Parents Tips
Stroller safety starts with choosing the right stroller for your baby.
Know what to consider when looking for a stroller and how to keep your baby safe on the go.
If you’re like most parents, you’ll likely get at least one stroller for your baby.
With so many designs and types of strollers, however, how do you choose? Understand how to pick the best stroller for your baby and important stroller safety tips.
When looking at strollers for your baby, consider:
- Your needs. For outdoor errands, you might need a sturdy stroller to maneuver along sidewalks. You might also want a lightweight umbrella stroller for quick trips or for use while traveling. If you plan to run with your baby, consider a jogging stroller.
- Your family. If you have an older child, you might want a double stroller or a stroller with an attachment for an older child. If you’ll be using an attachment, read the manufacturer’s weight guidelines
- Accessories. Do you want your baby’s stroller to have a storage basket, rain cover, blanket, sunshade or cup holder? Some strollers aren’t compatible with certain accessories.
Newborn
Are all pushchairs suitable for a newborn baby?
No, babies need to lie in a flat position in their pushchair for at least the first 6 months. Some strollers are only suitable from 6 months, as they don’t lie flat enough.
“Lying flat helps to protect your baby’s back, development and breathing,” says buggy expert Charlotte Gelstharp from Natural Baby Shower, a leading online retailer for pushchairs.
Some pushchairs create a comfortable lie-flat position with a carrycot or cocoon (soft fabric carrycot). Others have a seat that reclines to a lie-flat position, which means you may not want an additional carrycot. With this mind we’ve chosen some pushchairs that come with a carrycot included or with the option to purchase one separately.
Do I need to buy a carrycot?
Carrycots offer a lot of benefits when you have a newborn including the fact that most are parent facing so you can keep an eye on your baby during their first few months. Charlotte explains, “They are also seen as offering your little one that extra touch of comfort and luxury with those added extras such as more space, a padded mattress, extra ventilation and larger canopy hood. ”
“Some parents also love the option of being able to remove the carrycot from the pushchair without disturbing your baby and let them continue to sleep.” Also, a carrycot can provide a portable sleep space to meet Safe Sleep guidelines, which advise having your baby sleep in the same room as you, night and day.
One other element worth thinking about is whether the carrycot is suitable for overnight sleeping (measured by the height of the sides and the ventilation enabling airflow, so allowing it to meet required standards for a standalone carrycot). This can replace the need for a travel cot in the first 6 months.
But it is an additional cost. And once your baby has grown out of it (from around 6 months), you’ll need room at home to store it.
What else should I look out for when buying a newborn pushchair?
Folding/unfolding – Each pushchair comes with its own unique fold, and most are straightforward once you get the knack but reviews such as those on MadeForMums will give you a feel for how easy or complicated the fold is. Also, think about whether you can fold with the seat on (useful if you’re going to be storing it folded) and how compact the fold is plus can you fold it one-handed.
Lots of mums stated that the fold was one of the most important features when choosing a pushchair. One parent commented, “My pushchair has to be easy to fold but not necessarily small and if it folds with the seat on this is a bonus.”
Basket – “Don’t forget to check out the size of the basket,” advises Charlotte at Natural Baby Shower. “Babies need a lot of stuff and as a parent on the move you need somewhere to store it all. This is where opting for a large basket underneath your pushchair will become a real lifesaver to your day to day life on the move.” But the size of the basket isn’t your only consideration. Check how easy it is to access the basket – you’ll find with some pushchair designs that the basket is not so easy to access when using it with the carrycot.
Wheels and tyres
The general principle is the bigger the wheels, the easier they can handle rough terrain. Air-filled tyres are also great for rugged off-road pushing but do get punctures, so solid wheels are more common. Find out more about which pushchair wheels and tyres would suit your lifestyle best.
What’s a travel system?
A travel system is simply a pushchair with a car seat attached. 63% of over 600 parents we surveyed opted to buy a travel system (a pushchair and compatible car seat), with 24% choosing just a newborn pushchair.
Travel systems enable you to move a sleeping baby from a car onto a pushchair frame – hopefully without properly waking your baby! However, you should only use your travel system for short journeys if your baby is in an upright car seat.
Most pushchairs can be transformed into travel systems but not all – usually strollers. Some come as a travel system bundle, with everything included; with others you buy the pushchair, relevant car seat and adaptors separately. Some car seats, particularly those from Maxi-Cosi, Cybex and BeSafe, fit many different brands of pushchairs.
How can I keep my baby safe in his or her stroller?
To prevent stroller accidents:
- Stay close. Don’t leave your baby unattended in his or her stroller.
- Be careful with toys. If you hang toys from a stroller bumper bar to entertain your baby, make sure that the toys are securely fastened.
- Buckle up. Always buckle your baby’s harness and seat belt when taking him or her for a stroller ride.
- Use your brakes. Engage your stroller brakes whenever you stop the stroller. Never park the stroller on a slope.
- Properly store belongings. Don’t hang a bag from the stroller’s handlebar, which can make a stroller tip over.
- Take caution when folding. Keep your baby away from the stroller as you open and fold it, since small fingers can get caught in stroller hinges.
- Make sure the stroller is locked open before you put your child in it.
- Keep it out of the sun. During hot weather, don’t let your baby’s stroller sit in the sun for long periods of time. This can cause plastic and metal pieces to become hot enough to burn your baby. If you leave the stroller in the sun, check the stroller’s surface temperature before placing your baby in the stroller.
- Check for recalls. Return the stroller warranty card so that you’ll be notified in case of a recall. If you’re considering a used stroller, check that the stroller hasn’t been recalled.
