Babies are rather fragile, so, naturally, they require quite a bit of equipment.  Finding something to carry the little one around in doesn’t sound so hard, but when you start looking at the mountain of options then it can get overwhelming very quickly.  There are just a few main points to keep in mind to find the right pushchair for your family.

Is it age appropriate?

Make sure you check the label to see what ages the pram is designed for.  Those for newborns are more enclosed and look like bassinets on wheels.  Toddler pushchairs face forward and have a bar running across it to keep the child secure.  Older children, who may be able to or are beginning to walk, are secured only by a strap and are more open.  Since children grow so fast, there are models that can be converted to accommodate several stages of development.  These designs can easily fold a newborn pram into a toddler’s pushchair, so you won’t need to go through multiple pink prams for your little girl.  Some prams even detach from the wheels to convert into car seats.

How does it handle?

Many parents get an amazing pushchair that looks wonderful on the box, but after weeks of loading and unloading it and lugging it around, they trade it in for something less weighty.  You want your child to have the best, but you’ll need to conserve as much energy you can for midnight crying fits.  Ideally, it would be best to test out the pushchair at the store, but if you don’t have physical access to the product you want, try looking online.  Online reviews are usually brutally honest about the product and though most reviewers either hated  or loved the product, at times they offer useful advise.

Does it have the features I need?

There seems to be a pushchair for every type of life style.  There are pushchairs that have cup holders, mobile pockets, and places to hook that heavy nappy bag.  There are even accommodations for another child.  This Hauck pushchair (left) allows you to roll your twins around the park, side by side.  For children of varied ages, there are pushchair and pram combinations.  For any size family there’s a pushchair that would be a perfect fit.

Did you know?

Prams were invented in 1733 by garden architect, William Kent.

-Janel

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