram harness is a must, all these prams have rings inside the body to attach a pram harness to, so the baby must be strapped in at all times, even when sleeping.
Highly priced. I have seen new coach built prams priced up to over 1,000 pounds, second hand ones are cheaper if you don't mind them pre used. I bought mine for 500 pounds from a pram restorer and it was like new and spotlessly clean.
I hope I have described all the pro's and con's of having a coach built pram. If anyone can find anymore I would be pleased to know about them, I am open to all comments. Overall these prams provide perfect comfort for your baby, and are far more elegant than all the modern functional forms of baby transport, which includes all the must have trendy types. Just look at all the advantages and disadvantages of these prams befor buying to make sure they are right for you and your baby, or you could end up with a beautiful but expensive hardly used item.
Apologies for the length of this review but I felt I had to give what I think is a fair description