How to be a Mum

Prams

There's a lot to look for when choosing the perfect pram, and like many things, there's a bit of trial and error. As much as online shopping is appealing, and you can see some amazing prams available on online stores, the pram is something that should definitely be tried out first. There's a lot to consider, and regardless of number of features and how you think a pram would suit you, there's something undeniably special about the way it feels. Test drives are a must wherever possible. And other features should definitely be considered.

Pram Type:

Do you need a pram to last every stage of bub's early life? Do you need capsule attachments and adaptors, the possibility of the pram expanding to two seats in the future, or are you just looking for a stroller for once bub gets a bit older? There's a lot of different types of prams, and also a growing number of prams that can adapt throughout a child's early life.

Foldability:

This one is a BIG one, as you will be forever folding and unfolding prams, sometimes in the rain, or in a rush, or with a baby asleep in one arm. My favourite pram, a second hand City Jogger that I've not seen anywhere since (it's almost 10 years old so understandable I can't find it now), is amazing as you can fold it with one hand just by grabbing it at the centre of the seat, and with that same handle you can lift it up into the car or wherever it needs to go. Similarly, to unfold you just grab it out the boot and give a little flick of the wrist and it pops right out.

For some reason those are hard to come by now. A lot have a similar one pull tab, but require a button to be pressed first elsewhere. Or there are some prams that need two hands to fold, with both hands doing something somewhere on the frame (for example, where there's a button on each side of the handle, so you press both simultaneously and then fold). So knowing what you're comfortable with, and how easily you'll find it to fold and unfold, is a big factor in buying a pram.

So considering how easy it is to fold and if it can be done one handed, you should lastly look at how small it folds. Fitting it in smaller cars or boot spaces, or even in larger cars it can be nice to have extra room for shopping or bulky items, is good to consider. I've also found that when we've had to take the pram out to keep it indoors for whatever reason (Covid and the fact we walked more than we drove, as there was nowhere to drive) meant that it was annoying to have the pram just sitting in the house somewhere. So fitting it in a cupboard was a nice option.

All the ease of folding is pointless if you can't lift the folded pram to wherever it needs to go! Consider how weak you may be post-birth or that you may not have both hands to lift with... so can you easily lift that pram after all?

And one little note that I'm not sure is worth mentioning... Can you magically keep the things in the basket when it folds, or do you have to remove everything to get it folded and in the car? Most prams you can keep a few odd things in the basket and still fold it (so pack of wipes and some spare nappies is good to keep in the bottom somewhere), but you usually have to empty the entire basket to fold the pram up and pack it away. Which is fine, but there are also many annoying moments where you don't want to unpack and just want to fold and get it out all in the one spot later. But I'm yet to actually find a pram that offers that as an option!

Storage and Accessibility

Now that I've touched on unpacking the basket, let's talk about the basket itself. Many, many times you will be stuck with only the pram and a whole lot of shopping to fit in it. Quite often I end up carrying my kid and using the pram as a trolley, packing the seat full. So good under pram storage is a must for me.

Also consider if that storage is actually accessible. I've had a big basket under the pram, but only a small opening to get to it, so larger items couldn't actually fit (mainly the nappy bag). If you're able to, check if your nappy bag will fit in the storage compartment easily (and without wrestling and bumping it around and risk waking a sleeping baby in the process).