As any new parent will quickly tell you, the smaller the baby, the more equipment you have. In the world of pushchairs, travel systems and prams, this is certainly the case. Extra padding, the ability to recline completely flat and the flexibility to add a car seat on top or to tip the seat the other way to face mummy or daddy - these are all factors that not only bump up the price, but make the finished article far heavier and more bulky to carry around.
However, travelling with a very small baby is perhaps the optimum time - especially if you can take advantage of a few months' maternity leave - so it's good to see that the lightweight buggy range does include a few 'from birth' models, even if most of them come at a price.

Hauck Uno 6
Hauck Uno 6
Why get a lightweight buggy?
After a few months of wrestling with your travel system, you'll be overjoyed to switch to a lightweight model. Whilst you might still use the bigger pram or pushchair when you're walking from your home or going somewhere in the car, being able to buzz around shops, get onto buses or trains, and certainly when considering travelling by air, you need something lighter to carry and more compact to pack. Not only for the sake of your own stress levels, but because airlines are seriously cracking down on people carrying too much heavy luggage on most trips.

Additionally, with most big prams, systems and pushchairs costing you at least £200, you don't necessarily want to go on holiday only to see a mangled £400 buggy roll off the luggage carousel at the other end! Sure, some of the really funky new pushchairs are designed to hike with you over sandy beaches, but you're going to fele more comfortable with something cheap, light and easy to care for when you're on holiday.
That's when the lightweight buggy really comes into its own.

If they're so good, why not just buy a lightweight from day one?
Most lightweight buggies, despite the pros, have a few cons too.
By their nature they tend to be pared down versions of manufacturers other lines, in order to reduce their bulkiness. The seat will often be less comfy for long periods of sitting, or they will have fewer reclining positions.
Most don't take a car seat, which can be really useful in the early months if you want to transfer a sleeping baby from car to pram.
Lightweights tend to be less sturdy than bigger models and, whilst they'll do you proud round town, they're not so suited to three years of parkland or country walks. Because they tend to be cheaper, most people have a transition period (usually at about six months) from their big pushchair, which they still use occasionally, to using a lightweight buggy. Some even have an ultra cheap model they use for air journeys. But if you want to, it is possible to find some good lightweights that you can buy and use from day one.

What to look for

  • Check out the size of the buggy when it's folded if carrying on planes etc. is important for you.
  • Try to find one with a carry handle on the side as this makes it easier to carry when folded. (Some come with their own carry bag.)
  • Look at the seat. Some are very simple to make their cheap and light. Is the seat going to be comfortable enough for your child on a daytrip where you might be out for hours?
  • Look at the wheels. On cheap models, simplicity means you can't expect super manoueverability, but it is worth checking out as some with light plastic wheels can still be nippy little movers. Some plastic wheels offer a rather hard ride which might not be a good idea if you're going somewhere with lots of cute cobbled streets!
  • Does it take a car seat? Some at the top end of the range will take a car seat and this can be useful if you're going somewhere where you are going to 'fly-drive'. However, they will probably only fit car seats from a selected range of makers.

    Mamas & Papas Nipi
    Mamas & Papas Nipi
    Lightweight buggies from birth
    Most lightweights suitable from birth are, let's face it, less lightweight than ones for older babies.
    Extra padding and suchlike to make them more suitable for a tiny baby means they inevitably involve more mechanisms etc. Most of them are also more expensive than strollers for older babies, but that is not always the case.
    Mamas & Papas do two lightweights that can be used from birth. These are at the higher end of the market in terms of extra features and cost. The Aria Dot to Dot weighs just 5kg, but it does come with a £120 price tag. For half the price, the M&P Nipi Buggy is also suitable from birth and is a good, pared down version, though it's heavier to carry, at 6.4kg.

    Maclaren are in many people's eye to buggies what Hoover are to vacuum cleaners. Long before other manufacturers were creating pushchairs you could fold down into a long stick, Maclaren were leading the way. You'll see lots of models based around the Techno Classic which is a good solid model that weighs 6.3kg and is suitable from birth. Extras include a UV-treated hood and sun visor, useful if you're taking it out on holiday somewhere hot. However, at £154.99, it's not a cheap option.

    Bébé Confort have some nifty, stylish lightweights that are not cheap, but can be useful if you are looking to buy just one, good travel system that can be used as a lightweight, too. Their Loola retails for around £230 or at about £439.99 if you get the whole travel system option at the same time. The basic buggy weights about 6.6kg, and they also do an 'Urban' which is pretty good, too. Check out their fabulous animated website and you'll be completely sold on how tiny their buggies can fold down!
    The Micralite Fastfold is a light option that can be added to to make it a full-on travel system. It folds down neatly into its own bag and the basic buggy weighs around 6.8kg. Prices start from around £130 plus the extras on top.
    From the Graco range, the lightest model is the Citisport which can be used from birth to about three years, costs £74.99 and weighs 6.4kg.
    The real star if you're looking for a super-light buggy with no frills but which can be used from birth, is the Hauck Uno 6 which is 4.5kg. It's a very simple little thing but at £27.99, it's perfect for life on the go when you don't want something for very long walks! Most models like this are only suitable for older babies but the Uno 6 reclines back to 160 degrees so you can use it from birth. (For stockists, call 0870 840 6727.)
    In the higher range of from-birth, lightweights with all the bells and whistles, Silver Cross launched their POP buggy just in time for the holiday season. At £99.99, it competes well with the lux end of this market and it weights just £5.9kg.

    Hauck Alu Flash
    Hauck Alu Flash
    Suitable from three months
    Even by 12 weeks, the suitable options begin to get light and usually cheaper, for lightweights. Hauck have quite a few different pushchairs and other products suitaed to keeping light on the go, and in this range, their Alu Flash is a good choice, weighing just 6kg. It has an aluminium frame, so it's light but strong, it has four backrest positions which is useful when your baby wants to nap, and it costs about £79.99.
    Maclaren do the Techno Quest Sport for £84.99 which weighs 5.5kg and is also suitable from three months. It has a UV-treated window on the hood, which can be very useful in sunny weather.

    Suitable from six months
    By six months, the choice really open up because you baby can support himself much more. This doesn't mean you necessarily want something that has no flexibility, but if you want something super light (especially for toddlers) then there are some cheap, cheerful and superlight models on the market.
    The Zooper Salsa weighs just 4.8kg and is a stylish option. Zooper are not particularly cheap but they are well made and look good.
    Many critics have rated the Cosatto Comet with Parasol which weighs just 5.5kg and costs around £42, but is often on offer for much less. This is a good little buggy though it is one of the options which only come in one position.
    The Maclaren Volo costs £60 and is a beautifully made little buggy. Whilst it only has one seat postion, it weighs just 3.9kg!
    (That may not exciting to you right now, but I promise, you find yourself getting a bit obsessive about weight when you start to look for a lightweight buggy!)
    In the three-wheeler market, most are pretty heavyweight, but the Quinny Zapp has had some rave reviews from new parents because you get the three-wheeler look but it weights just 6kg. It costs about £130 but it is well designed and suitable from birth if you add a car seat. It folds down into its own holdall too, which is great for plane journeys.
    We haven't picked out so many in this range as you'll find pretty much everyone does a light buggy suitable from six months. Just make sure you take your checklist of priorities along with you when you go shopping or browsing online.