Absolutely Mama reviews the latest strollers and prams for parents
Find the best stroller or pram to suit your lifestyle in our buggy guide…
BEST FOR STYLE
Junior Jones J Carbon
PROS
• Sleek and stylish design
• All round suspension for a really smooth and comfortable ride
• Tyres are puncture resistant
• Break pedal is really easy to use
• Rear wheels are quick release
• Fully configurable, so you can choose elements like wheels and hood colour
• Easy to assemble
• The bumper bar is ergonomic, (designed for babies’ hands) and has a turn action for ease of getting baby in and out
• Adjustable and removable hood for extra head height as baby grows
• Unzip hood for ventilation panel
• Seat is easily reclinable, with three positions
• Seat can be faced forward or to parent and can be reclined in both positions
• Spacious shopping basket
• Very compact when folded down
• Adjustable handle height
• One hand fold and folds with the seat on
• Clever button to raise the harness, so there’s no fiddling
• Harness is very secure and can be adjusted for a wider and longer fit as baby grows
CONS
• A little bit tricky to get the hang of folding it down
BEST FOR VALUE
Hauck Pacific 3 Shop N Drive Set
PROS
• Super light and compact chassis
• Smooth motion, turns well
• Carry cot to pram seat is one piece, so no bulky items to store in the loft
• Adjustable handlebar
• Very easy to fold and open up
• Wheels are solid, so no pumping
• Easy to convert into pushchair mode from lie flat
• Deep bassinet, great for storage
• Car seat is light and padded
• Car seat has extended side protection
• Car seat covers are removable
• Car seat also features a useful handle
CONS
• You need to remove everything from the basket before you can fully fold it
• It’s a bit stiff, especially when removing the carry cot
• Removable leather trims aren’t as luxurious as other models
• Car seat not as luxurious as other models and is not isofix
• The hood doesn’t come down very far
BEST FOR TRAVEL
Babyzen Yoyo
PROS
• Lightweight, takes the stress out of carrying heavy strollers down stairs
• Ideal for city living and travelling and fits in airplane overhead storage
• Hood extends for extra shade and is SPF 50+
• Open and close with one hand and baby in the other
• Multi-position backrest that can be reclined to a maximum of 130°
• Suitable from birth with newborn pack (sold seperately)
• High quality upholstery and great selection of colours
CONS
• Very light so be careful with shopping on the back
• Not the biggest basket
• Handlebar does not adjust, which can be awkward for taller people
STAR BUY
Silvercross Pacific Autograph
PROS
• Luxurious design and quilted bassinet makes it feel expensive
• Really easy to fold down
• Sturdy carry cot with zip lining
• The safety handle has a turn action, for ease of putting baby in
• Plush lining inside the cosy toes with good clip action and magnetic closure
• The bassinet has a net feature at the back for ventilation
• The hood pops open and pulls down quite far, so baby is really sheltered
• The hood has a view window and breathable vents
• Spacious basket
• The clips are really easy to take off
• Really snug seat for cosiness
• Easy reach lie flat function
• Harness is quick release
CONS
• The hood is a bit fiddly, however it wouldn’t pop off easily
• The harness cover might keep falling off and you need to position both clips to secure the harness
• The cosy toes could be kicked up by baby
BEST FOR INNOVATIVE DESIGN
Venicci Valdi
PROS
• Good suspension, very smooth ride and good for rocking baby
• Solid carrycot, great for baby (not as easy to store)
• Carry cot is very padded
• Carry cot cover has quick release
• It comes with useful wheel covers
• Carry cot has sit up function, which is good for colicky babies
• The quick release for the break is very easy
• Easy to collapse down
• For a travel system, it’s fairly compact but would need somewhere to store it
• Smooth ride, with four wheels
• The hood goes right down, which is great for sleeping babies
• The hood has a zip that goes all the way down the back
• The hood has UV+ 50 protection
• Chunky wheels, good for offroad
• Nice design and the trim on the handle feels nice
• Carry cot is very padded
• The mattress in the bassinet is connected, so it won’t slide down
CONS
• It’s a bit heavy to lift in and out of a car boot
• No safety bar across the front
• The pushchair seat is quite low down
• You need to take the carrycot off when you put it in the car
• As there’s no handle bar, it makes it a bit of a challenge to lift the carrycot off
• The white leather is a bit impractical – especially on the foot rest
• The drop down on the pushchair is quite mechanical
BEST COMPACT TRAVEL SYSTEM
Joie Versatrax
PROS
• Easy to assemble
• Really simple to fold and comes with a useful carry handle
• Compact design
• Smart colour and stylish trims (although not as plush as other models)
• No need to remove bar to get baby out
• Smooth recline action
• Unique, sturdy hood design, that won’t keep popping off
• Breathable mesh panels when the hood is fully down (great for summer, but not so good for UK weather)
• Adjustable height (although you need to use both hands)
• The footrest is easily wipeable
• The basket has a handy zip pouch and bottle holder
CONS
• Seat doesn’t fully recline
• The cup holder doesn’t stay on the handle very well
• Harness release is a bit tricky
• When you attach the front wheels, you need to release the safety mechanism, which is a bit of a knack
• A little bit fiddly to remove the seat, as you need both hands
• Separate car seat adapters, which you need to carry around with you
• The seat bar is quite low
BEST TANDEM TRAVEL SYSTEM
Nuna Demi Grow
PROS
• Study frame and smooth manoeuvrability
• Handle for carrying
• Quick fold release and collapses easily
• The wheels are solid and provide protection from little fingers with mudguards and perspex spoke covers
• The upholstery is luxurious and the cosy toes is perfectly padded and plush
• The hood has a snooze shade feature which is a great for sleeping and the sunlight
• The seat recliner handle is perfectly placed and is a smooth motion which will limit the baby waking up
• Seat cover can be removed to reveal mesh lining for hot weather
• There is a shopping basket that can be clipped in and out and the permanent basket is extremely spacious so big plus point for that
• The second seat is just as comfortable as the top and the height of the top seat is set to obscure the view of the child in the bottom
• Quick switch suspension adjustments on the front wheels for rough terrain
• Various formations with both seats to ensure you can get the best out of the travel system
CONS
• A little on the heavy side
• You have to remove the second seat to fold completely
• Adapters needed for car seat which can be fiddly if you want to switch quickly
• The fixed basket is taken up with the second seat so you will need to use the separate removable basket
BEST FOR SCHOOL RUN
Micralite Fastfold
PROS
• Extremely lightweight
• Very compact, great for storage
• Very easy to fold down
• Cool, minimal design – different from any other model
• Mesh seat is very breathable, great for travel
• Inflatable wheels, brilliant for all terrains
• Flexible handlebar, which is great for different heights
• Comfortable hammock seat
• Good suspension on the front wheels
• Very easy to maneuver
• Quick release harness
• Liner makes it a good option for winter as well as summer
• A great option for toddlers when you’re on the school run
• Weatherproof fabric
CONS
• The basket isn’t very spacious
• A bit stiff
• The seat is only upright
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