Choosing a pushchair

At first glance buying a pram or pushchair for your baby may seem simple – they all have the same basic function after all!

Look more closely and you will find that there is a lot more than you thought to consider. It is a common experience of new parents to buy one pram or pushchair before their baby is born and then replace it a more practical or more useful one after only a few months.

Travel Arrangements

The first thing to consider is that your pram or pushchair will go pretty much everywhere your baby does. If you drive a family car size will probably not be a problem (although it may be a good idea to leave room in the car for something else – shopping for example!).

If, however, you drive a smaller car then size becomes more of an issue, look at the size of your car’s boot , some larger pushchairs may not fit. When you go to look at prams or pushchair fold it down flat – how small does it fold?.

If you use public transport you face a whole host of other issues. Before your baby is born take a look around the bus or train you normally take – does it have room for UNFOLDED prams or pushchairs? If so how many?. Don’t forget that you are likely to be joined by other parents and babies on a number of days and if you have a pushchair that does not easily fold you could find yourself having to wait for the next bus. If this is not a problem for you then do not worry too much but if you need to be on a particular bus then you need to find a pushchair you can quickly and easily fold down and that will fit in the luggage rack. The same rules apply if you use the train but in general trains are more pushchair friendly than buses.

Age Range

Not all types of pushchair are suitable for newborns. Some (especially smaller, lightweight strollers) do not lie totally flat they have a half recline or no recline at all. In general these styles are more suitable for older (i.e. sitting) babies and toddlers. All types of pushchair should have an age range stated in the manufacturer’s guidelines and it is essential for you to check on this before you buy.

Comfort

Comfort is one of the most important factors in choosing a pram or pushchair for your baby. Depending on how your pushchair will be used you should look for a number of things. If you are using a car most of the time and your baby will only be in the pushchair for short periods a car seat travel system will mean that you can easily take your baby in and out of the car without disturbing him too much. If, however you expect to only use a car occasionally or if your baby will be spending longer periods in the pushchair it may be an idea to consider a ‘lying down’ style pram to allow your baby more freedom to stretch out. These can either come in the style of a reclining forward facing pushchair or a more traditional rearwards facing pram. For those families who intend on their babies using a car as well as spending a longer amount of time in their pram some travel systems come with two options available to fit on to the frame. A backwards facing lying down style and an infant car seat . These allow you to change day to day in general, however, these are much more expensive than other travel systems. If you will be walking a lot a light weight jogger style may be the one for you.

Cost

As with other things, pushchairs can be very expensive. If you have a particular budget it can be hard to stick to it as you get swept up in the excitement of preparing for the arrival of your baby. There is a huge variety of style and cost , prams and pushchairs for newborns range from £50-600 and more (cheaper ones are generally not suitable for newborns).When you have chosen the style of pushchair you like you should shop around you may find it cheaper in a different shop, you may also like to try an online retailer as they are sometimes cheaper.

Do you need a tandem/ twin pushchair?

If you are expecting twins or if you need a pushchair for a toddler as well as a newborn, you will need to consider atandem or twin pushchair (or perhaps even a triple pushchair!). These come in a variety of styles but the main ones are two seats next to one another or one behind the other. When you are shopping for a double pushchair keep in mind how well it folds, its weight and its width (some are very wide and can be difficult to manoeuvre around).