Prestige by BabyStyle Review 2023

The Prestige by BabyStyle, known for its traditional design, has undergone a significant transformation with new styling.

Quick Summary: If you are after a hybrid of the pushchair world, that gives you modern styling but features like the bouncy suspension and super-sized pram body, you can’t go far wrong with the new Prestige. We love the new Vogue chassis and think that it complements the fabrics and shape of the pram body and seat unit perfectly.

Whats good?

• Great styling
• Easy fold
• Bouncy and adjustable suspension
• Large carrycot and seat
• Good price

Whats not so good?

• Large one-piece fold
• Plasticky foot rest

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New Vogue chassis

The Prestige has a new shape chassis, which is probably where the biggest of the changes lie. We have the modern looking Vogue chassis, with all of the features that you could need. If you do prefer that traditional chrome style, you can still get the classic chassis.

The main chassis bar runs from the front wheels and right up to the handlebar. You’ve then got two bars coming off that to your rear axle and wheels. Depending on the design you choose, these will be either a shiny copper gold, or black to match the rest of the frame. We’re testing out the new Ebony colourway with a Vogue Chassis featuring copper legs.

Adjustable handlebar

Adjusting with the buttons on either side, the handlebar of the Prestige rotates up and down. It offers a wide range of heights, suitable for both short and tall parents, as well as siblings who may be taking a turn pushing.

The handlebar is covered in stitched leatherette, which slightly curves up in the middle for better ergonomics and provides a comfortable grip. You have the choice of either a black or brown leatherette. The gold detailing on the handlebar matches the rest of the chassis, adding to its overall aesthetic appeal.

Two small knobs on the inside allow you to hang your matching changing bag, to keep it out of the way, or to attach the integrated sunshade on the pram body

Braking and rolling

The brake pedal is designed to be easy to use, even when wearing flip-flops. It can be easily engaged by pressing down on the pedal and disengaged by pushing it forward. This “flip-flop friendly” design makes it convenient for parents to operate the brake with minimal effort and without having to remove or damage their footwear.

The front and rear wheels are designed to handle any terrain. They are of an optimal size and able to traverse any surface. They are not air-filled, eliminating the need to worry about punctures. These wheels are also easy to detach for cleaning or to enable a more compact fold. To remove the wheels, simply press the centre of the rear wheels and the button on the front of the front wheels, and they will pop out. There are also two buttons on the rear axle that you can press instead to remove the rear wheels.

We have loved pushing the Prestige around during testing. The gentle bounce as you stroll gives baby a rocking motion which helps soothe them and it makes popping up and down kerbs much easier.

If you are covering a bumpier ground, you can lock the front wheels to keep you in a straight line. Just twist the dial at the top of each one to lock it into place. It’s a nice touch that this dial is also finished in gold.

This new model maintains its reputation for having a smooth and bouncy suspension. While using the carrycot, it provides a softer ride for newborns, and then a switch on the bottom of the chassis allows for a firmer suspension as the child grows. This feature allows the pushchair to adapt to the changing needs of the child as they grow.

Basket for your shopping

The front of the frame has a footplate, which is really handy when your child is in the seat unit. It gives them another place to rest longer legs or step up.

The basket of the new model has undergone several improvements. It now features a flap at the back that makes it easy to access and remove items. The flap can be closed and secured with magnets, which not only keeps items safe, but also gives the basket a more compact appearance. However, when the flap is opened, it reveals a spacious basket that is capable of holding everything you need for a day out. Additionally, the front of the basket is high enough to prevent items from falling out. We’ve loaded it with coats, snacks and plenty of bags with no issue.

Large to small pram body

A large pram body is one of the features that parents have always loved about the Prestige. Though the styling has changed, it’s still a great size, with a mattress length of 76cm. Allowing baby to stay in their comfortable bed on wheels for longer, it also has a clever trick for those who lack lots of storage space.

On the underside of the pram body are two levers that can be slid to the centre, this compacts the carrycot down to almost completely flat to make it easier to transport in your car boot or store at home when not in use!

We love this brilliant new feature, and would love to see it on more pram bodys and carrycots. To get it back up again, just push the levers back the other way, until they lock into place! It removes the compromise of those that don’t have big car boots, but still want a larger pram body.

Protection from the elements

Upon initial inspection, we were disappointed to notice that the quilted apron does not have zippers, poppers, or Velcro to secure it in place. However, after thorough testing, we discovered that the eight magnets used to attach it to the pram body are strong enough to keep it securely in place, even when the child kicks or the wind blows. Additionally, it is easy to put on and take off the apron using one hand, making it convenient for parents to use. You might want to avoid sitting anything on top of the pram Body whilst out shopping though, as we know this is something that parents often do.

If it’s particularly windy, the apron has an extra section that can be folded up to keep out the drafts. A small plastic window lets you still see into baby.

