What Makes Good Prams?
A pram, also referred to as a stroller, pushchair or a Sling, is the main method of transport for infants and toddlers. A quality pram blends safety, comfort, and design to make walking enjoyable for the entire family.
The R for Rabbit Poppins Stylish Baby Stroller is a fantastic stroller for infants to three years old. The Reversible handle lets you flip the seat to face your child or the world.
Comfort
If you're out and about with a baby, you want to be sure they're comfortable. The good news is that there are prams specifically designed to ensure that your baby doesn't feel a thing.
The prams we've selected in this buying guide let your baby lie flat, which is essential for newborn babies as lying flat increases oxygen saturation and assists in the development of their hips and spine. They also come with seats that can be converted to an upright position once your baby is old enough to sit up.
For a really high-end feel, the Venicci egg2 has a cosy feeling of a cocoon for your baby with sleek, curvaceous lines and a bucket-shape seats that doesn't recline into a lie-flat position, but has a padded liner and mattress. It's also a little lighter than most prams, weighing less than 8kg but has solid chassis and grained leather accents as well as tyres with air-filled tires that are puncture-proof and able to take on more rural settings.
The Minu V2 is a great option when you're looking for a model with a similar design but for a lesser price. The sleek one-hand steer model isn't as light as the other prams we tried however it comes with a big storage basket and an extendable hood with UPF 50+ protection that'll keep your baby shaded and protected.
If you are a first-time parent, we recommend that you look into a travel system that includes a car seat as well as a pram that are attached to the same frame. This will make it easier to get your baby from the car into the pram without waking them and is ideal for parents who are always on the move. The Bugaboo Dragonfly travel system is an elegant and practical pram that can be converted easily from a 'pramette or a lie-flat 'pramette' into a toddler-friendly stroller compatible with the Graco ISize car seats.
Safety
A pram must have a five-point safety harness to keep your baby safe and free of any gaps to entrap their heads or legs. The straps should be padded, and easily adjustable as your child grows. Also, you should inspect the buckles of your harness to ensure that they are not cracked or showing signs of wear and tear. A lot of children are hospitalized each year because of injuries from strollers or prams. The main reason for these injuries is tipping over. Even the sturdiest prams can fall over if you hang bags onto the handles, or if a child who is wriggling gets into or out of the seat without the harness being done up.
Another frequent cause of injury is falling off the pram or stroller. If a baby is not properly secured the pram, they could fall out of the stroller and suffer head or neck injuries. This is why it is vital to ensure that the buckle of the harness is always locked in place.
Some good prams also have an adjustable canopy that can shield your baby from sun in both directions. This feature is useful because you don't have to wake your baby every time you change their position in the stroller, or when you go into and out of shops. There are other features that could be useful, for example an eating tray for your toddler or child and drink holders. There is also an extra shopping basket under the seat.
It is not advisable to leave a sleeping child in their stroller unless you are within sight of them at all times. Babies are known to wiggle when asleep and this can cause them to fall off the pram or stroller and could result in suffocation or strangulation. A pram or stroller is not an alternative to a cot and should only be used for short periods during the daytime.
Most prams require you to dismantle them to fit them into the boot of your car so it is recommended to familiarize yourself with this process before purchasing one. Find out how easy it will be to put the pieces back together.
Durability
A pram should be able to endure several years of wear. You should ensure that your pram can handle muddy walks and also multiple car trips. You should ensure that your pram is a color or pattern that will not date easily to avoid looking as if you've slipped out of fashion.
The best travel pushchair prams are made of high-quality materials and are designed to last, so you should look for durable fabrics, sturdy wheels, and an effective suspension system. The best prams will also have a compact strollers fold, so they are easy to store in your garage or in the boot when not when not in use.
All the prams on this list allow a baby to lay flat, which is essential for newborns because it improves oxygen saturation levels and supports the development of their hips and spine. Many of these prams are designed to grow along with your child's. Some come with a carrycot or a reclined seat that can be easily removed and put back on when your child is outgrowing them.
If you are purchasing a pram for the first time, a travel system that has the carrycot as well as car seats could be worth a look. Our test-driver for parents Jaya was a fan of the Graco Near2Me System she used with her 10-month old son. It comes with a handy feature that raises and lowers your child at the push of a button so you can maintain eye contact and keep them close, which she claimed was important to her as he was in an exploratory stage.
The Bugaboo Fox 3 is another option that our tester Jess Bird tried with her two children Effie & Boden (pictured above). It's a luxurious pushchair that converts from a single pushchair to double pushchair, with 30 different configurations, and comes with luxurious fabrics, an expandable sun canopy, and puncture-proofed tyres. It's not cheap however, you can use it with multiple children if necessary. Like our top pick, the iCandy Orange 3 with its included carrycot is a great option to use right from birth.
Style
Newborns must lay flat as often as they can to help develop and improve oxygen saturation in their lungs, which is why it is essential that all prams (similar web site) support this. Some models allow a completely flat position using a fully reclineable carrycots, while others have a seat that reclines to an upright position.
The Graco Near2Me is brilliant for both, as our parent tester Jaya discovered when she tried it on her 10-month-old child. She loved the fact that she could raise and lower her little one with the press of a button, keeping him in the view of others and still maintain eye contact and a closeness.
The frame is ideal to take a stroll around town, and the puncture-proof tires permit you to take it off road or over rough terrain. It's also a good choice if you're planning on having a second child in the future since it can easily be converted from a single pram to a twin or double stroller pushchair.
The Bugaboo Dragonfly looks and feels like a premium, stylish option. It's ideal for babies as it includes a carrycot that can be folded flat and is compatible with a car seat when purchased separately. It can be folded using the carrycot as a stand - something that not all prams can do and is an easy and time-saving feature.
Its luxurious fabrics, large shopping basket, and puncture-proof tyres are the kind of things you'd expect on a premium pram however, its sleek frame makes it easy to maneuver on a variety of terrains. This is a great choice when you live in a city and have to navigate narrow streets or crowded walkways regularly. It's not cheap, but its versatility and quality could save you money in the long run by avoiding the need for a separate stroller for toddlers. You can pick from a variety of colors that will fit your preferences.