What Makes Good Prams?
A pram, also referred to as a
foldable stroller, pushchair or Sling, is the main mode of transport for infants and toddlers. A good pram combines 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 children. The reversible handle lets you to rotate the seat so that your child can face either you or the world around them.
Comfort
When you're out and around with a baby, you need to ensure they're secure. The good news is that there are prams designed to ensure your child doesn't feel a thing.
All prams featured in this guide let your baby lie flat. This is important for newborns since it improves oxygenation and helps support their hips and spine. The seats can also be adjusted to a more upright position once your baby is capable of sitting up.
Venicci egg2 is a top-of-the-line pram that has a cocoon-like feeling for your baby. It is smooth and has curving lines and a bucket-shaped seat which does not recline into a flat position, but it does have an upholstered mattress and liner. It's also lighter than other prams, at a weight of just 8kg. However, it still has a sturdy frame with the grained leather accents and tyres that are air-filled, which are puncture-proof.
If you're looking for something less expensive but still with the same design Minu V2 (minus carrycot) is another excellent choice. The stylish one-hand steer model isn't as light than some of the other prams we tested but it has an impressively large storage basket and extendable hood with UPF 50+ protection that'll keep your baby protected and shaded.
If you are a first-time parent We suggest 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 baby from the car to the pram without having to awake them. The Bugaboo Dragonfly is a great example of a stylish and useful pram for travel that can be converted easily from a lie-flat 'pramette to a pushchair for toddlers compatible with the Graco i-Size car seat.
Safety
The pram should be equipped with five-point safety harnesses that will ensure your baby's safety. It should also not have any gaps where their legs or heads are likely to get caught. The straps should be cushioned and easy to adjust as they grow. You should also check the harness buckles to ensure that they aren't cracked or showing signs of wear and tear. Many children are admitted to hospitals each year because of injuries caused by strollers or prams. The most common reason for these injuries is tipping over. Even the most sturdy prams can topple if you hook your bags onto the handles or if a child is wriggling and falls in or out of the seat before the harness is tightened.
Another common cause of injury is falling off the stroller or pram. If a child's harness isn't secured correctly, it could cause them to fall from the stroller and sustain neck or head injuries. This is why it is vital to make sure that the harness buckle is always locked in place.
Some good prams (
click the next document) also have a reversible canopy that will protect your baby from sun in any direction. This is a great feature since you will not be having to wake your child up when you are changing their position in the pram or when you go to and from the 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.
You should never leave a child sleeping in their pram unless you are within sight of them at all times. Babies tend to wiggle while asleep and this can cause them to fall off the stroller or pram and cause strangulation or suffocation. A stroller or pram should not be used as an alternative to the crib. It should only be used for short periods of time during the day.
It is necessary to take apart most prams in order to place them into the trunk of your car. This procedure should be familiarised with before you purchase a pram. Find out how easy it will be to put the sections back together.
Durability
A pram should be able to endure several years of wear. This includes surviving muddy walks and getting through many car journeys, so you must ensure your choice will perform the task you want it to. You also want your pram to come in a print or colour that won't date quickly so that you don't end up looking like you've fallen out of fashion.
The most reliable prams are made of high-quality materials, and are designed to last. Look for durable fabrics, sturdy tires, and a well-designed system of suspension. The most effective prams are small and fold easily, allowing you to store them in your garage or boot.
All prams on this list allow the baby to lie down flat. This is important for babies, because it allows them to develop their hips and spine and improves oxygenation levels. Many of these prams are designed to expand with your child. Some have a carrycot or a reclined chair that can be easily removed and put back on as your child grows.
If you are purchasing an infant stroller for the first time you should consider a travel system that comes with a carrycot and a car seat could be worth a look. We love the Graco Near2Me device that 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 keep eye contact and keep them close which she described as being important to her since he was in an exploratory stage.
The Bugaboo Fox 3 is another option that our tester 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 and has 30 possible configurations and features luxurious fabrics, an expandable sun canopy and puncture-proof tyres. It's not expensive, but it can be used for more than one child if you need to. Similar to our winner model, the iCandy Orange 3 with its included carrycot can be used right from birth.
Style
Newborns need to lie flat as much as possible to aid development and improve the oxygen saturation of their lungs, which is why it's essential that all prams allow this. Some models provide a flat position with a fully-reclinable carrycot, while others have a seat that reclines to an upright position.
The Graco Near2Me features the latter feature, and it's fantastic at that as our parent tester Jaya found when she tested it with her son of 10 months. She was thrilled that she could raise or lower her little one with the push of a button, keeping him in sight while maintaining eye contact and a closeness.
The frame is ideal for nipping around town and the puncture-proof wheels allow you to take it off road or on rough terrain. It's also a great option if you're thinking of having a second child in the future since it is able to convert from a single pram to a
twin pushchair or
good prams double pushchair.
The Bugaboo Dragonfly looks and feels like a high-end, stylish option. It's suitable for newborns because it includes a lie-flat carrycot and is compatible with a car seat when you purchase it separately. You can fold it with the carrycot in place which is something does not happen with all prams and is an easy and time-saving feature.
Its luxe fabrics, spacious shopping basket, and puncture-proof tyres are the kinds of things you'd expect on a pram of the highest quality, but its sleek frame makes it easy to maneuver on any terrain. It's also a great choice for those who live in a city and need to negotiate narrow streets or overcrowded sidewalks regularly.
