When the sun is out and temperatures rise, it’s lovely to head out for a stroll with your baby. But as the summer sun heats up, so can your stroller, so it’s worth remembering how quickly it can get warm for little ones. Whether you're shopping for the best strollers for summer or researching the safest stroller cover for summer, it's good to know how to keep your baby comfortable and happy.

We’ll look at how quickly prams and strollers can warm up and explore how different covers affect temperature and humidity inside the stroller.

The uncovered pram

In controlled outdoor conditions, an uncovered pram, with the hood not open, exposed to direct sunlight recorded a maximum seat temperature of 55.8°C, a very high level reached in just 15 minutes. The temperature inside this pram was over 25°C higher than the baseline outdoor temperature of 30.3°C.

These figures can sound scary at first glance, but they show just how quickly a pram can heat up in direct sunlight. Dark fabrics can also make temperatures spike, and while it may be a little cooler with a baby inside, it’s still worth keeping an eye on.

We’ve all popped out quickly without a cover. It’s not about doing something wrong, just about knowing a few simple ways to keep little ones comfortable.

The uncovered pram also had an internal humidity level of just 22%, which is quite low. Dry air like this can sometimes make a baby’s skin, eyes, or nose feel uncomfortable. Trust your instincts, and small things like offering extra feeds or giving their skin a little moisture can help keep them comfortable.

These figures can sound scary at first glance, but they show how hot surface temperatures can get in direct sunlight. Whilst this study was conducted without a baby, for obvious safety reasons, the data help us understand how best to protect little ones whilst out and about in a pram. This type of insight also helps us design products that are suitable for use in hot weather and share key findings to help parents understand the best ways to keep their little ones cool in the sun.

The blanket-covered pram

Prams covered with blankets – often used with the best intentions to offer protection, were found to reach around 37.5°C, which is warmer than the average body temperature (36.5–37°C). In this kind of heat, babies can find it harder to cool down naturally because they don’t sweat as efficiently as us adults.

Humidity inside the blanket-covered pram averaged 35%. Combined with the 37.5°C heat, this creates a warm space with little airflow. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you’ve done this; we know it’s always done out of care. But if you can, try a parasol or the pram hood instead, as these give shade while letting the air flow through.

The parasol and hood-covered prams

The prams with either a parasol or a hood performed much better in the heat. For most of the test period, they were only 2-3°C higher than the outdoor air, and the temperature increase happened much more gradually compared to the uncovered and blanket-covered setups.

Humidity levels inside these prams were also much better, staying between 41-44% range, which helped create a more breathable and balanced environment for babies. Although these setups also started to warm up after about an hour in direct sunlight.

While using parasols or hoods are definitely safer options, it’s still a good idea to keep pram time a little shorter when it’s really hot, if you can, just to help your bubba stay comfortable.

Best parasol for pram

Protect your little one with our pram parasol. Compatible with all Ickle Bubba travel systems and strollers with easy angle adjustment at the touch of a button, while offering UPF50+ protection while you're on the go. Because we know every little bit of extra care makes those sunny outings easier and more enjoyable, for you both.

Travel system with hood

All our travel systems and strollers have UPF50+ hoods (Ultraviolet Protection Factor), which is the highest rating available. This means the fabric blocks at least 98% of UVA and UVB rays, reducing baby’s direct exposure to sunlight.

Our sun safety experiment highlights just how much pram coverings can affect a baby’s environment, even when we’re doing it with the best intentions. We’ve all been there, thinking a blanket will help keep baby shaded, but without good airflow, it can actually make things warmer.

The uncovered pram heated up surprisingly fast, reaching very high temperatures. Even the safer options did warm up over time, which is a helpful reminder for us parents to keep an eye on the temperature and take simple steps to keep little ones comfy when you’re out and about.

So, keeping in mind our findings, here are the top tips to keeping little ones cool in their stroller:

It’s not something any of us like to think about, but knowing the signs of heatstroke in babies can really help us act quickly if needed. Abbas Kanani, Superintendent Pharmacist at Chemist Click, explains that signs of heatstroke symptoms can include:

• Flushed or red skin
• Rapid breathing or increased heart rate
• Extreme fatigue or unusual sleepiness
• Irritability or distress
• Feeling hot to the touch

Like we’ve said before, trust your instincts; we know our babies best. If something doesn’t feel right, don’t hesitate to reach out to a doctor for advice.

When it comes to prams in summer, ventilation is good to look out for. While parasols and stroller hoods are safer than blankets, even the best pram can become hot in the sunshine, so taking small steps to make the space feel more comfortable for your little one is always a good idea. 

Methodology: 

Ickle Bubba’s pram experiment was conducted on the hottest day of 2025 so far (30th June), between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM, to investigate how different pram coverings affect internal temperatures. The aim was to identify which pram setups pose the greatest risk to babies in high heat and to offer guidance on safer options during hot weather.

Four prams were set up in direct sunlight, each with a different covering:

1. One with no cover

2. One with a blanket draped over it

3. One with a parasol

4. One with a standard pram hood

Digital thermometers were placed inside each pram, and temperatures were recorded every 15 minutes over the two-hour period. A separate thermometer was used to measure the ambient (outdoor air) temperature, which was recorded every 45 minutes to provide a baseline for comparison.

Observational notes were taken throughout to track minor weather changes, such as occasional wind or cloud cover, which could temporarily influence readings. Despite these slight fluctuations, the data remained consistent and reliable. Both interval and overall averages were calculated for each pram setup to assess which coverings led to the highest internal heat levels and to draw safety recommendations for parents and caregivers.

While the temperature data is accurate, it’s worth noting that materials like dark fabrics may have absorbed higher levels of heat, leading to higher spikes. With a baby inside, the temperature might not rise quite as sharply, but testing under those conditions wouldn’t have been possible. Despite this, the findings still highlight how quickly prams can heat up and why it’s important to consider ventilation and shade.