We want to know how to choose a pram, pushchair, car seat or travel system. How do we do this? Not easily. But I’ll explore the key features and options in this post.
Pushcair, Pram, Buggy, Stroller, etc.
I’ve always used the term “pushchair” when referring to anything in the pram/buggy/stroller world. As you’ll find out in a later section of this post, the names of these options can be complicated. For that reason, when I refer to anything I’ll push my child around in, I’ll use the term Lazy Infant/Baby Transport And Resting Trundler, or “LIBTART”. You know, just to avoid confusion.
Car Seats
You can read the NHS’s Choosing a Baby Car Seat guide here.
Compulsory Until 12-Years-Old
Using a child car seat is a legal requirement in the UK. This is compulsory until they’re 12 years old or 135cm/4ft 5in tall, whichever comes first. Although, there are some exceptions.
Car Seat Sizes
Car seat sizes fall into numbered categories. Some seats sit in multiple groups. This just means that these seats have can adapt as your child grows. So, this means they can use them for longer.
ECE R44 04 is a European approval standard. Take a look under or on the side of the car seat to find the printed orange label.
There is also the i-Size standard, but I’ll cover that in more detail later in this post.
You can see a breakdown of the size groups in the table below:
| Group | Child’s weight* | Approx. age of child | Child’s height¹ |
| 0 | Birth – 10kg/22lb | Birth to 6 – 9 months | 40 – 85cm |
| 0+ | Birth – 13kg/29lb | Birth to 12 – 15 months | 40 – 85cm |
| 0+ and 1 | Birth – 18kg/40lb | Birth to 4 years | 40 – 105cm |
| 0+, 1, 2 and 3 | Birth – 36kg/79lb | Birth to 12 years | 40 – 150cm |
| 1 | 9 – 18kg/20 – 40lb | 9 months to 4 years | 85 – 105cm |
| 1 and 2 | 9 – 25kg/20 – 55lb | 9 months to 6 years | 85 – 150cm |
| 2 | 15 – 25kg/33 – 55lb | 4 to 6 years | 105 – 150cm |
| 1, 2 and 3 | 9 – 36kg/20 – 79lb | 9 months to 12 years | 85 – 150cm |
| 2 and 3 | 15 – 36kg/33 – 79lb | 4 to 12 years | 105 – 150cm |
| *Applies to R44.04 seats | *Applies to i-Size seats |
Air Bags and Car Seat Position
Under no circumstances should a car seat be used on a passenger seat where there is an active airbag. It’s illegal to carry a baby in a rear-facing car seat in the front passenger seat with an active airbag.
In fact, do not put a forward-facing child seat in the front, unless there is no other choice. But, if you must do so, make sure the car seat is as far back as possible. The child seat must be securely fitted and the child securely held by the seat belt or child seat harness, keeping the child as far as possible from the dashboard.
Isofix
Isofix is an attachment system for car seats. The Isofix standard was designed to make installing a car seat much easier. Which lowers the risk of getting it wrong.
Car seats with Isofix have two arms or connectors on the back of the seat. These arms anchor directly to the chassis of the car.
You can watch a video, explaining how to install an Isofix car seat here.
To be clear, using the vehicle seat belt to install a car seat ,when done correctly, is extremely safe. The main benefit of Isofix is to reduce installation mistakes and there are a few additional safeguards and stability features.
i-Size
i-Size is a new EU safety regulation for child car seats. It was introduced to make child car seats easier to fit, provide better protection from side impacts and keep children rearward-facing for longer.
The key, intended benefits of the i-Size standard are:
- reduced risk of fitting your child car seat incorrectly (even when compared to Isofix)
- the introduction of a side-impact crash test as part of the approval process. Child car seats approved to the R44 regulation do not have to pass a side-impact crash test to be sold.
Second Hand Car Seat
The NHS’s Choosing a Baby Car Seat guide make this clear. Do not buy a second-hand car seat. It could have been damaged in an accident, and may not have all its parts. Only accept a car seat from friends or family if you know its history, it’s not too old and it comes with instructions.
Buy Before Due Date
It’s recommended to buy a baby car seat before your baby is born if possible. It’s important to buy a seat that fits your car and is suitable for a newborn.
If you have your baby away from home, you will need a car seat to drive your newborn home. It’s a good idea to practise fitting the seat well before the due date.
LIBTART
What’s the Difference Between Prams, Carrycots, Strollers, Buggies and Pushchairs
Prams
A pram is for newborns and younger babies. The way they’re designed means you can lie your baby flat and facing you. So, it is advisable to buy one from birth.
Carrycots
This is part of the pram. A carrycot is a light, portable cot with handles. It’s often attachable to a wheeled frame.
Babies should be rear-facing (parent-facing) in a flat carrycot from birth until around 6 months. Or until they can sit up unaided, at which point they can progress into a seat unit.
Pushchairs
A pushchair is a chair on wheels that folds up. They’re generally sturdy and are more likely to be tailored towards older babies and toddlers. They are usually forward-facing, sometimes with the option for parent-facing. Some have the ability to recline the seat.
Strollers and Buggies
Strollers and buggies seem to have less universal definitions. Both can be used to mean any kind of LIBTART. Mostly, strollers are more lightweight and easily collapsible. This can also be true for buggies, but not always.
What To Consider When Buying a LIBTART
Reversible Seat
It’s nice to have the option to keep them parent-facing while young, then world-facing when they’re older.
Adjustable Handles
You might be a different height to your partner. The ability to adjust the height or position could make pushing around your child a lot more comfortable.
Whether to choose individual handles or one handlebar seems to just be personal preference. Although individual handles can be less sturdy and may not allow for as much height adjustment.
