Guide To Good Prams: The Intermediate Guide On Good Prams

What Makes Good Prams?

A pram (also called a stroller or a pushchair) is the most popular form of transportation for babies and toddlers. A quality babiie pram combines safety, comfort and style that makes walking fun for the entire family.

The R for Rabbit Poppins Stylish Baby Stroller is a fantastic stroller for infants to 3 years old. Its reversible handle allows you to rotate the seat so that your child can either face you or the world around them.

Comfort

Your baby should be at ease when you're out with them. There are prams that make sure your baby doesn't feel any discomfort.

The prams we've picked in this buying guide all allow your baby to lie flat, which is important for infants as lying flat improves oxygen saturation and assists in the development of their hips and spine. The seats can be adjusted to a more upright position when your baby is capable of sitting up.

For a luxurious experience this Venicci egg2 has a cosy feeling of a cocoon for your baby with sleek, curvaceous lines and a bucket-shape seat that does not recline to a lying-flat position but does have padding on the mattress and liner. It's also lighter than other prams, weighing less than 8kg but has an extremely sturdy chassis and grained leather accents, plus air-filled tyres that are puncture-proof and able to be used in more rural environments.

If you want something more budget-friendly but with the same style Minu V2 (minus carrycot) is a great option. The stylish, one-hand steer model isn't as lightweight as the other prams we tried but it does have a big storage basket and an extended hood with UPF50+ protection to keep your baby safe and shaded.

If you're a new parent we recommend the travel system bundle that includes a pram and a car seat that can be attached to the same frame. This makes it easier for parents to transfer their baby from the car to the pram without having to wake them up. The Bugaboo Dragonfly is a great example of a fashionable and practical pram for travel that can be converted easily from a lie-flat 'pramette to a pushchair for toddlers compatible with the Graco i-Size car seat.

Safety

A pram must have a five point safety harness to keep your baby safe and secure. It should not have any gaps to trap their legs or heads. The straps should be padded and easy to adjust as they expand. Check the buckles on the harness to make sure they're not cracked and show signs of wear. Each year, many children are hospitalised because of injuries caused by prams or strollers. Tipping over is the main cause of these injuries. Even the strongest prams could tip over if you hook your bags onto the handles or if a child is wriggling or squirming and falls in or out of the seat before the harness is tightened.

A common cause of injury involves falling off a pram or stroller. If a child is not securely fastened in the pram, they may fall out of the stroller and sustain neck or head injuries. This is why it is vital to ensure that the harness buckle is always clicked into place.

Some good prams also have a canopy that can be reversible to protect your baby from sun in either direction. This is a useful feature since you will not be having to wake your child awake while you change their position in the pram, or when you are going to and from the shops. There are also other features that are useful, for example a snack tray for your child or toddler and drink holders. You can also find an extra shopping basket under the seat.

Do not leave a baby asleep in a pram if you are not within sight. Babies can be prone to wiggle while asleep and this could cause them to roll out of the pram or stroller. This can lead to strangulation and suffocation. A pram or a stroller is not an alternative to the crib. It is best to use it for short periods of time during the daytime.

Most prams require you to take them apart in order to put them in the boot of your car so it's an excellent idea to familiarize yourself with this procedure before you buy one. Consider how easy it would be to put the pieces back together.

Durability

A pram needs to be able to endure a long time of wear. This includes having to deal with muddy walks and getting through numerous car journeys, so you must ensure your choice can perform the task you want it to. It is also important for your pram to be in the form of a color or print that won't date quickly so that you don't end up looking like you've fallen out of fashion.

The best prams will be made of high-quality materials, and built to last. Look for durable materials, sturdy tires, and an efficient suspension system. The most effective prams are small and fold easily, allowing you to put them in your garage or boot.

All the prams in this list allow infants to lay flat, which is essential for newborns because it improves oxygen saturation levels and aids in the development of their hips and spine. A lot of them are designed to adapt to your child's needs with some having a carrycot or fully-reclined seat that can be clicked on and off the frame when your child is no longer using it.

If you're purchasing a new pram for the first time, you may also be looking for a travel system which is a package that includes a lie-flat carrycot and car seat. We love the Graco Near2Me system that our parent tester Jaya used with her son of 10 months. It comes with an innovative feature that allows you to raise and lower your child by pressing one button. This lets you keep your eyes on your child and keep them close.

The Bugaboo Fox 3 is another option that our tester Jess Bird tried with her two children Effie and Boden (pictured above). It's a stroller that can be converted from a single pushchair double in 30 different configurations. It also has the sun canopy which can be extended and puncture-proof tires. It's not inexpensive however, it can be used for more than one child if you need to. Like our top pick, the iCandy Orange 3 with its included carrycot is a great option to use right from birth.

Style

Newborns should lie flat as much as they can to help develop and improve the oxygen saturation of their lungs. Therefore, it's essential that all prams support this. 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 works great for this, as our parent tester Jaya discovered when she tested it on her 10-month-old child. She loved the ability to raise or lower her baby by pressing a button to keep him in view while maintaining eye contact and proximity.

It's a great stroller for those who wish to pushchairs travel systems around town easily as the frame is a good size for maneuvering, and the puncture-proof tyres allow you to remove it from the road and onto rough terrain. It's also a good choice if you're planning on having another child in future because it easily converts from a single pram to a double or twin running pushchair.

The Bugaboo Dragonfly looks and feels like a high-end, stylish option. It's suitable for babies because it comes with a carrycot that can be folded flat and is compatible with a car-seat when purchased separately. You can even fold it using the carrycot as a stand - something that isn't the case with all prams and is an easy and time-saving feature.

Its luxurious fabrics, large shopping basket and puncture-proof tires are the kind of features you'd expect to find on a premium pram and its sleek design makes it easy to handle on any terrain. This is an excellent choice if you live in the city and have to navigate narrow streets or congested paths frequently. Although it's not cheap prams however, the durability and quality of this model make it possible to save you money in the long run by eliminating the need to buy a separate triple pushchair for toddlers. It's available in an extensive variety of colors, too, so you can choose one that fits your personal style.