Wondering when to buy your pram? We explain the ideal timing, how stock and lead times affect your choice, what to do once you've ordered, and how to be fully ready by 36 weeks.
Quick Summary: This guide helps expectant parents decide when to buy their pram. It explains why popular colourways, pre-orders and bundles make leaving it late risky, and gives a trimester-by-trimester timeline with roughly 24 to 30 weeks as the ideal ordering window. It also covers practical tips for storing and preparing a pram ordered early, and why the car seat should be sorted at the same time. It features popular travel systems, statement prams and infant car seats, and ends with a third-trimester readiness checklist and an invitation to book a personal shopping appointment at our shop.
Few purchases feel quite as big as choosing your baby's pram. It's the thing you'll use every single day, it's often the most significant spend on your list, and for many parents it's the moment the whole pregnancy starts to feel real. So it's no surprise that one of the questions we hear most often is a simple one: when should I actually buy it?
Buy too early and you might worry about changing your mind. Leave it too late and you could find your favourite colour has sold out, or be building a pushchair at 2am with a newborn in your arms. In this guide we'll walk through the practical realities of stock and delivery, a simple pregnancy timeline, what to do once you've ordered, and a checklist to make sure everything is ready well before your due date.
Why Timing Matters More Than You Might Think
Pushchairs aren't like a packet of nappies you can pick up whenever you need them. There are a few very practical reasons why leaving it late can limit your choices.
- Popular colourways sell through. New season shades and special editions are often produced in limited runs. If your heart is set on a particular colour, it may not be available when you finally come to order.
- New models can launch on pre-order. When a brand releases an updated model, early stock is often allocated quickly, and later orders may join a waiting list for the next delivery.
- Bundles and travel systems have more moving parts. A complete package might include the chassis, carrycot, seat unit, car seat and ISOFIX base. If one part is temporarily unavailable, the whole bundle can be delayed.
- Your energy and mobility change. Most parents find the middle of pregnancy the most comfortable time to visit a shop, push a few prams around and fold them in and out of the car. By the final weeks, a long shopping trip can feel like hard work.
- Babies don't always wait for their due date. According to the premature baby charity Bliss, around 1 in 13 babies in the UK are born before 37 weeks. Having the essentials sorted early means one less thing to worry about if your little one arrives ahead of schedule.
None of this is meant to rush you. It's simply that giving yourself a comfortable window means you get the pram you actually want, in the colour you love, without any last-minute stress.
A Simple Pregnancy Timeline for Buying Your Pram
Every pregnancy is different, but this rough timeline works well for most families and leaves plenty of breathing room.
First trimester (up to 12 weeks): browse and dream
There's no need to buy anything yet. This is a lovely time to start noticing which prams catch your eye when you're out and about, chat to friends about what they use, and read up on the different types. Our guide to choosing the perfect pushchair is a great place to start.
Around 16 to 24 weeks: research and shortlist
Many parents feel ready to start planning properly after the 20-week scan. Think about your lifestyle: do you live in a city with lots of public transport, or somewhere with country lanes and muddy walks? How big is your car boot? Do you want a full travel system with a car seat included, or would you rather choose each part separately? Narrow it down to two or three favourites.
Around 24 to 30 weeks: try, choose and order
This is the sweet spot. You're likely to feel comfortable getting out and about, there's still plenty of time if anything is on pre-order, and you can see prams in person before committing. Push them, fold them, lift them and check they fit in your boot. Once you've decided, placing your order now means you're covered even if your chosen colour needs a few extra weeks.
Around 32 to 36 weeks: build, practise and fit
Get your pram assembled, have a go at folding it a few times (ideally without a baby watching!) and make sure your infant car seat is fitted in your car. Aim to have everything ready by around 36 weeks so you can relax and enjoy the final stretch.
Ordering Early: What to Think About
Once you've placed your order, a little planning makes the next few weeks much smoother.
Storing it safely. If you're keeping your pram boxed until nearer the time, store it somewhere dry and at a steady temperature, such as a spare room or under the stairs. Damp garages, sheds and lofts aren't ideal, as fabrics can pick up moisture and odours over time.
Checking everything is there. Even if you're not building it straight away, it's worth opening the box and checking all the parts are present, so any query can be sorted with plenty of time to spare rather than in the week your baby is due.
Registering your warranty. Many brands offer warranty registration online, and some extend their cover when you register. It only takes a few minutes and gives you extra peace of mind for the years ahead.
Practising the fold. Every pram has its own little knack. Practising the fold and unfold a few times before the baby arrives means you'll feel confident on your very first outing, whether that's at the car park, on the bus or outside a busy café.
Checking your boot. Folded size varies hugely between models. If space is tight, our guide to boot-friendly pushchairs is well worth a read, and you're always welcome to bring your car to our shop to check the fit before you buy.
