Pushchairs/strollers - what features would you like to see?

[chriscarter]

Hi all,

My name's Chris and I'm a recent university graduate looking for a design job. I've just been short-listed for a vacancy at a company that sells nursery products such as high chairs, pushchairs and car seats.

As part of the application process I have been asked to re-design one of their products: the MyChild Ultra Spacer.

www.jusonne.co.uk/my-child-ultra-spacer-pushchairbuggy-718-p.asp

If you have a spare moment I'd be very appreciative if you could suggest the sort of features you'd like to see on a push chair like this, or more specifically your ideal pushchair for your child.

All comments are much appreciated and I've got until the end of the month to come up with a suitable product.

A sun shade that actually shades rather than a small round brolley thingy or an oblong that sits half a foot away and lets the sun go in the poor childs eyes from the side.

A sun shade in oblong with sides that come down to stop the child getting burnt in the sun when sleeping. Instead we take towel with us to drap over the shade (but towel to heavy and shade moves with weight) or sheet but it still lets sun through.

I want:
a seat on the top between the handles for ds so I don't have to balance him there
a rubbish bag on the side as I am always being handed bits of crap things by the dcs/ baby in buggy.
somewhere to put my mobile/ keys on the school run to avoid using a handbag.

Agree with everything so far - the ability to convert to a double or a 'toddler seat' option would be brill. Lightweight, folds v small without having to remove everything first, front and rear facing with car seat and pram options, removable and washable covers. Reasonable price - not everyone has £300 to spend on a pushchair..

your link chris

an ideal stroller would be this with reversible seat

i use micralite as my travel buggy
light
big air tyres
easy steer
one handed easy
self standing

i have a bugaboo

a seat position that sits bolt upright..my little is always straining to sit forward in my buggies. handles that rotate and fold in on themselves..i have a chicco c1 and their handles do that which means it takes up less room in the boot as you can fold in the handles.. strong shopping basket..two way facing...wider seats..if you have a big toddler they have no shoulder room ,especially in winter when they have bulky coats on ..

should this not be in media/non member requests?

Fab ideas here folks. However I just don't think the perfect pushchair can be invented because there are just so many features to include, one of which is lightweight and easy folding! Anyway my list would include:

Lightweight
Easy compact one-handed folding in one piece (asking too much?)
Definitely with rear-facing option
Suitable from birth
Love the idea of an integrated sunshade - can it be an insect net too?
Free-movement harness (like the M&P ones i.e. not attached above the shoulders)
Good calf support for toddlers
Big basket, big basket, big basket (thought it worth repeating)
Suspension, but am a bit wary of air-filled tyres
Adjustable handle height
Other accessories: Shoulder strap, travel bag, cup-holder, fleece liner, bag-hooks

I've often given this lots of thought! I really do think the IDEAL buggy would be a cross between the Loola and Bugaboo, so it would have the manoeuvrability of the bug, with large springy tyres at the back, small individual suspension wheels at the front, but with the ease of reversibilty and folding up with the seat attached-ness of the Loola. The Loola also has a fab recline I always thought, so smooth to operate one handed.

The only reason the Loola isn't a Perfect Buggy is the fact its too wide and the front swivel wheeels do not always behave and are not good all-terrainers. With the bug style wheels, it would all be great!

I also liked the way you could swivel the handles of the Loola too so you could give your wrists a break if you wanted - the bar handle style nes always give me wrist/elbow strain.

If I could find a rearfacing pushchair, suitable from birth but that sat up properly straight for a toddler to see out, with a raincover that zipped down once it was on so you didn't have to keep taking it on and off for showers, with a handle that had a removable middle section for making it one handed (for easy steering) and two handed (for shopping bags) that was light enough when folded to lift up the stairs in my flat with my baby in the other arm and that would fit folded up into the boot of my little corsa with enough room for shopping then I would buy it

do you think I am asking too much?

oh and the raincover should have a little pocket so it could fold inside itself like a pac-a-mac and a clip to attach the pocket to the pushchair and the hood should be a "no pinch" canopy like this one