The best prams, pushchairs and buggies of 2023 tried and tested by new mothers (and their babies)

Mar 13, 2024

The Telegraph's newest mothers test the best prams, pushchairs and buggies (sometimes called strollers) for comfort, style and ease of use

Which is the best pram for your baby? A simple question, seemingly, that turned into a daunting task when researching my options for baby transport. As a first-time mother, did I want a model that was robust for town and country terrain, maybe even a running buggy – or something lighter and more compact for the city?

If you’re choosing the best buggy or pram, bear in mind this is one of the biggest investments you’ll make for your baby. The best pushchair systems with all the bells and whistles can set you back more than £1,000 – although you can pick up a cheap and cheerful stroller for less than £100.

I was after a versatile set-up that could manage the rural setting in which I live, but also something that folds down easily given I travel a lot. I wanted a frame that converts to a double buggy for baby number two, should one make an appearance, so I knew I’d have to splurge on one system that would last the duration.

To help me choose, I turned to Millie Poppins, a baby expert and motherhood mentor who has been working in the field for over a decade. You can find her expert advice below and an FAQ section at the bottom of this feature, with further tips. But if you’re in a rush, here’s a quick look at my top five:

“A buggy and a stroller,” Millie explains, “are the same thing; a fold down unit for older children who can sit up unsupported. These tend to be lightweight and great for travel, especially in airports right up to the gate.

“A pushchair is a little sturdier. Many pushchairs can fold completely back so that when it comes to napping, your infant is supported in a horizontal position. In the early weeks and months, however, you will need to use a bassinet attachment so that your baby is laying completely flat inside. A pram, in other words.

“A travel system incorporates all these attachments and often a car seat, too, which gives you everything you need from birth to toddler on the same frame.”

Scroll to the bottom of this feature for more useful pram advice from Millie. And if you’re expecting a new arrival, you may want to read our guides to the best baby bouncers, the best baby carriers and the best high chairs next.

Millie’s advice is never to buy a pram or pushchair without trying it out first in-store: “Mamas and Papas or John Lewis have an incredible selection of all the leading brands and styles,” she says. I asked her what to look for when hands-on testing.

“Consider how easy it is to fold down, for putting in the back of the car or storing at home,” she says. “Compact options are great for lifting in and out of a vehicle, but they can feel harder to push, especially on your wrists and when navigating rough terrain. There is also the risk of the system tipping if you hang a bag or some shopping onto the handlebars. If you know you will be carrying more gear, I would opt for something much sturdier with bigger wheels and a larger base to attachment ratio.”

Taking all these factors into account, I and my fellow testers, all new parents, put this year’s models through their paces. This involved assessing how easy the units were to assemble and switch between formats, how well they folded away for storage and how they performed in different settings; for example on pavement, grass, gravel as well as up and down stairs.

£895, John Lewis (also available at Silver Cross and Pram World)

Best overall, 9/10

We like: sturdy and sophisticated, with royal credentials

We don’t like: you have to buy the carry cot bassinet separately

Even after a month of testing, my partner and I found it hard to choose a winner from this year’s crop of prams and strollers. But we eventually settled on Silver Cross, famed for their old-fashioned ‘Balmoral’ baby carriage – the royal family’s pram of choice for more than a century.

This is the Reef, their newest iteration and far more practical than the Balmoral (not to mention one third of the price). It still features luxurious fabric and elegant chrome and faux-leather touches and, of all the seats I examined, it has by far the best cushioning. My cooing mother described it as the ‘Rolls Royce’ of pushchairs. The magnetic ‘Genius harness system’ is definitely a Rolls-Royce touch, making the clicking and unclicking uniquely smooth and satisfying. Overall, it was the one I most wanted to show off my baby in.

Unlike the other brands I tested, the carry cot bassinet is sold separately, costing an extra £275, but as you’d expect for the price, it is supreme in quality, with the softest mattress and lovely matching quilted cream interior. Uniquely, it collapses down for easy storage but is also approved for overnight sleeping and so doubles up as a moses basket, making it ideal for travel.

