Different Types of Pram
February 20th, 2012 | 0 Comments
Getting your choice of transport for your baby can be a tricky affair so it’s advisable to take time over which type will best suit you and your family before you get started. Here’s our quick guide to buggies to get you started and don’t forget to check out our how to choose a pram article after you’ve decided which pram type is for you…
Buggy
First up is the buggy. This style of transport is usually associated with older babies and toddlers as it’s designed for children to sit up and facing out so they can see what’s going on around them. Usually featuring three adjustable seat settings, your child can either sit up or lie back for a nap while you get about. Buggies are by their very nature a lot lighter in design and thus more compact then their pram predecessors so often parents find they have more space in the car and in the hallway once they make the move over to pram to buggy.
Pram
The classic image of a pram is of big wheels with a hood. The kind of pram you might see in a cartoon. Modern prams of course are not as cumbersome as those kind but the style remains the same with the basic features of protection from the sun and the ability to lie the baby flat for correct spinal development. These are essential features for all newborns especially of course which is why this style has remained largely the same for so long. Cheap baby prams are then the tried and tested means of getting baby around comfortably during the initial stages and if you invest in inflatable wheels and good suspension on top of a sturdy design, you’ll find that baby won’t be woken by every bump in the road.
Double Buggy
You’ll need one of these if you’ve got double trouble on your hands and whether yours are twins of the same age or two family members of different ages who need to sit alongside each other. One of the most important investments you’ll ever make in a growing family, a double buggy needs to be ultra sturdy to take the weights of what could be very different ages and as slimline as possible so you can still get in the best shops with no trouble. Ideally you should invest in a double pram that also acts as a stroller when desired too so that you can double up on children and on your money’s worth of equipment.
Travel Systems
The best option for a newborn and small baby, the travel system often has an integrated car seat or carrycot for ease of transporting baby around – which means that in investing in one of these, you’ll once again get your money’s worth of equipment. Saving you traipsing round the shops twice, getting a travel system means you’ll have all you need from day one and that your baby is as safe as possible no matter where you go.
Travel systems for babies are superb in terms of versatility with most having choices of lockable and swivel wheel options to help you get about with even more ease no matter where you need to get to. The best in travel systems are the ones which again adapt with your little one so that once the baby is able to sit up you can transform the pram side of the unit to more of a buggy so that your baby will be outward facing and able to see the world as their interest grows.
Pushchair
You may have heard also of pushchairs yet another name for baby transport but I’m happy to tell you this is less of another pram type to consider and more another name for the style that is essentially a buggy or stroller. Often more lightweight and compact than their baby orientated predecessors, the pushchair/buggy/stroller is one of the most popular choices around for toddlers but it should be pointed out that what this style of transport lacks is the sturdiness of a dedicated pram or travel system.
Now that you know the different types available, I would advise you consider first who is going to be using the pram you’re buying first and foremost. This will after all determine which style is best for you and your family and since there’s nothing more important in the world than baby’s security, it’s well worth thinking about investing in a bigger buggy for the first part of baby’s life even if it means adding on a toddler board for your other kids to get about with. Look for five point harnesses in all pram types no matter how old your baby is and one last top tip look for an adjustable handle that will suit all those likely to be pushing it – after all you deserve as much comfort as your little one!