Pushchairs: How we test pushchairs
Pushchairs are tested on stairs
Which? puts pushchairs through a series of rigorous tests, and only those with the highest scores are good enough to be Best Buy pushchairs.
Our pushchair tests consist of three main elements: pushchair safety and durability tests, an expert assessment of the pushchairs' comfort and usability for the parent and child, and a parent panel looking at how convenient the pushchairs are to use.
Use the Which? product finder to compare pushchairs and find Best Buy pushchairs that scored highly in our tests.
What makes a Best Buy pushchair?
Watch our video to find out why choosing a Which? Best Buy pushchair won't just mean a comfortable and safe ride for your baby - but could also make your life much easier too.
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Safety and durability testing for pushchairs
We check whether the pushchairs comply with aspects of the current British Standard BS 7409:1996, and also BS EN 1888:2003 for more recent pushchairs.
To be sold legally in the UK, pushchairs must comply with the British Standard. But we think the newer standard has some useful tests in it too, especially those that investigate what might happen to pushchairs in an accident. So we take a belt and braces approachto your child's safety and test pushchairs to both standards.
All the pushchairs go through stringent durability tests
The pushchairs are put through more than 30 tests. These include:
- strength and stability of the pushchair
- quality of the pushchair's construction
- presence of choking hazards
- arm, leg or finger traps
- the quality of the pushchair's restraints
- brakes
- locking mechanisms.
The pushchairs are also wheeled for approximately 12km along a very bumpy treadmill track to test how they will stand up to a life of uneven pavements, potholes and kerbs.
Our Best Buy pushchairs are practical, safe and durable, so read our pushchair reviews to find the right one for you.
Testing pushchairs: parent panel
As part of the Which? pushchair testing process, parents with young children aged between six and 36 months put the pushchairs through their paces on on our obstacle test – they take the pushchairs on pavements, bumpy ground, stairs and manoeuvring around other obstacles.
They rate how easy the pushchairs are to push, steer, fold, carry, adjust to suit their child, and comment on aspects such as the pushchair's appearance and useful features.
Pushchairs are rated less highly if they have wobbly frames or handlebars, difficulty in folding, lifting and carrying, uncomfortable handles and inconvenient shopping baskets. Check out our Best Buy pushchairs for the most user-friendly models.
Expert pushchairs assessment
Our lab experts examine the pushchairs, looking at:
Safety and durability testing for pushchairs
- the ergonomic aspects of each pushchair – ie how effectively it's designed to cater for each of the people who might use it
- how suitable the pushchairs are for children of different ages – will particularly large or small children find the pushchairs comfortable?
- how easy the pushchairs are to use by a carer, checking they have no features that'll make them particularly unpleasant or difficult to push
- how easy the pushchairs are to transport folded, on public transport and by car
- how easily the pushchair's fabric can be cleaned of fruit puree and beef stew
Our Best Buy pushchairs performed highly in these tests, so will offer optimum comfort and ease of use.
Escalator assessment
Our experts perform an assessment of balancing pushchairs on a simulation of a typical London Underground escalator.
This is something that most escalator and pushchair manufacturer's caution against, but our observations show that people using the Tube, or changing levels in shopping centres, often balance the unfolded pushchair on the steps of escalators.
We believe it is helpful therefore to identify those that are particularly difficult to balance.
The provision of a rating for use on an escalator is not a recommendation by Which? that you can or should use the pushchair on an escalator, it is simply an indication of how, if you ignore safety advice, you would expect to be able to balance an unfolded pushchair in the upwards and downwards direction.
Which? always recommends that you use a lift where available, or remove your child and fold the pushchair before using on an escalator.
Safety and durability testing for pushchairs
We check whether the pushchairs comply with aspects of the current British Standard BS 7409:1996, and also BS EN 1888:2003 for more recent pushchairs.
To be sold legally in the UK, pushchairs must comply with the British Standard. But we think the newer standard has some useful tests in it too, especially those that investigate what might happen to pushchairs in an accident. So we take a belt and braces approachto your child's safety and test pushchairs to both standards.
All the pushchairs go through stringent durability tests
The pushchairs are put through more than 30 tests. These include:
- strength and stability of the pushchair
- quality of the pushchair's construction
- presence of choking hazards
- arm, leg or finger traps
- the quality of the pushchair's restraints
- brakes
- locking mechanisms.
The pushchairs are also wheeled for approximately 12km along a very bumpy treadmill track to test how they will stand up to a life of uneven pavements, potholes and kerbs.
Our Best Buy pushchairs are practical, safe and durable, so read our pushchair reviews to find the right one for you.
Previewing brand new pushchairs
Our experts, big and small, take new pushchairs for a spin
We test three batches of pushchairs each year, sending them to the lab in the early summer, mid autumn and late winter.
But some new pushchairs are too high profile for us to wait to test them – we know that you'll want our first impressions as soon as possible. So in May 2009 we began doing first look reviews of pushchairs, starting with the Graco U'go, Silver Cross Halo and Britax Beep.
We take an experienced pushchair researcher, a mother and her baby out for a stroll on the mean streets of London and around Regent's Park to get our first impressions.
We check out how easy it is to push, steer, adjust the seat, use the rain cover, fold and unfold, then publish our first look verdict.
Most of the pushchairs we first look will go on to be included in our full test, but they won't receive a test score until they've been to our lab.
How does Which? choose what pushchairs to test?
Our aim at Which is to provide the most valuable information for our customers in a cost-effective manner.
We spend nearly £70,000 each year testing pushchairs, and we want to test the most up-to date and relevant models for our members.
Analysis of our website shows that Which? members are most interested in the bestselling models by major manufacturers, particularly our reviews of the more expensive pushchairs and travel systems.
We try to cover as many pushchairs and travel system by the major manufacturers as possible. We don't test very cheap buggies, because these are not the kind of product that people research before they buy.
We are always pleased to hear from customers who want us to test a particular model, so if the model you want is not on our website, please drop us a line at which@which.co.uk.
Trial Which? today to find out which pushchair we rated as Best Buys, or log in if you already have member access.
