Guide To Good Prams: The Intermediate Guide For Good Prams

What Makes Good Prams?

A pram, also referred to as a stroller, pushchair or a sling, is the primary form of transport for babies and toddlers. A quality pram is a blend of comfort, safety and design that makes walking enjoyable for all family members.

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 to rotate the seat so that your child can face either you or the world around them.

Comfort

Your baby should feel comfortable when you're out with them. There are prams to make sure your baby doesn't feel any discomfort.

The prams we've selected in this buying guide all allow your baby to lie flat, which is important for newborn babies as lying flat improves oxygen saturation and helps support their growing hips and spine. They also have a seat which can be transformed to an upright position once your baby is old enough to sit.

For a luxurious experience it's the Venicci egg2 provides a warm feeling of a cocoon for your baby with sleek, curved lines and a bucket-shape seat that doesn't recline into a lie-flat position, but has an upholstered mattress and liner. It's also lighter than other prams, weighing under 8kg but still has solid chassis and grained leather accents and air-filled tyres 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 at a lower price. The sleek, one-hand steer model isn't as lightweight as some of the other prams we tested but it has an impressively large storage basket and extendable hood with UPF 50+ protection to keep your baby shaded and protected.

If you're a first-time parent, we recommend you consider a travel system package which includes a car seat and pram that can be attached to the same frame. This makes it much easier for parents to transfer their child from their car to the pram without having to wake them up. The Bugaboo Dragonfly travel system is a stylish and functional running 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 car seats.

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 to entrap their legs or head. The straps should be padded and easy to adjust as they expand. It is also important to inspect the buckles of your harness to make sure that they are not cracked or showing signs of wear and tear. Many children are hospitalised every year due to pram or compact stroller-related injuries. The main cause of these injuries is tipping over. Even the most robust prams for newborns could fall over if you hang bags on the handles, or if a child with a wriggling is able to get into or out of the seat without harnesses being done up.

A common cause of injury is falling from a pram or stroller. If a baby's harness is not fastened properly it can cause them to fall from the stroller and sustain head or neck injuries. This is why it is crucial to ensure that the harness buckle is always locked in place.

Some good prams also have a canopy that can be reversible to protect your baby from the sun in either direction. This feature is helpful because you won't have to wake up your baby every time you change their position in the stroller or when you go in and out of shops. There are other features that are useful, for example snacks for your child or toddler and drink holders. You can also find a basket for shopping underneath the seat.

You should never leave a sleeping child in their stroller unless you are in their sight at all times. Babies are prone to wiggle while asleep and this could cause them to fall out of the pram or stroller. This can lead to suffocation and strangulation. A pram or a stroller is not an alternative to a crib. It is best to use it for short periods of time during the daytime.

It is necessary to take apart most prams in order to fit them in the boot of your vehicle. This process must be mastered before you purchase a pram. Also check how it is easy to put the various sections back together and then click to put them back together.

Durability

A pram must be durable enough to withstand many years of wear and tear. This includes having to deal with the mud-filled walks and many car journeys, which is why you must ensure your choice will fulfill the tasks you require it to. You want to make sure that your pram is in a color or pattern that isn't prone to fading so that you don't appear like you've fallen out of fashion.

The best prams are constructed from high-quality materials and built to last. Look for durable fabrics, 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 the boot of your car.

All prams on this list allow a baby to lay flat, which is essential for newborns as it improves oxygen saturation levels and aids in the development of their spine and hips. Many are designed to grow with your child, with some of them having a carrycot or a fully reclined seat that can be clicked on and off the frame for when your child outgrows it.

If you're buying a new pram for the first time, you might also be looking for a travel system that is a complete bundle that includes a lying-flat carrycot and car seat. We are awestruck by the Graco Near2Me device that our parent tester Jaya used with her 10-month-old son. It has a nifty feature that raises and lowers your child at the push of a button so you can keep eye contact and keep them close which she claimed was important for her son as he was at an exploratory stage.

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

Style

Newborns must lie flat as much as they can in order to promote development and improve oxygen saturation in their lungs, so it is essential that all prams allow this. Some models allow an entirely flat position using the carrycot which is fully reclined, whereas others feature a seat that can recline to a horizontal position.

The Graco Near2Me features the latter feature, and it's fantastic 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.

It's a great stroller travel for those who want to nip around town easily as the frame is a good size for manoeuvring, while the puncture-proof tyres allow you to take it off road and into rough terrain. It's an excellent choice when you are planning to have a child in the near future, as it can easily be converted from a single pushchair a twin or double.

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 folded flat and is compatible with a car-seat when purchased separately. You can fold it using the carrycot as a stand and it's something that isn't the case with all prams which is why it's a time-saving and hassle-free feature.

The pram's luxurious fabrics as well as the spacious basket and puncture-proof tires are things you'd expect to find on a high-end model however, the sleek frame makes it simple to maneuver around different terrains. It's also an ideal choice for those who live in a city and must navigate narrow streets or crowded sidewalks frequently. Although it's not cheap, the quality and versatility of this pram make it possible to save you money over the long term by eliminating the need to invest in a separate toddler pushchair. It's available in an extensive variety of colors, as well, so you can choose one that fits your personal style.