Your Complete Guide to Pram Safety

As expectant parents there is so many things to think about. High up the list is what pushchairs and prams to buy for your little one. This is a big decision – your child is going to spend a lot of time it their pram and it needs to suit your lifestyle too. Got a small car? Do you want to exercise with the pram? Do you need a tandem? So many things to think about so you shouldn’t rush to purchase as you need to think it all through and make sure you make the sensible and most importantly safe choice for your baby.
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I've teamed up with nursery specialists Babythingz who are the experts in pram safety to produce this guide so you have everything you need to to ensure your precious bundle is always safe and secure

Standards to look out for

The first thing you need to check is that the pram has a stafety standard reference.
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You can check this by spotting either the code BS 7409 or the mark BSEN 1888:2003 somewhere on the equipment, most often it can be found on a label placed around the frame or the seat covering.
These codes and marks show, whether new or used, that the pram complies with either British Standard/European Standard 1888: 2012 or British Standard/European Standard EN 1888:2003.​

Flammability requirements

As part of the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988, it is now law that every upholstered pram and pushchair complies with stringent flammability requirements. This applies to new and second hand prams.

​Make sure the pram has a permanent label with the words 'CARELESSNESS CAUSES FIRE' ​

Your legal rights

In addition to the safety standards and flammability requirements mentioned above, there are a number of statutory rights afforded to you, the customer.
Here’s some of the main legal rights for you to be aware of:

• The trader of the pram or pushchair must have the right to supply it to you. In other words, that have to own the equipment in order to sell it to you in the first place.
• The pram or pushchair should be as described, with all claimed features present.
• The pram or pushchair has to be of satisfactory quality. When considering if this is the case, look at all of these elements:

The description
The condition
The appearance
The finish
The level of safety
The durability
The price
The fact that it should be free of all minor defects

• If you are provided with a sample of the pram or pushchair, the one sold to you must match the sample.
  
• Likewise, if you are provided with a model of the pram or pushchair, the one supplied to you must match that model.
• If you have requested that a pram or pushchair fits a particular purpose, then the trader needs to ensure your needs are met.

All of your statutory rights can be found in the Consumer Rights Act 2015. However, please be aware that it fails to entitle you to anything if one of the following applies:

• You knew of any faults before you made a purchase.
• A fault was so obvious that it would have been reasonable that it would have been noticed on examination ahead of purchase.
• Any of the damage was caused by you.
• A mistake was made by you when making the purchase; for instance, if you ordered the wrong colour.
• You have simply changed your mind about the pram or pushchair that you’ve purchased.

Aspects to check

To make sure your pram or pushchair perfectly meets your requirements, work through this checklist and only make a purchase if all aspects have been ticked off:

​The brakes

• Are they easy to apply?
• Do they engage properly when applied?
• Do they securely hold the pram or pushchair in place, even when applied on a hill, or when the under-storage compartment is filled with bags?
• Do they work both forwards and backwards?

The safety harness

• Does the harness fit easily and securely over a baby’s shoulders?
• Does the harness fit easily and securely around a baby’s waist?
• Does the harness fit easily and securely between a baby’s legs?
• Do the buckles of the harness easily clip together and then come back apart?
• Are there any tears in the straps of the harness?

The wheels

• Are the wheels securely fitted to the equipment?
• Do they show any signs of damage?
• Is there any evidence of heavy wear on the edges of the wheels?

Injury prevention

• Is there anywhere that a baby’s fingers can get caught inside, such as open-ended tubes or around closing mechanisms?
• Are there any sharp edges present on the equipment?
• Is the equipment’s frame bent anywhere?
• Is the fabric torn at any point?

 
If you follow all of the above tips and you should find your perfect pram which not only looks fab and fits with your lifestyle but is incredibly safe you’re your baby to travel in comfort and safety

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