What Makes Good Prams?

A pram, also known as a pushchair, stroller or Sling, is the main method of transport for infants and toddlers. A good pram combines comfort, safety and design to make walking enjoyable for all the family.

The R for Rabbit Poppins Joy Stylish Baby Stroller is a wonderful stroller for newborns and 3-year-old children. Its reversible handle allows you to rotate the seat so that your child can face you or the world around them.

Comfort

You want your child to be comfortable when you’re out with them. There are prams that ensure your baby doesn’t feel any sensations.

All the prams listed in this guide allow your baby to lie flat. This is important for babies as it increases oxygenation and helps support their spine and hips. They also come with a seat that can be converted to an upright position once your baby is old enough to sit.

For a truly luxurious experience it’s the Venicci egg2 has a cosy cocoon feel for your newborn with sleek, curved lines and a bucket-shape seats that doesn’t recline into a lie-flat position, but it does have a padded liner and mattress. It’s also lighter than most prams, with a weight of less than 8kg. But it is sturdy and has grained leather details and air-filled tyres which are puncture-proof.

If you’re looking for something a bit more budget-friendly but still with the same design, the Minu V2 (minus carrycot) is another excellent choice. The one-hand steer, swish model isn’t quite as light as other prams, but it does come with a large storage basket. It also has an extended hood that provides UPF 50+ protection to keep your baby safe and shaded.

If you’re a first-time parent, we’d recommend considering the travel system bundle that includes a pram and car seat that can be attached to the same frame. This makes it easier to transfer your child from the car to the pram without having to wake them up and is ideal for parents who are always on the move. The Bugaboo Dragonfly is a great example of a stylish and useful pram that can convert easily from a’pramette’ lying flat’ to a toddler-friendly pushchair, compatible with the Graco I-Size car seats.

Safety

The pram should be fitted with five-point safety harnesses that will keep your baby safe. It should also have no gaps where their legs or heads can get trapped. The straps should be cushioned and easy to adjust as they expand. You should also inspect the buckles of your harness to ensure that they are not cracked or showing signs of wear and tear. Many children are hospitalised each year due to pram or stroller-related injuries. The primary reason for these injuries is the result of a stroller tipping over. Even the most robust prams could fall over if you hang bags onto the handles, or if a wriggling child is able to get into or out of the seat without harnesses being properly secured.

Another reason for injury is falling from the stroller or pram. If a baby is not properly secured, they could fall out of the stroller and suffer neck or head injuries. It is therefore important to make sure that the buckle on the harness is locked into place.

Some prams with good quality also have a reversible canopy that will protect your baby from the sun in either direction. This feature is useful because you don’t have to wake your baby when you change their position in the stroller, or when you go in stores and out. There are also other features that are useful, for example a snack tray for your toddler or child and drink holders. There’s also an extra shopping basket under the seat.

Do not leave a baby asleep in a pram without having them within reach. Babies tend to wiggle while asleep and this may cause them to fall off the stroller or pram and could result in strangulation or suffocation. A stroller or pram is not an alternative to a crib and should only be used for brief periods during the day.

The majority of prams require you disassemble them in order to fit them into the car’s boot so it’s an excellent idea to familiarize yourself with this procedure before purchasing one. Also check how it is simple to put the different sections back together before putting to put them back together.

Durability

A pram should be durable enough to endure many years of wear and tear. This includes surviving muddy walks and getting through many car journeys, which is why you need to ensure that your choice will perform the task you want it to. It is also important for your stroller to have the form of a color or print that doesn’t get outdated so you don’t end up looking like you’ve gone out of fashion.

The top prams are constructed of high-quality materials and are designed to last, so look for strong and durable materials, robust wheels, and an efficient suspension system. The top prams have a compact fold so they can be easily stored in your garage or in the boot when not being used.

All prams on this list allow babies to lay on their backs. This is important for babies, as it helps them develop their spine and hips and boosts oxygen levels. Many of these prams are designed to expand with your child’s. Some include carrycots, or a fully-reclined chair that can be easily removed and put back on when your child is outgrowing them.

If you are considering buying an infant stroller for the first time, a travel pushchair system that includes both an infant carrycot and a car seat may be a good idea. We love the Graco Near2Me system that our parent tester Jaya 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 said was really important to her since the baby was still at 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 a double pushchair travel system with 30 different configurations, and comes with luxurious fabrics, an expandable sun canopy and puncture-proof tyres. It’s not cheap, but you could use it for more than one child in the event of need and, as with our winner the iCandy Orange 3, can be used from birth with the included carrycot.

Style

All prams should permit newborns to lie as flat as they can. This will help with their development and boost oxygen levels in the lung. Some models allow a completely flat position using a fully reclineable carrycots, while others have the seat that can recline to an unflat position.

The Graco Near2Me has the latter and it’s brilliant in this regard, as our parent tester Jaya found when she tested it with her son who was 10 months old. She loved the fact that she could raise and lower her child with the touch of a button to keep him in sight and still maintain eye contact and a closeness.

The frame is perfect to take a stroll around town and the puncture-proof wheels permit you to drive it off road or on rough terrain. It’s a great choice if you plan to have a child in the future because it can easily be converted from a single pushchair into a double or twin.

The Bugaboo Dragonfly looks and feels like a stylish, high-end option. It’s suitable for babies because it comes with a carrycot that can be folded flat and is compatible with a car seat if purchased separately. You can fold it by putting the carrycot in place – something that does not happen with all prams and is an efficient and easy feature.

Its luxurious fabrics, spacious shopping basket, and puncture-proof tyres are the kinds of features you’d expect to find on a pram of the highest quality and its sleek design makes it easy to handle on any terrain. This is a great option if you live in the city and have to navigate narrow streets or crowded pathways on a regular basis. The pram isn’t cheap, but its versatility and quality could save you money over time by avoiding the need for a separate toddler stroller. You can choose from a wide range of colors to match your personal style.