When is a stroller appropriate? For infants and toddlers three and younger who don't have the stamina or strength to walk, especially long distances, or the ability to follow directions and stick by their parent's side, strollers are very useful, Brown and Shu say. Even into age four and five, strollers are appropriate in certain circumstances, such as on public transit or in very crowded areas where it may be hard to keep track of a child.
Children who are disabled will also require a stroller or some kind of transport vehicle longer, Shu says, but for the general population of kids, parents would do best to transition out of strollers at age three, or even earlier.
We'll notify you here with news about. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? We use your health information to make our site even more helpful. By clicking the button, you agree to our policies and to get emails from us. Join BabyCentre. Sign up to receive free emails and track your baby's development. Track my baby. Most popular in Baby. See all in Community. See all in Getting Pregnant. See all in Pregnancy. You will typically reply on your pushchair every day so safety and durability are key factors to consider.
This section of The Pushchair Guide will help you to ensure that your baby is safe and comfortable in their pushchair. There are a variety of pushchair brake types and one may be more suited to a parent than another depending on their lifestyle. A foot brake is the most common and is an easy to use option that is perfect if your pushchair will mainly be used for general day to day activities such as trips to the park or shopping. Handle brakes are convenient if there is a need to regularly stop, such as in a city with lots of crossings.
An active hand brake is seen on many jogger style pushchairs or three-wheeled pushchairs, this sensitive brake is designed for active parents who would be changing momentum on a run for example.
Whatever type its important that brakes are effective and easy to apply so always check them regularly as you would in a car.
A baby in a pushchair, stroller or buggy needs a safety harness. All pushchairs have a weight limit and the standard is 15kg, however, some pushchair brands offer a maximum weight of 25kg. All pushchairs have two locking devices to ensure the pushchair is secure whilst in use. When putting your baby or child into their pram or pushchair always check the two locking devices are fully locked and secured. Locking devices vary from brand to brand and from pushchair to pushchair, however, all folding chassis prams require two motions to fold the pushchair.
This prevents accidentally folding whilst it is in use. Just like any other vehicle, a pushchair requires regular maintenance to ensure it runs smoothly, whether that may be a basic wash or a more in-depth service. This section of The Pushchair Guide offers advice on the best ways to clean different pushchair components. Some pushchair brands offer a servicing option whereby the pram is given a safety check and deep clean.
Whether pushchair fabrics can be machine washed or not will vary according to the manufacturer so always check the washing instructions. If the fabric cannot go in a washing machine, spot clean with water and gentle soap. If the pram wheels are removable this will make cleaning a lot easier and offers the most effective clean. Wet mud is best removed using a hose or pressure washer or if its dried mud try a stiff brush.
Use a mixture of warm water and washing up liquid and scrub the wheels firmly. Once the wheels are dry check that the pushchair is still working effectively. If the hood is removable then this will make cleaning a lot easier.
Start by vacuuming the fabric using a small attachment. Rinse or soak the hood fabric in cool soapy water and gently work on any stains or tricky areas using a soft fabric brush. Dry the fabric thoroughly outdoors. If a pushchair has been in storage for a while it may have become damp and mouldy. To rectify this, brush off any loose mould and mildew with a soft brush- do this outdoors to prevent spreading the mould.
Wash the fabric with a mild detergent and warm water and leave to dry in the sun. A gentle sterilising fluid such as Milton is also effective in the removal of mould and mildew.
At around 6 months old, the baby will be ready to move into a pushchair. There are a number of indicators which highlight the baby is ready for the transition from a carrycot into a pushchair.
If you plan to use a stroller with a newborn, it must be able to recline to a lie-flat position. The stroller must also offer adequate head and back support for young babies. Pushchair folding methods vary from brand to brand and pushchair to pushchair. When purchasing a pushchair the fold is an important consideration to make in order to ensure that it fits into your lifestyle.
For instance, do you need a one-handed fold? Do you regularly use public transport? Do you have limited storage for a pushchair at home? Or a small car boot? There are a variety of fold types including an umbrella or half fold. Most brands demonstrate different pushchair folds via online video content.
Retailers also offer in-store pushchair demonstrations. Most major airlines offer free additional baby items alongside the set baggage allowance, i. After checking in, generally, parents will be allowed to keep hold of their buggy until boarding the plane when it will be taken to store in the hold for the journey. Many pushchairs are now specially designed to fit into overhead plane lockers and can be carried onto the plane as a piece of hand luggage.
These compact pushchairs, which will be within the maximum hand weight dimensions, are lightweight so are not only great for navigating the airport but are easy to lift and store in the overhead locker. Storing the pushchair in the overhead locker means you will have instant access to it as soon as you land. If you took your pushchair right up to the gate, you will collect it from the gate upon arrival.
If the pushchair was checked in with your luggage, you will need to collect it via the same baggage carousel as your suitcase. This is a great money-saving option as it avoids the need to purchase a separate Moses basket or crib. It is important that the mattress is firm and clean so if you are using a second-hand carrycot it is advisable to replace the mattress.
Use a waterproof mattress protector to protect the mattress from spills and stock up on plenty of fitted sheets.
If you are planning to spread the cost of the pushchair through a flexible payment scheme such as Klarna then it's worth thinking about this early on so that you can plan your monthly expenditure. Alternatively, you may want to hold on for a particular offer or sale. All pushchairs in the UK should carry a safety label confirming the name, trademark and identification of the UK manufacturer, distributor and retailer.
Babies can also get dehydrated more quickly. A buggy board is a board on wheels that attaches to the back of your pushchair for your toddler to ride on. Certain pushchair manufacturers make their own brand of ride-on toddler boards, but there's also a specific brand called Buggy Board.
Ensure the board is securely attached to the pushchair and that it can withstand the weight of the toddler on it. Make sure the child is always holding on to the handlebars when riding on the buggy board.
And also check that using the ride-on board won't affect your pushchair's warranty. Pram charms are decorations that clip on to the hood of a pushchair. For this reason, we'd advise against using them. Read more about pram charms and other baby accessories we'd recommend avoiding. March survey of parents with a child under five years old.
If your pushchair develops a fault, you might be able to get your money back. Check our consumer rights advice on how to complain about a faulty pushchair. To double-check the harness is working as well as it should be, give it a good tug once it's done up around your child before you set off. This increases the chance of sudden infant death syndrome SIDS. But without a shade or cover, your child is left vulnerable to harmful UV rays and sunburn.
We did our testing on a very hot day. We recorded the temperature at the start and then every 10 minutes behind each cover within the pushchair's seat area. We used identical pushchairs for each cover, and set up the seat to be parent-facing, with the hood catching the sun.
As you can see from the chart below, all the cover types we tested showed an increase in temperature within the seat area from the moment we added them. The interior of the pushchair with the hood extended fully showed the smallest increase in temperature, but we'd expect this, as it wasn't fully covered.
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