In fact, elegant features aside, the Reef was not love at first sight for me. Though its large tyres and four-wheel suspension system are designed for all-terrain and passed all our tests on that front, it’s not quite as sporty when navigating tough ground as the others I tried and it was initially the trickiest for me to work out how to fold down.

Once I got the hang of it, however, its one-handed mechanism actually turned out to be the smoothest to fold and the most compact to stow. The Reef’s also reasonably eco-friendly, with vegan leather accents and outer fabrics made from recycled plastic bottles. All this taken into account, it won us over as the best premium option.

£289, Boots

Best value pushchair, 9/10

We like: its no nonsense practicality and super-roomy shopping basket

We don’t like: it’s always sold out

Recommended by Jane Johnson

I have to confess I am a Joie fan. The brand doesn’t have the star power of an Egg or a Bugaboo, but it is eminently practical. No nonsense, not too many frills and an easy run around. The assembly was straight-forward, it was relatively light and easy to manoeuvre and it folds down easily.

Judging by this model they’ve come on leaps and bounds on the style front. All leatherette handle-bar and nicely padded grey flannel seat. But for me, the real joy of this Joie is its shopping basket. It’s high-sided and huge, the largest I have come across in six years of pram-pushing.

Living near a heath, I spend a lot of time pushing on long grass so the big wheels are another bonus. And you can lock the front wheels to help you go through a particularly bumpy patch.You can use it from birth with the ‘Ramble XL’ carrycot and there’s an i-Snug infant carrier which you can attach to the pram as well as use as a car seat. It’s very comfy and my two-year-old snuggled happily into it.

And then there’s the price. It’s £289 at Boots for the pushchair in this lovely green Laurel colour. The carry cot is £92 and the i-Snug is £105, or you can buy them as a bundle for £489.99. It may not have the star power, but compared to the other prams here, it certainly has the affordability - and practicality - factor.

£849, Mamas & Papas (also available at Pram World)

Best travel pram, 9/10

We like: stylish, good quality, user friendly – an excellent all-rounder

We don’t like: it’s reasonably heavy

Recommended by Annabel Fenwick Elliott

As a new mum I’ve come to regard Mamas and Papas as a shop with excellent choice, quality and customer service, and its signature own-brand Ocarro travel system has proved to be a triumph. I tested the six-piece bundle, which includes both a bassinet and pushchair, as well as a matching footmuff, changing bag, car seat adapters and cup holder.

Straight out of the box, it was the easiest to assemble and to switch between attachments, and (joy!) it folds down one-handed for neat storage. To say I’m malcoordinated and useless with instructions would be an understatement, and this was among the only models that didn’t fray my nerves when on the move and converting between modes.

Available in a range of muted grey and black colours, it is one of the more traditional prams in terms of style, with brushed twill, quilted cotton and leatherette accents. The padded seat with cushioned chest pads and head-hugging pillow feels nice and comfortable; while the snug, curved design of the bassinet lends a cosier element when compared to the boxy shapes found in most other models.

Not too big, not too small, with puncture-proof tyres and an ergonomic chassis that easily tackled a range of terrains, I found this to be the Goldilocks of prams, at a reasonable price considering the quality and versatility it offers.

£1099.95, John Lewis

Best double buggy, 9/10

We like: ergonomic and practical, a winner for expanding families

We don’t like: the frame is very wide (necessary for fitting more children inside)

Recommended by Annabel Fenwick Elliott

Although objectively the Silver Cross is better and the Ocarro and Versatrax cheaper, for my specific needs this almost took the top spot. It boasts all the same great features, but with the added bonus of converting easily to a multi-unit for up to three children, from babies to toddlers – and not side-by-side, which would annoy me, but stacked in a range of vertical formations, both parent-facing and world-facing.

