ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳

A pram may be one of the most expensive and important items you'll be buying in preparation for the arrival of your newborn, and one of the products you'll be using almost every other day over the next few years as your child grows. 

With some prams costing into the hundreds or sometimes thousands of dollars, it's a purchase that can take a lot of research and consideration. 

As well as looking at features and design – including how easy a pram is to fold, how big it is, how much it weighs, and even how it looks and what accessories it comes with – you also need to consider how safe it is.

On this page:

• Pram safety issues identified by ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳testing
• iCandy Peach 7
• Silver Cross Wave 3
• Kmart Anko Compact Stroller
• Mamakiddies Reverso II
• Pouch 2 in 1

Pram safety issues identified by ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳testing

While prams sold in Australia need to meet mandatory safety standards, ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳experts also test to a newer, voluntary safety standard that goes above and beyond mandatory requirements.

Although we're pleased to see many manufacturers now test to this standard too, unfortunately it's not compulsory and our results show that many prams still pose significant safety risks.

"While the ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳labs have seen an overall improvement in pram safety, there are still many models on sale which have serious fall, head entrapment, strangulation and other risks. In fact, 18 out of 61 models in our latest review failed our key safety tests," says ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳babies and kids expert Kim Gilmour.

And in case you thought you could avoid safety issues simply by buying a high-end model, think again – we've seen safety failures even in expensive, well-known brands. 

There are still many models on sale which have serious fall, head entrapment and strangulation risks

Kim Gilmour, ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳babies and kids expert

"We found that in some cases the pram wheels could move even when the parking brake was engaged, and in others, a child's head could become trapped between the head barrier and the end of the seat," says Kim.

"Plus, the straps in some prams pose a strangulation risk. Others broke in durability testing and some harnesses were not permanently attached to the stroller."

ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳experts also remind Australians that if you're buying children's products from online platforms such as eBay or Amazon, you can't always trust that the product will comply with local safety requirements, so be wary if you're shopping from overseas retailers.

The following products were the lowest ranked in our latest testing of prams. ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳recommends that you avoid purchasing these, or if you already own them, to stop using them immediately.

The iCandy Peach 7 was one of the most expensive products in our test, but received the lowest overall score.

iCandy Peach 7

• Price: $2699
• ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳Expert Rating: 32%
• Passed our key safety tests: No

One of the most expensive prams in our tests, the iCandy is even pricier than high-end brands like Bugaboo, Joolz and Stokke. 

But despite its high price, its scores are very low – it received the lowest score overall in our test of 61 prams.

For this kind of money, it's reasonable to expect that a pram would meet or exceed safety standards, but unfortunately the iCandy Peach 7 didn't pass our safety tests or the mandatory standard when we tested it in our labs.

Our expert testers found that the pram's straps pose a potential strangulation risk – the shoulder and waist straps don't automatically separate from each other when the buckle is pressed and they are difficult to separate manually. This means they create a loop that could be a strangulation hazard.

Despite its high price, its scores are very low

In addition, when the pram is fully reclined it poses a potential head entrapment hazard and fall risk, which means that a young baby could be injured by falling out or getting their head caught in the hood of the stroller. 

Both of these issues represent serious safety failures.

iCandy responds

iCandy disagrees with our findings, saying: "The iCandy Peach has been tested extensively internally and independently by labs around the world, with no reported issues of test failures or non-compliance."

It also says the seat angle of the pram doesn't recline enough for the head entrapment/fall test to apply, but ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳stands by its results.

Read the full iCandy Peach 7 review.

ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳experts found two serious safety failures with the Silver Cross Wave 3.

Silver Cross Wave 3

• Price: $1899
• ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳Expert Rating: 33%
• Passed our key safety tests: No

Another pricey pram, the Silver Cross Wave 3 bills itself as a 'future-proof travel system' that can be configured 12 different ways, including converting from a single to double stroller. 

While the stroller offers obvious conveniences that appeal to parents – such as the adjustable seat and handle height and adjustable seat recline – ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳experts found two serious safety failures with this pram.

The first is that the waist and crotch straps can be removed from the seat, which means a child can become entangled in the straps causing injury. And the second is that a child can potentially be injured by falling into the soft fabric space between the seat and soft stroller canopy.

Silver Cross responds

Silver Cross disagrees with our findings, saying: "Silver Cross treats all matters regarding product safety with the utmost importance. All Silver Cross products are rigorously tested for reliability, durability, and safety. Our products are tested and certified by an accredited independent laboratory, and typically approved compliant to multiple international safety standards". 

It says it can "confidently" report no safety issues have been raised. ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳stands by its findings. 

Read the full Silver Cross Wave 3 review.

Available at Kmart and Target, this Anko stroller poses two serious safety risks.

Kmart Anko Compact Stroller

(Sold at Kmart and Target)

• Price: $179
• ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳Expert Rating: 33%
• Passed our key safety tests: No

At the other end of the price scale, this Anko stroller is one of the cheapest we've tested.

