How to Choose The Right Pram

So you’re having a baby! Congratulations! Now we have to discuss the practicalities involved with selecting the right pram and why you should take certain pointers into consideration.

The first thing you should know is that there are many prams and pushchairs on the market that, in my opinion, should never have been made. In no way can some of these prams and pushchairs ever be considered as suitable, convenient or practical.

It is so easy to get side tracked by a pretty pattern or unusual shape of a pram but they usually come with a high price tag and most of the time they provide very little use.

The first thing to take into consideration is the size. No matter what wave of genius you have whilst you’re in the baby store trust me when I say at some point you will kick yourself for thinking you were so smart.

Every parent does it. We think if I just do this and that then everything will be fine. It won’t. You need to take into consideration that when you first have your baby you will feel the need to take everything but the kitchen sink with you wherever you choose to go.

So whatever you choose has to be able to withstand a fair bit of weight without toppling. Remember that initially your baby will be tiny and won’t weigh very much so any weight on the back of the pram may cause it to tip back if you haven’t considered this factor.

The pram should ideally fold down in such a manner that it reduces to at least half its original size. This way you can generally assume that it will fit in most cars, unless it’s huge.

Another thing you can do (which most stores will allow under supervision) is to try fitting the pram in your trunk/boot. If the store won’t let you do this make sure you take a tape measure with you and this can be avoided.

Also take into consideration that you will not always have access to a car. I know you think you will, but you won’t. There is always that one time where you need to call a cab/taxi or use public transport. In most cities public transport is usually packed to the rafters and you need to take serious consideration for the size of your pram.

I have bought five prams in my time and a number of strollers. The biggest mistake I made was not considering public transport. There is nothing worse than trying to squeeze your way onto a bus, having the conductor explain that you need to fold it down because it’s too big and then having to juggle a newborn and the folding down of a pram.

Short of asking someone to hold the baby there’s really not a lot you can do in that situation which is why you should consider buying a smaller pram. More often than not someone will help you but there are those days when everyone is feeling ignorant and they don’t budge.

The second thing to remember is that not all prams are suitable from birth. Whilst most of them look as though they would support their head a lot of them wouldn’t and you later realize that the pram will have to be used when the baby gets to around six months old.

Next you must consider whether or not the pram is good value for money. Compared with other prams what does this package have that others don’t? Does it have a rain cover and parasol included? Do you get the foot muff and carrycot? Or do you have to buy them separately?

No doubt you will spend several months figuring out which is the best deal and that’s probably the best idea. If you have the ability to wait until the sales do so because no doubt what you fell in love with initially will be cut by up to half price sometimes.

Check to make sure that the covers on the pram are all removable. This way you can facilitate easy washing when baby starts to create more mess. I recommend travel systems which have a car seat included because usually you can take every last bit to pieces and this usually guarantees that the covers are removable.

Check to see how many positions the reclining seat has. A good pram will usually have three or four positions ranging from completely flat to completely upright. This helps if baby starts to fall asleep while you are out and about. The last thing you want is baby getting a sore neck because they slept upright.

Does the pram have a shopping trolley/basket? Whether you have a car or not you will have to park it somewhere and getting the shopping from the store to the car can be a bit of a juggling act if you don’t have a trolley/basket underneath.

Always check the colour in the store before you buy the pram because if you buy online you can bet that when it arrives it will be a different colour to what you expected. I don’t know what it is about buying online but it always seems like a certain way to make sure you’ll end up with something you didn’t really want.

If the tyres are made from rubber check to make sure that they are easily inflated and that they come with a pump and puncture repair kit. Always carry these around with you because you never know when you’ll end up with a flat.

Ideally, you want a five point harness for your pram, this will ensure that baby is securely in place and he/she won’t slip out. You may still need a head nest to make sure their head doesn’t wobble around while the neck strengthens.

Try and get a pram with swivel wheels wherever possible, this will make it much easier to push around and you won’t have to worry about lifting the pram to turn corners.