Let’s face it choosing a pushchair is usually when dad gets involved in the baby shopping extravaganza and will be one of the major purchases when you have your baby.

As much as we would love it to be all about alloy wheels and go faster stripes, the reality is that there are lots of factors to consider when purchasing a pushchair.

You need to start with your budget and determine what you actually want the pushchair for.  Will it be for wandering around the town or are you planning to head off on long country walks?

I would suggest you decide what the main things you are looking for in a pushchair are and then go and have a look at as many pushchairs as possible. (It’s always fun to make the shop assistant show you how 5 or 6 pushchairs fold up and down and then walk away!)

Things to consider:

Before making a decision on your pushchair, have a look at the list below, hopefully it will help clarify what you are looking for:

Height – Is the handle adjustable, if not is it too low for you as dad or too high for your partner?

Size - Will it fit in your car boot when folded?

Weight - How much does it weigh? Can you pick it up without giving yourself a hernia?

Ease of use - How easy is it to collapse and re-open?

Handling – Is it easy to push, manoeuvre and what is the turning circle like?

Off-road ability – Do you need to be able to jog in the park or push over grass?

How easy is it to get up and down stairs?

Brakes – How good are the breaks, are they easy to engage and disengage?

Comfort – How comfortable will it be for baby, does it have an adjustable seat?  Will you be able to use it from newborn age?

Storage – Does it have enough storage space for you to put all of baby’s things and some shopping?

Accessories – Does it come with a rain cover, foot muff etc or will you need to buy these as an extra?

Compatibility – Can it be integrated with other components like a car seat or carry cot?

Practicality - Can the covers be removed and washed if needed?

Looks – Does it have an alloy frame and cool wheels? Are you going to want to be seen pushing it down the road or are you going to be a laughing stock and the butt of all the other dads jokes????

Types of Pushchairs:

In today’s market there is a huge range of pushchairs available but they tend to fall into 3 main groups.

The Four Wheelers:

These are what people usually associate with a pushchair - quite basic with good storage. They tend to be quite light and easy to use and can be compact when folded down. A good practical choice that comes in various levels of sophistication.

The Three Wheelers:

These are one of the current trends; they look good with their oversized wheels and exposed frames. They are a great option to go for if you live in the country or do a lot of walking. They can be heavy and usually don’t fold down that well, so you may have problems fitting them into a small car.

The Travel Systems:

This group can come with three or four wheels, but differ in that they come in a modular system consisting of detachable components, such as carry cot, car seat and buggy seat. Having a detachable car seat is great as it makes transferring a sleeping baby from car to pushchair or vice versa a breeze.  They can be quite heavy and bulky, so check for weight and portability.