A small price tag doesn't always mean poor performance: in the course of our testing, we often find affordable products that outperform far more expensive models from big-name brands. Unfortunately that's not the case here.

Like the iCandy, its straps pose a potential strangulation risk, but it also had another serious safety failure. When parked on a slope with the brake engaged, the wheels slipped, which means the pram could get away from you if you've stopped on a hill.

A small price tag doesn't always mean poor performance, but unfortunately that's not the case here

"Regardless of the pram you're using, we recommend that you always use the tether strap on your pram, and never leave your baby unattended in the pram," says Kim.

Both the strangulation risk and the wheel slippage represent serious safety failures and we recommend you don't buy this pram.

But don't write off the Anko brand altogether. The Anko Layback Umbrella Stroller passed all our key safety tests, as well as our durability tests, so it's safe to buy. Plus, it's a great price at just $65.

The Anko brand is now being sold at Target as well as Kmart.

Kmart responds

In response to our findings, Kmart said:

"When designing our products we place a strong emphasis on safety, ensuring that we are providing safe products that comply to all the applicable standards and legislation.

"This product has undergone regular routine testing by an accredited independent laboratory and has been found to be compliant under the relevant Australian standard on each occasion.

"We welcome customers visiting us instore or online to contact our customer service team with any queries or concerns, and we are always happy to assist."

Read the full Anko Compact Stroller review.

Our experts recommend caution when buying prams from online platforms like Amazon and eBay.

Mamakiddies Reverso II

• Price: $179
• ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳Expert Rating: 34%
• Passed our key safety tests: No

Mamakiddies is a stroller brand found for sale on online marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay and known for its low prices. It's a product that makes our advice about being wary of buying baby products from international online retailers ring true.

When testing the budget-priced pram, ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳experts found three serious safety failures and one minor safety failure.

During our durability test, where we test the pram on a 'rolling road' set up in our labs, which tests the prams at a speed of 5 km/h over 64 hours, the support beam underneath the stroller detached when two of the pins securing it broke.

ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳experts found three serious safety failures and one minor safety failure

We also have a machine that continuously simulates the action of mounting a kerb, which each stroller is subjected to. These tests show whether anything breaks, falls off or stops working properly after regular use. The handle of the Mamakiddies stroller broke during this test.

The other serious safety failure is that unlocking the stroller is too easy. A safe stroller needs two distinct actions to unlock it, but the main mechanism can be operated without having to use the secondary one (which is too easy to operate anyway).

ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳experts also noted several other concerning points about the stroller, including a potential finger pinching hazard and incomplete or difficult to understand instructions. It's safe to say this is one item you shouldn't check out of your online shopping basket.

Read the full Mamakiddies Reverso II review.

The Pouch 2 in 1 failed two of our key safety tests.

Pouch 2 in 1

• Price: $360
• ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳Expert Rating: 35%
• Passed key safety tests: No

Like several of the models above, our testing found that this pram poses head entrapment risks and a strangulation risk.

Like the iCandy, the shoulder and waist straps don't automatically separate from each other when the buckle is pressed and are difficult to separate manually, creating a loop that poses a strangulation risk.

Our experts also found that the right waist strap is noticeably shorter than the left waist strap when fully extended.

This pram poses head entrapment risks and it also poses a strangulation risk

As with the other prams in this list, we can't recommend it because it didn't pass our safety tests or the mandatory standard when we tested it in our labs.

Read the full Pouch 2 in 1 review.

Other pram safety failures

These five prams are among our lowest scoring, but our testing has identified others that also have serious safety failures, many of them still on the market, and some of them costing well over $1000.

Before you start shopping for a pram for your baby, check our pram and stroller reviews. You can filter the results to check which prams have passed all the key safety tests, and we also tell you how easy they are to use.

And if you're looking at a second-hand stroller, you can search past results for discontinued products by applying our filter.

How we test if a pram or stroller is safe

There is a mandatory safety standard that ," says Kim.

"However, it's outdated. We test to the voluntary 2013 standard which has had widespread adoption by manufacturers and goes above and beyond mandatory requirements. There's even a more recent 2022 revision now that takes newer designs of prams into account such as convertible tricycle strollers."

Our test experts go above and beyond, by not only testing against the mandatory requirements but also against the voluntary standard

ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳babies and kids expert Kim Gilmour

"We believe the voluntary requirements should be made mandatory, so our test experts go above and beyond, by not only testing against the mandatory requirements but also testing against the voluntary standard and basing our recommendations off of it," she says.

Our expert testers have decades of experience in testing children's products and sit on the Australian Standards committee for prams and strollers, so we keep up to date with changes to the standard. Our lab is also NATA-accredited to test products to both the mandatory and voluntary prams and strollers standards.

To learn more about our testing process, read . 

Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.

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