Many brands sell baby pushchairs, buggies, strollers and prams, and searching for the right one for your baby can be a daunting task. If you’re about to have your first child you probably won’t have gone through this process before so it can feel quite difficult, as there so many brands and styles to choose between.
To help make your decision easier have at look at these tips for choosing the best baby pushchair for you and your baby.
• Functionality
The first thing you need to think about is whether you need a pushchair, a pram, a stroller or a combination of all of these. This decision is based on the age of your baby, for example a new baby needs a lie flat position, how and when you travel, for example every day, by public transport or in a car, and where you’ll be using it, in town or in the countryside. For every day use you might need a complete travel system but on holiday you might only want a lightweight stroller for example.
• Kids
The second decision is based on how many children you have and their individual ages, and whether you are planning to expand your family in the near future. So will you need a tandem or a twin pushchair, or the option to add another seat or a ride-on board at some stage? If you have two children you have to decide whether you want one of them to ride on an attached board, or whether you want them to sit alongside each other, or one on front of the other, if they are both seated.
• Budget
It is important to think about how much money you want to spend and look at which brands are within your budget, as prices can vary vastly. There are many very good quality yet affordable baby ppushchairs as well as more expensive designer brands. It’s worth having a look for sales and special offers on certain brands if you have one in mind that you prefer but is beyond your set budget. Remember that if you do your research well and get the right pushchair now it is an investment for your baby for the next few years of their life, and longer maybe if you have another child.
• Weight
Think about how strong you are, the weight of the pushchair and whether you’ll have to lift it and carry it on your own? How do you travel, by car or on public transport, bus, train or plane? Where do you live, is it easily accessable, are there many stairs to carry a pushchair up and down? Remember to add the weight of your baby or child when you consider the weight of the pushchair, in a store or when looking online!
• Manoeuvrability
It’s really important to consider how easy it is to manoeuvre a baby pushchair and to think about where you’ll need to manoeuvre it. Will you be nipping around town, in and out of shops, through doorways and tight spaces? If so you probably want a swivel front wheel, but a lockable one for using over rougher terrain. If you plan on covering any rough terrain, for example in the countryside, think about the suspension as well as the manoeuvrability.
• Compactness
When you’re looking at pushchairs in a shop they will most likely be unfolded so remember to try folding them to see how easy they are to fold, and how compact they are when folded. Consider where you will store a pushchair at home as well as whether it will fit in your car, especially if you have a small car? Check whether it’s easy to unfold and fold one handed, and whether it has quick release wheels if you need to take them off to fit it in the car easily? If you’re looking at pushchairs on the internet or in a catalogue make sure you check the dimensions of them when they’re folded as well as when unfolded.
• Style
Although the most important factors to consider are the practical and functional ones you should also think about what style and colour you like as a pushchair will be frequently used and should last a few years. Styles of pushchairs also vary based on what usage or terrain they’re aimed at, e.g. 3-wheelers tend to be more sporty, with large pneumatic wheels for rough terrain. But there are now all sorts of styles available, in 3-wheelers and 4-wheelers, from contemporary to classic, minimalist to chunky, pretty to funky, etc.
• Extras
You might just want to purchase a basic pushchair to start with but have a look at what extras you can add at a later date if necessary? Can you adapt the pushchair by attaching a car seat or a carry cot to move your baby without disturbance? Can you add an extra seat or a ride-on board if you have another baby? Some brands have a wide range of compatible optional extras that you can buy separately after buying the pushchair so you can adapt to change without having to splash out on a whole new pushchair. Some baby pushchairs also come with more accessories than others, but most come with a matching rain cover, sun hood and a bag or basket of some kind. Many have a range of accessories available that you can buy separately, such as cup holders, parasols, sun shades, blankets, footmuffs, insect nets, and weather shields. Always check what’s included in the price and what you might have to buy as optional extras.
Baby’s Comfort
One of the most important elements to think about is whether the seat is comfortable for your child. Have a look if it has several recline positions, including a lie flat position for new babies as not all pushchairs have this option and are not suitable from birth. Look out for features such as adjustable straps, an adjustable footrest, a headrest and removeable pads for the comfort of smaller babies. Some pushchairs have front and rear facing seats so think about whether your baby will feel happier facing you or looking where they’re going, or whether you want the option to be able to turn the seat around as your baby gets older.
• Your Comfort
Your comfort is also an important thing to think about. For what lenth of time will you usually be pushing the pushchair for without a break and how difficult will the terrain be, is it bumpy or smooth. Look for pushchairs with an adjustable handle height if you are tall as some handles are too low. Think about whether you need a footbrake so you have your hands free to deal with other things going on around you? Is it easy enough to push with one hand while holding the hand of another child? Is it easy to fold with one hand?
You may have other considerations as well but if you spend a little time thinking about these and doing some research you should be able to find the right baby pushchair to suit your needs. Use the tips here as a starting point for your search, write a list of the things you need and then compare similar baby pushchairs made by different brands before reaching a final decision.
