Guide

How to choose a pushchair that fits your life

The right pushchair is not the one with the longest feature list. It is the one that fits your car, your front door and the way you actually get about.

5 min read

Choosing a pushchair can feel like the biggest decision on the list, partly because there are so many, and partly because they all look good in a showroom. The trick is to stop shopping for a pushchair and start with your own week. Once you know how you move around, most of the field rules itself out.

Start with your life, not the pushchair

Before you look at a single model, picture an ordinary day. Where does it live between trips: the hall, the boot, under the stairs? How often does it go in and out of the car? Are you on smooth pavements, gravel, kerbs or a train platform? Will you often need to fold it while also managing your baby, bags and everything else that comes with you? Do you carry it up steps to your front door?

Those answers matter more than any spec sheet.

The questions that actually matter

Will it fit your car?

This is worth checking early because a pushchair can be perfect in every other way and still not work with your boot.

It is enough to be aware of it here. We have a whole guide to measuring up and checking the fold, so have a read of Will the pushchair actually fit your car? before you commit.

How heavy is it, really?

Weight only counts in context, and the context is rarely just the boot.

Think about where you will actually lift and manoeuvre it: stairs up to a flat, a step or two at the front door, a porch you have to back through, or a steep and uneven driveway. A frame that feels fine lifted once from the floor can become a real strain when carried up to a first-floor flat every day.

If you have steps or no lift where you live, that matters more than almost anything on the spec sheet. Lift the folded pushchair yourself before deciding, ideally in the way you will actually carry it.

Will the handle suit everyone pushing it?

Adjust the handle for everyone who will use the pushchair regularly.

Check that taller users can walk naturally without kicking the rear axle or basket, and that shorter users can steer comfortably without raising their shoulders. Try the steering, brake and turning circle as well.

A pushchair should feel comfortable after ten minutes, not only during a quick lap of the showroom.

How does it fold?

Is it a one-handed or two-handed fold? Does it stand on its own once folded? Does the seat need to be removed first?

A fiddly fold is the sort of thing that quietly wears you down. Fold and unfold it a few times in a row and see how it feels once you are no longer concentrating on every step.

Getting up steps and stairs

If you have steps or stairs to deal with regularly, look at how the pushchair handles them. Some have a dedicated stair or two-wheel mode that lets you manoeuvre them over steps on the rear wheels rather than lifting the whole pushchair. Others require an awkward two-handed lift.

If your front door has steps, or you need to carry the pushchair to a flat, ask to see the relevant mode and try it before buying, following the manufacturer's instructions. It is much better to test this properly than discover the problem afterwards.

Will it handle your ground?

Small, hard wheels are light and nippy on pavements but can jar on gravel and struggle at kerbs. Larger wheels and effective suspension generally cope better with rough ground, although they can add bulk. Air-filled tyres can make the ride more comfortable but may require more maintenance.

Match the wheels to where you will spend most of your time, not to the occasional trip.

Does it grow with you?

Some pushchairs take a newborn carrycot, then a seat unit for an older baby or toddler, and pair with a car seat as part of a travel system. Some can also convert for a second child. Others are designed for one particular stage.

Neither approach is wrong. What matters is knowing what you are buying so you are not replacing it six months later by surprise.

Your pushchair checklist

Before choosing, make sure you have:

• Lifted the folded pushchair yourself in the way you will actually carry it
• Folded and unfolded it a few times
• Adjusted the handle and tested it with everyone who will regularly push it
• Checked how it handles any steps or stairs where you live
• Pushed it over the kind of ground you use daily
• Confirmed which stages it covers and whether it pairs with a car seat
• Checked that it fits through your front door and wherever it will be stored
• Checked that it fits comfortably in your car

Try it before you decide

Almost all of this is easier to judge against your real life than in a shop. A pushchair that folds neatly on a showroom floor can still baffle you on your own front steps in the rain.

Wherever you choose to buy, try to test the things above in the places where you will actually use them.