This Tetris-like capability, combined with its intuitive design, chunky wheels and all-terrain manoeuvrability made it foolproof to set up and a dream to navigate. Unlike other models, many of its nimble switches can be performed one-handed (detaching the bassinet, for example, and adjusting the seat’s multi-position recline) and its one-motion folding function is swift and smooth.

The unit, when folded, also stands independently for neater storage, unlike others which have to be propped up against a wall or on the floor. Bonus points too, for the fact that in addition to both the bassinet and toddler seat, the Uppababy Vista comes as standard with a rain cover, bug sheet and storage bag. So, while it’s on the higher end of both the weight and price range, you don’t need to purchase a bundle to get all the extras.

Lastly, it had the roomiest and most easily accessible under-seat storage basket of all the units I tried, perfect for spare nappies and wipes, and the highest frame, making it especially good for tall mums and dads.

£1,115, John Lewis

Best pram for rough terrain, 8/10

We like: excellent suspension makes it safe on grass and even sand

We don’t like: not easy to swap from bassinet to chair

Recommended by Annabel Fenwick Elliott

The Fox is a pram that has consistently been named as a favourite among mums I spoke to. My expert Millie counts herself a ‘die-hard fan’. I had my issues with its the Fox 3, which was fiddly to assemble, fold and adjust, but have been completely won over by its successor, the Fox 5.

With its big, tough puncture-proof wheels and super bouncy suspension, this powerhouse glides across all surfaces, including bumpy grass and even sand; making it easy to steer with just the tips of your fingers and providing an exceptionally smooth ride for your little one. Details such as the harness, with shoulder straps that point upwards so you don’t have to fiddle with them behind the child’s back, and a hood you can pull down to completely shield them from the elements, are particularly welcome.

The Fox 5 comes in an impressive range of colours, from its new purple shade, to pink and green and everything in between. The latest version has also been engineered to enable one-handed reclining and folding - a big plus.

The new chassis design has shifted the centre of gravity by 5cm, something my partner (a pilot and amateur engineer) tells me is substantial, making it even smoother to navigate and allowing for more walking space; so you never kick the frame. This pram was in fact by far his favourite - he likens it to ‘the Dyson of pushchairs’ - and he tested all the others with me extensively.

It does, however, remain an almighty faff to switch from bassinet to seat. They don’t come as separate units, as with every other pram we tried, so you have to take the whole bassinet apart and re-assemble parts of it to form the seat.

Having said that, you’ll probably only need to convert it like this once, when your baby is old enough to lift its head unsupported and you transition it from lying flat to sitting up, after which you’ll be left with a really high-quality, versatile mode of transport.

£660, John Lewis

Best compact pram, 8/10

We like: folds down into its wheelbase very cleverly

We don’t like: as a result, it’s quite wide at the base

Recommended by Jane Johnson

The Nuna Mixx Next is an evolution of the popular 2019 Nuna Mixx and has improvements brought in after listening to customer feedback. So now it folds up smaller to better fit into a car boot and it stands up when it’s folded, which makes life much easier when you are negotiating bags and children. It’s also nicer to steer; you can do it with one hand.

Your little one sits high up in the Next and its impressive all-terrain wheels, made of foam-filled rubber, are sturdy and chariot-like. I felt a comfort in knowing my daughter was further away from nipping dogs and car exhausts. In upright mode it’s designed to be table-height, which is jolly helpful in restaurants without high-chairs, but the seat can also recline to near flat (there are 5 positions in total).

One of the main attractions is its ability to fold down compactly (to 76cm x 60cm x 42cm), with the back axle collapsing into the frame. Very impressive – although its big wheels mean it’s not narrow enough to take down a plane or bus aisle.

Does it pass the high street catwalk test, though? Yes – it’s made from a smart, sturdy fabric in a choice of seven colours and has a nice faux-leather handle and matching trimmings. There are plenty of useful accessories including a rain cover, car seat adaptors and a thick padded apron for the cold weather. It also has a soft seat liner made of bamboo, which keeps your little one cool in the summer and warm in the winter and a nice, generous basket underneath for your shopping. There’s also a super useful pocket on the back of the seat.

