Brakes: An Important stroller feature

Brakes are an important feature of any stroller; you need an effective braking system to park the stroller, and to slow it down (in case of a jogging stroller).

Brakes on strollers can be hand-operated or foot-operated, and different strollers use different braking mechanism. So it is one of the important features that you should evaluate when shopping for a stroller.

Types of Stroller Brakes

Here’s a quick overview of the various types of brakes that are commonly seen on stroller.

• Foot Brake: You operate it with your foot
• Handle Brakes: Operated with hands
• Active hand brake (Bike-like brake): More sensitive and responsive, situated on joggers, works like the brakes on bikes
• Stroller auto stop: Available on few strollers, it auto engages if the hands are lifted of the handlebar

Types of Stroller brakes – Foot Brake, Handle Brakes, Active hand brake, stroller auto stop.

Here are a few things to consider when looking for a stroller with an effective brake system.

Make sure the stroller has a good parking brake, one that’s easy and convenient to operate, and preferably locks two wheels (instead of one) so that it provides extra margin of safety.

Some two-wheel parking brakes can be activated in a single stroke through a bar placed at the rear of the stroller frame. On some other strollers, activating the two-wheel parking brakes requires two actions – using the foot-operated tabs above each rear wheel.

Related: All stroller features and functions

It’s also a good idea to test the stroller to see how the brakes feel on your legs; does it feel comfortable to engage or disengage the brakes with light shoes or bare feet?

Some strollers also have an indicator that tells you if the stroller is in the locked position (red) or unlocked position (green).

On most jogging strollers, you will find bicycle-type hand-operated brakes as well (in addition to parking brakes); these help you slow down the stroller when cruising at a fast speed. Some jogging strollers may have hand-operated brakes on the front or the rear wheels.

Read: Replacement Brake Parts for Stroller

Every-time you stop, make sure the stroller brakes are on. Many a times, it has been observed that wriggling children can start the stroller wheels rolling again. So out the brakes on, and always keep one hand on the pram when your child is in it. It’s also a good idea to use a a tether strap when holding the pram.

Britax E-Brake stroller

Few years back, Britax had created a stroller with automatic brakes that trigger when the user lifts their hand off its handle. After the tragic pram deaths of two South Australian infants in 2010, the Federal Government had introduced new mandatory stroller standards – adding a tether strap for wrists and a parking brake to all prams and strollers.

So make it a habit to use wheel brakes often. If the stroller is stopped, you should engage the stroller brakes. Even on surfaces that appear to be flat, the stroller can quickly roll away if you are not paying attention and have your back turned, or if someone bumps into it. However, if the having the stroller brake is engaged, the stroller will not roll away.

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StrollerBoards is a family managed website with me (Ben) and my wife doing most of the work. We are proud parents of two wonderful kids and love reviewing baby travel gear. We have a firm but friendly “democratic parenting” style and offer several practical solutions backed by extensive research. Our own experience with raising two children prompted us to share our knowledge. Read more.