Buggies & Prams – how do you choose?

The pram or pushchair will be one of the biggest investments you make for your Newborn, there are so many considerations you need to make, so here is some bits of advice that may help you making that important decision.

Choosing the right pushchair is not as simple as it sounds. There’s so many different options out there from 3-in-1s to off-roaders so it’s worth taking a bit of time and researching  the right one for you, the internet is a wealth of information and as you find a pushchair you like check online for reviews. Made for Mums and Mumsnet are a fantastic resource for information.

Pushchair types

• Forward facing pushchair. Will the seat lie back fully to make it suitable for newborn. Four wheels, lightweight and manoeuvrable, though some are lighter and more manoeuvrable than others.
• Two-in-one. Can be used as an upright buggy or lie flat like a pram. Some give you the option of having your child facing you (which is a bonus in the first few months).
• Three-in-one. As above, but with a separate detachable carrycot.
• Travel System. A regular pram/pushchair, sometimes with carrycot option, but also with a clip-on car seat. Great for keeping a baby asleep when transferring from or to the car – but remember that newborns should not spend too much time in a car seat and watch out for weight, portability, manoeuvrability and cost.
• Three wheeler. Looks cool and great if you live near countryside or the beach. Easy to steer with one hand. Not usually recommended from birth – although attachments are available to overcome this – and may be heavy and too bulky for some car boots when folded.
• The stroller or buggy. Lightweight and robust, many of them are not suitable from birth, but a few are, so do make sure you check it out fully if you want it for a newborn. The best ones have easy one-hand fold mechanisms. Watch out for tiny, inaccessible, or non-existent shopping baskets and lack of comfort – suspension and padding – particularly for winter babies.

Things to consider when choosing a pushchair for a newborn.

Some of these may seem really obvious, but it’s worth really thinking about what you will be using the pushchair for and your lifestyle before you buy. If you predominately use public transport or don’t have ground floor access to your home, weight, size and portability will be key. Some pushchairs weight in at around 5kgs so most users should manage to lift them, but others can weigh much more, so folding and carrying onto a bus or up stairs with a baby and shopping could be really challenging, so make sure you practice folding and lifting before buying.  Equally if you drive, you need a pushchair that fits easily in the boot of your car. If you walk a lot you’ll be doing a lot of shopping with your pushchair, so look for roomy and sturdy shopping baskets.

Newborn babies need to be able to lie flat for the first three months, once they can support their heads fully at around 6 months they won’t be very comfortable sitting bolt upright, so making sure your seat has multiple positions is essential.  

Other things to consider includes rain covers, cosytoes, additional shopping baskets, matching changing bags etc. These are all extras that aren’t included can really push up the price of your pushchair and if you have chosen an expensive pushchair the chances are the accessories are more than likely expensive also.   A cosytoes for a winter baby is a must, a raincover that’s easy to attach is a definite as rain will fall summer and winter. In terms of a changing bag, it needs to be functional, so may not be the one that matches your pushchair, just get the one that suits your needs.