Guide To Good Prams: The Intermediate Guide To Good Prams

What Makes Good Prams?

A pram (also called a stroller or pushchair) is the primary mode of transportation for babies and toddlers. A quality pram blends safety, comfort and style to make walking enjoyable for the entire family.

The R for Rabbit Poppins Stylish Baby Stroller makes a great foldable stroller for children from newborns to 3 years old. Its reversible handle allows you to turn the seat so that your child can look at either you or the world around them.

Comfort

When you're out and about with your baby, you want to be sure they're comfortable. The good news is that there are prams made to ensure that your baby doesn't feel a thing.

All the prams listed in this guide allow your baby lie flat. This is crucial for newborns as it improves oxygenation and helps support their hips and spine. The seats can be adjusted to a more upright position when your baby is capable of sitting up.

Venicci egg2 is a high-end pram newborn with a cocoon feeling for your baby. It is smooth and has curving lines and a bucket-shaped seat that doesn't recline to an upright position, but it does have padding on the mattress and a liner. It's also lighter than most prams, at a weight of just 8kg. However, it has a sturdy chassis with finely textured leather and tyres that are air-filled, which are puncture-proof.

The Minu V2 is a great option when you're looking for a model with a similar look but at a lower price. The one-hand steer model, swish, isn't as lightweight as other strollers, but it does have a large storage basket. It also comes with an hood that can be extended, which provides UPF 50+ protection to keep your baby protected and shaded.

If you're a first-time parent, we'd recommend considering a travel system bundle which includes a pram and 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 waking them and is ideal for busy parents who are always on the move. The Bugaboo Dragonfly travel system is an elegant and practical pram that is easily converted from a 'pramette,' or lie-flat 'pramette,' into a toddler-friendly stroller compatible with the Graco ISize car seats.

Safety

A pram should be equipped with a five point safety harness to ensure your baby is secure and should not allow any gaps that could trap their legs or heads. The straps must be cushioned, and easily adjustable as your child grows. Examine the buckles on the harness to ensure they are not cracked and show signs of wear. Many children are hospitalised each year because of pram or stroller-related injuries. The most common cause of these injuries is tipping over. Even the sturdiest prams can fall over if you hang bags on the handles, or if a wriggling child gets into or out of the seat without the harness being secured.

Another common cause of injury is falling from the pram or stroller. If a child is not securely secured in the pram, they may fall out of the stroller and sustain neck or head injuries. Therefore, it is important to always ensure that the buckle on the harness is clicked into place.

Some good prams (Milana Shoes noted) also have an adjustable canopy that can protect your baby from the sun in either direction. This is a handy feature since you will not be having to wake your child awake while you change their position in the pram or while you go to and from the shops. There are also other features that could be useful, such as snacks for your toddler or child and drink holders. There's also an extra shopping basket under the seat.

You should never leave a sleeping child in their pram unless you are within their reach at all times. Babies can be prone to wiggle during sleep and could cause them to fall 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 during the daytime.

It is essential to disassemble the majority of prams to put them into the boot of your vehicle. This process must be mastered before you purchase one. Find out how easy it will be to put the parts back together.

Durability

A pram must be able endure a long time of wear. You should ensure that your pram can handle the mud of a walk, as well as multiple car trips. Also, you want your pram to be in the form of a color or print that won't date quickly so you don't end up looking like you've fallen out of style.

The best prams will be made of high-quality materials, and are designed to last. Look for durable fabrics with sturdy tires, as well as a well-designed system of suspension. The best prams will also have a compact fold, so they are easy to store in your garage or the boot when not in use.

All the prams on this list allow babies to lie flat. This is essential for babies, as it helps them develop their hips and spine, and improves oxygenation levels. A lot of these prams are designed to grow with your child. Some include a carrycot, or a fully-reclined chair that can be removed and snapped on as your child grows.

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

The Bugaboo Fox 3 is another option that our test-driver Jess Bird tried with her two children Effie & Boden (pictured above). It's a luxury pram that can be converted from a single to double running pushchair, with 30 different configurations, and comes with premium fabrics, an extendable sun canopy, and puncture-proof tyres. It's not cheap but you can use it for more than one child in the event of need and, just like the iCandy Orange 3, can be used from birth thanks to the carrycot included.

Style

Newborns should lay flat as often as possible to aid development and improve oxygen saturation in their lungs, which is why it's important that all prams support this. Some models permit an all-flat position by using a carrycot that is completely reclined, while others feature a seat that can be reclined to a horizontal or a vertical position.

The Graco Near2Me features 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 that she could raise or lower her child at the touch of the button to keep him in view while maintaining eye contact and proximity.

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 smart choice if you're planning on having a second child in the future since it can easily be converted from a single pushchair to a double or twin pushchair.

The Bugaboo Dragonfly is a stylish and high-end product that is both stylish and comfortable. It's suitable for babies as it comes with a carrycot that can be folded flat and is compatible with a car seat when purchased separately. It can be folded with the carrycot in place which is something not all prams can do and is an easy and time-saving feature.

Its luxe fabrics, spacious shopping basket and puncture-proof tires are the kind of features you'd expect to find on a pram of the highest quality, but its sleek frame makes it easy to maneuver across a variety of terrains. This is an excellent choice when you live in a city and must navigate narrow streets or crowded pathways on a regular basis. The pram isn't cheap, but its versatility and high-end quality can save you money over time by avoiding the purchase of a separate stroller for toddlers. It's available in a broad variety of colors, too, so you can pick one that matches your personal style.