10 Things We All Were Hate About Good Prams

What Makes Good Prams?

A pram (also known as a stroller or a pushchair) is the most popular form of transport for infants and toddlers. A quality pram is a combination of safety, comfort and style that makes walking fun for all the family members.

The R for Rabbit Poppins Stylish Baby Stroller is a fantastic foldable stroller for children from newborns to three years old. The reversible handle lets you to turn the seat so that your child can either face either you or the world around them.

Comfort

If you're out and about with your baby, you want to ensure they're secure. There are prams to make sure your baby pram doesn't feel anything.

The prams we've chosen 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 supports their developing spine and hips. The seats can also be adjusted to an upright position when your baby is capable of sitting up.

For a luxurious feel it's the Venicci egg2 offers a cozy cocoon-like feel for your baby with smooth, curved lines and a bucket-shape seats that doesn't recline to a lie-flat position, but has padding on the mattress and liner. It's also lighter than other prams, with a weight of less than 8kg. However, it is sturdy and has grained leather details and tyres that are air-filled, which are puncture-proof.

If you want something more budget-friendly but with a similar style, the Minu V2 (minus carrycot) is another excellent choice. The swish-looking one-hand steer model isn't as light as some of the other prams we tested but it has an impressively large storage basket and extended hood with UPF50+ protection that'll keep your baby shaded and protected.

If you're the first parent of your child we recommend a travel system bundle that includes a pram and a car seat that are attached to the same frame. This makes it easier for 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 toddler-friendly stroller compatible with the Graco ISize car seat.

Safety

The pram should be fitted with five-point safety harnesses that will keep your baby safe. It should also not have any gaps where their legs or heads are likely to get caught. The straps should be padded and easy to adjust as they expand. Examine the buckles on your harness to make sure they're not damaged and show signs of wear. Many children are admitted to hospitals every year due to injuries caused by strollers or prams. Tipping over is the most common reason for these injuries. Even the most robust prams could fall over if you hang bags to the handles or if a child who is wriggling is able to get into or out of the seat without harnesses being done up.

Another reason for injury is falling from the pram or stroller. If a baby'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 ensure that the harness buckle is always clicked into place.

Some prams have a reversible shade which can be used to shield your baby in both directions from the sun. This feature is beneficial since you don't need to wake 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 baby or toddler, a basket for shopping under the seat, and the handlebar locks in place when you're not using it.

You should never leave a sleeping child in their pram unless you are in their sight at all times. Babies tend to wriggle while asleep and this can cause them to slide off the pram or stroller and can lead to strangulation or suffocation. A pram or stroller is not an alternative to a crib and should only be used for short periods of time during the daytime.

It is essential to disassemble most prams in order to put them in the trunk of your car. This procedure should be familiarised with before you buy one. Also, consider how it is easy to put the different sections back together and click them in place.

Durability

A pram needs to be able to stand up to the wear and tear of many years. This includes the need to endure walking in the rain and numerous car journeys, so you need to ensure that your choice can perform the task you want it to. You also want your stroller to have an image or color that isn't prone to fading quickly so that you don't end up looking like you've gone out of style.

The best prams are made of high-quality materials and are designed to last, so look for durable fabrics, sturdy wheels, and an effective suspension system. The best prams will also have a compact fold, so you can store them easily in your garage or boot when not being used.

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

If you're buying a new pram for the first time, you may also be interested in a travel set that is a complete bundle that includes a lying-flat carrycot and car seat. We love the Graco Near2Me system that our parent tester Jaya used with her 10-month-old son. It has an innovative feature that allows you to raise and lower your child by pressing one button. This allows you to keep eye contact with your child and keep them close.

The Bugaboo Fox 3 is another option that our test-driver Jess Bird tried with her two children Effie and Boden (pictured above). It's a stroller that can be converted from a single pushchair double in 30 different configurations. It also comes with a sun canopy that can be extended and puncture-proof tires. It's not inexpensive but you can use it for more than one child if you need to. Like our top pick iCandy Orange 3 in 1 pram, the iCandy Orange 3 with its carrycot is a great option to use from the moment of birth.

Style

All prams should allow newborns to lie flat as they can. This will help with their development and improve oxygen saturation in the lungs. Some models create a completely flat position using a fully reclineable carrycot while others feature seats that recline to an unflat position.

The Graco Near2Me has the latter feature, and it's fantastic in this regard, as our parent tester Jaya found when she tested it with her son of 10 months. She was thrilled that she could raise and lower her baby at the push of a button, keeping him in the view of others and still maintain eye contact and a closeness.

The frame is perfect for nipping around town, and the puncture-proof tires permit you to take it off road or on rough terrain. It's also a smart choice if you're planning on having another child in the near future because it easily converts from a single pushchair to a double or twin stroller pushchair.

The Bugaboo Dragonfly is a stylish and high-end product that looks and feels luxurious. It's suitable for newborns because it comes with a lie-flat carrycot and is compatible with car seats in the event that you purchase it separately. It can be folded by putting the carrycot in place and it's something that not all prams can do which is why it's an efficient and easy feature.

The pram's luxurious fabric large basket, spacious interior, and puncture-proof tires are features you'd expect to find in a top model, but the sleek frame makes it simple to maneuver over diverse terrains. It's also an ideal choice if you live in a large city and need to negotiate narrow streets or overcrowded sidewalks regularly. Although it's not inexpensive however, the durability and quality of this pram will save you money over the long term by avoiding the need to invest in a separate pushchair for toddlers. You can pick from a range of colors to match your style.