Three Brands, Three Very Different Personalities
iCandy, Silver Cross, and Cybex are three of the names parents ask us about most when they're ready to invest in a premium pram. All three sit at the top of their game, all three are beautifully engineered, and all three will happily see your baby from birth through toddlerhood. But they're not the same pram wearing different badges. Each one has a genuinely different personality, and the "best" one really does depend on what you value most in day-to-day use. We've spent years fitting, demonstrating, and hearing feedback on all three ranges in our Showroom, so here's an honest look at who each one actually suits, especially if you're coming to this with no real idea of what sets one premium brand apart from another.
iCandy: Built for Versatility and Configuration
iCandy is a British brand known for one thing above all else: flexibility. Its flagship Peach 8 is the most current version of iCandy's best-known pram, and it's the one we'd point most new parents towards if configurability is what matters to you. The seat unit and carrycot can be swapped, reversed, and rearranged in more combinations than almost any other pram on the market, and the range can be built out into a full double buggy setup for a second child later down the line. If you like the idea of one pram that can genuinely adapt as your family's needs change, rather than being replaced every time your circumstances shift, this is where iCandy earns its reputation.
The chassis has real presence too. It's a statement pram, wide-wheeled and substantial-looking, which some parents love and others find a touch bulky for narrow shop doorways or tight hallways. We'd always recommend trying the fold and the width for yourself before committing, especially if you're working with a small car boot or a narrow terraced hallway. iCandy tends to suit parents who want one pram to do everything, who like having lots of colourways and seat unit options to choose from, and who don't mind a bit of extra width in exchange for that flexibility.
Silver Cross: Heritage, Ride Quality and Range Breadth
Silver Cross has been making prams in Britain for well over a century, and it shows in the ride quality. The Cove 2 and the Reef 2 are both known for a smooth, settled push, largely thanks to excellent suspension and a chassis that soaks up uneven pavements without transferring every bump to your baby. If you're regularly out on cobbles, older pavements, or country paths, this is a brand that genuinely feels the difference underfoot.
One detail that consistently wins parents over is the Cove 2's fold. Unlike many prams, where you have to remove the carrycot before folding the chassis, the Cove 2 folds away with the carrycot still attached, which makes a genuine difference on a cold morning when you're trying to get everything into the car boot in one go without waking a sleeping baby. Reef 2 builds on the same suspension pedigree with a larger seat unit and even more storage underneath, aimed at families who want maximum practicality alongside that smooth ride. Silver Cross tends to suit parents who prioritise comfort and a settled ride above all else, particularly if your daily walk isn't on perfectly flat pavements.
Cybex: Design-Led Engineering and a Lighter Touch
Cybex approaches things from a different angle entirely. German-engineered and design-focused, the Priam is built around clean lines, a genuinely lightweight feel for a full-size travel system, and one of the most compact one-hand folds we demonstrate in store. If you're someone who values a pram that's quick to fold, easy to lift into a car boot, and doesn't feel like hard work on a long day out, Cybex tends to be the brand that wins parents over.
The e-Priam takes this a step further with a genuinely useful party trick: a built-in electric motor that assists with pushing and, more importantly, with braking on hills. It won't suit everyone, and for a lot of parents on flat ground it's simply an added expense they don't need. But for parents in hillier towns, anyone managing additional weight in the basket or a toddler board attached, or anyone who finds a fully loaded pram physically tiring to manage, the e-Priam's motor genuinely changes how manageable the school run or the daily walk feels. Cybex also has one of the strongest car seat ecosystems of the three, with seamless click-in compatibility across its own range, which matters if you're planning to use a matching car seat rather than mixing brands.
Ride, Fold and Everyday Practicality Compared
Push all three back to back and the differences become obvious fairly quickly. iCandy feels the most substantial and configurable, but also the widest and heaviest to fold and lift. Silver Cross feels the smoothest over rough ground, with the most settled, cushioned ride of the three. Cybex feels the lightest and quickest to fold, which matters enormously if you're in and out of the car several times a day or navigating stairs without a lift.
None of these are flaws exactly, they're trade-offs. A wider chassis that handles brilliantly on open pavements can feel cumbersome in a narrow hallway. A pram optimised for a fast, light fold sometimes has a slightly firmer ride than one built primarily for comfort. This is exactly why trying before you buy matters so much at this end of the market, when every brand is well made and the differences come down to feel rather than function.
Build Quality, Warranty and Living With It Day to Day
What sets all three of these brands apart from more budget options isn't just how they look on day one, it's how they still perform after two years of daily use. Chassis parts, wheel bearings, and fold mechanisms are engineered to a higher tolerance across all three ranges, so they stay smooth and rattle-free rather than becoming loose or sticky the way cheaper prams sometimes do. That's a big part of what you're paying for at this end of the market.
Where they differ is in the smaller details of everyday ownership. iCandy's accessory range means you can refresh the look of your pram over time with a new seat unit or colourway rather than buying an entirely new pram. Silver Cross backs its ranges with a strong warranty on the chassis itself, which matters if you're planning to use one pram for several years. Cybex's car seat ecosystem means fewer separate purchases if you're staying within the brand from car seat through to toddler years. It's worth asking us in our Showroom about the specific warranty terms on each range, as they do vary and it's genuinely useful information to have before you commit.
So, Which One Is Right for You?
If you want maximum configurability and a pram that can adapt as your family changes, look at iCandy. If ride comfort and heritage engineering matter most, especially on rougher surfaces, Silver Cross is worth prioritising. If a lightweight feel, fast fold, and seamless car seat integration are what you're after, Cybex tends to be the better fit. Honestly, the best way to decide is to push all three yourself. Bring your usual changing bag, load the basket, try the fold with one hand, and see which one feels right for your own hallway, car boot, and daily routine in our Showroom. Our full range of pushchairs and travel systems is online if you'd like to start browsing beforehand.
