Guide To Good Prams: The Intermediate Guide To Good Prams

What Makes Good Prams?

A pram, also known as a stroller, pushchair or sling, is the primary method of transport for infants and toddlers. A well-designed pram is a combination of comfort, safety and style to make walking enjoyable for the entire family.

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 your child can look at you or the world around them.

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 your little one isn't apprehensive.

All the prams in this guide allow your baby lie flat. This is important for newborns as it improves oxygenation and helps support their spine and hips. The seats can also be adjusted to an upright position once your baby is able to sit up.

Venicci egg2 is a premium pram that has a cocoon-like feeling for your baby. It is smooth and has curving lines, a bucket-shaped seat, which doesn't recline into flat however, it does come with padding on the mattress and a liner. It's also lighter than most prams, at a weight of just 8kg. But it is sturdy and has finely textured leather and tyres that are air-filled, which are puncture-proof.

If you want something more budget-friendly but with the same design, the Minu V2 (minus carrycot) is a great option. The one-hand steer, swish model isn't quite as lightweight as other strollers, but it does come with a large storage basket. It also comes with an hood that can be extended, which provides UPF 50+ protection, which keeps your baby protected and shaded.

If you're a first-time parent we suggest you look into a travel system bundle which includes a pram and a car seat that are attached to the same frame. This makes it much easier for parents to move their child from the car to the pram without having to wake them up. The Bugaboo Dragonfly is a great example of a stylish and functional travel system pram that converts easily from a'pramette' lying flat to a pushchair for toddlers, compatible with the Graco i-Size car seat.

Safety

The pram should be equipped with a five-point safety harness that will ensure your baby's safety. It should also not have any gaps in which their heads or legs could get stuck. The straps must be padded and easily adjustable as your child grows. Examine the buckles on your harness to ensure that they are not cracked and show signs of wear. Every year, a lot of children are hospitalised because of injuries caused by prams and strollers. Tipping over is the main reason for these injuries. Even the strongest prams can topple when you strap your bags onto the handles or if the child is wriggling or squirming and falls into or out of the seat before the harness has been tightened.

A common cause of injury involves falling from a pram, or stroller. If a baby isn't properly secured the pram, they may fall out of the stroller and sustain head or neck injuries. This is why it is vital to ensure that the harness buckle is always clicked into place.

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

You should never leave a sleeping child in their pram unless you are within sight of them at all times. Babies are susceptible to wriggling while sleeping and this can cause them to roll out of the stroller or pram. This can lead to suffocation and strangulation. A stroller or pram should not be used as a substitute for the crib. It is best to use it for short periods of time during the day.

The majority of prams require you dismantle them to fit them into the car's boot so it's a good idea to familiarise yourself with this procedure before you buy one. Also, consider how it is easy to put the different sections back together and click to put them back together.

Durability

A pram must be durable enough to endure many years of wear and tear. This includes the need to endure muddy walks and getting through numerous car journeys, so you want to be sure your choice is able to do the job you need it to. It is important to ensure that your pram is the right color or design that isn't prone to fading so you don't look as if you've slipped out of style.

The best prams are made from high-quality materials and have been designed to last, so you should look for durable fabrics, sturdy wheels and an efficient suspension system. The most reliable prams feature a compact fold so they are easy to store in your garage or in the boot when not in use.

All the prams on this list allow a baby to lay flat, which is crucial for newborns as it improves oxygen saturation levels and supports the development of their spine and hips. A lot of them are designed to adapt to your child's needs, with some of them having a carrycot or a fully reclined seat that can be moved on and off the frame when your child outgrows it.

If you're purchasing a new pram for the first time, you may also be interested in a travel set which is an all-in-one bundle that includes a lying-flat carrycot and car seat. Our test-driver for parents Jaya was a fan of the Graco Near2Me System she used with her 10-month-old son. It comes with a handy feature that raises and lowers your child with the click of a button so you can keep your eyes on them and keep them close, which she said was really important to her 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 & Boden (pictured above). It's a pushchair that can be transformed from a single pushchair to double in 30 different configurations. It also comes with the sun canopy which can be extended and puncture-proof tires. It's not cheap prams, 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 with the included carrycot.

Style

All prams should permit newborns to lie flat as they can. This will aid in their development and boost oxygen saturation in the lung. Some models create a completely flat surface with a fully-reclinable carrycot, while others have a seat that reclines to an unflat position.

The Graco Near2Me works great for the latter as our parent tester Jaya discovered when she tried it on her child who was 10 months old. She loved the ability to raise or lower her child with a push of the button to keep him in the same position while maintaining eye contact and proximity.

The frame is perfect for city trips and the puncture-proof tires allow you to take it off road or on rough terrain. It's a great choice for those who plan to have another child in the near future since it can be converted from a single pushchair to a double or twin.

The Bugaboo Dragonfly is a stylish and high-end product that is both stylish and comfortable. It's suitable for babies because it includes a carrycot which can lie flat and it's compatible with a car seat when purchased separately. You can fold it with the carrycot in place and it's something that does not happen with all prams and is a time-saving and hassle-free feature.

Its luxe fabrics, spacious shopping basket and puncture-proof tyres are the kind of things you'd expect on a pram of the highest quality however, its sleek frame makes it easy to handle on a variety of terrains. It's also an ideal choice when you live in a city and must navigate narrow streets or busy sidewalks frequently. While it's not cheap, the quality and versatility of this model will save you money in the end by not having to buy a separate toddler pushchair. It's available in a wide range of colors, too, so you can pick one that matches your personal style.