My little one seemed very cosy in the Next and absolutely loved being higher off the ground: all the better to see what’s going on.

£429.95, Mamas & Papas

Best lightweight stroller, 8/10

We like: Packs down to small enough to carry over one shoulder

We don’t like: Small wheels mean it doesn’t cope well on uneven surfaces

This cult stroller, beloved by celebrities (Joe Wicks is the latest to sing its praises) and travelling mums, has rightly earned its reputation as being the most famed compact pushchair on the market, and though plenty of brands have been busy launching dupes in the last year, it’s still the best we’ve tried.

Weighing in at only 6kg, the Babyzen YOYO2 folds down to the size of a backpack, is easily carried on one shoulder with the accompanying strap, and fits in an aircraft overhead locker; but despite all this, nothing about it feels flimsy. The frame is reinforced with fibreglass and aluminium alloy, which somewhat explains the higher price point, so it’s built to last.

This pushchair unfolds one-handed in a single, uncoiling motion (everyone I showed this to oohed and aahed) and has a raft of surprisingly generous features given its diminutive size. We particularly loved the roomy zip-up storage pocket in the back and the peekaboo window in its UPF 50+ sun protection canopy. It also comes in a wide range of good-looking colours, can be purchased with a newborn carrycot or service a toddler up to the same weight (22kg) as most of its full-sized competitors.

£339, Doona (also available at Smyths Toys for £279 and Mamas & Papas for £339)

Best car seat stroller, 8/10

We like: it’s a car seat on wheels that’s a game-changer for quick trips

We don’t like: it can’t lie flat for storage

Recommended by Annabel Fenwick Elliott

There’s a good reason the Doona has such a cult following (every celebrity and high-profile mum-influencer seems to have one). It’s the only product of its sort; a car seat that flips Transformers-style into a stroller at the pull of a lever, with no extra frame or chassis to contend with. For a certain type of minimalist parent, it could be all you need as a means of transport from birth to about 15 months, provided you only need something for quick trips in and out of the car.

Personally, it was one of the first items on my baby wishlist, and my fiancé, who is planning to avoid a pram altogether, at least initially, in favour of the Doona for the car and a sling for out-and-about, loves it. Safe and practical, with a retractable sunshade, cushy three-layer side impact protection and an adjustable handlebar that also acts as an anti-rebound bar inside the vehicle, this gizmo doesn’t offer any function beyond being a car seat on wheels. It can’t lie flat and has no undercarriage storage, and as Millie points out, shouldn’t be used to push your baby around for more than two hours at a time:

“A baby should never spend more than two hours in a car seat as their spine is curved in this position. So if you’re taking a long drive, it is best to take the child out of the car seat as soon as you arrive and move them into a bassinet.”

But if a car seat and occasional stroller is all you need, this product could buy you at least a year before having to invest in a full pram or travel system.

£1,100, John Lewis

Best pram and car seat, 8/10

We like: the genius ISOFIX car seat

We don’t like: there’s a fair amount of assembly to do

Recommended by Annabel Fenwick Elliott

True, Jane has already reviewed a Nuna buggy above and I’ve already reviewed a car seat – but this Nuna buggy-and-seat bundle is something special. The car seat is their new PIPA Urbn (£350), the first baseless infant carrier with integrated ISOFIX connectors.

This means it plugs directly into any car or taxi without the need for adapters and doesn’t require the extra adult seatbelt. Why this hasn’t been done before beats me. In short, it cuts out a lot of the fuss for those who travel frequently or use multiple vehicles and, weighing in at only 3.3kg, it’s incredibly light too. There’s also a UPF 50+ canopy, a flip-out eyeshade and drape that pulls down for naps.

