How much do you need to spend on a pushchair?

Ease of use, safety, durability and comfort are important considerations when it comes to buying a pushchair. But with prices for a pushchair varying from £50 to well over £1,500, does paying more really get you a better model?

Not necessarily. Every pushchair that reaches the Which? test lab is scored on the features that matter the most, regardless of how much it costs. 

So, if you’re on the lookout for a low cost pushchair that doesn’t skimp on the important things, keep scrolling to find out how much you'll need to spend.

Or, head straight to our pushchair reviews and filter by price. 

How much will a good pushchair cost?

There are three main types of pushchair and which one you go for will impact the price and determine which features you get.

• Buggy / stroller - typically the most affordable type, buggy's and strollers are lightweight and compact with thin or double wheels. They’re ideal for nipping around town and are handy for holidays. Many are now travel-system-compatible so you can use them with a car seat and/or a carrycot but you will need to pay more for the versatility. Our cheapest Best Buy stroller retails for £150, but we've seen it on some websites for less than £120.
• Travel system pushchairs - these can be used with car seats and/or a carrycot. This functionality usually costs more, but it’s worth investing in a travel-system pushchair if you use your car often, as it will make it much easier to transfer your baby from car to pushchair without disturbing them. Our cheapest Best Buy travel system is £150. 
• Double pushchair - If you've got twins or two children close in age, a double pushchair could be the answer. Doubles can either be tandem (the seats go in front of each other) or side by side. Some tandem double pushchairs can start off as a single pushchair, and then be converted to a double with the addition of adapters. Our cheapest Best Buy double pushchair retails for £240 although we've seen it as cheap as £199 on some websites.

We run through what to consider when choosing the best travel system. Or, see our stroller buying guide instead.

Are cheap pushchairs any good?

Our extensive tests prove that you don’t necessarily have to spend a large amount of money to get an excellent pushchair.

While the average price of a Best Buy single pushchair or pram is £490, we’ve also uncovered eight Best Buys that cost £300 or less. These include big names such as Joie, Britax, Cybex and Graco. The average price of a Best Buy double pushchair is around £523.

But is there a sweet spot where you can spend enough money to get a good chance of a quality pushchair, without paying more money than you really need to? We've crunched the data on currently published reviews (as of February 2025) vs what the typical price of the model is.

As you can see, models that come in around the £400-500 mark have the highest average scores in our testing. In fact, if you start leaning towards models in the £800-900 bracket, you may end up with a worst product, and it's only once you spend nearly £1000 that the chances of overall higher scores increases.

See our round-up of the best pushchairs along with expert buying advice and tips on what to do with your old model.

What extra features will I get if I spend more?

Expensive pushchairs don't necessarily have all the high-spec features, but additional accessories can bump up the price so it's worth knowing which ones are worth it. 

• Reversible seat - for those of you who want to keep them parent-facing while young and world-facing when they're older.
• Adjustable height handlebar or handles - important if more than one of you is going to be pushing it and you’re different heights.
• Shopping basket size - capacity varies from 1kg to 15kg. Look for a basket with sturdy sides and good access, even when the seat is reclined. Additional storage pockets around the pushchair are also useful.

See our pushchair buying suggestions for a list of features to look out for.

How to save money in the long run

It’s worth thinking about future-proofing when choosing your pushchair. Paying more money upfront could work out as a savvier option down the line. 

For example, convertible pushchairs can be turned into a double if you’re planning a bigger family in the near future and they’ll be close in age. This is a pushchair where you can attach one baby car seat or a carrycot and one ordinary pushchair seat.

Some also have buggy boards as an optional accessory. These connect to the back of your pushchair to create a platform for your older child to stand on while holding the pushchair’s handles. 

See all of our convertible pushchair reviews or take a look at some of the pushchairs with buggy boards we love.

Should I buy a second-hand pushchair?

In February 2024, we asked 2,671 parents with a child aged under five whether they owned a secondhand pushchair. We found 33% of people owned one, and 89% of them were satisfied with their purchase.

There's a sizable market for second-hand pushchairs if parents want to save money. Very often they're sold via local Facebook groups, on eBay, Gumtree or Shpock. Or, you may be able to buy one from a local mum's group, friend or family member. If you really want to save money, check for pushchairs going free on Freecycle. 

If you go down this route, there are a few things you should keep in mind: 

• Look for 'collection only' sales. Buy from somewhere that lets you inspect it before you hand over your cash. 
• Check it over. Make sure there’s no tears in the harness and that the wheels look secure and there’s no visible cracks in the chassis. 
• Give it a test drive. It's worth taking the pushchair for a quick circuit to make sure the wheels are aligned and it steers well and the brakes hold.

See which second-hand marketplaces impressed in our recent customer satisfaction survey. 

Cheap pushchair reviews

Look out for our Great Value pushchairs - these are models that score at least 72% and are at least 20% cheaper than other models that we've tested (based on typical RRP).

Below, we've outlined the key features of three low cost pushchairs, costing £250 or less. All seem to represent superb value for money - but do they deliver what they promise?

Hauck Travel N Care, £124.50

• Type: Lightweight stroller pushchair
• Travel system compatible: No
• Seat direction: World-facing only
• Useful features: 150 degree seat recline, rain cover included, one-hand fold

The Hauck Travel N Care markets itself as a holiday stroller as due to its weight and size. Read the full Hauck Travel N Care review to find out if our panel of parents and experts felt it was an easy pushchair to use.

Joie Nitro, £75

• Type: Lightweight stroller pushchair
• Travel system compatible: No
• Seat direction: World-facing only
• Useful features: 5 recline positions, rain cover included, detachable hood

This is a classic split handlebar stroller, that weighs 7.1kg, which should make it easy to lift up and down stairs if needed. You can't attach a car seat or carrycot, but it's suitable from birth that's to the nearly flat seat recline.

Read the full Joie Nitro review to discover our thoughts on it.

Mamas & Papas Armadillo, £249

• Type: Pushchair
• Travel system compatible: Yes
• Seat direction: World-facing only
• Useful features: 150 degree seat recline, colour-coded brake pedal, rain cover included

The Mamas & Papas Armadillo has been around for years, although we recently retested it. A travel system-compatible pushchair that costs less than £250 but could be a good option but will it provide a good ride and be easy to use?

Read the full Mamas & Papas Armadillo review to find out.