Buying a pushchair is an important part of preparing for the arrival of your little one. When we bought our pushchair for Aidan, we didn’t really look properly into the many options out there. To be completely honest, we bought almost entirely based on our budget. Which is not a bad thing at all, but I wish we had done a bit more research. We were also a bit overwhelmed by all of the choice there was! Looking back, we should have done our research on what options were available. If we had, we would have probably bought a different one from the one we have now.
There are a lot of different things to consider when purchasing a pushchair. These tips will help you choose the right one for your baby.
Know the difference between pram, pushchair and stroller.
I’m originally from America, and we just have strollers. I had no clue these were all different, and thought these terms were just used interchangeably. So my first tip is definitely know the difference between all of these! A pram is designed for newborns and younger babies. They come with a carrycot that allow the baby to lay flat, facing you. It’s advised that babies lay flat until around 6 months old, when they are able to hold their heads up unassisted. For this reason alone, it’s advised to use one from birth. A pushchair is geared towards older babies (usually 6 months+) and allows them to sit up a bit more. And a stroller (or buggy) is typically lightweight, collapsible and forward-facing for older babies/toddlers.
What’s really helpful is that most brands offer a pram/pushchair combo, which is definitely recommended. They come with a carrycot and a seat that can be attached to a sturdy base. You simply start off with the baby in the carrycot, and as they get older, just swap it out for the seat attachment.
Ickle Bubba, for example, makes excellent prams and pushchairs, and are very popular. The Ickle Bubba Stomp V3 2-in-1 Carrycot & Pushchair has great reviews. It comes with the standard carrycot and pushchair, as well as a seat liner, footmuff, rain cover and car seat adapters (if you have the infant seat). Their products come with a 2-year warranty, which can even be extended to 4 years if you register the product on their site within 28 days of receiving it. You do end up paying a bit more for a pram/pushchair combo, but it is money well spent as it will last until from birth until your child is a toddler.
Consider purchasing a travel system.
A travel system is similar to a pram/pushchair combo, but has the added bonus of coming with an infant car seat as well, which can also be attached to the base. These are a great idea if you want to buy everything in one go, and are great value for money. We purchased a travel system from the start, and I cannot recommend going with that option enough. Trust me, when you’re taking your newborn to their first checkups, the last thing you want to do is take them out of the car seat (especially when they’re sleeping!).
Another Ickle Bubba product, the Stomp V4 Special Edition All in One Galaxy I-Size Travel System is a great option. It literally comes with everything you will need – the base, carrycot, pushchair seat and Isofix compatible infant car seat. It also comes with a foot warmer, rain cover AND a changing bag and changing mat. It’s currently on sale at Bambini & Bo until the end of February as well!
Factor in things like where you live and your lifestyle.
Do you live in the city or the country? Do you spend more time outside on foot, or in the car? You should definitely take things like where you live and your lifestyle into consideration. They will help you determine which features you should look for. For example, if you love going for a long walk in the countryside, it would be worth looking into an all-terrain pushchair that can handle. Or if you’re into running, you can get a jogging stroller. If you live in the city, you’ll want a compact pushchair that can nip around and fold up easy. This Mee-Go Trio Plus Pushchair is small, incredibly lightweight and very cost effective. Suitable from birth, it has multiple reclining positions. It’s the perfect stroller for parents on the go, and it’s biggest selling point? It’s super compact one-hand fold, making it easy to fold up when you have a baby on your hip.
Test them out in your car boot.
I definitely recommend measuring your boot before even looking at pushchairs. I’ve noticed that boots are particularly small in this country compared to in America (then again, everything is just big over there so who knows!), so I cannot stress enough how important it is to make sure you have the space for a pushchair in your car. Many retailers will allow you to test out putting the folded pushchair in your car which is very helpful.
Buying a pushchair is exciting! And it does not have to be daunting, especially if you do your research. Any tips or recommendations, leave them in the comments for other new parents to see!
xx Lauren
