So you're pushing a pram up the hill around the corner from home for the hundredth time, cursing the fact that the thing weighs a tonne and jolts Junior awake on every crack in the god-forsaken pavement. Maybe you're in the supermarket parking lot, bub's in the car screaming his lungs out, and you're battling your giant monstrosity, trying to squeeze both it and the shopping into the boot without needing to take the wheels off...again. Looking for the best stroller or pram? We review models from Quinny, Target, Valco, Bugaboo, Steelcraft, Phil & Ted's and more in our . A pram or a stroller is perhaps one of the most important tools in your parenting arsenal. Make the right choice, and a good pram or stroller can survive multiple kids and be an absolute life-saver. Make the wrong one, and you too could be sweating up a storm trying to get from A to B, or worse still, in shopping centre purgatory. Three wheels or four? Wallet-draining but fashionable Bugaboo, Norwegian chic Stokke, or a standard Maclaren foldie?

Look no further: we've distilled all the marketing hype from the useful features that will get you on the road and keep your bub safe. The terms "pram" and "stroller" tend to be used fairly loosely and can be used for the same product. Broadly, "stroller" often refers to a model with an upright seat while "pram" refers to one with a bassinet or flat sleeping surface, but these days most models allow both positions. Other terms you might find are: CHOICE polled parents to identify any safety problems they'd encountered with their three or four-wheel prams or strollers, and found four-wheelers came out best. Of the four-wheel owners, 40% had experienced a problem, compared to 62% of three-wheel owners. The most common problem for three-wheelers was tipping dangerously or toppling over with a child inside (22%). For four-wheelers, 14% had the same problem. 12% of three-wheel owners said the pram or stroller had also rolled away unexpectedly when not held, compared to only 3% of four-wheeler owners.

There's probably no perfect one, so you need to consider what you're most likely to be doing, and which would work best in your situation. Where are you going to be using it most? What are the footpaths around your area like? Swivelling front wheels are easier to manoeuvre, but it's useful if they can be locked for travelling at higher speeds or over rough terrain. where to buy tanning chairsLarge wheels tend to be better on kerbs and stairs, while inflatable wheels can puncture but generally give a comfier ride. second hand chairs irelandBefore purchasing, give wheels a tug to see they don't come off.boss office chairs price in pakistan Try folding and unfolding it in the shop to see if you can carry it comfortably when folded. dining chairs uk john lewis

Measure the stroller to make sure it fits into your car boot without needing the wheels removed. If you have a newborn, make sure the pram you buy is suitable for them size-wise – not all are. Get an idea of how well brake locks work by applying the brakes while you try to push the handle. buy cheap adirondack chairsIt's handy if rear brakes are linked, so the left and right brakes can be locked with a single action. best office chairs ergonomic reviewsSome prams also have front brakes — particularly handy on a reversible pram or stroller, as it means you can always lock the brakes nearest you (at the back) whichever way it is facing. Locks you can activate and release with your feet prevent you bending, but make sure your feet fit under them easily. Give them a tug to check they're secure and the seat doesn't come away from the frame.

Two shoulder straps (preferably attached to the backrest at shoulder level; padded ones are softer), a waist strap and a crotch strap, with adjustable length as your baby grows. The straps should be easy to adjust and the buckles easy to use (for you, but not your child). It's good to have the option of choosing which way your baby faces in the pram – although the brakes may only be on one set of wheels, making it harder to put them on if you're at the wrong end. Check in the store how easy it is to reverse the handle. Some have an upright backrest that can also move to at least one semi-reclined position; some can be fully reclined (best for sleeping). A three-position adjustment makes the stroller more versatile. A footrest reduces the chance of injury from your child's feet touching the ground or getting caught in the front wheel. A detachable bar your child can hold onto. They're usually not secure, so it's not safe to use them to lift the stroller. Some strollers or prams come with removable capsules, which convert into car seats so you don't have to wake bub up when shifting between pram, car and back.

Not all are suitable for newborns, so check before you buy. Folds and unfolds at the push of a button. But be careful with these, as when we tested the 4Moms Origami stroller, we found it could potentially be operated by a child standing near the stroller and could be a crushing hazard. If you travel a lot or are low on space and want to pack your stroller or pram away, some enterprising companies have invented stroller travel bags. They do a good job of keeping the pram neat and tidy, but they can be cumbersome and more trouble than they're worth. The short answer is no. With extended handles, sunshades and harnesses, some tricycles look similar to strollers. But we don't recommend you use one as a replacement. Tricycles are not as easy to manoeuvre as most prams or strollers. Most importantly, tricycles aren't subject to the same safety and durability requirements.Strollers come in all prices and sizes. Here are some valuable tips on which one to buy for your baby. The stroller is a big, expensive purchase and there are so many models, it's not surprising that shopping for one makes new parents anxious.

The good news: Any JPMA-certified stroller will do. The bad news: You'll end up buying more than one anyway as your needs change and your first stroller gets worn out. But here are some basics to get you started. b Strollers come with their own language. A "carriage" is just another name for a stroller, but often refers to one where baby faces you. A "pram" describes the old-fashioned carriages (big wheels, fancy canopy) that keep an infant lying down -- they're bassinets on wheels and are meant for newborns. A "travel system" is a stroller that comes with a car seat that snaps into it. Baby can ride in the car seat when he's an infant and in the stroller seat once he's older. "Jogging strollers" are sporty three-wheelers you can run with, though now there are some three-wheel strollers that are not for jogging, just for show. Finally, an "umbrella stroller" is a small, lightweight stroller that's more or less a fabric sling on a frame, suitable for a baby 6 months or older. It's the stroller you'll pooh-pooh initially, but will love by the time you've got a toddler and are fed up with lifting, folding, and pushing anything larger.

