Guide To Good Prams: The Intermediate Guide To 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 combines safety, comfort, and style to make walking enjoyable for the entire family.

The R for Rabbit Poppins Stylish Baby Stroller is a great stroller for infants to 3 years old. The Reversible handle lets you flip the seat to face your child or the world.

Comfort

You want your baby to be at ease when you're out with them. The good news is that there are prams designed to ensure that your baby doesn't feel a thing.

The prams we've chosen in this buying guide all allow your baby to lie flat, which is essential for infants as lying flat improves oxygen levels and assists in the development of their spine and hips. The seats can also be adjusted to a more upright position once your baby is capable of sitting up.

For a luxurious experience, the Venicci egg2 provides a warm feeling of a cocoon for your baby with smooth, curved lines and a bucket-shape seating that doesn't recline into a lie-flat position, but has an upholstered mattress and liner. It's also lighter than most prams, at a weight of just 8kg. However, it is sturdy and has finely textured leather and tyres that are air-filled, which are puncture-proof.

If you want something more affordable, but with the same design Minu V2 (minus carrycot) is a good option. The swish-looking, one-hand steer model isn't as lightweight than some of the other prams we tried however it comes with a large storage basket, as well as an extended hood with UPF50+ protection to keep your baby shaded and protected.

If you are a first time parent we suggest that you look into a travel system that includes a car seat and pram that are attached to the same frame. This allows parents to transfer their baby from the car to the pram without having to awake them. The Bugaboo Dragonfly travel system is a stylish and practical pram that can be converted easily from a 'pramette' or lie-flat 'pramette, into a stroller that is toddler-friendly compatible with the Graco iSize car seat.

Safety

A pram must have a five point safety harness to ensure your baby is safe and free of any gaps to entrap their heads or legs. The straps should be padded and easily adjustable as your child grows. It is also important to examine the buckles on your harness to make sure that they are not cracked or showing signs of wear and tear. Every year, a large number of children are admitted to hospitals because of injuries caused by prams or strollers. The primary cause of these injuries is tipping over. Even the strongest prams could tip over when you hang your bags onto the handles or if a child is wriggling or squirming and falls in or out of the seat before the harness has been tightened.

A common cause of injury is falling from a pram, or stroller. If a child's harness is not fastened properly it could cause them to fall from the stroller and suffer neck or head injuries. It is therefore essential to ensure that the buckle on the harness is securely clicked into the proper position.

Some good prams also have an adjustable canopy that can shield your baby from the sun in both directions. This is a useful feature as you can avoid having to wake your child up when you are changing their position in the pram or while you go to and from the shops. Other useful features include a snack tray and drink holders for your baby or toddler, a basket for shopping under the seat and the handlebar locks in place when you are not using it.

Never leave a sleeping baby in a pram if you are not in sight. Babies are susceptible to wriggling while sleeping, which could cause them to roll out of the stroller or pram. This could lead to suffocation and strangulation. A stroller or pram is not an alternative to a crib and should be used only for short periods during the day.

It is essential to disassemble most prams in order to fit them into the boot of your vehicle. This procedure is something you should know before you purchase one. Consider how easy it would be to put the pieces back together.

Durability

A pram needs to be able to endure several years of wear. This includes surviving muddy walks and getting through many car journeys, which is why you want to be sure your choice is able to perform the task you want it to. It is important to ensure that your stroller is in a color or pattern that will not date easily to avoid looking as if you've slipped out of fashion.

The most reliable prams are made of high-quality materials, and designed to last. Look for durable materials, Stroller sturdy tires, and a well-designed system of suspension. The most reliable prams have a compact fold, so they can be easily stored in your garage or in the boot when not being used.

All the prams on this list allow babies to lay flat. This is important for infants as it helps them develop their hips and spine and improves oxygenation levels. Many of these prams have been designed to grow along with your child's. Some have a carrycot, or a reclined chair that can be removed and snapped on when your child is outgrowing them.

If you are buying an infant stroller for the first time you should consider a travel system that has an infant carrycot and a car seat could be of interest. Our tester for parents Jaya loved the Graco Near2Me system that she used with her 10-month-old son. It comes with a clever feature that allows you to raise and lower your child with the click of a button. This way you can maintain eye contact and keep them close, which she claimed was important to her since he was at an exploratory stage.

Another alternative is another option is the Bugaboo Fox 3 which our tester Jess Bird used with her two children, Effie and Boden (pictured above). It's a luxurious pushchair that can be converted from a single to double pram pushchair pushchair and has 30 possible configurations and features luxe fabrics, an extendable sun canopy, and puncture-proof tyres. It's not cheap but you could use it for more than one child if needed and, as with our winner the iCandy Orange 3, can be used from birth with the carrycot included.

Style

Newborns must lie flat as much as they can to help develop and improve the oxygen saturation of their lungs, so it's important that all prams permit this. Some models permit an all-flat position by using a carrycot that can be fully reclinable, while others feature a seat that can recline to a horizontal position.

The Graco Near2Me features the latter and it's brilliant in this regard, as our parent tester Jaya discovered when she tried it with her 10-month-old son. She loved the ability to raise or lower her infant with a push of a button to keep him in the same position and still maintain closeness and eye contact.

It's a great stroller for those who want to travel around town without hassle since the frame is a good size for maneuvering, and the puncture-proof tyres let you take it off road and into rough terrain. It's also a great choice if you're planning on having another child in future since it is able to convert from a single pram to a twin or double pushchair.

The Bugaboo Dragonfly is a stylish and high-end product that looks and feels luxurious. It's suitable for babies as it includes a carrycot that can lie flat and it's compatible with car seats if purchased separately. It can be folded using the carrycot as a stand - something that isn't the case with all prams and is a time-saving and hassle-free feature.

The pram's luxurious fabrics, spacious basket, and puncture-proof tires are all features you'd expect to find in a top model However, the sleek frame makes it easy to maneuver around diverse terrains. It's also a great choice if you live in a city and must navigate narrow streets or crowded sidewalks frequently. This pram is not cheap but its versatility and quality could save you money over time by avoiding the purchase of a separate stroller for toddlers. You can choose from a range of colors that will fit your personal style.