Baby | Best products for life on the go

Travelling with a baby, whether shopping, grabbing lunch with a friend, or sightseeing, requires a surprising amount of stuff. For new parents, knowing what's needed for life on the go can be a little tricky, especially because the baby market is overflowing with products, some of which sound great in theory but aren't always great in practice. So, to make things easier, I've rounded up all the baby products that are worth the investment...

The Pram

A pram is one of the most important purchases you'll make for your baby, as it will be used extensively during the first few years of their life. There is a wide range of prams available on the market, catering to various needs and lifestyles - from city dwellers with limited space at home to outdoor enthusiasts who are accustomed to rough terrain. I recommend the new Cybex Balios S Lux (£499.95 John Lewis), a 3-in-1 travel system that can accommodate a seat unit, carrycot, and car seat.

The Cybex Balios S Lux comes with a spacious seat unit, which offers luxurious comfort and cosiness and is fully adjustable into a full lie-flat position for use from birth. The Cybex Cot S Lux carrycot (sold separately) fits perfectly on the Balios S Lux. With the help of an adapter (sold separately), the pram also connects to a number of Cybex carseats, including the Cloud Z2 i-Size, as well as several car seats from other brands.

Using just one hand, the Balios S Lux can be folded down to a self-standing position for convenient stowing and storage. It features an adjustable handlebar, that can be easily adjusted with one hand, allowing the steering level to be tailored to the height of the parent pushing. It also features an extendable XXL Sun Canopy to shield baby from the elements. The canopy is made from UPF50+ protective fabric and features a mesh window for breathability and healthy air circulation during hot days.

Finally, the Balios S Lux boasts all-wheel suspension enabling both baby and parent to travel in exceptional comfort over a variety of surfaces with super-soft suspension—mobility for the parent and uninterrupted sleep for baby. And the all-terrain wheels won't puncture no matter how harsh the surface they have to handle.

The Pram Accessories

There are a number of pram accessories you can buy to make life on the road easier and more comfortable for both you and your baby. A footmuff is essential for keeping baby warm in a pram during the cold winter months. I recommend the Tiba + Marl Universal Buggy Footmuff (£68 scandiborn.co.uk) as it is ultra-cosy, water resistant, and compatible with most prams on the market. For the summer months you'll want to invest in a parasol, like the Mamas & Papas Universal Pram Parasol (£29 mamasandpapas.com), to ensure baby stays shaded and cool. A cup holder is essential for mum and dad's oh-so-important coffee - John Lewis offer a great universal option for just £8 (John Lewis). I also recommend a pram clip (£5 John Lewis) to provide extra storage space for bags and coats.

Pram toys are essential for entertaining baby on the go, whether that is buggy books, toy chains, or activity spirals. Scandiborn.co.uk offers an amazing selection of lovely toys from covetable brands, including Little Dutch, Sebra, Cam Cam Copenhagen, and Liewood. I personally love the Little Dutch Flowers & Butterflies Pram Chain Toy (£16.95 scandiborn.co.uk).

One of my favourite pram accessories is the Sleepytroll (£127 JoJo Maman Bébé) - the first baby rocker that listens and rocks a stroller, crib, or car seat using sound and motion sensors. The innovative baby soother recreates the feeling of being in the womb by providing the gentle movement that babies crave.

Whether you're at home or on the go, the Sleepytroll is easy to use and completely safe, giving you the peace of mind you deserve. Thanks to its built-in motion + sound sensor, the Sleepytroll is able to sense when baby is awake or fussing and then kick into action to rock him or her back to sleep. The sleepy troll rocks for three minutes and then enters sensor mode, helping to preserve the battery for when it's needed most.

The Sleepytroll connects quickly and easily to all prams, has adjustable speed settings, and operates from a built-in rechargeable battery that boasts great lasting power.

