1 Taking Everyone into Account

One of the most important considerations to take into account is the size and age of your family. Clearly the needs of your family on a day to day basis will be the most important factor from the outset and depending on whether this is your first baby or a new addition to an existing brood, there are plenty of pram style to suit your family's needs.

There are a few things to bare in mind if this is your first baby however that do need highlighting and those are that for a newborn only pram and travel systems that have five point harnesses will give you the peace of mind and the security your baby will need.

It's best for baby too if your choice of pram allows for the baby to lie completely flat too. An essential for correct spinal development, this simple rule applies for tinys; the sturdier the better! We all want our babies to be safe so it's better to pay a little extra for the first pram or baby travel system – after all he or she will graduate one day to an easy light weight fold-down!

2 Make Sure the Price is Right

Having said that, it's best to pay a bit more for security there are some prams out there that really do cost the earth so make sure you have a sensible budget firmly fixed in mind when you're looking. It's easy to be seduced by beautiful models that are top of the range when you're excited by an imminent new arrival but with so many styles to choose from, it's well worth a think about things like where it will be stored and your credit card bill before you choose the 'in' thing that looks but that takes up the whole hallway!

3 The Right Style for Your Lifestyle

Having looked at who will be using the pram and how much you want to pay the next is to look at the style or system that fits best into your lifestyle. With everything from strollers to tandem and double buggies, baby prams to pushchairs to choose from, it's important to get the right kit from the outset. If you're expecting twins, it will be clear from day one which styles to look at but what if you have a toddler already? There are some fab choices for those with existing family members from buggies where siblings can sit alongside each other to pushchairs where baby lies on top and toddler sits underneath.

4 Size Really DOES Matter!

The next priority when it comes to getting it right first time is to think about the size of buggy you'll be needing. If you do a lot of driving it's a good idea to make sure the design you choose will fit easily in your boot - but not just that – you're bound to need space around the buggy in the boot to store changing bags and shopping as well. There's no point in having no room for any of the other extras that creep in as time goes by too after all as your baby grows so your needs for space will also change.

If however you use public transport more than the car, you'll be wanting a design that folds down as quickly as possible so you don't miss your connection. Some buggies are so sturdy that it's nigh on impossible to get the pram down (and all the bits and bobs out from underneath) before the train's left! Make sure yours isn't the one annoying those in the queue by practising using it before you buy or before you leave the house. Clearly the smaller the better if you're a city dweller as the travails of carrying baby under one arm, buggy under another and managing to get on the train can be enough to test the patience of a saint!

5 Four-Wheel Drive Fun?

Another good question to ask yourself is where will you be mostly using the pram? Look at which wheel type is best for the terrain where you live to ensure ease of travel - after all one too many bumps in the road can ruin a planned nap time and your own afternoon plans too!

Living in the country, I have personally found that a 3-wheel buggy is an essential part of country living as it can cope better with being 'tested' out on really rough terrain and off road walks. For most people, a four wheeled choice is fine of course!

6 Giving You Some Space!

The last consideration -and not one I took on board soon enough sadly - is one of 'space issues'. When pushing around a buggy you'll need to put your shopping somewhere so it's good to ask yourself do you shop a lot on foot? If so you'll need a good storage space underneath – also valuable if you have other children as you may also need more extra space underneath for extra baggage on top of changing bags etc.

Another choice for lager families is to add a buggy board to the new pram to save on little legs. If you're planning on going this way, make sure your choice of new pram is compatible with these before buying!

I hope this little list of pointers has been helpful – as I say five buggies later I had learnt all I needed to know about which pram to buy and when! Hopefully it could save you time and money in the long run after all there's no better feeling than the right tool for the job is there?