What Makes Good Prams?

A pram (also known as a stroller or pushchair) is the main form of transportation for babies and toddlers. A well-designed pram is a combination of safety, comfort, and style to make walking enjoyable for all the family.

The R for Rabbit Poppins Joy Stylish Baby Stroller is a great pram for newborns to 3-year-old kids. The Reversible handle lets you flip the seat to face your child or the world.

Comfort

You want your baby to feel comfortable when you're out with them. There are prams that will ensure your baby doesn't feel any discomfort.

The prams we've picked in this buying guide let your baby lie flat, which is important for babies who are just beginning to crawl. Lying flat improves oxygen levels and helps support their growing hips and spine. They also come with a seat which can be transformed to a more upright position when your baby is old enough to sit.

Venicci egg2 is a premium pram that offers a cocoon-like feel for your baby. It has smooth, curved lines and a bucket-shaped seat which doesn't recline into flat however it does come with a padded mattress and liner. It's also lighter than most prams pushchairs, weighing less than 8kg but has an extremely sturdy chassis and grained leather detailing and air-filled tyres that are puncture-proof and can take on more rural settings.

The Minu V2 is a great choice when you're looking for a model with a similar design but for a lesser price. The one-hand steer, swish model isn't quite as light as other prams, but it does have a huge storage basket. It also has an extended hood that provides UPF 50+ protection, which keeps your baby protected and shaded.

If you're new to parenting, we recommend that you consider the travel system that includes a car seat as well as a pram that are attached to the same frame. This will make it much easier to get your baby out of the car to the pram without having to wake them up and is perfect for busy parents who are always on the move. The Bugaboo Dragonfly compact travel pram system is a stylish and practical pram that can be converted easily from a 'pramette' or lie-flat 'pramette,' into a toddler-friendly stroller compatible with the Graco ISize car seat.

Safety

A pram should have a five point safety harness to ensure your baby is secure and should not allow any gaps that could trap their legs or heads. The straps should be padded and easy to adjust as they grow. Check the buckles on the harness to ensure they are not damaged and show signs of wear. Each year, many children are hospitalised because of injuries caused by prams and strollers. Tipping over is the most common cause of these injuries. Even the sturdiest prams can tip over if you attach bags on the handles, or if a child with a wriggling can get in or out of the seat without the harness being done up.

Another common cause of injury is falling off the stroller or pram. If a baby isn't securely fastened in, they could fall out of the pram and suffer head or neck injuries. Therefore, it is important to always ensure that the buckle on the harness is clicked into place.

Some good prams also have a reversible canopy that will 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 enter and out of stores. Other useful features include a tray for snacks and drink holders for your infant or toddler, a basket for shopping underneath the seat, and a handlebar that can be locked into place when you are not using it.

You should never leave a sleeping child in their stroller unless they are in their sight at all times. Babies tend to wriggle while asleep and this can cause them to fall off the pram or stroller and can lead to strangulation or suffocation. A stroller or pram is not an alternative to a cot. It is best to use it for short periods during the daytime.

It is essential to disassemble most prams in order to place them into the boot of your vehicle. This process is something you should know before you purchase a pram. Check how easy it will be to put the pieces back together.

Durability

A pram must be able endure several years of wear. You need to ensure that your baby's pram is able to handle slippery walks, as well as multiple car trips. Also, you want your stroller to have an image or color that doesn't get outdated to avoid looking like you've gone out of fashion.

The most reliable prams are constructed of top-quality materials and built to last. Look for durable materials with sturdy tires, as well as an effective suspension system. The most effective prams are small and fold easily, allowing you to put them in your garage or even the boot.

All the prams on this list allow babies to lie flat, which is crucial for newborns because it improves oxygen saturation levels as well as aids in the development of their hips and spine. A lot of these prams are designed to grow with your child. Some include a carrycot, or a reclined chair that can be snapped on and off as your child grows.

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 lie-flat carrycot and car seat. We are awestruck by the Graco Near2Me system which our parent tester Jaya used with her 10-month-old son. It comes with a clever feature that can raise or lower your child at the push of a button. This way you can maintain eye contact and keep them close which she said was really 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 babies, Effie and Boden (pictured above). It's a pushchair that can be converted from a single pushchair to double pram pushchair, with 30 different configurations. It also has the sun canopy which can be extended and puncture-proof tires. It's not expensive, but you can use it with multiple children if necessary. Similar to our winner model, the iCandy Orange 3 with its included carrycot, it can be used as early as.

Style

Newborns must lay flat as much as possible to aid development and improve the oxygen saturation of their lungs, which is why it is essential that all prams permit this. Some models provide a flat position using a fully reclineable carrycot, while others have a seat that reclines to a flat position.

The Graco Near2Me comes with the latter feature and is fantastic at that 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 child at the touch of the button to keep him in sight while maintaining closeness and eye contact.

It's a great choice for those who want to get around town easily as the frame is a good size for manoeuvring, while the puncture-proof tyres allow you to move it off the road and on to rough terrain. It's also a great choice if you're planning on having a second child in the future because it easily converts from a single pram to a twin or double pushchair.

The Bugaboo Dragonfly is a stylish, high-end option that looks and feels luxurious. It's ideal for babies as it comes with a carrycot that can lie flat and it's compatible with a car seat if purchased separately. You can even fold it by putting the carrycot in place and it's something that not all prams can do, so it's an efficient and easy feature.

Its luxurious fabrics, large shopping basket, and puncture-proof tyres are the kind of features you'd expect to see on a high-end pram however, its sleek frame makes it easy to maneuver across a variety of terrains. This is a great option if you live in the city and must navigate narrow streets or congested walkways frequently. While it's not cheap however, the durability and quality of this pram mean that it can save you money in the end by not having to invest in an additional pushchair for toddlers. You can pick from a wide range of colors to match your style.