Choosing a pram is really a question of how you live. Are you walking miles every day, or mainly doing shorter trips? Are you moving around with one child or more? Do you need something that can be carried up and down stairs, or folded into a car boot regularly? Do you travel often? Are you mostly on pavements, or do you need something that can cope with rougher ground?

Before our first child, we spent hours researching and test-pushing different prams. In the end, we chose a big pram because I was walking more than five miles a day and wanted a strong frame with proper storage underneath. By the time our third came along, we had walked that pram into retirement and chose a smaller travel pram instead. I wanted something much lighter that I could fold and carry easily.

So I would say the “perfect” first pram is usually just the one that suits the stage of life you are in now.

It is also worth knowing that prams are one of the easiest baby categories to buy second-hand or rent. Between friends, WhatsApp groups, Facebook Marketplace and Vinted, there is a huge amount of good pram kit in circulation, often barely used and far better value than buying new.

Here are three prams we've used, properly tested and highly recommend.

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Joolz Aer²

Best for: travel and everyday ease

If you are not regularly heading off-road, this is the pram I would recommend to most people. The Joolz Aer² hits a very useful balance: light, compact, easy to fold, and still substantial enough to feel like a proper pram rather than a holiday-only compromise.

Many small travel prams feel flimsy or too pared back for everyday use. The Aer² feels more reassuring. It folds easily, carries well, and has enough comfort and structure to handle normal family life. For most families, that mix of ease, comfort and portability is the sweet spot.

UPPAbaby Vista V3

Best for: a full-size family system

If the Joolz is the travel-minded all-rounder, the Vista is the opposite: a big, handsome, highly capable family pram that tries to do almost everything.

We put a lot of thought into buying our first pram and looked at all the obvious contenders. The Vista ticked the boxes for us. It is stylish without being silly, easy to fold, and cleverly designed in the details that matter: the seat can stay attached when folded, the wheels pop off easily, and the basket is genuinely huge.

That last point matters more than it sounds. A large underseat basket turns a pram into a useful bit of daily infrastructure, especially if you are walking a lot.

Thule Urban Glide 3

Best for: rougher ground and active families

Not everybody wants a neat urban pram or a polished family system. Some people need something that can cope with park paths, countryside walks, rougher ground and the sort of terrain that quickly exposes a city stroller’s limits.

That is where the Thule Urban Glide 3 comes in. It is bigger, sportier and more outdoor-minded than the other two here, but that is precisely the point. If you are a runner, a keen walker, or simply someone who does not want the route to be dictated by the pram, it makes a compelling case for itself.

It is not the neatest option for every hallway or car boot. But for active family life, muddy paths and longer walks, it feels properly fit for purpose.

Final thought

The best pram for you is not necessarily the biggest, most expensive or most feature-packed. Choose one that suits how you actually move through the world.

Think about your days: the stairs, the car boot, the pavements, the parks, the school run, the holidays, the naps on the go. Choose for that life, not the imagined perfect version of it.

This is part of The Sunday Gear List - one email every Sunday with thoughtful gear discoveries.