Yes, I Do Need Two Prams: Here’s Why

When I first started pram shopping, I felt completely overwhelmed by the options. Every brand promised the same thing: the ultimate pram that could do everything. It would glide across every terrain, fold up perfectly, grow with your baby, and somehow be compact, lightweight and sturdy all at once.

It felt like I needed to find one magical unicorn pram that would work for every situation in our lives.

After weeks of research, reviews and showroom visits, we settled on a compact full-size pram. The one we chose is incredible, and we just kept coming back to it every time we'd see it at One Fine Baby Expo or in a store.

We loved the huge basket underneath, the sturdy wheels that can handle everything from footpaths to rolling across the grass at the local park, and how smooth it feels to push and turn. It folds down easily, and it's really reliable. It's also not too big for our small apartment and car boot. For everyday life, it’s pretty close to that mythical unicorn pram I was searching for.

But then we planned a holiday.

From the get-go, my son loved our compact full-size pram.

When The Unicorn Everyday Pram Doesn't Exactly Fit In The Overhead

On a normal day at home, our main pram feels like the perfect size. When we decided to go on our first holiday with our son, I figured we could just zip it up into a travel bag, check it in and that's that. I didn't believe in the whole "travel pram" concept. Why would I need another pram just for trips away?

It did pack down well into a travel bag. But then we added in the suitcases. The extra suitcase just for our son's formula feeding essentials and the 45 onesies he would inevitably wee through in the night. Not to mention the entire carry bag of nappies and wipes. The portacot. We didn't bank on just how much extra stuff you travel with when you've got a baby. It barely fit on an airport trolley, and the pram was the biggest item.

But the airport wasn't the toughest part, because obviously all of that stuff just goes off on the little conveyor belt into that mysterious back area where it'll be hauled onto the plane. It was when we got all our stuff back at the destination. We're having to load it all into taxis, then unload it on a busy street with cars beeping at us. When we arrived at our Airbnb, the lift was so small we had to do multiple trips.

On the trip, our pram was still great. It just meant one more big item we had to get from A to B, and that wasn't working for us. By the end of the trip, we both agreed: if we planned to travel more, we needed a travel pram.

My son Joey on our first trip.

Enter the Travel Pram

Before our next trip, I started researching again. There were heaps of amazing travel prams to decide between, but again, we just kept coming back to the same one.

On our next trip, having a travel pram was amazing. Ours folds down one-handed, weighs under 7kg (how!!!) and is light enough to throw over my shoulder. Even better, it fits into overhead carry-on compartments on many planes, which makes airport travel dramatically easier.

It was also still sturdy and smooth to push, which meant we could comfortably navigate busy streets, footpaths and sightseeing days. Sure, it couldn't handle any crazy terrain like our main pram, but that was a sacrifice we were willing to make to have one less big item in our huge pile of stuff. For travel, it was exactly what we needed.

Joey's first outing in our travel pram.

The Surprise: I Started Using It All The Time

Here’s the part I didn’t expect. When we got home from that trip, we didn't pack the travel pram away. Instead, I kept reaching for it even though we weren’t travelling.

Travel prams are really convenient for those quick, in-and-out moments of daily life. Running from the car to daycare? Travel pram. Quick dash to the shops for milk? Travel pram. Dog desperate to go do its business? Travel pram.

Because it’s so lightweight and folds so easily, it makes those short trips feel effortless. I could pull it out of the car with one hand, unfold it in seconds and get moving. What started as a “holiday purchase” quickly became part of our everyday routine.

But My Full-Size Pram Still Has Its Purpose

Despite how much I love the travel pram, there are still plenty of times when our full-size pram is the one I want on me. For example, grocery shopping. The basket on the main pram is enormous, and it comfortably holds bags of groceries, a nappy bag and whatever else I end up picking up along the way. I'm actually amazed at how much I can shove in there, to be honest. While our travel pram has a surprisingly spacious basket, no travel pram, in my findings, can really handle a big shop.

I also love that my son can face me in the main pram. On longer walks, it’s nice to have that connection, being able to see him, chat to him and keep an eye on what he’s doing. The larger wheels and sturdier frame of a full-size pram make a big difference for times when he will be in the pram for a longer period, or when we might hit bumpy terrain.

The Two-Pram Realisation

So here I am, a mum who actually does need two prams. I couldn't give either of these up, truly! When you’re preparing for a baby, there’s so much pressure to choose the one perfect pram, the one that will do everything. But the reality is that parenting involves lots of different situations, and making your life easier becomes a top-level goal.

A full-size pram is fantastic for longer walks, shopping trips and daily outings where storage and comfort matter most. A travel pram shines when you need something quick and lightweight. Once I stopped thinking of them as duplicates and started seeing them as tools for different jobs, it made complete sense.

One unexpected advantage is that both prams actually fit in the boot of my car. This is the beauty of pairing a full-size pram with a compact travel pram. The travel pram takes up very little space, which means you can keep both on hand. Now, when I head out for the day, I simply decide which pram suits the activity. They each serve a purpose, and they both get plenty of use.

So, Do You Need Two Prams?

Look, technically, no. Of course you don't "need" two prams. Plenty of families manage perfectly well with just one. But like I said, if you can afford to invest in a travel pram, it will make life easier. The options have been a god-send, and once you experience how convenient it is, it stops feeling excessive and starts feeling surprisingly practical.

Struggling to decide on a pram? You've got to come to the next One Fine Baby Expo! Check out when the next one is happening near you.