Baby transport buying guide

01.Introduction

Buying a stroller can be a complicated exercise. There are some things you can check for yourself in the shop — such as size, features and manoeuvrability — but how can you tell whether the model you're considering is safe, durable, and easy to use? Here's what to consider.

Three or four wheels?

Strollers come in all sorts of styles these days: layback, umbrella-fold, small and basic versus large and feature-packed. The most significant of your decisions is likely to be the number of wheels: three or four. And that depends on what‘s most important to you.

Three wheelers:

• For manoeuvrability and style, a three-wheeler is a good option.
• Three-wheelers are sometimes called jogger strollers, but many are actually not recommended for jogging – if you intend to jog with the stroller, make sure you buy one designed for that purpose.
• Their increased manoeuvrability can make them more prone to rolling away and they can also be less stable than their four-wheel counterparts and more prone to tipping.

Four-wheelers:

• Are more compact, easier to fit into a car boot and not quite as wide as three-wheelers, which makes it easier to fit them through narrow doorways and down supermarket aisles.
• Some also come with a reversible handle or seat, so you have the choice of the baby facing you or looking straight ahead.
• Umbrella type four wheel strollers are not just more compact when in use, but also generally fold into a smaller package, so they can be a better option for public transport.