The Car Seat

A car seat is a travel necessity for parents that drive regularly. Before investing in any seat, confirm it can be installed in your car and consider features that may make your life easier, such as a 360° rotation. I recommend the CYBEX Cloud Z2 i-Size (£249.95 John Lewis), a stylish car seat that delivers safety, convenience, and comfort.

This innovative car seat features a clever rotation mechanism that enables you to turn the seat sideways for effortless entry and exit. It can attach to a pushchair, pram, or stroller to form part of a travel system (connecting to CYBEX and other select brands) and the newest model boasts an in-car recline feature that provides baby with more comfort on the road. Designed to be used from birth up to approximately 24 months old, the Cloud Z2 i-Size comes with a removable newborn inlay, which creates a near-flat lying position for newborns and provides added support for smaller or premature babies.

The Baby Carrier

If you spend most of your time walking and don't always want to depend on taking a pram, you may want to invest in a quality baby carrier. Baby carriers allow you to move more freely, enable you to live hands-free, and promote several health and developmental benefits for your baby.

As for what carrier to choose, I recommend the BabyBjörn Baby Carrier One (£175 John Lewis). Crafted in a soft cotton blend, this gorgeous carrier features a sturdy waist belt and padded shoulder straps to relieve pressure on the back and shoulders. With four different carrying positions and adjustable head support, the BabyBjörn makes baby-wearing possible from newborn up to the age of three. It is ergonomic, soft, and comfortable, with a fully adjustable size and seat width. It also comes in a gorgeous edit of styles and colours, including Leopard, Black, Dark Grey, and Midnight Blue.

The Changing Bag

Wherever you're going and whatever you're doing you'll need a changing bag to hold all of your baby's essentials, including muslins, wipes, nappies, and nappy bags.

A great changing bag is the Finnsøn INGE Eco Changing Backpack (£150 John Lewis). Expertly crafted in certified GRS (global recycled standard) 100% recycled PET Polyester, the Inge Eco Changing Backpack can be worn like a regular backpack or attached to a pram in just a few clicks. It features a classic black exterior with light grey contrasting lining plus four external pockets with waterproof zips, two side slip pockets (which are ideal for bottles), a zip compartment for securing a wallet, phone, or keys, and five internal pockets for muslins, nappies, wipes etc. Included in the backpack is Finnsøn's Kari quilted changing mat in exclusive leopard print, to keep baby comfortable and clean when changing on the go. 

The Travel Changing Mat 

Although most changing bags come with a foldable changing mat, I often find them to be thin, flimsy, and lacking in comfort. Because of this, I always recommend purchasing a separate travel changing mat that you can either keep in your changing bag or take out on its own.

I recently got my hands on the Mama Shack Travel Changing Bag Clutch (£18 mamashack.co.uk) and love it. It acts like a handy portable changing station that can either fit into a changing bag, attach to your wrist, or clip to a pram. It features multiple pockets - for nappies, creams, wipes, and spare clothes - which attach to a padded, wipeable changing mat. 

The changing mat is BPA and phthalate free and is made from a coated fabric surface which is waterproof and can be wiped clean. It also features a raised area which acts as a comfy pillow for baby's head. The mat also detaches from the pockets via a zip, allowing you to carry just the essentials when the mat isn't needed.

The Extras

Other travel products worth investing in revolve around feeding. For those breastfeeding, you may want to get a nursing cover for feeding in public. However, don't feel you need to cover up for anyone but yourself - there is nothing wrong with feeding sans cover... I do it!

For those bottle feeding, you'll need to add a portable steriliser and bottle warmer (if your baby is fussy about temperature) to your changing bag. For the portable steriliser, I recommend the Nuby UV Steriliser Bag (£132 Boots) as it uses ultraviolet light to sterilise bottles and other baby items in just three mins. As for a portable bottle warmer, you can't go wrong with the Tommee Tippee On the Go Bottle Warmer (£59.99 Boots). This handy device brings 150ml of formula milk or breast milk to body temperature in just 10 minutes without using boiling water.