What Makes Good Prams?

A pram, also known as a stroller, pushchair or sling, is the primary mode of transport for infants and toddlers. A quality pram blends safety, comfort and design to make walking enjoyable for the whole family.

The R for Rabbit Poppins Stylish Baby Stroller makes a great stroller for children from newborns to three years old. Its reversible handle allows you to rotate the seat so that your child can either face either you or compact strollers the world around them.

Comfort

When you're out and about with your baby, you need to ensure that they're safe. There are prams to ensure your baby doesn't feel anything.

All prams featured in this guide allow your baby to lay flat. This is essential for babies as it increases oxygenation and helps support their spine and hips. The seats can be adjusted to an upright position once your child is able to sit up.

For a luxurious experience it's the Venicci egg2 has a cosy feeling of a cocoon for your baby with sleek, curved lines and a bucket-shape seating that does not recline to a lying-flat position, but it does have an upholstered mattress and liner. It's also lighter than many prams, with a weight of less than 8kg. However, it has a sturdy chassis with finely textured leather and air-filled tyres which are puncture-proof.

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

If you're the first parent of your child, we'd recommend considering the travel system bundle that includes a pram and car seat that attach to the same frame. This makes it easier for parents to move their child from the car to the pram without having to awake them. The Bugaboo Dragonfly is a great example of a fashionable and practical travel system pram that converts easily from a'pramette' that lies flat to a pushchair for toddlers that is compatible with the Graco I-Size car seats.

Safety

The pram should be equipped 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 must be cushioned and easy to adjust as they grow. Check the buckles on the harness to ensure they are not cracked and have signs of wear. Many children are admitted to hospitals each year because of injuries from strollers or prams. Tipping over is the main cause of these injuries. Even the strongest prams can topple if you hook bags to the handles or if the child is wriggling and falls out or in the seat before the harness has been tightened.

A common cause of injury involves falling off a pram or stroller. If a baby is not securely secured in, they could fall out of the pram and suffer neck or head injuries. It is therefore essential to ensure that the buckle on the harness is securely clicked into the proper position.

Some prams have a reversible shade that can be used to shield your baby in any direction from the sun. This is a great feature because it will prevent having to wake your child awake while you change their position in the pram, or when you are going into and out of shops. There are other features that are useful, such as snacks for your child or toddler and drink holders. There's also an extra shopping basket under the seat.

It is not advisable to leave a sleeping child in their pram unless you are within sight of them at all times. Babies are known to wiggle when asleep and this can cause them to slide off the stroller or pram and could result in 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 essential to disassemble most prams pushchairs prams (i thought about this) in order to place them into the trunk of your car. This procedure should be familiarised with before you purchase a pram. Check how easy it will be to put the pieces back together.

Durability

A pram needs to be durable enough to withstand several years of wear and wear and tear. You should ensure that your baby's pram is able to handle the mud of a walk and also multiple car trips. You want to make sure that your stroller is in the right color or design that won't fade easily to avoid looking as if you've slipped out of fashion.

The top prams are constructed from high-quality materials and are built to last, so look for robust fabrics, sturdy wheels and an effective suspension system. The best prams are compact strollers and fold easily so that you can put them in your garage or boot.

All the prams on this list allow your baby to lie on their backs. This is crucial for newborns, as it helps them develop their hips and spine and improves oxygenation levels. Some are made to adapt to your child's needs, with some of them having a carrycot or fully-reclined seat that can be moved off and on the frame at a time when your little one outgrows it.

If you're looking to purchase a brand new pram for the first time, you might also be interested in a travel system that is a complete package that includes a lie-flat carrycot and car seat. Our tester for parents Jaya loved the Graco Near2Me system that she used with her 10-month-old son. It is a revolutionary feature that allows you to raise and lower your baby with the touch of a single button. This lets you keep eye contact with your child and keep them close.

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 luxury pram bag that can be converted from a single to double pushchair, with 30 possible configurations. It also comes with premium fabrics, an extendable sun canopy and puncture-proof tyres. It's not inexpensive, but you can use it for more than one child if you need to. Similar to our winner model, the iCandy Orange 3 with its included carrycot, it can be used from the moment of birth.

Style

All prams should permit newborns to lie flat as they can. This will help with their development and increase oxygen saturation in the lung. Some models allow for an entirely flat position using the carrycot which is fully reclined, whereas others feature a seat that can be reclined to a horizontal or a vertical position.

The Graco Near2Me comes with the latter feature, and it's fantastic in this regard, as our parent tester Jaya found when she tested it with her 10-month-old son. She was enthralled by the fact that she could raise and lower her little one with the push of a button, keeping him in view and still maintain eye contact and closeness.

It's a great pram for those that want to nip around town easily as the frame is an ideal size for maneuvering, and the puncture-proof tyres let you remove it from the road and on to rough terrain. It's a great choice when you are planning to have a second child in the future because it can easily be transformed from a single pushchair to a double or twin.

The Bugaboo Dragonfly looks and feels like a premium, stylish option. It's ideal for infants as 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 with the carrycot still in place, which is a feature that not all prams have. This saves time and makes it more convenient to use.

The pram's luxurious fabric, spacious basket, and puncture-proof tires are things you would expect to see on a premium model however, the sleek frame makes it easy for you to maneuver on diverse terrains. It's also a great option if you reside in a city and must navigate narrow streets or overcrowded sidewalks frequently. Although it's not inexpensive, the quality and versatility of this pram will save you money over the long term by avoiding the need to buy a separate pushchair for toddlers. It's available in an extensive variety of colors, too, so you can choose one that fits your personal style.