In theory, attaching the carrycot in a forward-facing mode is often possible. Actually, some (predominantly Polish) brands are presenting this option as an advantage. Not for me, thank you. With such a small baby in the carrycot, you need to keep a close eye on them and act fast if something happens. The depth of the carrycot is not too significant unless you need to use a footmuff or feel like buying an extra mattress. The depth of the carrycot doesn't add to the overall comfort for the baby - a shallower carrycot actually may provide a better view. The stroller systems with a 2in1 seat and carrycot in one part are usually quite shallow and, therefore, more suitable for spring/summer, but acceptable in winter too - with the right protective accessories. The mattress If you travel a lot and like the idea of carrycots with auto-kit usable instead of a car seat, but at the same time, you want to prioritize the safety of your child the most, you may want to look into lie-flat car seats. I know - this is not a carrycot per se, but it is still important to mention this option for parents often traveling with their young baby. Look at those that can be reclined while traveling, not only on the pushchair frame. The price of such a car seat is obviously at the higher end of the market, but you possibly won't even need a conventional full-featured carrycot if you're always on the go. I talk more about choosing the right car seat in this guide. Your baby can sleep in the carrycot for the first few months, and the cot can be attached to the frame to go out. 3-in-1 travel system

Not long ago, your child was squeezed in your uterus for weeks (and months). The baby is used to feeling snug; it reminds him of you and makes him or her feel safe and cozy. So, don't worry too much if your baby doesn't have a 10 cm gap all around him. My sons found a more narrow carrycot (or being wrapped in a swaddling blanket) very soothing. If it doesn't bother you, it is highly likely that your baby will be happy and content. The bars must be smooth, securely fixed, and the distance between each bar should not be more than 6.5cm (2.5 inches), so your baby's head cannot get trapped.Unsurprisingly, for a pushchair that performs well off-road, this Out n About double buggy has been designed to clean up nicely. Each seat liner is wipe-clean, but for serious spills they’re easy to remove and machine washable. They fared well in our tester’s washing machine (washed only once following juice spillages), without fading, bleeding or shrinking. The sun hoods are equally easy to remove and can be washed if necessary. A top-scorer in every area, the Nipper Double blew our tester away with its intuitive design features, flexibility and a push so easy it felt like gliding over the ground. There is always a chance you'd like to take the child out of the carrycot to feed him or just to show him the surroundings - it will need to be nice and warm even when outside of the carrycot. Talking about a wind blowing through the carrycot part right on your child is, therefore, absolutely irrelevant, even if the carrycot was made out of thinner materials. It is simply not happening like that 🙂

It’s good news from the moment the box arrives. The Nipper Double 360 V4 arrives almost fully assembled – chassis, seats and hoods in place. All you’ll need to do is pop the wheels on and go. Some carrycots have a safety mechanism to keep them fixed in the car, and therefore, they may be used instead of the Group 0+ car seats. Such carrycots provide maximum comfort for a child as the baby lies flat instead of sitting arched in the car seat, but unfortunately, the degree of safety is lower, which will mainly be evident in a serious accident. So far, none of the carrycots proved to be extremely safe, so they should be used more for occasional, short journeys only. Baby carriers – also called slings – are attached with straps and your baby is carried in front of you. Most babies like being carried like this because they're close to you and warm. The most common system for moving the carrycot is a handle that is either integrated into the hood or situated just above the hood. Such a handle offers the most stable and most comfortable manipulation. There are also carrycots featuring side straps, but because you have to hold onto and balance two objects in one hand, this system is slightly less comfortable (although still manageable). The third, rather rare option involves using fixed attachments on the side of the carrycot, where you have to use both hands, which makes the manipulation even less comfortable. Fabrics-based carrycots (meaning a lot of fabric used as the main protection factor - and often good foldability) are usually lighter and more compact. How much space they offer depends greatly on the model - they can be really tiny but also extremely spacious. When it comes to material, fabrics are good enough and don't influence the quality of the carrycot much. Sides of each soft carrycot are reinforced with either solid bars or a foldable system, and don't forget - the baby is in every case more or less protected with a hood and an apron as well.Usually, you are adding the carrycot to the chassis directly (without adapters). However, adapters are often necessary for stroller systems featuring a fixed, world-facing seat unit, as the attachment system for the carrycot has to be added. Occasionally, the adapters can be found in systems with a reversible seat unit as well. There are also those stroller systems where the use of adapters is not necessary, but an adapter is available anyway, helping you regulate the height of the carrycot. Using adapters, the carrycot will be sitting slightly higher on the chassis, thus closer to you, allowing bonding. These adapters are standard for brands such as iCandy or Easywalker. An even more sophisticated related function is the adjustment of height directly on the chassis by moving the attaching point, found in, for example, the Stokke Xplory or the Mima Xari lines.

