102 | June 2020 |motherandbaby.co.ukWhen shopping for a pushchair, parents often
forget to factor in how much it weighs. From
how much you’ve got to spend on a pushchair
to how comfy it’ll be for your baby, how
heavy it is tends to be something most people
overlook. Until, that is, you try lugging it
up a set of steps or pushing it up a hill with
a strapping toddler on board.
Whether you’re after a nippy set of wheels
for close-to-home walks with your baby, or
something suited to popping to the shop for
nappies, a lightweight pushchair will help make
getting out and about hassle-free. Ideal for
holiday use, or for travelling to catch up with
much-missed friends and family, it’s well worth
choosing the right one now, ready for when
lockdown-life finally draws to an end!
The perfect lightweight pushchair is light
enough that you could easily carry it up a flight
of stairs without breaking a sweat, but robust
enough to cope with coastal paths and muddy
walks. It should also fit neatly in your car boot
and take up minimal space in your hallway.Do you need one?
If your existing pushchair no longer feels like a
practical choice, this is the perfect time to invest
in a lightweight alternative. The travel system
that was perfect for your newborn might now
feel heavy and unwieldy for a daily walk or
trip to the shops. Lots of parents replace their
first pushchair with a lighter model once their
baby starts walking, when compactness and
manoeuvrability become even more important.
If you’re buying a lightweight pushchair for use
from birth, choose one with a fully-reclinable
seat designed for newborns – some are only
recommended from six months. This is because
babies under six months need to lie completely
flat in the pushchair, for healthy development
of the spine and lungs.How light do you need it to be?
A pushchair is considered lightweight ifit
weighs less than 7kg, but some we tested
weigh even less. Of course, a very lightweight
pushchair will probably be less robust than
one weighing closer to 7kg, so think abouthow
light you really need it to be. Will you belifting
it up and down steps to your flat constantly,or
do you need one you can fold up and carry,at
the same time as carrying your baby?How compact do you need it to be?
Most lightweight pushchairs are compact,
so they should fit into a standard car boot
without taking up lots of the space. Others
fold even more neatly, but they tend to make
a compromise elsewhere, such as a smaller
seat size or being a little less robust. Think
about where you’ll stow the pushchair when
it’s not being used. A compact fold isn’t
important if you have got plenty of space
to park it in your hallway, but the abilityto
slide it neatly out of the way is a bonusif you
don’t have lots of room.Do you want your baby to face you?
Most lightweight pushchairs have a forward-
facing seat, designed to allow inquisitive
toddlers to face the direction of travel andsee
where they’re going. If you’d prefer toseeyour
baby face-to-face when she’s in the pushchair,
look for one with a parent-facing seat unit.How much have you got to spend?
If this isn’t your only pushchair, you mightnot
want to spend a fortune, but happily thereare
many very affordable lightweight pushchairs.
Don’t forget to think about value for moneyand
not just the price – a pushchair that you’lluse
frequently for a couple of years is a betterbuy
than a cheaper model that won’t last as long.LIGHTWEIGHTPUSHCHAIRSMake light work of getting out and about with your babyWORDS HEIDI SCRIMGEOUR
FOLD
MECHANISM
Folding and
unfolding your
pushchair should be easy
and intuitive. Ideally, you’ll
be able to do it with one
hand while holding
your baby.POCKET
Having a handy
place to keep your
valuables close at hand is
really useful when you’re
using a pushchair. Is it big
enough to hold your
purse, phone
and keys?HARNESS
The five-point
harness should be
easy to adjust, fasten and
undo without breaking a
nail – but not so easy that
your baby can work
out how to
escape!WHEELS
Choose wheels
suited to the terrain
you’ll be tackling. Lockable
swivel wheels offer flexibility
on different types of ground,
while all-terrain wheels with
good suspension are a must
for countryside walks
and coastal paths.