20 Trailblazers Setting The Standard In Good Prams

What Makes Good Prams?

A pram (also called a stroller or a pushchair) is the primary mode of transport for infants and toddlers. A good pram is a combination of safety, comfort and design that makes walking fun for the entire family.

The R for Rabbit Poppins Stylish Baby Stroller is a fantastic stroller for babies to three years old. The reversible handle lets you turn the seat to face your child or the world.

Comfort

When you're out and around with your baby, you need to ensure they're secure. The good news is that there are prams designed to ensure your child does not feel anything.

The prams we've chosen in this buying guide allow your baby to lay flat, which is essential for infants as lying flat improves oxygen levels and supports their developing spine and hips. They also have seats that can be converted to an upright position once your baby is old enough to sit.

For a really high-end experience, 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 an upholstered mattress and liner. It's also a little lighter than most prams, weighing under 8kg but still has a sturdy chassis and grained leather details, plus air-filled tyres that are puncture-proof, and can be used in more rural environments.

The Minu V2 is a great option to consider if you're looking to buy something with a similar look but for a lesser price. The stylish, one-hand steer model isn't as lightweight as the other prams we tested however it comes with a big storage basket and an extended hood with UPF50+ protection to keep your baby shaded and protected.

If you're a first-time parent, we'd recommend considering 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 child from the car to the pram without having to get them up. The Bugaboo Dragonfly travel system is an elegant and practical pram that is able to be easily converted from a 'pramette, or a lie-flat 'pramette' into a toddler-friendly stroller compatible with the Graco ISize pushchairs car seats seat.

Safety

The pram should come with five-point safety harnesses that will ensure your baby's safety. It should also not have any gaps where their legs or heads are likely to get caught. The straps should be padded and easy to adjust as they expand. It is also important to inspect the buckles of your harness to ensure they aren't cracked or showing signs of wear and tear. Many children are admitted to hospitals every year due to injuries caused by strollers or prams. Tipping over is the most common reason for these injuries. Even the most sturdy prams can topple if you hook bags to the handles or if a child is wriggling or squirming and falls out or in the seat before the harness is tightened.

Another frequent cause of injury is falling off the stroller or folding pram. If a baby's harness is not fastened properly it can cause them to fall out of the stroller and suffer neck or head injuries. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the buckle on the harness is securely clicked into place.

Some prams have a reversible shade that can be used to shield your baby in either direction from the sun. This is a handy feature because it will prevent having to wake your baby awake while you change their position in the pram, or when you are going into and out of shops. There are also other features that can be useful, for example an eating tray for your child or toddler and drink holders. You can also find an extra shopping basket under the seat.

You should never leave a child sleeping in their stroller unless you are within their reach at all times. Babies can be prone to wiggle while asleep and can cause them to roll out of the pram or stroller. This could result in suffocation and strangulation. A stroller or pram is not a substitute for a cot and should be used only for short periods of time during the day.

It is essential to disassemble the majority of prams to place them into the trunk of your car. This process should be familiarised with before you purchase a pram. Find out how easy it will be to put the parts back together.

Durability

A pram must be durable enough to withstand many years of wear and tear. You need to ensure that your pram can handle the mud of a walk and also multiple car trips. You should ensure that your pram is in a color or pattern that won't fade easily so you don't look like you've lost style.

The best prams are made from high-quality materials and are built to last, so look for durable fabrics, sturdy wheels, and an efficient suspension system. 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 in this list allow your baby to lay on their backs. This is crucial for newborns, as it helps them develop their hips and spine, and boosts oxygen levels. Many of these prams are designed to grow with your child. Some come with a carrycot or a reclined seat that can be snapped on and off when your child outgrows them.

If you are buying a pram for the first time it is recommended to consider a system that includes both a carrycot and a car seat could be of interest. Our tester for parents Jaya loved the Graco Near2Me System she used with her 10-month old son. It has an innovative feature that allows you to raise and lower your baby by pressing a single button. This allows you to keep eye contact with your child and keep them close.

The Bugaboo Fox 3 is another option that our test-driver Jess Bird tried with her two children Effie and Boden (pictured above). It's a luxurious pushchair that can be converted from a single pushchair to a double pushchair with 30 different configurations, and comes with luxurious fabrics, an expandable sun canopy and puncture-proof tyres. It's not expensive, but you can use it for multiple children, if needed. Similar to our winner model, the iCandy Orange 3 with its carrycot is a great option to use right from birth.

Style

Newborns need to lay flat as often as they can to help develop and increase the oxygen level in their lungs, which is why it's essential that all prams allow this. Some models provide a flat surface with a fully-reclinable carrycot while others feature seats that recline to an unflat position.

The Graco Near2Me works great for this, as our parent tester Jaya discovered when she tried it on her child who was 10 months old. She was enthralled by the fact that she could raise and lower her baby at the touch of a button and keep him in the view of others and still maintain eye contact and a closeness.

It's a great choice for those who wish to travel around town with ease as the frame is a great size for manoeuvring, while the puncture-proof tyres let you move it off the road and into rough terrain. It's also a great option if you're thinking of having another child in the near future because it easily converts from a single pram to a twin or double pushchair.

The Bugaboo Dragonfly looks and feels like a premium, stylish option. It is suitable for newborns since it includes a carrycot that can lie flat and it's compatible with car seats when purchased separately. It can be folded while the carrycot still in place This is something that not all prams have. This saves time and makes it easier to use.

Its luxurious fabrics, spacious shopping basket, and puncture-proof tyres are the kind of features you'd expect to see on a high-end foldable pram however, its sleek frame makes it easy to maneuver across a variety of terrains. It's also a great choice for those who live in a city and need to negotiate narrow streets or crowded sidewalks frequently. Although it's not inexpensive, the quality and versatility of this pram make it possible to save you money in the end by eliminating the need to invest in an additional pushchair for toddlers. It's available in an extensive variety of colors, as well, so you can choose one that fits your personal style.