When parents buy a pushchair for their new born baby, they always look for a safe, easy-to-use and value-for-money model. A test report on pushchairs published in the November issue of CHOICE magazine (No. 433) is a good reference.
Coordinated by the International Consumer Research & Testing (ICRT), the test covered 22 models priced from HK$ 739 to HK$11,480, which included travel systems (or combination pushchairs), strollers and double pushchairs made for babies and toddlers.
Test items include safety and ease of use.
Safety test
As the test was conducted in Europe by the ICRT, European standard (BS EN1888:2003) which has more safety requirements was adopted.
The test results revealed that 11 models performed well in the test, while 7 models, though passing all the test items, still had rooms for improvement in instructions and labelling.
The remaining 4 tested models failed to comply with the European standards in construction tests and folding designs. They had only one locking device with no secondary safety lock to keep the pushchair from folding when they were opened for use. There is a potential hazard of a sudden collapse of the pushchair if the lock somehow failed to function properly.
However, local agents and manufacturers argued that those tested models were in compliance with the standards for children pushchairs stipulated in the American Society for Testing and Materials（ASTM F833）. ASTM Standard does not have the requirement that a secondary lock device shall be provided for the folding design of the pushchairs.
The Consumer Council is of the view that, in comparison with other standards (e.g. ASTM), the additional requirement for a secondary safety lock included in the European standard is very important for the protection of young babies.
Moreover, one sample was found to have sharp edges and coarse surface which might hurt the parents or the kid.
Ease of use
The ease of use assessments of the pushchairs include daily operation, manoeuvrability and performance during motion, folding and unfolding mechanisms, reclining functions of the backrest, and the ease of use when travelling in public transportation.
Highlights of the assessment include:
- When moving over bumpy/uneven surfaces, 7 tested models trembled; when passed around obstacles, 2 samples were difficult to manoeuvre.
- 6 out of 22 samples could be folded single-handedly, setting the other hand free to hold the baby; in one sample, the folding design was inconvenient to the user and the folding lock was not strong enough.
- 4 samples were quite big in size and heavy, and users would find them quite inconvenient to carry when boarding or alighting buses.
- 5 tested models of travel system (or combination pushchair) were quite heavy (9 to 14kg in weight) while the lightest pushchair weighted only 4.8kg.
When using a pushchair, consumers are advised the take heed of the following:
- Never travel up or down stairs or escalators with pushchair. Use lift instead.
- Do not leave the baby in the pushchair unattended.
- Keep the baby out of the way when folding or unfolding the pushchair.
- Adjust the backrest to suit the age of the baby.
- Always use the seat belt to hold the baby in the pushchair.
- Do not rely totally on the brakes of the pushchair, always set the brakes and at the same time hold the pushchair with the hand when stopped on an incline.
- Do not hang shopping bags or heavy items over the back of the pushchair; otherwise it may overturn.
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