One of the most daunting purchases you can make as a parent to be has to be a pram/ travel system. Its literally akin to choosing your first car. There are so many options out there and most prams take up a pretty hefty chunk out of your savings account, if you are careful in your choice, you will absolutely see the return on investment for years to come.
I’ve teamed up with Kids Emporium Bryanston to talk about some of the hottest prams on the market at the moment, and what they are best suited for, to try and help you with your decision.
When buying a pram various factors will come into play.
The size of your car, and where the pram will be used. Are you a “city slicker” or are you more of an offroad/farm type? Are you a runner? Do you have more than one small child (ie; will you need a multi pram or an extension kit). Is it value for money? As a mom of (almost) 3 I can tell you my considerations were boot space and the under basket size. (You joke but TRUST me, your pram will act as your shopping trolley on more than one occasion). We chose our pram almost 6 years ago and its lasted us across the kids. We chose It because it wasn’t so bulky and It was a complete “travel system”. Meaning, we could plug-in the car seat, or bassinet, or use it as a normal pram.
Many moms favour travel systems, which include a car seat that clicks into position within the pram. It makes travelling with younger babies a breeze because you can just click them in and out of the car without taking them out of the car seat. A literal lifesaver when you have a lot to juggle.
Find out if there’s a guarantee that comes with the pram and what it covers. Does it include any extra’s (a wind shield, a cup holder (another awesome but overlooked feature), a wind shield? Kids Emporium often run specials across their travel systems offering great discounts or additions, so take your time to shop around!
Here are some of my top choices in Prams available in 2019. In no particular order.
Stokke Scoot
The Scoot is the perfect “Smart Urban Stroller”. It’s easy to push, you can fold it up either with the seat on or store and carry it separately. It has small compact wheels and can fit comfortably into a smaller car like a hatch back. You can customize your scoot by colour and canopy colour or even by a Softbag® for your younger baby. (we even used our Soft Bag as a travel cot when away from home). Scoot is the most compact option (in my opinion) and is easy to fold with one hand. It also comes with various accessories to purchase like a wind protector, cup holder or parasol. Its comes as a complete travel kit in true Stokke style, so you can attach a car seat or bassinet option as well. Baby can be forward to facing or parent facing as well.
Stokke – The Xplory
A little “higher end”, the Xplory was made famous for its unique design and for brining baby closer to your “face” height. Allowing you and baby to be as close as possible. In my opinion it launched the “stylish pram” phenomenon. It’s also part of the “flexible Stokke stroller system”, allowing you to customize your pram with features as well as colours. You can easily swap between a bassinet, car seat or the “pram attachment”. It’s certainly the most stylish pram on the market, in my opinion, but it does have larger wheels so be sure to check size once folded.
The Noola Bug
The Bug includes everything you need for getting out and about with your little one and offers a complete travel system. The car seat and carry seat can be fixed in a rear or forward facing position. Its 360 Degree swivel front tires give you and baby a “smooth ride” and it has a larger hood providing extra shade for baba. Its one of the more popular prams on the market and is lightweight with a good size shopping basket 🙂
Noola Elite
Its a stylish and sporty all terrain pram. Perfect for around the town or off road exploring. It also comes as a complete travel system so it can easily convert across a bassinet and car seat option.
Doona
The Doona Pram has been has been highly talked about for some time now. Is it a pram or is it a car seat? It’s both, in one 🙂 There are 9 different colour combinations available and this uniquely designed pram goes from car seat to pram in seconds and has 3 different “modes”. You have to see it to believe so make sure you ask for a demo!
- Car Seat mode – This mode is intended for use in a vehicle. The wheels are tucked under the Doona body and the handle is placed in Anti-Rebound mode and pressed against the vehicle seat back to prevent rebounding in case of a crash. Doona should only be used in-car seat mode when in a vehicle.
- Pull-Along mode – This mode is intended for walking and maneuvering in tight or crowded spaces. The wheels are out and the handle is in the vertically upright position to allow puling the Doona right alongside the parent.
- On-the-Go mode – This mode is intended for walking in open spaces – just like a stroller. The wheels are out and the handle is extended in a 45-degree angle towards the parent.
Mima Xari
Apparently this is one of the most purchased prams at the moment. It certainly very stylish and the “leatherette” design is popular in South Africa and is super easy to clean. The seat can recline into 3 different angles and the handlebar is adjustable. Choose from a chassis that’s black, rose gold or graphite grey and customise with your choise in colour of seat. Accessories can also be added, such as the matching nappy bag and cup holder.
Easywalker MINI Buggy
In my mind, this is the perfect “stroller” or buggy for travelling. It folds up incredibly small and offers a super smooth ride, even on rougher terrains or runs through airports. It is fully reclinable and apparently can be used from birth until 20kgs. Interestingly enough (even though it’s not obvious from the offset), it is car seat compatible which means you can actually just clip in your car seat using an adapter.
BabyZen Yoyo
I have to say while initially this would be my first choice in a pram, the more I see and read about this pram the more Im liking it. It absolutely is one of the most compact prams I have seen. Infact, folded up you can take it onboard a plane as cabin luggage! Baby lies parent facing as a newborn and it can come with a flat carry cot for infants. Using the same frame when baby is 6 months + swap it over so baby can sit up and see the world. It can hold up to 18 kgs and is so lightweight it can be carried like a bag.
The following brands are not available through Kids Emporium Bryanston, but I wanted to mention them as they are also two of my favourites:
Thule
The brand has come a long way since launching their Urban Glide which is an all-round sports stroller. The “runners” pram with 3 wheels. They recently released the “sleek”, which is a stylish and flexible “4 wheeled” stroller for sharing city adventures with your child. Thule’s first four-wheel city stroller is ideal for busy moms who don’t want to lug around a super-heavy stroller. If you need to push around more than one child, adapters easily turn the Sleek into a layered double-stroller that’s still compact enough to navigate through shops or large crowds.
Mclaren
Another ultimate travelling buggy. I think the best thing about Dubai airport is the fact that you can grab and utilise Mclaren buggys for free as you run between terminals :). The Quest is a full lightweight, sporty solution. The perfect combination of compact, yet fully featured. It offers 4 different recline positions and when the seat is fully reclined, the Newborn Safety System™ can be deployed to create a cozy, enclosed cocoon.
So there you have it, that’s my personal preference on the millions of prams and travel systems out there. There are so many more to mention across a wide variety of price ranges. Just remember to ask yourself, will this make my life easier, is this value for money, does it fit into my style/needs and car? 🙂 Happy Pram shopping folks, you can do this! 🙂