Guide To Good Prams: The Intermediate Guide In Good Prams

What Makes Good Prams?

A pram (also known as a stroller or a pushchair) is the most popular form of transport for infants and toddlers. A quality pram is a combination of comfort, safety and design that makes walking fun for all family members.

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

Comfort

You want your child to be at ease when you're out with them. There are prams that will ensure that your baby isn't shivering anything.

The prams we've chosen in this buying guide allow your baby to lay flat, which is essential for infants as lying flat increases oxygen saturation and helps support their growing hips and spine. They also have a seat which can be transformed to more upright positions when your baby is old enough to sit.

For a really high-end experience it's the Venicci egg2 offers a cozy feeling of a cocoon for your baby with smooth, curved lines and a bucket-shape seat that doesn't recline to a lie-flat position but does have a padded liner and mattress. It's also a little lighter than other prams on the market at under 8kg but still has a sturdy chassis and grained leather detailing and air-filled tyres that are puncture-proof and able to take on more rural settings.

If you're looking for something a bit more budget-friendly but still with the same style Minu V2 (minus carrycot) is another excellent choice. The swish-looking, one-hand steer model isn't as light as the other prams we've tested however it comes with a big storage basket and an extended hood with UPF50+ protection, which will keep your baby shaded and protected.

If you're the first parent of your child we recommend the travel system bundle that includes a pram as well as a car seat that can be attached to the same frame. This will make it much easier to transfer your child from the car to the pram without waking them and is perfect for busy parents on the go. The Bugaboo Dragonfly travel system is a stylish and functional pram that is easily converted from a 'pramette or a lie-flat 'pramette into a stroller that is toddler-friendly compatible with the Graco ISize car seat.

Safety

A pram should be equipped with a five point safety harness to ensure your baby is safe and secure. It should not have any gaps that could trap their legs or heads. The straps must be cushioned, and easily adjustable as your child grows. Check the buckles on the harness to ensure they are not cracked and have signs of wear. Every year, a lot of children are admitted to hospitals due to injuries caused by prams and strollers. Tipping over is the most common reason for these injuries. 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 done up.

Another common cause of injury is falling off the pram or stroller. If a baby is not properly secured, they could fall out of the stroller and suffer head or neck injuries. This is why it is crucial to ensure that the buckle of the harness is always clicked into place.

Some good prams also have a reversible canopy that will protect your baby from the sun in both directions. This is a useful feature as you can avoid having to wake your baby awake while you change their position in the pram, or when you are going in and out of shops. Other handy features include a snack tray and drink holders for your infant or toddler, a basket for shopping underneath the seat, and a handlebar that locks in place when you are not using it.

Don't leave a baby sleeping in a pram without being in sight. Babies tend to wiggle while asleep and this may cause them to roll off the stroller or pram and could result in strangulation or suffocation. A pram or a stroller should not be used as an alternative to a crib. It is best prams to use it for short periods during the day.

It is necessary to take apart most prams in order to fit them in the trunk of your car. This process is something you should know before you buy one. Also, consider how it is easy to put the different sections back together and then click them into place.

Durability

A pram should be able to last through several years of wear and tear. You should ensure that your baby's pram is able to handle slippery walks as well as a variety of car trips. You should ensure that your pram is in a colour or print that isn't prone to fading so you don't look like you've lost fashion.

The most reliable prams are constructed of top-quality materials and designed to last. Look for durable materials as well as sturdy tires and 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 boot.

All prams on this list allow your baby to lie flat. This is crucial for babies, because it allows them to develop their spine and hips and boosts oxygen levels. A lot of these prams are designed to grow along with your child. Some come with a carrycot or a reclined chair that can be snapped on and off when your child outgrows them.

If you're buying a new pram for the first time, you might be looking for a travel system which is an all-in-one bundle that includes a lie-flat carrycot and car seat. Our tester for parents Jaya was a fan of the Graco Near2Me System she used with her 10-month-old son. It comes with an innovative feature that allows you to raise and lower your child at the touch of one button. This lets you keep eye contact with the baby and keep them in close proximity.

Another alternative is the Bugaboo Fox 3 which our tester Jess Bird used with her two kids, Effie and Boden (pictured above). It's a stroller that can be converted from a single pushchair to double, with 30 different configurations. It also has the sun canopy which can be extended and puncture-proof tires. It's not cheap, but you could use it for more than one child, if you need to and, just like the iCandy Orange 3, can be used from birth thanks to the carrycot included.

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 permit this. Some models allow a completely flat surface with a fully-reclinable carrycot, while others have seats that recline to an upright position.

The Graco Near2Me comes with the latter feature and is fantastic at that, as our parent tester Jaya found when she tested it with her son who was 10 months old. She was enthralled by the fact that she could raise or lower her child with the touch of a button and keep him in sight, while still maintaining eye contact and a closeness.

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

The Bugaboo Dragonfly looks and feels like a stylish, high-end option. It is suitable for newborns as it includes a carrycot that can be rolled flat and is compatible with a car-seat when purchased separately. It can be folded while the carrycot still in place, which is an option 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 things you'd expect on a premium pram, but its sleek frame makes it easy to handle on any terrain. It's also an ideal choice when you live in a large city and need to negotiate narrow streets or crowded sidewalks regularly. This pram is not cheap but its versatility and high-end quality can save you money in the long run by avoiding the need for a separate toddler stroller. You can choose from a variety of colors to match your preferences.