11 Steps to choosing the perfect pram for you & your baby

Crowded city pavements or busy malls require good suspension and wheels, but make sure they’re not too big so you can easily weave in and out of the crowds. A smaller-framed pram is also better for navigating busy shopping aisles.

Any kind of pram works for spacious neighbourhoods with flat pavements – you’ll just need to take into consideration what other features you want your pram to have; for instance, do you need to consider extreme weather conditions?

Does the pram have forward and rearward-facing options?

Most from-birth baby prams have both rearward and forward facing positions, since the period between birth and nine months is vital time for your babies to be able to make eye contact with you. In a rearward facing pram, baby will be able to see you and hear your voice, which is very comforting and reassuring.

Is your boot big enough?

If you have a small car, it is not recommended that you buy a bulky pram. Remember you still need to fit the grocery shopping around it

Are you strong enough to lift and shift the pram?

Even though you are only lifting the pram between the car boot and the ground, make sure you are comfortable with the weight, especially when collapsing it and popping it back up again. Practise these moves on a few prams because some are easier to collapse than others.

Will your pram be part of a travelling system?

You are going to want to take a walk with your little one, so make sure you get a pram that can carry newborns. Some prams come with an optional newborn inner, (carrycot) so you can keep your car seat in your car but you can also get a carry cot for your pram if you prefer.

Consider a pram that is part of a travel system, one that comes with a car seat, carrycot and base.

A travel system ensures that everything is compatible and you don’t need to do a separate purchase for each of these items.

Is your partner much taller or shorter than you are?

Make sure you both feel comfortable with the handle bar height of your pram. Some prams have adjustable handles, which is great, but if not, both of you should do a test drive and make sure you are not too hunched over

How easy is the pram to clean?

That seat is going to get dirty over time, so make sure it is easy to clean or has removable, washable seats, A darker colour hides stains better, but if you do choose a lighter colour ensure material is dirt and water resistant

What accessories are important to you?

Lots of prams have optional extras like cup holders, umbrellas, rain covers, mosquito nets and toys and even buggy boards for your toddles to stand on. Toddlers find this funny and it prevents you from getting whiplash looking for them in malls

Does your pram offer shade?

You need to think of the weather conditions you are going to expose your baby to: do you like to go camping, hiking or for walks on the beach? If so, you will need a pram with a large and more resilient sun canopy.

One pram…. or more?

If you are a quite jet setter, then having more than one pram is a good idea, as you could leave your heavier, bigger pram at home, and take a smaller, simpler, lightweight stroller with you on your travels

If you have twins: side by side or tandem?

Do you want your babies to interact with each other (if you have twins) as they get older (and pull items off the shop shelves) or do you want them one behind the other and you rotate who has a turn in front to have your undivided attention?

Also look at shopping isles and fitting through them and the security at the entrance to shops.

Prams have become stylish and sophisticated. Sometimes looking at a pram gives insight into the world the baby grows up in. But remember safety and comfort for your baby come before appearance and name dropping.

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