What to actually look for in a pram

Before the recommendations, four things genuinely matter when choosing a pram. Most marketing focuses on the wrong stuff.

Lie-flat or recline angle. Newborns need to lie flat for the first six months — paediatricians are clear on this. Many prams sold as “from birth” don’t actually lie flat in the seat unit and require a separate carrycot, which adds £150-300 to the cost.

Folded size. Whatever the manufacturer says about “compact fold,” measure your car boot. A pram that won’t fit your specific car is unusable, regardless of how good it is otherwise. Folded dimensions are listed on every product page — check them against your boot’s internal measurements before you buy.

Weight. A 12kg pram becomes hated within a month if you regularly lift it in and out of a car. 8-9kg is the sweet spot for everyday use. Lightweight strollers (under 7kg) make sense for travel and city living but compromise on suspension and lie-flat positions.

Single-to-double convertibility. If you’re planning more than one child, prams that convert from single to double save you buying a second pram later. iCandy, Bugaboo, and Cybex all do this well. Most other brands don’t.

Everything else — handlebar height adjustment, fabric colour, reversible seat — matters less than parents expect. You’ll forget about most features within a week. Reliability, fold size, weight, and recline angle stay important for the full 3-4 years.

Best overall: iCandy Peach 7

The Peach 7 sits in our “best overall” spot because it does almost everything well without being best at any one thing. It’s been the bestseller across UK independent baby retailers for years, and the current Peach 7 generation has refined the previous models rather than reinventing them.

What makes it work: a genuine single-to-double conversion that takes about 30 seconds without needing tools, a flat-fold one-hand fold, and a reversible seat unit that goes from lie-flat to upright. It handles UK pavements smoothly and the wheels cope with most park paths.

Where it falls short: the storage basket is awkwardly small once you’ve fitted the maxi-cosi accessories. The folded size is good but not exceptional — fine for most car boots but worth measuring if you drive a Mini or similar. The price has crept up over recent generations.

Best for: Parents who want one pram for the full 3-4 years, may or may not have a second child, and value reliability over flashy features.

Available colours and configurations: multiple colourways across pecan, cream, black and biscotti. Complete bundles include carrycot, seat unit, and car seat adaptors.

View the iCandy Peach 7 Complete Pushchair Bundle — typically around £849

Best premium pick: Bugaboo Donkey 6

If budget isn’t your primary concern, the Donkey 6 is the most considered pram in this list. Bugaboo’s Dutch engineering shows up in details most other brands ignore — the suspension is genuinely good, the fabric handles weather well, and replacement parts are available for years rather than being discontinued.

The single-to-double conversion is the smoothest of any pram we’ve seen. You attach a second seat to the same chassis in about 20 seconds — no separate “double frame” purchase required. The double pram remains the same width as the single, fitting through standard UK doorways.

The price is genuinely high (typically £1,200-2,000 depending on bundle). Bugaboo also doesn’t discount, so don’t wait for sales. Where it pays back: parents with two children close in age often end up keeping the Donkey for 5+ years across both children.

Best for: Parents planning multiple children close together, or those who simply want the highest-quality pram available and have the budget for it.

Available bundles: from the basic Mono Pushchair through to Ultimate bundles with Cybex car seats included.

View the Bugaboo Donkey 6 Pushchair — from £1,245
View the Bugaboo Donkey 6 Duo Ultimate Bundle — £2,055 with car seat

Best for newborns: Mamas & Papas Ocarro 2

The Ocarro 2 is Mamas & Papas’ answer to higher-priced prams and it’s a strong one. The chassis is sturdy, the wheels are large enough for comfortable rides over uneven pavement, and the seat unit lies completely flat — important for newborns who shouldn’t be sat upright before around 6 months.

The carrycot, included in most Ocarro 2 bundles, is one of the most comfortable on the market. Padded, breathable, and large enough that babies actually fit until 6 months rather than being squeezed out at 3.

The trade-off is weight. At over 13kg, the Ocarro 2 is heavy compared to lighter rivals. If you’re regularly putting it in and out of a car, this will become tiring quickly.

