What Makes Good Prams?
A pram (also called a pushchair or stroller) is the most popular form of transportation for babies and toddlers. A good pram combines safety, comfort and style to make walking enjoyable for the whole family.
The R for Rabbit Poppins Stylish Baby Stroller makes a great stroller for children from newborns to 3 years old. The Reversible handle lets you flip the seat to face your child or the world.
Comfort
When you’re out and around with a baby, you’ll want to ensure they’re secure. The good news is that there are prams made to ensure your little one doesn’t feel a thing.
The prams we’ve picked in this buying guide allow your baby to lay flat, which is essential for babies who are just beginning to crawl. Lying flat improves oxygen levels and supports their developing hips and spine. They also have seats that can be converted to a more upright position when your baby is old enough to sit up.
Venicci egg2 is a high-end pram that offers a cocoon-like feel for your baby. It is smooth and has curving lines as well as a bucket-shaped seating, which does not recline into a flat position, but it does have a padded mattress and liner. It’s also a little lighter than other prams available at under 8kg but still has a sturdy chassis and grained leather detailing as well as tyres with air-filled tires that are puncture-proof and can be used in more rural environments.
The Minu V2 is a great option when you’re looking for a model that has a similar appearance but for a lesser price. The swish-looking one-hand steer model isn’t as light as the other prams we’ve tested but it does have a large storage basket and extended hood with UPF50+ protection that’ll keep your baby protected and shaded.
If you are new to parenting, we recommend that you consider a travel system that includes a car seat as well as a pram that are attached to the same frame. This makes it easier for parents to move their child from their car to the pram without having to awake them. The Bugaboo Dragonfly travel system is an elegant and practical pram stores near me that is able to be easily converted from a ‘pramette or a lie-flat ‘pramette to a stroller for toddlers compatible with the Graco ISize car seats.
Safety
A pram should 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 easy to adjust as they expand. Also, you should check the harness buckles to ensure they aren’t cracked or showing signs of wear and tear. A lot of children are hospitalized every year due to pram or stroller-related injuries. The primary cause of these injuries is tipping over. Even the most robust prams could tip over if you hook bags onto the handles, or if a wriggling child gets into or out of the seat without harnesses being secured.
Another reason for injury is falling from the pram or stroller. If a child’s harness is not fastened properly, it could cause them to fall from the babiie stroller and sustain neck or head injuries. This is why it is important to ensure that the buckle of the harness is always secured.
Some good prams also have an adjustable canopy that can protect your baby from the sun in either direction. This feature is useful because you don’t have to wake up your baby every time you change their position in the stroller or when you go into and out of stores. There are also other features that are useful, for example snacks for your toddler or child and drink holders. There is also a basket for shopping underneath the seat.
Don’t leave a baby sleeping in a pram if you are not within reach. Babies are known to wiggle when asleep, which can cause them to roll off the stroller or pram and cause suffocation or strangulation. A pram or a foldable stroller should not be used as an alternative to a crib. It is best to use it for short periods of time during the day.
It is necessary to disassemble the majority of prams to place them in the boot of your vehicle. This process is something you should know before you purchase a pram. Find out how easy it will be to put the sections back together.
Durability
A pram needs to be durable enough to endure many years of wear and tear. You should ensure that your baby’s pram is able to handle slippery walks, as well as multiple car trips. You also want your pram to be in a print or colour that doesn’t get outdated to avoid looking like you’ve fallen out of fashion.
The most reliable prams are made of high-quality materials, and designed to last. Look for durable materials with sturdy tires, as well as a well-designed system of suspension. The most effective prams are small and fold easily so that you can put them in your garage or even the boot.
All prams on this list allow babies to lie on their backs. This is essential for newborns, because it allows them to develop their hips and spine, and improves oxygenation levels. Many are designed to adapt to your child’s needs, with some of them having a carrycot or fully-reclined seat that can be clicked on and off the frame for when your child outgrows it.
If you’re looking to purchase a brand new pram for the first time, you might be interested in a travel system which is an all-in-one bundle that includes a lying-flat carrycot and car seat. Our parent tester Jaya was a fan of the Graco Near2Me System that she used with her 10-month-old son. It has a nifty feature that can raise or lower your baby at the touch of a button, so you can maintain eye contact and keep them close which she claimed was important to her as the baby was still at an exploratory stage.
Another option is another option is the Bugaboo Fox 3 which our tester Jess Bird used with her two babies, Effie and Boden (pictured above). It’s a luxury pram that can be converted from a single pushchair to a double pushchair with 30 possible configurations. It also 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 you need to and, as with our winner the iCandy Orange 3, can be used from birth with the carrycot included.
Style
All prams should allow newborns to lie flat as they can. This will help with their development and improve oxygen saturation in the lungs. Some models create a completely flat surface with a fully-reclinable carrycot, while others have a seat that reclines to an unflat position.
The Graco Near2Me comes with the latter feature and is fantastic at that as our parent tester Jaya discovered when she tried it with her son of 10 months. She loved the ability to raise or lower her infant by pressing a button to keep him in the same position, while still maintaining closeness and eye contact.
The frame is perfect for nipping around town and the puncture-proof tires allow you to take it off the road or on rough terrain. It’s also a smart option if you’re thinking of having a second child in the future since it can easily be converted from a single pram to a twin pushchairs or double pushchair.
The Bugaboo Dragonfly is a stylish premium option that looks and feels impressive. It’s suitable for newborns because it includes a lie-flat carrycot and is compatible with a car seat in the event that you purchase it separately. It can be folded with the carrycot still in place This is an option that not all prams provide. This is time-saving and makes it more convenient to use.
The pram’s luxurious fabrics as well as the spacious basket and puncture-proof tires are features you’d expect in a top model, but the sleek frame makes it easy to maneuver over various terrains. It’s also a great choice when you live in a city and must navigate narrow streets or busy sidewalks frequently. While it’s not cheap, the quality and versatility of this model make it possible to save you money over the long term by eliminating the need to purchase a separate toddler pushchair. You can choose from a wide range of colors to match your preferences.