The baby stroller is a widely used invention in today’s society with the amount of travel and movement that everyday life involves. The appearance of the stroller throughout history, and the changes made by the need for comfort, dates back to the 1700s.
In 1733, William Kent invented the first pram. Kent was best known for being a garden architect at the time. The stroller he created was clamshell-shaped, had springs for comfort, wheels, and was intended to be pulled by a goat, large dog, or small pony. The problem with the stroller back then, only the very rich could afford to buy them as an entertaining toy for their babies.
In 1840, thanks to Queen Victoria buying 3 carriages from the Hitching Baby Store, carriages became very popular. Carriages were made of wood or wicker, and held together at the joints with brass. These must-have items were so strongly designed that they became works of art. The models were named after royalty and royal houses. Names like Princess, Duchess, Balmoral and Windsor were very popular.
In June 1889, William Richardson invented the first reversible stroller. The bassinet was built to face the parents. William changed the structure of the carriage and increased mobility by adding axles to the wheels so that each wheel moves separately. Wheel hubs are still used on modern strollers today.
During World War I in the 1920s, the baby boom made the need for baby carriages very popular. All families except the very poor could afford a stroller. From the popularity, the security became a duty; which brought the need for brakes, with bigger wheels, deeper strollers, and lower, stronger frames.
In 1965, an aeronautical engineer named Orwen Maclaren applied his knowledge of airplanes to invent the first aluminum frame umbrella stroller. These lightweight folding strollers were invented after Maclaren’s daughter complained about how difficult it is to travel from England to the United States with her son.
Since 1980, new features have been added to today’s strollers with a new safety structure and more accessories. This shows that the need for baby strollers will continue to be in high demand, bringing even more new features to increase comfort and safety for baby and parents. What the future will bring will make the development of the history of baby strollers continue to grow.