When choosing a pram for you and your baby, you should ensure that it’s not only a safe model but also that it’s the right fit for your child and that you can use it comfortably. Here are the common prams you’ll encounter:
Flatback prams
Four-wheeler, flatback prams are the most common option for newborn babies. These prams allow your baby to be safely placed on their back and for you to have eye-to-eye contact with them at all times. Some of these prams are convertible to upright positions when your baby develops the strength to support themselves in a seated position at around six months of age.
Front-facing and upright prams and strollers
As your baby becomes a toddler, you might decide to upgrade to a front-facing pram or stroller. These allow your toddler to sit upright and experience and interact with more of the world around them.
Foldable prams
While some prams are more rigid, others can be folded for easy storage in your home or car. These prams, while lighter and with more moving parts, provide an enhanced level of flexibility with your travel options.
Traveller units
These prams come with a removable carrier or bassinet that makes it easy for you to transition your baby between the pram and the house or car. Care must be taken with their mechanisms to ensure that your baby is safe when placed back into the pram.
Twin prams and double prams
Twin prams are designed to accommodate two babies or toddlers of the same age. Their considerably wider dimensions should be considered before you buy.
Double prams might be configured to accommodate your children behind or above one another, and these are usually best-suited to babies and toddlers of different ages.
Joggers and exercise prams
These prams are specifically designed to be used for running while pushing your baby. They usually have three large, durable tyres that roll easily and provide greater surface area contact with the ground while exercising, as well as increased manoeuvrability. It’s important to ensure that your jogger has been designed for the purpose; prams that aren’t will be unsafe if used for exercise.
Be careful with these prams as they are more likely to slip or fall to one side than four-wheeled prams.
Pram safety
Every pram or stroller sold in Australia must adhere to mandatory safety standards. Compliant prams will be sold with safety features like wrist tethers, red brake latches, restraints, safe use instructions and warning labels. Buying a pram second-hand can be risky as it may not come with these features and it can be impossible to know the history of the pram.
Consider visiting a retailer to test out prams before you buy one, to discuss the pram’s features and how to use it safely.
As long as your pram can keep your little one safe and comfortable on your journeys, and manoeuvre to match your needs, it can accompany you on wonderful family adventures for years to come.