The PIPA Urbn is compatible with all Nuna’s pushchairs but here it’s bundled with the Triv Next; a good, compact, reasonably priced option for the city which, thanks to its large rear tyres and all-wheel suspension also handled well in the countryside (though it’s not made for off-roading).

The Triv Next is intuitively designed and simple to fold-one handed, with a four-position recline that supports newborns to toddlers. The seat can be used front or parent-facing, and folds down flat when not in use, and the self-guiding magnetic buckle was easy to use.

The fabric is water-repellent, with mesh panels for breathability during summer; and leatherette accents on the handlebars and zips lend a premium finish. Given it’s less expensive than most of the other models we tested, it’s a great value pushchair.

£879, Venicci

Best pram for newborn, 8/10

We like: versatility combined with sleek looks

We don’t like: it’s not so great on rough terrain

Recommended by Bethan Holt, Telegraph fashion director

For our first outing with the Venicci, we decided to walk around the lake near my parents’ house. This turned out to be something of a white knuckle ride for my four-month old son. Fortunately, back on smooth pavements, it really came into its own. Easy to push and a doddle to adjust from pram to pushchair, this model feels at once substantial and nimble.

My son is at the ultra-curious stage, so he was thrilled at how open the Venicci was (they call it Panoramic Ventilation). It was lovely to see him looking around so happily while knowing he was secure. And he enjoyed a few naps on the go, too.

The rose gold detailing added a touch of glamour you rarely find on prams and the fact that you buy a whole system in one bundle, complete with car seat, footmuff and changing bag, would make the often mystifying process of buying a pram and all the accoutrements hassle-free.

But what I liked most about this model was how it offered a little bit of everything on the dream pram list. I even considered taking it on a flight for a city break, as it’s fairly lightweight and folds down into a compact bundle so you could avoid having to invest in a travel buggy. (Read our guide to the best travel cots if that’s on your wish list too.)

£879, John Lewis

Best pushchair, 8/10

We like: hard on the outside but soft on the inside, as an egg should be

We don’t like: it’s heavy, which makes pushing uphill difficult

Recommended by Jane Johnson

If your baby’s safety and comfort is your priority, this is your pram. But if you’re looking for something you’ll push effortlessly through busy city streets, it is not.

It looks beautiful, all curves, glinting silver and snuggly soft furnishings – the hexagon-shaped quilting inside the chair is particularly pleasing, like a cosy, secure womb – and my little one loved snuggling up inside it. That’s a big plus, as she’s at the climbing out stage (which is why I’m not reviewing the best high chairs.)

The seat can face the world or face you and it sits up or lies down with the flip of a small handle. I felt super proud to push the egg2 down my smart high street. But pushing up hills was a bit of a chore. The chassis, seat and wheels weigh 15.5kg, and then add a toddler on top. Along a busy high street, this lady’s not quite so easily ‘for turning’. That said, I love the chunky puncture-proof wheels and it mounts kerbs nicely.

Putting it together wasn’t quite the Krypton Factor challenge many buggies are. It’s quite intuitive, once you watch the instruction video. (Basically, one-handed, you pull up a handle inside the shopping basket, which I would never have guessed, and putting the brake on is a kind of flick motion on the pedal rather than the usual push down and click.)

There are some natty design features, like the adjustable footrest hiding a handy sun-shade and the ventilation net hidden behind the UPF 50 + hood. Improvements over the original Egg include larger, higher seat, easier-to-adjust harness, bigger basket size (although I would like even bigger) and new bigger wheels. With additional parts, it can also be converted into a tandem buggy.

Meanwhile there is a smaller, lighter egg, called the eggZ which I also tried. This is much nippier and not so heavy. It folds down easily into a handy free-standing position and has an easy magnetic harness buckle; very helpful when you are wrestling to get your toddler to go into the pram. It’s got a good-sized basket, an extendable hood with a UPF of 50+ and looks nice and smart, although it it doesn’t have the luxury feel inside the seat. It’s a great little runaround and, at £399, more affordable than the egg2.

