Pushchairs: How to buy
Before you start
How will you choose a pushchair that suits both of you?
Buying your first pushchair can be a challenge – you're usually choosing it for someone you haven't met, whose complex needs are hard to understand without hands-on experience.
Your baby will probably be reasonably happy in whatever model you choose as long as it's designed to be used from birth, but your own needs are also very important.
It's easy for first-time parents to be drawn to fabrics and design, mistaking something that looks good for the answer to all their baby-transporting problems. But remember nobody looks cool battling an ineffective one-hand fold pushchair with one arm, whilst cradling a screaming baby in the other.
Buying for babies
Provide extra support for baby's head with an infant head hugger
Small babies have different needs to older babies and toddlers. Things to remember are:
- New babies need the back support that only a fully reclining pushchair can give. Check the pushchair’s back reclines to more than 150°.
- Babies shouldn’t sit in a pushchair that doesn't recline until they’re 6 months or so (i.e. until they can sit up).
- You shouldn't use a 3-wheeler over rough ground until your baby is about 6 months old – babies’ necks aren’t strong enough to take the strain of a bouncing head.
- Babies should sleep on a firm horizontal base, so if you’re expecting to use the pushchair for lengthy daytime naps, or whole afternoons in the park, consider one with a carrycot and mattress.
- Travel systems including a group 0 child car seat are appealing, as you can transfer your baby from pushchair to car without waking them up, but babies shouldn’t be confined to their child car seat for long periods of time.
Buying to suit your lifestyle
You're unlikely to find a pushchair that meets all your needs perfectly. But thinking carefully about your lifestyle and future plans can help you buy a pushchair that serves you well.
Don't forget to consider boot capacity
How do you travel?
- Pedestrians need a pushchair that’s easy to push on a wide variety of surfaces and negotiates curbs and stairs with ease. Protection from wind, rain and sun is important and you'll need plenty of storage space to accommodate changing and shopping bags.
- Public transport users should choose a lightweight and easy-folding design that can be used from birth, with a 1-handed fold mechanism
- Motorists will need to check the folded pushchair and its accessories will fit in their boot.
Where will you store it?
You're unlikely to fold the pushchair every time you finish using it. Consider its unfolded size taking up space in your hallway. Those that stand upright independently when folded or are easy to lock folded are easier to store.
How strong are you?
Even though manufacturers recommend removing your child from a pushchair on stairs, this is often not practical. Some of the larger pushchairs can be very heavy, especially when loaded with child and shopping, so if your local terrain or daily routine features lots of stairs and kerbs, consider buying a lighter-weight model. Lifting some pushchairs from the car boot can also be a challenge.
Will you be comfortable?
Pushing a fully laden buggy can be quite demanding, so finding a pushchair that suits your size and shape is vitally important. You should always visit a shop and test drive a pushchair before buying. Points to consider are:
This handle slides up for taller users
- Handle height - If you or your partner are taller than average, you don't want to be stooping to push your baby. Don't assume adjustable handles will automatically be long enough for you.
- Handle grip - Hard plastic grips can be uncomfortable after a time; look for softer rubber or foam grips and handles with soft, rounded edges that are angled to support a natural wrist position. Some handle bars can be adjusted higher or lower to give you a more comfortable grip.
- Uninterrupted stride - Check you’re able to walk using your normal stride, and that you don't scrape your shin on a rear axle, brake bar, shopping basket or other accessories.
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Will the brake bar shorten your stride or skin your shins?
- Brake pedals - Check you find the brake easy to apply, and that there’s a good grip on foot applied pedals, so you won't risk ripping off your toenails if you tend to wear open toed shoes.
- Manoeuvrability - When putting a pushchair through its paces, check how easy you find it to move in a tight space, do a complete about-face, tip backwards to mount kerbs and change direction abruptly.
Where to buy
It's absolutely essential that you try out a pushchair before buying. Even our Best Buys might not be entirely suitable for you and road testing the pushchair will help you identify your own preferences.
These large retailers have websites giving details of their stock, which can be handy if you're looking for a specific model.