Don't Forget the Car Seat
If you'll be driving your baby home from hospital, the car seat isn't something to leave until the last minute. In the UK, children must travel in an appropriate child car seat, and many hospitals will want to see that you have one before you head home by car. We cover this in more detail in our guide: Do I Need an Infant Carrier to Leave the Hospital?
There are a few good reasons to sort your car seat alongside your pram:
- Compatibility. If you'd like to click your infant carrier straight onto your pushchair frame, you'll want to choose the two together and check which adaptors are needed. Our guide to travel system bundles explains how this works.
- Your car matters. Not every car seat fits every car. It's worth checking your vehicle has ISOFIX points and that the base sits correctly. If you're unsure, our guide Has My Car Got ISOFIX? will help.
- Fitting takes time to get right. A correctly fitted seat makes a real difference to safety. Having it installed a few weeks before your due date means you can practise taking it in and out of the car calmly.
Today's infant car seats are approved under the i-Size (R129) regulation, which uses your baby's height rather than weight and requires rear-facing travel for longer. If you'd like to understand what that means for your choice, our i-Size and R129 explainer and choosing your first car seat guide cover everything you need to know. And remember, we offer free car seat fitting at our shop, so you can drive away knowing it's done properly.
Popular Choices Worth Reserving Early
If you're at the shortlisting stage, here are some of the prams and travel systems our customers love, grouped by what you might be looking for. These are the kinds of models where choosing early really pays off, as the most popular colours can be snapped up quickly.
If you want everything sorted in one go
A complete travel system takes the guesswork out of compatibility, as the pushchair, car seat and base are designed to work together from day one.
- Maxi-Cosi Fame 2026 Travel System with Pebble Slide Pro: a stylish, easy-going everyday pushchair paired with Maxi-Cosi's Pebble Slide Pro infant carrier and base. A brilliant all-in-one choice if you want to order once and know everything fits.
- Nuna MIXX Next Bundle with ARRA Flex Car Seat: beautifully made, with a smooth ride and a really neat fold. This bundle includes the ARRA Flex car seat, ISOFIX base and stand, so it's a lovely complete package for parents who appreciate premium details.
- Joie Finiti Flex Travel Ready Bundle: a versatile, practical choice that comes with the popular i-Level Pro car seat and ISOFIX base. Fantastic value for a full system that's ready to go from birth.
If you've fallen for a statement pram
These are the prams that turn heads, and they're also the ones where specific colourways and editions can be hardest to get hold of if you leave it late.
- iCandy Peach 8 Complete Bundle: iCandy's much-loved Peach, now in its eighth generation, with a gorgeous finish and the flexibility to grow with your family. The complete bundle includes the accessories you'll need, so you're ready from the very first walk.
- Silver Cross Cove 2 Pushchair Bundle: a stylish, compact pram with Silver Cross's clever One-Hand Genius Fold and a handy carry strap. A great choice if you want something elegant that's also easy to live with day to day.
- Venicci Upline 3 Pushchair Bundle: modern, sleek and packed with accessories, the Upline 3 is a superb all-rounder that looks every bit as good as it performs.
If you're choosing your car seat separately
- Maxi-Cosi Pebble 360 Pro2: a rotating i-Size infant carrier that makes getting your baby in and out of the car so much easier on your back.
- Cybex Cloud T i-Size: a premium infant carrier with excellent comfort and a rotating design when used with its compatible base.
- Joie i-Level Pro Signature: a popular, well-designed infant carrier with a reassuring feel and a soft Signature finish.
Want to see more? Browse our full range of pushchairs and travel systems, our pushchair bundles and our baby car seats. You might also find our round-up of the best travel systems for 2026 helpful.
Your Third-Trimester Readiness Checklist
By around 36 weeks, it's worth running through this quick list so you can head into the final weeks feeling calm and prepared.
- Pram or pushchair chosen, delivered and checked for all parts
- Pram assembled (or ready to assemble quickly if you're keeping it boxed)
- Fold and unfold practised a few times
- Folded pram fits comfortably in your car boot
- Infant car seat fitted in the car, with the base secure
- Car seat adaptors in place if you plan to click it onto your pushchair
- Warranty registered with the manufacturer
- Rain cover and any weather accessories unpacked and ready
- Pram suitable for a newborn to lie flat, using a carrycot or lie-flat seat unit (our guide to pushchairs to use from birth explains why this matters)
If you'd like a little help getting there, why not book a no-pressure personal shopping appointment at our shop? Our team can talk you through the options, let you try prams in our large indoor and outdoor areas, check the fold in your own car boot and help you plan everything around your due date. It's one of the easiest ways to take the stress out of the biggest purchase on your list.
