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 transport for infants and toddlers. A good pram combines safety, comfort and style that makes walking fun for all the family members.

The R for Rabbit Poppins Joy Stylish Baby Stroller is a great pram for newborns to 3-year-old kids. The reversible handle lets you to tilt the seat so that your child can look at you or the world around them.

Comfort

If you're out and about with a baby, you want to ensure they're secure. The good news is that there are prams specifically designed to ensure your little one isn't apprehensive.

The prams we've chosen in this buying guide all allow your baby to lay flat, which is essential for newborn babies as lying flat improves oxygen saturation and supports their developing hips and spine. They also have a seat that can be changed to a more upright position when your baby is old enough to sit up.

Venicci egg2 is a premium pram that has a cocoon-like feel for your baby. It is smooth and has curving lines and a bucket-shaped seat which doesn't recline into an upright position, but it does have an upholstered mattress and liner. It's also lighter than most prams, weighing under 8kg. However, it still has a sturdy frame with finely textured leather and tyres with air-filled tires that are puncture-proof.

The Minu V2 is a great choice if you're looking for something that has a similar appearance but for a lesser price. The one-hand steer, swish model isn't quite as lightweight as other strollers, but it does have a large storage basket. It also comes with an extendable hood that offers UPF 50+ protection, which keeps your baby safe and protected.

If you're the first parent of your child we suggest you look into the travel system bundle that includes a pram and a car seat that are attached to the same frame. This makes it easier to get your baby out of the car to the pram without disturbing them and is ideal for parents who are always on the move. The Bugaboo Dragonfly is a great example of a stylish and functional travel stroller system pram that converts easily from a lie-flat 'pramette to a pushchair for toddlers compatible with the Graco I-Size car seat.

Safety

The pram should come with a five-point safety harness that will keep your baby safe. It should also have no gaps where their legs or heads could get stuck. The straps should be padded and easy to adjust as they grow. Also, you should check the harness buckles to ensure they aren't cracked or showing signs of wear and tear. Each year, many children are hospitalised because of injuries caused by prams or strollers. The most common cause of these injuries is the result of a stroller tipping over. Even the most robust prams could tip over if you attach bags to the handles or if a wriggling child gets into or out of the seat without the harness being done up.

A common cause of injury is falling from a pram or stroller. If a child's harness is not fastened properly it can cause them to fall from the stroller and suffer head or neck injuries. This is why it is crucial to make sure that the harness buckle is always clicked into place.

Some good prams also have a reversible canopy that will shield your baby from the sun in both directions. This feature is useful because you won't have to wake up your baby when you change their position in the stroller or when you enter and out of shops. Other useful features include a tray for snacks and drink holders for your baby or toddler, a shopping basket under the seat, and the handlebar can be locked into place when you're not using it.

You should never let a child sleep in their stroller unless they are within their reach at all times. Babies can be prone to wriggling while sleeping and could cause them to roll out of the pram or stroller. This could result in suffocation and strangulation. A triple pram or stroller is not an alternative to a cot and should only be used for short periods during the day.

It is necessary to disassemble most prams in order to put them into the trunk of your car. This procedure should be familiarised with before you buy one. Also, consider how it is easy to put the different parts back together and click them in place.

Durability

A pram must be durable enough to withstand several years of wear and tear. You want to make sure that your pram can handle the mud of a walk as well as a variety of car trips. It is also important for your pram to be in a print or colour that won't date quickly so that you don't end up looking like you've gone out of style.

The best prams are made of high-quality materials and are designed to last, so you should look for strong and durable materials, robust wheels and an efficient suspension system. The most reliable prams feature a compact fold so you can store them easily in your garage or boot when not being used.

All the prams on this list allow babies to lie flat, which is crucial for newborns because it improves oxygen saturation levels and aids in the development of their spine and hips. Many of these prams have been designed to expand with your child's. Some have carrycots, or a fully-reclined chair that can be removed and snapped on when your child is outgrowing them.

If you're looking to purchase a brand new pram for the first time, you might also be interested in a travel set which is an all-in-one bundle that includes a lie-flat carrycot and car seat. We love the Graco Near2Me system which our parent tester Jaya used with her 10-month-old son. It has a nifty feature that raises and lowers your child with the click of a button, so you can keep your eyes on them and keep them close, which she claimed was important to her as the baby was still at an exploratory stage.

The Bugaboo Fox 3 is another option that our tester Jess Bird tried with her two kids Effie and Boden (pictured above). It's a luxurious pushchair that converts from a single pushchair to a double pram and pushchair pushchair with 30 different configurations, and comes with luxe fabrics, an extendable sun canopy, and puncture-proof tyres. It's not cheap but you can use it for more than one child if needed and, as with our winner the iCandy Orange 3, can be used from birth with the included carrycot.

Style

Newborns need to lay flat as much as they can in order to promote development and improve the oxygen saturation of their lungs, which is why it's important that all sale prams support this. Some models create a completely flat position using a fully reclineable carrycot while others feature the seat that can recline to an upright position.

The Graco Near2Me comes with the latter and it's brilliant in this regard as our parent tester Jaya discovered when she tried it with her son of 10 months. She was thrilled to be able to raise or lower her baby at the touch of a button to keep him in sight, while still maintaining the eye contact and closeness.

It's a great stroller for those that want to nip around town easily as the frame is a great size for maneuvering, and the puncture-proof tyres permit you to take it off road and onto rough terrain. It's a great choice if you plan to have another child in the near future, as it can easily be converted from a single pushchair into a twin or double.

The Bugaboo Dragonfly is a stylish and high-end product that looks and feels luxurious. It is suitable for newborns as it includes a carrycot which can be rolled flat and is compatible with car seats if purchased separately. You can fold it by putting the carrycot in place which is something isn't the case with all prams which is why it's a time-saving and hassle-free feature.

Its luxe fabrics, spacious shopping basket and puncture-proof tires are all the features you'd expect to see on a high-end pram however, its sleek frame makes it easy to maneuver on a variety of terrains. It's also an ideal choice when you live in a city and need to negotiate narrow streets or busy sidewalks regularly. While it's not cheap, the quality and versatility of this model make it possible to save you money in the end by avoiding the need to purchase a separate pushchair for toddlers. It's available in an extensive selection of colors and you can choose one that fits your personal style.