Best for: First-time parents prioritising newborn comfort and prepared to live with the weight, or parents who don’t lift the pram into a car often (urban living, public transport).

View the Mamas & Papas Ocarro 2 Pushchair Bundle — from £1,399

Best lightweight pram: iCandy Pip

The Pip is iCandy’s recent entry into the lightweight category. At 7kg it’s genuinely portable, but unlike most ultra-light strollers, it doesn’t feel flimsy. The chassis is solid aluminium and the wheels are larger than the cabin-stroller average.

Cabin-approved by IATA, which means it fits in overhead lockers on most major airlines. The fold mechanism is one-hand and creates a self-standing folded unit — better than most lightweight rivals which collapse into a heap.

Limitations: the seat doesn’t lie completely flat, so it isn’t ideal for newborns under 6 months unless you add a separate carrycot accessory. Storage basket is small. Not built for off-road or dirt path use.

Best for: Parents in flats, those using public transport regularly, or families who travel often by plane.

View the iCandy Pip Pushchair — £335

Best travel pushchair: Joolz Aer2

If your primary use case is travel — flying, taking trains, holidays — the Aer2 is the best option we feature. It folds in one hand to roughly the size of a small backpack, weighs 6kg, and meets all IATA carry-on requirements.

Joolz is a Dutch brand with strong design heritage. The Aer2’s fabrics are sustainable (recycled materials), the wheels handle airport floors well, and the seat is more comfortable than most ultralight competitors.

The compromise: it’s a travel pram, not a daily-use pram. Suspension is minimal. The seat isn’t suitable for newborns (separate Nest accessory needed). Storage is essentially nonexistent. Use it for what it’s designed for — getting from A to B with minimal hassle — and it excels.

Best for: Frequent travellers, holiday use, parents in cities with lots of stairs and public transport.

View the Joolz Aer2 Pushchair — £369

Best double pram: Bugaboo Donkey 6 Duo

If you’ve decided you need a double pram from the start — twins, or two children close in age — the Donkey 6 Duo is the standard against which others are measured.

The chassis is the same as the single Donkey. The conversion just adds a second seat side-by-side. Crucially, the total width remains under 75cm, which means it fits through standard UK doorways and shop entrances. Most side-by-side doubles don’t.

Both seats fully recline independently. Both can face either parent or world. A carrycot fits each side. The pram folds with both seats attached — most doubles require seat removal before folding.

The honest downside: it’s £2,000+ in most configurations. For families planning multiple children spaced apart, this is genuinely cost-effective over time. For one-off double-pram needs, cheaper options exist (Bugaboo Donkey 6 Single Ultimate Bundle, or Cybex Gazelle S Twin) but they involve compromises in convertibility.

Best for: Parents of twins, or parents expecting two children within 18 months of each other.

View the Bugaboo Donkey 6 Duo Ultimate Bundle — £2,055

Best all-terrain pram: UPPAbaby Vista V3

UPPAbaby is American but has built a strong UK following over the past decade. The Vista V3 is their flagship and it’s an exceptional all-rounder, particularly for families who want one pram that handles both city pavements and country paths.

The wheels are larger than most competitors and have proper suspension. It rolls smoothly over gravel, grass, and uneven paths without jolting the baby. The fabric and frame quality is high enough that resale value remains strong — Vista V3s typically resell at 50-60% of original price after 2 years.

The Vista V3 also handles single-to-double conversion well, though differently from the Donkey. UPPAbaby uses an add-on “RumbleSeat” which can fit under or on top of the main seat. Less elegant than the Donkey’s side-by-side but cheaper.

Where it falls short: heavier than the iCandy Peach 7 (about 1.5kg more). The folded size is larger. Not as compact for car boots.

Best for: Parents who walk a lot off-road — country walks, parks with rough paths — or those wanting a pram with strong resale value.

View the UPPAbaby Vista V3 Pushchair — £1,100

Best budget option: Joie Finiti 4in1 Signature

Most prams under £400 cut serious corners — flimsy frames, basic fabrics, wheels that don’t last past the first year. The Joie Finiti 4in1 Signature is the exception. Joie is a Taiwanese brand that’s built genuine UK presence on the back of solid mid-range products, and the Finiti is their best work.

