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 you here are some tips about what to look for and what to think about when choosing the perfect baby pushchair
• 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 child (a newborn needs to lie flat), how you travel (do you need a car seat that can be transfered to your pushchair frame), when and where you’ll be using it (every day, around town, on holiday, etc). If you go on holiday you might prefer a lightweight stroller but for regular use every day you might want a more sturdy buggy, a pram and pushchair, or a complete travel system.
• 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 need to decide whether you’d prefer them to sit next to each other or one in front of the other, or if you have one child older than the other whether they can ride on an attached ride-on board.
• 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. You can get some very good quality, affordable baby pushchairs going right up to very 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. Just remember that a good pushchair is an investment for your baby for the next few years and if you do your research thoroughly this time it will be a cost that deosn’t have to be repeated further down the line.
• Weight
Think about the weight you’ll have to push around and whether you’ll have to list or carry the pushchair on your own? How do you travel, by car or on public transport, bus, train or plane? Where do you live, for example, do you have to carry the pushchair up and down stairs often? When you look at the weight of a pushchair or a pram remember that it’s less the weight of your baby so take that into consideration wehn thinking about how heavy it will be to push around!
• 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 dashing in and out of shops around the town, getting 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
If you’re looking at pushchairs in a shop they will probably be unfolded so you’re able to look at the features so remember to test how easy it is to fold, and how compact it is when folded. Think about where you’ll store it at home and check out whether it will fit easily into your car, especially if you have a small car? Find out whether you can fold and unfold it using one hand, and check whether it has quick release wheels, which will make it easier to get and out of the car? 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 it’s most important to consider the functional features first it’s also important to think about what style and colour of pushchair you prefer as you will be using it frequently. Styles of pushchairs also vary based on what usage or terrain they’re aimed at, e.g. 3-wheelers are often more sporty and have larger wheels with soft tyres for bumpy 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 buy a basic pushchair to start with but it’s worth considering whether you can you add extras to it? Is it adaptable in that you can fix a car seat or a carry cot to the frame so you can move your baby from car to buggy without disturbance? Can the pushchair be adapted by adding an extra seat or a ride-on board if you have another child? Some pushchair brands have a whole range of mathcing accessories that can be bought separately, which is great to know as you can then adapt your pushchair as circumstances change without having to buy a new one. Some pushchairs also come with more accessories than others included in the price but many come with a mathcing sun hood, rain cover and a basket. Lots have a range of matching accessories that you can buy separately, for example parasols, sun shades, footmuffs, blankets, insect nets and weather shields. Make sure you check what’s included in the price and what optional extras you can buy.
Comfort for Baby
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. Check for features such as an adjustable footrest, adjustable straps, a headrest, and removable pads for small 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.
• Comfort for You
Your comfort is also an important thing to think about. How long will you usually be pushing the pushchair around for and over what sort of ground, rough or smooth. Make sure the height of the handle is adjustable if you’re tall as some handles can seem too low and be uncomfortable. Have a look at how the brake works, for example is it a foot operated brake leaving 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 things to consider as well but if you follow these guidelines and do your own thorough research you should be able to find the right baby pushchair for you and your child. 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.