The most common way of **providing airflow is through the hood*. It could be a zip-open mesh panel, a closable viewing window with a net, or a fabric part that you can pull aside, opening a mesh section. It is, however, an advantage if the hood can be fully covered even - as opposed to the situations where there is a mesh-only panel, which could be a problem when you need to extend the hood in cold weather without bringing extra cold air into the carrycot. Having said that, even a mesh panel is always better than having no means of extending the hood at all. Lying on the mattress inclined underneath the baby's head, the baby often slips down. Even worse, the head may be pushed closer to the chest, making the child's breathing more difficult, which is another bug con of inclining carrycots. Moms often say that the baby wants to have a better view. I disagree - if the baby is big enough for an inclined position, it is time to switch for the seat unit offering a more natural body position while providing your kid with a better view (even when fully reclined). I just can't see the need for an inclining carrycot, where the baby has no other choice than just kind of sit clumsily without any safety belts. So much better to rather use the seat unit. The last argument against the inclining of the carrycot mattress is that the mechanism often gets damaged or broken, mainly in cheaper models. Relatively slimline width means it fits through almost all doorways, in the average car boot and on public transport Some brands, such as Stokke, Mutsy, Cam, Inglesina offer the carrycot, the seat unit, and the chassis separately so that you can put together any combination you want. Chance is, if you ask for it, the manufacturer of your chosen stroller system may be able to provide you with only the carrycot part with the stroller frame, so it is worth asking if you really need that. Because the carrycot is generally used only for a few months anyway and usually doesn't get worn out much, a second-hand pram with only the carrycot attachment (and no seat) may be a relatively safe, budget-friendly, and eco-friendly option too.The ventilation, as well as the apron, are function-wise closely related to the hood, and thus deserve more attention. Ventilation The Nipper Double has a reputation as an off-road buggy, and no wonder – its rear suspension and air-filled tyres make for a smooth ride over even the bumpiest woodland trail. But our tester found it equally well-suited to urban life, as the Out n About double buggy showed itself unfazed by school runs, park trips and errands in town.

Prams give your baby a lot of space to sit and lie comfortably, but they take up a lot of space and are hard to use on public transport. Another - and a rather good - approach is to choose the stroller system with a seat unit you like and just survive any carrycot that' fits it for those first few months, no matter how large or functional it i In the end, unlike the carrycot, you will use the seat unit for much longer, and most of the disadvantages of the carrycot are bearable or easily resolved anyway. Look for the United Nations ECE Regulation number R44.03 or R44.04, or the new i-size regulation R129, when you buy a car seat. Look for the E mark label on the car seat.I want to add a short remark regarding the protective sheets and other rubber covers we use to keep the mattress clean. From the point of health and safety of a newborn baby, and to prevent SIDS, it is not recommended to put the baby on any non-breathable materials. Such a young baby can't regulate its body temperature properly, and therefore, it can get overheated, especially in summer. The inclining function There's no evidence that using washing powders with enzymes (bio powders) or fabric conditioners will irritate your baby's skin. Baby bedding The fold and unfold can be managed with one hand at a push, holding a baby in the other – gold dust for any new parent of two – and there’s no need to unclip the seats to do so. All you need to do is release a clip on either side of the buggy while making sure that the seats are in an upright position. Wait until your baby can sit by themselves before using another type of pushchair. Choose a light pushchair if you'll be lifting it on to trains or buses. Prams sheets to cover the mattress – you need at least 4 because they need to be changed often; fitted sheets make life easier but can be quite expensive, so you could use pieces of old sheet