What Makes Good Prams?

A pram (also known as a pushchair or stroller) is the most popular form 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 Joy Stylish Baby Stroller is a fantastic pram for newborns up to 3 year old children. The adjustable handle can be turned around to allow you to turn the seat to face your child or the world.

Comfort

You want your child to be comfortable when you're out with them. The good news is that there are prams designed to ensure your child isn't apprehensive.

All the prams in this guide allow your baby to lie flat. This is essential for babies as it increases oxygenation and helps support their hips and spine. They also have a seat that can be converted to an upright position once your baby is old enough to sit up.

Venicci egg2 is a premium pram that offers a cocoon-like feeling for your baby. It features smooth, curving lines as well as a bucket-shaped seating, that doesn't recline to flat however, it does come with padding on the mattress and a liner. It's also lighter than many prams, weighing under 8kg. But it is sturdy and has grained leather details and air-filled tyres which are puncture-proof.

The Minu V2 is a great option when you're looking for a model that has a similar appearance but for a lesser price. The one-hand steer model, swish, isn't as light as other prams but it does come with a large storage basket. It also comes with an extended hood that provides UPF 50+ protection to keep your baby protected and shaded.

If you're a first-time parent we recommend a travel strollers system bundle that includes a pram as well as a car seat that are attached to the same frame. This makes it much easier for prams parents to transfer their baby from their car to the pram without having to get them up. The Bugaboo Dragonfly is a great example of a stylish and useful travel system pram that converts easily from a lie-flat 'pramette' to a toddler-friendly pushchair travel system compatible with the Graco I-Size car seats.

Safety

The pram should be fitted with five-point safety harnesses that will keep your baby safe. It must also be free of gaps between their head and legs that can get trapped. The straps must be cushioned and easily adjustable as your child grows. Also, you should examine the buckles on your harness to ensure they aren't damaged or showing signs of wear and tear. A lot of children are hospitalized each year due to injuries caused by strollers or prams. Tipping over is the primary cause of these injuries. Even the most robust prams could tip over if you attach bags on the handles, or if a child who is wriggling can get in or out of the seat without the harness being properly secured.

Another frequent cause of injuries is falling from the pram or stroller. If a baby is not securely secured in the pram, they could fall out of the pram and suffer head or neck injuries. This is why it is vital to ensure that the harness buckle is always secured.

Some good prams also have an adjustable canopy that can protect your baby from the sun in any direction. This feature is useful because you don't have to wake up your baby every time you change their position in the stroller, or when you go into and out of stores. There are also other features that could be useful, such as snacks for your toddler or child and drink holders. There is also a shopping basket underneath the seat.

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

The majority of prams require you disassemble them in order to put them in the trunk of your car so it is a good idea to familiarise yourself with this process before you purchase one. Check how easy it will be to put the pieces back together.

Durability

A pram must be able endure several years of wear. This includes having to deal with the mud-filled walks and numerous car journeys, so you need to ensure that your choice will do the job you need it to. You also want your stroller to have an image or color that isn't prone to fading quickly to avoid looking like you've gone out of fashion.

The top prams are constructed of high-quality materials and have been designed to last, so look for robust fabrics, sturdy wheels and an efficient suspension system. The best prams will also feature a compact fold so you can store them easily in your garage or the boot when not in use.

All the prams in this list allow babies to lie flat. This is essential for newborns, because it aids in the development of their hips and spine, and boosts oxygen levels. A lot of these prams are designed to expand with your child. Some include a carrycot, or a reclined seat that can be easily removed and put back on when your child outgrows them.

If you are purchasing a pram for the first time you should consider a travel system that has a carrycot and a car seat may be a good idea. Our test-driver for parents Jaya loved the Graco Near2Me System that she used with her 10-month-old son. It has a nifty feature that can raise or lower your child with the click of a button. This way you can keep eye contact and keep them close, which she said was really important to her as he was in an exploratory stage.

Another option is another option is the Bugaboo Fox 3 which our tester Jess Bird used with her two kids, Effie and Boden (pictured above). It's a pushchair that can be transformed from a single pushchair double, with 30 different configurations. It also features sun canopy that can be extended and puncture-proof tires. It's not cheap but you can use it for more than one child if needed and, just like the iCandy Orange 3, can be used from birth using the included carrycot.

Style

Newborns need to lay flat as much as they can to help develop and increase the oxygen level in their lungs. Therefore, it is essential that all prams allow this. Some models permit an all-flat position by using the carrycot which is fully reclined, whereas others have a seat that can recline to a horizontal position.

The Graco Near2Me is a great device for both 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 infant with a push of an button, keeping him in the same position and still maintain closeness and eye contact.

It's a great choice for those that want to nip around town without hassle since the frame is a great size for manoeuvring, while the puncture-proof tyres permit you to move it off the road and onto rough terrain. It's also a great option if you're thinking of having another child in future since it can easily be converted from a single pram to a twin or double pushchair newborn.

The Bugaboo Dragonfly looks and feels like a stylish, high-end 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 even fold it by putting the carrycot in place which is something not all prams can do, so it's a time-saving and hassle-free feature.

Its luxurious fabrics, large shopping basket and puncture-proof tires are the kinds of features you'd expect to see on a high-end pram and its sleek design makes it easy to handle across a variety of terrains. It's also a great option if you reside in a city and need to negotiate narrow streets or crowded sidewalks regularly. While it's not cheap but the quality and versatility of this model mean that it can save you money in the end by avoiding the need to invest in a separate pushchair for toddlers. It's available in a wide selection of colors and you can choose one that fits your personal style.