For around £350-£500 depending on bundle, you get: a chassis with proper suspension, a seat that lies fully flat, included carrycot capability, and adapters for the most popular i-Size car seats. The 4-in-1 name refers to the four ways the seat can be used (parent-facing, world-facing, recline, lie-flat).

What you give up vs the premium brands: the fabrics aren’t as durable. The chassis is good but not as refined as Bugaboo or iCandy. Resale value is low — Joie prams don’t hold value the way premium brands do.

Best for: First-time parents on a budget who still want a pram that works properly from newborn through toddlerhood.

View the Joie Finiti 4in1 Signature Pushchair Bundle — from £695

Honourable mentions

A few prams almost made the main list:

• Cybex Priam — beautiful design, comfortable ride, but the £1,200+ price is hard to justify over the Bugaboo Donkey unless you specifically want Cybex’s styling
• Maxi-Cosi Fame — excellent value at the £900-1,000 mark and integrates seamlessly with Maxi-Cosi car seats, but lacks the convertibility of iCandy or Bugaboo
• Nuna TRIV Next — premium feel and quality, but the smaller wheels struggle on rough UK pavements

You can browse all 230+ prams across all brands on our prams, pushchairs and travel systems page.

How we tested

We don’t physically test every pram on this list. What we do is research the UK market exhaustively — manufacturer specs, owner reviews on Trustpilot and Mumsnet, retailer feedback from UK independent baby shops, and analysis of which products survive long-term ownership best. Our How We Choose page describes the process in detail.

The prams featured in this list aren’t paid placements. We earn the same commission rate across all products and brands, so we have no incentive to push any particular pram over another.

Common questions

When should I buy my pram?

Most parents buy their pram around weeks 30-36 of pregnancy. Earlier than this and you may end up with a pram that doesn’t suit your actual lifestyle once the baby arrives. Most major brands have stock available throughout the year, so there’s rarely a reason to buy before the third trimester.

Do I need a separate carrycot for a newborn?

Yes, usually. Most “from birth” prams require a separate carrycot accessory for newborns up to 6 months. The Mamas & Papas Ocarro 2 and Bugaboo Donkey 6 include carrycots in their bundle packages. The iCandy Peach 7 and most other prams sell the carrycot separately.

What’s the difference between a pram, a pushchair, and a travel system?

In UK English, “pram” technically refers to a unit where the baby lies flat (typically a carrycot on wheels). “Pushchair” refers to the seated, upright version for older babies and toddlers. “Travel system” refers to a pram chassis that accepts car seats, carrycots, and seat units interchangeably. In practice, the terms are used loosely, and most modern products combine all three functions.

Should I buy a single or a double pram?

Buy a single pram unless you have twins or your children will be born within 18 months of each other. The convertible single-to-double models (iCandy Peach, Bugaboo Donkey) let you defer the decision until you actually need a double.

What about second-hand prams?

Premium brand prams hold value well and can be a sensible second-hand purchase, especially for chassis and seat units. Avoid second-hand car seats — they may have been in accidents you don’t know about. Always check for recalls on the manufacturer’s website before buying used.

What we don’t recommend

We don’t recommend extremely cheap prams (under £200) for daily use. Manufacturers cut corners on materials and engineering at this price point, and the practical experience over 2-3 years is usually frustrating. If your budget is genuinely tight, our advice is to wait, save longer, or buy a high-quality second-hand premium brand pram rather than a new budget one.

We also don’t recommend buying prams based primarily on celebrity endorsements or Instagram posts. The most-photographed prams aren’t necessarily the most-practical ones for everyday life.

Final thoughts

The right pram depends on your specific circumstances — where you live, how you travel, whether you’re planning more children, and your budget. We’d suggest reading the section on the type of pram most relevant to you, then comparing 2-3 specific models on the retailer’s site before deciding.

If you have questions about any of the prams featured here, get in touch at hello@babycollective.co.uk. We read every message.