Choosing the Best Pushchairs and Strollers

It doesn't matter what type of baby conveyance you eventually decide upon, you're still going to have to push it!

Pushchairs, buggies, prams and strollers - whatever label you give them, they're a vital component of childhood. Tiny infants are fairly easy to carry in a body-sling or carrier but once they get a little bigger and heavier it's easier on the back to introduce some wheels for getting out and about. There is a huge range of options so finding something to suit can be a bit like looking for the perfect little black dress.

The best place to start is to imagine how your pushchair will be used. Do you walk most places and have a fair amount of storage space at home? In that case, one of the traditional coach prams is the ideal choice. Like the Rolls Royce of pushchairs these behemoths bestride the pavement as proud parent perambulates with cocooned offspring. The elegant, classic design, fantastic suspension and wide range of accessories make this a real wish-list item. Baby can lie flat or sit propped up (after six months), the pram will last for years and can easily carry more than one child either in the main section or with a seat attachment.

There's also a huge tray underneath for shopping (or even another child - I have fond childhood memories of lying in the tray for a little rest on long walks!)so you don't have to load your bags onto the handle causing the whole thing to tip up. Many modern mothers have found the best way to shift the last remaining pounds of baby weight is to put your darling into the pram and walk everywhere. There are even specialist 'Buggy Exercise Classes'.

If you're a parent who relies on the car, there are pushchairs that incorporate a whole travel system - a car seat that clips seamlessly into a frame to become a buggy. This also means one less item to store so ticks a box for apartment or small house dwellers.

Three wheeled, urban style buggies are sleek and perfect for yummy mummies that want to bring baby along for a jog through the park. The tyres are made to cope with all kinds of terrain and the sling type seat makes baby feel cuddled within the frame. They're not suitable for newborns but some have accessories that enable an infant to lay flat so do your research carefully before purchasing.

Once you've thought about all that you then need to check whether your choice has enough places to stash all the essentials baby needs on the move, whether you can put it up and down with one hand and how you cope with the weight once folded. Does your choice of stroller or pushchair come with a cosy-toes, rain-cover and/or sunshade or will these need to be purchased separately?

Not forgetting of course... what colour to choose?!


------

Ashley J Downs is a parent with several children and knows the trials and tribulations of raising kids. Find more information on pushchairs, buggies and strollers baby shops online