£1,199, iCandy (also available at John Lewis)

Best travel system, 7/10

We like: supremely useful one-hand fold and excellent suspension

We don’t like: it’s a little difficult to mavoeuvre

Recommended by Emily Allen, Telegraph head of digital lifestyle

Designed in Britain, this iCandy Peach is a super versatile travel system with a dizzying number of configurations to see you from birth to the end of toddlerhood. Crucially, it adapts to a tandem double should you wish to add to your brood, as we have just done, without forking out for a new buggy. Genius.

We tested the Peach with the carrycot and as a forward-facing pushchair. We assembled it hassle-free, since the instructions actually made sense (for once we didn’t need to resort to a YouTube video) and the newborn happily nodded off cocooned in the plush olive-green bassinet. The mattress comes with a breathable mesh - perfect for safe sleep on the go.

It’s not the most nimble of prams and is a little more cumbersome to steer than our Bugaboo Fox, but its chunky back wheels smoothly navigated most terrains. I was most impressed that it managed a long, bumpy walk around my parent’s farm without waking the little one. The one-handed fold is speedy and smooth (I still battle to collapse the Fox after two years of using it) and the thick handlebar can be quickly adjusted to suit different heights, which is great if dads, nannies and grandparents will be using it too.

Extra points for the all-important basket, which can fit three big bags of shopping and can be accessed from the front and back. A solid bit of kit, as my dad would say.

£999, John Lewis

Best pram for style, 8/10

We like: show-stopping design, premium finishings

We don’t like: not as handy for shopping as other prams

Recommended by Annabel Fenwick Elliott

I couldn’t decide when I first saw this whether it was the ugliest or the coolest pram I’d ever set eyes upon, but quickly settled on the latter. With its extra spacious bucket seat, giraffe neck-esque central pillar and moon-shaped handlebar, the Scandinavian-designed Stokke Xplory X is a totally unique model which, much like a showy sportscar, turns heads and is fun to drive. I was genuinely excited to take it on outings every day.

Its unusual format takes a bit of getting used to, especially when you’re already accustomed to a standard pram, but once you’ve adapted, it has good manoeuvrability; with chunky back tyres that perform well on bumpier ground. That said, this is a model that feels made for city slickers; not least thanks to its super high-quality zips, cushion, hood and finish.

Style does come with small sacrifices, though. Instead of a standard storage basket under the frame, it has a small platform towards the front with a matching zip-up case attached. While this looks exceedingly swish, it means you can’t just chuck items in as you go, like you can with most prams. Additionally, the lever to adjust the seat between three levels of recline is also the same colour as the rest of the unit, so as to blend in, which looks smart but meant I did need to crouch down in order to find it the first few times.

Lastly, it was the only pram that I couldn’t use my favourite gadget with - (the Rockit, a device which attaches to the handlebar of most strollers and rocks it for you: a godsend!) - thanks to its chunky central pillar. If you appreciate the finer things in life, however, and are looking to be the most stylish mum on the block, look no further than this model.

“A model with a bassinet attachment is always best for a newborn, allowing your baby to lie flat and cocooned for the first four to six months, but they are not essential,” says parenting expert Millie Poppins. “Some parents choose instead to ‘babywear’ with slings or carriers until their little one is developmentally ready for the pushchair.

“A bassinet on the frame is always a good option, though, if you do lots of walking and venturing about. This way, you can easily attach a baby change bag for easy access and store items in the basket underneath (ideal for supermarket runs).”

“Yes, babies up until at least four months should be lying flat as much as possible” says Millie. “And even beyond that, should you choose to use the pram seat, it is important to have this on an incline of about 45 degrees so that your baby isn’t expected to completely support the weight of their own head.”

“When they can hold their own head up unsupported. Even then, parents should use the bassinet for as long as possible. There will come a time when the baby wants to see more of the world so that’s when you can change to the pushchair attachment. If they are falling asleep then you can lower this further so that they are snoozing as horizontally as possible when out and about.”

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