Major nursery chain stores
- Babies ‘R’ Us A specialist baby department of the Toys 'R' Us chain, with 70-odd stores around Britain.
- Mamas & Papas A major nursery goods manufacturer. Extensive range of own-label products. More than 30 stores.
- Mothercare The largest and best-known Nursery chain, with more than 200 stores and larger out-of-town stores called ‘Mothercare World’. You can order via the catalogue or the website, both of which offer a far more extensive range than in many of the high street stores, and the Mothercare Mothercard offers reward points when you use it.
Independent nursery stores
Local independent nursery stores are one of the best places to go for 1-to-1 advice in an unhurried atmosphere.
But the range of products available and their prices can be an issue, as independents don't have the value own-brand lines that the main chain stores have, or their massive buying power.
Many independent nursery stores also have an online presence, but they won't thank you for trying the product out in their store and then leaving to buy cheaper online.
Mail-order and online shopping
You can browse the catalogue in the comfort of your own home and some catalogues let you pay for goods by instalment. You’ll usually have to pay for delivery and returning unwanted goods can be inconvenient.
Many nursery catalogue specialists have quite an upmarket range; the products they sell and the prices they charge tend to reflect this.
- Baby days direct General baby retailer with a good range of accessories for the pushchairs they sell
- Babythings4u Specialising in the pushchair brands Cosatto, OBaby, Hauck, Petite Star and Graco
- Bizrate - Links to retailers selling particular pushchairs
- Blooming marvellous Everything for the expectant mum.
- Kays A good selection of nursery products and you can pay over a period of a few months.
- Kiddicare Stocks a wide range of well-known brands of nursery items, many with discounts. Massive showroom at Peterborough with baby products ranged over three floors.
- Kiddieshop Retailers of a wide range of baby products including pushcairs and accessories.
- Littlewoods Website has a reasonable range of nursery items including cots and pushchairs.
- Special needs pushchairs Focus on pushchairs for larger and older children with special needs
- Two Left Feet Wide range of baby products in their Milton Keynes showroom, also sells online.
Other chain stores
- Argos Large nursery range with major brand names represented, all at value-for-money prices.
- Asda Some larger stores contain a baby department with car seats, pushchairs and other nursery items.
- Boots Order a wide selection of larger baby items online or from the catalogue available in stores.
- Debenhams Baby products including clothing and pushchairs
- John Lewis Good reputation for upmarket nursery products and accessories. You can order online. An online buying guide is also available.
- Tesco A range of baby products in larger stores, online or through their catalogue. An online buying guide is also available.
- Woolworths Popular for value-for-money baby equipment.
Buying tips
A gift list might help friends and family choose the right present for your new baby
Pushchairs are subject to fashion, and manufacturers regularly change patterns, designs and materials. Last season's designs are often available at sale prices.
Check what accessories are included with your pushchair, for instance, a rain cover is optional on some models. You can only make meaningful price comparisons when you know what's included.
For contact details of baby goods shops locally, try the directory website Babydirectory.com, which lets you search by the type of product you're interested in for relevant local shops.
Some store and website retailers such as Mamas & Papas operate a baby shower gift list service along the same lines as a wedding list, so presents aren’t duplicated. You could, if you want, just use it as a wish list without going the whole hog and holding a ‘baby shower’ party.
Other online resources
There are a large number of other online sources of buying advice, with spec info, buying guides and even user reviews of many of the most popular pushchairs on the market.
Unlike Which? they won't have tested all of the pushchairs for safety and performance.
Babycentre - a wealth of advice for mums-to-be focusing on the needs of babies at different stages of their development.
Bounty - the biggest online meeting point for mums in the UK.
Gurgle.com - Mothercare's social networking site.
My pushchair - pushchair specification information and user reviews.
Nappyvalley.co.uk - an online network for parents who buy and sell second hand. Read our advice on buying second hand before you try doing this yourself.
Netmums - a social network that offers advice and information for your local area.
Tesco baby and toddler club - the name says it all for this supermarket social network.
Your Silver Cross - an online club for sharing experiences of parenting.