The right tires for your stroller - pneumatic tires or hard rubber tires

Since we have been doing the test reports for strollers, we have received regular inquiries about which tires should be preferred for strollers. A question that is not so easy to answer, because here clearly you play a role where and how you want to use your stroller or buggy.

Pram tires at Knorr-Baby

What we also noticed is that parents usually have a hard time choosing their model. Of course there are always spontaneous buyers who quickly order a model online, but they are the exception.

At least that’s our experience! Most parents do a lot of research and think a lot about it, which or which stroller models you should buy. Whether now Pram, on jogger, on buggy or a classic couchette – With today’s huge selection, the decision is not very easy.

You always hear about pollutants and quality defects in various stroller models. It is therefore clear that the right selection is not easy and it is always noticeable that customer reviews often shrink over the tires. In our experience, this is usually due to the fact that a cart is used for the wrong purpose. But let’s briefly explain that.

The material of the tires – pneumatic tires, hard rubber tires or plastic tires

There are usually three types of tires for the different strollers and buggies:

Pneumatic tires (air-filled tires like a bicycle)
Hard rubber tires (are made of solid or hard rubber)
Plastic tires (sometimes used on cheap strollers)

These tires differ in their ideal use and have both advantages and disadvantages. The plastic tires have no advantages at all but only disadvantages, but are really only used in absolute cheap models. If you only spend € 30 or € 40 for your stroller, you can’t expect much.

It is like everywhere in life and becoming Parents should only fall back on such a cheap model when the money is really acute.

The pneumatic tires

The pneumatic tires are used in many combination strollers and buggies and above all in tricycle strollers (joggers). This is due to their very great advantage that they can still be used on uneven surfaces springs very well and are easy to move.

Because the pneumatic tires give way on uneven terrain and so shocks from stones, branches or similar obstacles are not passed on directly to the baby or toddler in the stroller. So pneumatic tires are ideal for Kombikinderwagen, Tricycle stroller and classic couchette, with whom you can sometimes go for a walk in the forest or on country roads.

Solid forest tires or hard rubber tires are not very recommended on forest trails because they pass on shocks and uneven surfaces without suspension!

A disadvantage of the air-filled stroller tires is that they can of course get a flat tire. Broken glass on the floor and other things such as nails and thumbtacks can of course also damage the tire in a stroller with pneumatic tires and thus they have a flat tire.

That is why strollers with pneumatic tires are not particularly well suited, especially in inner cities and urban surroundings, since you always have to reckon with something like this. With this we already come to the hard rubber tires.

The hard rubber or solid rubber tire in the stroller (especially buggies)

From what has just been said, we come to the decisive point Advantage of hard rubber or solid rubber tires. Because they cannot be damaged by glass, nails and the like and you cannot get a plate with them. Other BDamage is less likely with these very robust tires than with pneumatic tires and are therefore more suitable especially for the city and for urban environments.

The Disadvantage of hard rubber tires is, however, that they pass on bumps directly and have no suspension effect. Therefore, they are not suitable for uneven surfaces, which is usually not the case in the city. Here they have an advantage, but some customers complain that higher sidewalks and obstacles are a problem for a solid rubber tire and that the stroller has to be raised more often. That’s right, but you can’t have everything!

The flexibility or mobility of the stroller tires

Another aspect besides the material of the stroller tire is its flexibility or mobility. So when things get tight, for example in shopping centers, and you have to dodge people, the mobility of the pram and thus the tires play a major role.

Because the classic stroller with four stuck, standing tires are not ideal, to move around in such an environment. Dodging becomes hard work and turns are a challenge. Of course, such models are also not suitable for sporting activities.

That’s why the stroller industry has long had the so-called Three-wheeled stroller or joggers that can be used for jogging or similar activities. The front wheels are usually fully rotatable and so you can practically make a full turn from a standing position. This makes you very flexible and agile. Therefore, when buying, make sure that the tires are also easy to move on classic cars and that they do not cause any problems.

Conclusion

When selecting the tires for the stroller, particular attention must be paid to the purpose and use. As shown above, both air-filled tires and hard or solid rubber tires have their advantages and disadvantages. We don’t have to talk about the plastic tires, because they are unsuitable and just cheap.

We know quite a few people who bought their stroller twice because they saved too much the first time. We have a deep understanding of families who are not financially able to do this, but if you have the necessary change, you shouldn’t pay attention to every euro when choosing and buying a stroller.

Of course you shouldn’t throw the money out of the window carelessly, but you should really read the reviews of the models, because of course many 100 customers had the same stroller before them and you can learn a lot from this knowledge. You will see that the tires are often a criticism here, but this is often due to incorrect use.

I just can’t go jogging in the forest with a hard rubber tire. But every manufacturer knows that too, and the pushchair wasn’t intended for that. Therefore, you should inform yourself well before making a decision and you can of course do this on our website in the guide and also in the test reports.

In the test winners you will find what we think are the best models.

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