A great included accessory to use with your carrycot is a sun shade that zips onto the hood and attaches to the hooks on the chassis. This offers ultimate protection from bright sun, which can be an issue in both summer and winter months.

Pram body ventilation

Inside the pram body, it’s fully lined with a soft padding and a thick and firm mattress. There are two pockets at the foot end, which we found handy as secret compartments for your phone, purse, keys, or the sunshade.

To provide proper ventilation on warm days or when using the pushchair indoors, there are two mesh panels that can be opened. One is located in the hood and a new one on the head end of the pram body’s base. The latter has a zipper that holds it in an upright position and can be dropped down easily. This feature not only promotes airflow but also offers older babies a different view of their surroundings to keep them engaged.

The hood itself is a good size and pulls up to 90 degrees over your little one. There’s also an extra visor for a bit more protection from the elements. To put the hood back, press the two buttons on the inside.

Getting the pram body off the frame is done with the two levers. We found it easiest to hold the handle in the hood, while lifting one lever and then the other. Being a large pram body, this would be an easier process with memory buttons.

The seat unit

Once baby outgrows the pram body, you can move them into the seat unit. The seat unit also lays flat , so it can be used from birth should you wish to use it sooner. To recline, just lift the lever at the back and choose from one of four positions.

This seat unit is a massive upgrade to the previous Prestige, as that one looked quite old-fashioned in comparison. Suitable from birth to 22kg, the seat unit has good longevity for bigger toddlers. The seat back has a good height of 51cm to suit your growing child.

Used on the chassis parent facing, we found that the seat sits nice and high and gave us great interaction with our little one. Removing it for folding or to turn around is done the same way as the carrycot, pull the two levers and lift.

The Prestige seat unit comes with a thickly padded, grey liner to make sure that the child is kept comfortable. It was nice to find that even without the liner, there is plenty of support in the main seat. This is good if you want to remove it to wash, but still need to use your pushchair.

Leg rest and five point harness

For smaller babies, they usually prefer more support for their legs, and this is achieved by lifting up the foot rest. Press the buttons on the outside and lift up or move down to one of six positions. Although it has a black material covering, the base does have a lot of plastic on show, which some parents may not be a fan of – but it is very easy to clean after muddy walks. Not only can the leg rest lift up, but you can lengthen it too! Simply lift this plastic section and pull it out to your desired position. Brilliant idea for longer legs, making sure they don’t dangle past the seat.

The harness can be split down into five sections if you prefer, but during testing we kept the shoulder and waist sections together for ease, and then clipped into the buckle. To release again, just press the centre of the buckle. The button is slightly ridged, which is a nice texture to press. There are three harness heights and padded covers on the shoulder section. To change the height, you do need to take out from the back of the seat, and rethread through.

Whether your child uses it as a leg rest or a steering wheel, the bumper bar is a staple for a seat unit. The Prestige one is gate opening from either side and covered in the same leatherette as the handlebar. It’s easy to release with the buttons on the side.

If the hood doesn’t offer quite enough protection from the elements, you can unzip an additional section which brings it down over the bumper bar. Hidden in this panel is a large mesh window that gives visibility of your forward facing child, and lots of airflow on hot days. You do lose this window though if you keep it zipped up.

On the back of the seat is a rubber mesh net that is ideal for keeping your essentials close to hand and good storage for your smaller items. We’ve used it for our phone, purse and wipes with plenty of space.

Matching accessories

The four matching accessories you receive are the apron and footmuff for the seat unit, the changing bag and parasol. The bag has the same quilted fabric and is big enough to keep all those baby essentials in. You’ve also got a wipe-clean changing mat. The apron is a good size and fits completely over the top of baby’s legs and bumper bar to keep the chill off them. There’s also plenty of room to pop blankets in there too. The quilted material is nice and thick and looks great on.

Fold

A one-piece fold is essential for some parents when shopping for a pushchair. The previous model did not fold with the seat or pram body on, but the new Prestige can be folded in this manner, but it results in a relatively large size. If the seat folded completely in half on the chassis too, it would make it more manageable to do. To achieve a more compact fold, we’d recommend removing the pram body or seat and fold in two pieces.

First press the red button on the right-hand side of the handlebar, then pull up on both triggers and drop the handlebar down. Its quick and easy to do, and the automatic lock will catch on the right side.

Getting it back up, just lift the lock to release and then pull up the handlebar.

Our verdict

If you are after a hybrid of the pushchair world, that gives you modern styling but features like the bouncy suspension and super-sized pram body, you can’t go far wrong with the new Prestige. We love the new Vogue chassis and think that it complements the fabrics and shape of the pram body and seat unit perfectly.

The push is lovely and has helped soothe both babies and toddlers to sleep on our walks. As it now has solid wheels, you don’t need to worry about punctures, but at the same time aren’t missing out on being able to cover any terrain you might come across on your family adventures.

Our favourite feature is definitely the collapsing pram body! It opens this lovely pushchair up to many more families that it may otherwise be too big for.