Suspension
Good suspension can be great if you might head for less even ground on walks with your Burt. Although, this may be difficult to test in-store. Read reviews and ask for recommendations to get an idea about the suspension.
Basket Size
Most of my research said to get a “good-sized” basket. We definitely want a good-sized basket under the seat. But it isn’t clear what good is. It seems like 5kg is the minimum and it must have sturdy sides. I think it’s probably best to look at reviews and recommendations again.
Swivel Wheels
Swivel front wheels rotate in any direction and they make it easy to move around on normal ground. It sounds like this can cause stability problems on uneven ground. To avoid this issue, you can get swivel wheels that can lock. So lock them in place when you go off-road.
Folding
Everywhere I looked screamed about the importance of an easy folding mechanism. This should be easy to test in-store. Check if any parts or accessories need to be removed before folding down.
Brakes
Most of the best wheel brakes have a large brake bar that’s easy to apply. Make sure the brake bar doesn’t stick out too much and could impede your stride when walking.
Uninterrupted Stride
This brings me to making sure you have an uninterrupted stride. You can read reviews but make sure to test this in-store. While in full stride, would you ever kick the LIBTART. If you always have to be careful of this, it could be frustrating, may do damage to your back or joints, or could even cause you to trip.
5-Point Harness
The NHS recommend using a 5-point harness to secure your child in their pushchair.
Tyres
You can get air-filled tyres, which are great for a smooth ride and absorbing bumps. Although, you may have to deal with punctures.
Then, there are EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate) tyres. These are lightweight, can’t be punctured and a great option if you’re always on smooth paths and pavements. But they can struggle over rougher terrain.
Finally, you can get foam-filled tyres. Similar to air-filled tyres, they provide good grip and a comfy ride over uneven surfaces. From what I’ve read, they essentially eliminate the risk of a puncture. But they are a little heavier.
Recline
The ability to recline the seat could be a great option for your child. But if you aren’t getting a pram/carrycot, the ability to recline fully (or convert from flat to upright) would be essential. Remember, newborns need to lie flat from birth until around 6 months.
Make Sure It Will Fit In Your Car Boot
This may seem obvious, but you need to check the folded down dimensions and that it will fit in your car.
Check How Heavy It Is
This is a difficult balance. A lightweight buggy can make life easier for getting on and off buses or carrying it upstairs, for example. But, if it’s too light, a few bags on the handlebar might tip it over.
Upgradable From a Single To Double
If you have another child within a couple of years, you might need a double LIBTART. Personally, we don’t want a side-by-side double because it’s harder to navigate doorways and shops. So, we intend to do front and back or stack our children. Let’s hope we don’t have to do triple tier. Plenty of modern LIBTART come with the option to upgrade to a double in the future. Just check if this is possible.
Is It Safe To Buy a Second-Hand Pushchair?
It seems like the safety risks with a second-hand LIBTART are far less than those for a car seat. But you should check if it’s been subject to any product safety recalls. Also, obviously, look out for damage and general wear and tear.
Travel Systems
What Is a Travel System?
A travel system is a LIBTART that can be used with a car seat. Some travel systems work with a carrycot as well. Some actually don’t come with a car seat. So, there actually doesn’t seem to be many rules. You’ll get a LIBTART and it’s a bundle with some or all of the other stuff. Okay?
What To Consider When Buying a Travel System
The considerations when buying a travel system are mostly the same as when buying the individual components. There are a few exceptions though.
Switching Components
If you’re buying a travel system, the need to test it out in-store is even greater. Ask to switch to between all the configurations and see how easy it is. Whatever mechanism releases and secures the components should be easy and reliable.
Missing Components
You might find a travel system that ticks a lot of boxes and seems like a great deal. But there can be hidden problems. If there is a component not included. For the component to be compatible with the travel system, you’ll probably have to get it from the same company. That add-on will often be overpriced and the “great deal” suddenly isn’t so appealing.
Consider the total cost of everything you need and do your best to compare like-for-like.
What We’ve Decided
This is tough. We want everything. This is such an important thing to get for the baby, but the cost will be a concern for us.
Here is a rundown of some of our thoughts:
- We want a car seat that will last longer than 6 months. So, size 0+ is a minimum.
- I-size and the safety features that come with it would be great. But if it adds too much to the cost, we’ll be happy with Isofix.
- We want a 5-point harness in both the car seat and pushchair.
- You would expect a travel system is simpler and probably cheaper. So, we’ll be looking at travel systems first.
- A convertible pram-to-pushchair option is essential.
- Adjustable handles would be a nice feature for comfort. But might make a difference to it fitting in the old car.
- We’ve basically settled on two or three options for our new car. But we’ll be keeping our smaller car. The small car has a little boot, but will rarely be the transport vehicle for Burt. Ideally, we’d like to find something that folds down to a maximum of 100cm x 60cm. That would be a great bonus. Although it is not at all a priority.
- We aren’t planning to buy anything we can’t check out in-person.
With so many features that could be helpful, price will be a big factor for us. We would love to have foam-filled tyres, suspension and the option to upgrade to a double. But it might take us a while to find what we’re looking for.
We’ll post an update when we settle on something.
UPDATE
We found a travel system on sale from Aldi for just £199, but the car seat is very basic. It’s an Ickle Bubba Stomp V2 3-in-1. We went to a local baby store that had one and tried it out. We then bought it, sold the car seat (for almost nothing) and bought an i-Size car seat for £169. It was a Joie i-Level 0+ iSize car seat including the base. We then had to buy adapters for £30 so the Joie car seat worked with the Ickle Bubba travel system.
This meant we spent under £400 to get so many features we wanted from two reputable brands. Every product had great reviews and we tried it out before buying. Any all-in-one option close to that cost was either missing major features or was from an unknown brand on Amazon. We are delighted with what we got.
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