You can spend as much or as little as you want. Set a budget before you begin -- that's an easy way to narrow down stroller choices. Are you going to splurge on something deluxe in the $300 range? Go for one of the popular styles between $100 and $200? Or seek a real bargain? There are also strollers upwards of $600, but we assume those are for royalty, celebrities, and the wealthy people who imitate them. Start with a stroller that fits a newborn. This means one where baby can ride lying down flat or almost flat. We love old-fashioned prams, but because they're expensive, heavy, and only safe until the three-month mark, we don't recommend them. A better alternative is one of the "carriage systems" sold by some European companies, in which you buy a separate bassinet that snaps onto the stroller frame for those first three months, and then use the stroller seat after that. But they're pricey, too. The most practical purchase is a regular stroller with a seat that folds back, so you can continue to use it in the upright position as baby grows.

You can log onto Web sites to get a feel for what's out there in your price range, but eventually you should go to a store to do test runs. Consider whether you may also want a jogging stroller and/or an umbrella stroller once baby can sit up (more on those later), in which case you don't want to overspend on this initial purchase. Here are some questions to ask yourself as you check out strollers in the store: Is the handlebar high enough? Take a few strollers for a test push. The most annoying thing when you're out for a walk is pushing a stroller with handles so low that you have to stoop, or so short that you kick the back of the stroller. Look for handles that fit your height and your gait. Where will you put the diaper bag and groceries? You'll seldom be out just strolling. You'll be running errands or visiting friends with an afternoon's worth of supplies. A basket under the seat is important, and it's lacking on some European strollers. (Where do Europeans stash grocery bags?)

Less important, but certainly nice, are cup holders and storage spaces on the handlebar. You can keep water for yourself, pacifiers for baby, and other things in easy reach. Still less important are side pockets -- you can readily buy a storage bag to hang off the back of the stroller. But keep in mind that if you hang too much on the stroller, it could tip over backward. Can you fold it easily? There may be some families that never fold their strollers. But most parents need to fold them to get them into the car, if not into the house. If you have to wrestle the stroller to the floor, that's not an easy fold. If the stroller doesn't lock in it's folded position, but instead springs back open at the slightest provocation, that's not good either. And sometimes it's just too hard to remember which buttons, latches, and bars you use to fold some models. Test before you buy, and choose one that's easy. Can you steer it? We have to laugh at the number of strollers that call themselves "an SUV for baby."

It's not easy to park an SUV, and it's not easy to squeeze a giant stroller through store aisles. Some barely fit through store doors. Always test-push a stroller. Can it turn corners? Maneuver through tight spaces? Pretend baby just tossed his sippy cup on the sidewalk and you have to spin around 180 degrees. b The lighter the stroller, the easier it is to push, travel with, pack in the car, carry up stairs, and so forth, There are now super-lightweight ones (8 to 10 pounds), but they're generally umbrella strollers for older babies. A good weight for a newborn stroller is more like 11 to 16 pounds. Once you get to the heavy-duty prams, which are -- no lie -- often more than 40 pounds, forget about it. A note: Some new parents worry that if a stroller feels lightweight, it's shoddily made. weight does not equal quality. b Travel systems became so popular that now many strollers accommodate car seats, even from different manufacturers. This is nice, because it's great to take a sleeping infant out of the car and snap her right into the stroller.

If you know you want a car seat from a certain manufacturer, it's worth looking at their travel systems. They might price the stroller/car seat combo cheaper than the sum of the separate pieces. Another option is the car seat frame. Baby Trend's Snap-N-Go and Kolcraft's car seat frame are ways to put your car seat on wheels, making a lightweight stroller that accommodates a newborn. Get a canopy for your car seat and a warm boot to sit your baby in if it's cold, and you're set. Does it have the features you want? Once your child is old enough, it's nice to have the bar on the front of the stroller swing open and shut so he can climb in by himself. But if there's not a bar, there's probably a snack tray, and those are nice too. All good strollers have locking wheels, and they all have harness straps, but five-point harnesses are considered the safest. Look for a removable seat cushion for easy washing. We know plenty of parents who, despite all of this, still buy based on brand name, color, or some other superficial reason, like the stroller being named after a car.

So be it -- you have to live with it. A better way to choose if you're overwhelmed is to get a solid recommendation from a friend you trust, who has a lifestyle similar to yours. Joggers: First, we don't recommend them unless you're actually going to jog or walk recreationally with one. They look cool, but they're big, heavy, hard to turn, and often impossible to fold. The only reason you may want one aside from jogging is if you take your baby on trails or rough terrain. Because they have big bike wheels, joggers give smooth rides over bumps. Umbrella strollers: You can get these dirt cheap, and that's great. Still look for JPMA certification, which means a stroller has been tested for stability, among other things. b If you have twins, a double is a necessity. If you have an older child and a baby, however, you may not use a double as often as you think. They're big and awkward and it's often easier to push the kids in separate strollers, have the older child walk, or carry the baby strapped to you while you push the older one.