You bought the pushchair. It cost more than you expected. And now you’re on Amazon at midnight wondering whether you also need a rain cover, a footmuff, a cup holder, an organiser bag, a parasol, a buggy board, a phone mount, and a mosquito net. The pushchair accessories market is designed to make you feel like you’re missing something essential. Most of it is unnecessary. Some of it is brilliant.
This guide cuts through the noise — which accessories are worth the money, which are nice to have, and which are a total waste. All tested in British weather, on British pavements, with British toddlers who have opinions about everything.
In This Article
- The Essentials You Actually Need
- Rain Covers: Your Most Important Accessory
- Seat Liners: Comfort and Hygiene
- Pushchair Organisers and Storage
- Footmuffs and Cosytoes
- Cup Holders and Phone Mounts
- Parasols and Sun Covers
- Buggy Boards for Older Siblings
- Travel Accessories
- Accessories That Aren’t Worth Buying
- Brand-Specific vs Universal Accessories
- Frequently Asked Questions
The Essentials You Actually Need
Not every accessory is essential. But a few make such a big difference to daily life that skipping them is a false economy. For UK parents, the must-have list is short:
- Rain cover — non-negotiable in the UK. You will get caught in the rain. Probably this week
- Seat liner — keeps the seat clean, makes it more comfortable, and adds warmth in winter
- Footmuff or cosytoes — essential from about October to March for any child who sits still in the pushchair
Everything else falls into “useful” or “optional” depending on your routine. A cup holder is life-changing if you walk to the coffee shop every morning. A parasol is essential if you walk a lot in summer. A buggy board is mandatory if you have two kids close in age. But none of these are universal must-haves.
The key principle: buy accessories that solve a problem you actually have, not a problem the product listing has invented for you.
Rain Covers: Your Most Important Accessory
If you buy one pushchair accessory, make it a rain cover. British weather doesn’t care about your schedule. You’ll be caught out in a downpour with your child at some point — probably within the first month — and a wet, screaming toddler in a soaked pushchair is nobody’s idea of fun.
Universal vs Brand-Specific Rain Covers
Brand-specific rain covers (made by the pushchair manufacturer for their exact model) fit perfectly. The zips align, the ventilation panels match, and there are no gaps where rain sneaks in. The downside: they cost £30-60 depending on the brand, and they only fit that one pushchair.
Universal rain covers fit most pushchairs and cost £10-20. The fit is approximate rather than exact — you’ll get some bunching, and the ventilation might not align with your pushchair’s design. But they keep the rain off, which is the point.
What Makes a Good Rain Cover
- Full coverage including the footrest area — cheap covers that leave the feet exposed defeat the purpose
- Ventilation panels or holes to prevent condensation building up inside. A steamed-up rain cover means your child is breathing recycled humid air
- Quick-fit design — you need to get this on one-handed while holding a squirming child in the other arm, ideally in under 30 seconds
- Clear viewing panel so your child can see out and you can see in
- Storage pocket built into the cover or a drawstring bag that clips to the pushchair frame — because a rain cover stuffed in the basket takes up half your shopping space
Recommended Rain Covers
For universal fit, the Koodee rain covers (about £15) are the most popular choice among UK parent groups — they fit most single pushchairs, pack small, and survive repeated use. For brand-specific, the manufacturer’s own cover is almost always the best fit, but check eBay and Facebook Marketplace first — parents sell barely-used branded rain covers constantly.
Seat Liners: Comfort and Hygiene
Pushchair seats get disgusting. Banana mush, milk spillage, crumbled biscuits, and the general sticky residue of toddler life accumulate fast. A removable, washable seat liner sits between your child and the pushchair fabric, taking the abuse so the seat doesn’t have to.
Types of Seat Liner
- Cotton liners — breathable, machine washable, good for spring and summer. Thin enough not to add bulk. About £10-15 from brands like Outlook or Diono
- Fleece liners — add warmth in colder months while still being machine washable. Some parents use these instead of a footmuff for milder winter days. About £12-18
- Memory foam liners — the premium option. More comfortable for longer walks but heavier and slower to dry. About £20-30. Worth it if your child regularly naps in the pushchair on long walks
Universal Fit
Most seat liners are designed as universal fit with multiple strap slots to accommodate different harness configurations. This means one liner works across pushchairs if you upgrade or switch — a genuine advantage over buying the brand’s own liner. Our guide to choosing a pushchair covers what to look for in the seat itself.
How Many Do You Need?
Two. One on the pushchair, one in the wash. Children are relentless producers of mess, and discovering at 8am on a Monday that your only liner is still wet from yesterday’s wash is a stress you don’t need.
Pushchair Organisers and Storage
The gap between “I have somewhere to put my phone and keys” and “I don’t” is enormous when you’re pushing a buggy one-handed.
Handlebar Organisers
A handlebar organiser clips to the push bar and gives you pockets for your phone, keys, wallet, and a small water bottle. Good ones have an insulated cup holder section and a zip pocket for valuables. The Skip Hop Grab & Go (about £20-25) is the most popular choice — it’s been around for years and fits virtually every pushchair handle.
Warning: don’t overload a handlebar organiser. Hanging heavy bags from the handles shifts the pushchair’s centre of gravity backwards. A heavy organiser on a lightweight pushchair can tip it backwards when you lift the child out. The Lullaby Trust recommends keeping added weight low on the frame, not on the handles.
Under-Seat Storage
Most pushchairs have a basket underneath, but the size and accessibility varies wildly. If your pushchair basket is small (looking at you, Bugaboo Bee), a hanging storage bag that clips to the frame underneath can double your carrying capacity. About £10-15 for a good mesh or fabric bag. Make sure it doesn’t drag on the ground when loaded — damaged basket bags are a common complaint.
Shopping Hooks
Simple S-hooks or carabiner-style clips that hang shopping bags from the handles or frame. Cost £3-5 for a pair. Useful if you regularly walk to the shops, but remember the tipping warning above — never hang heavy bags from the handles of a lightweight pushchair.
Footmuffs and Cosytoes
A footmuff is essentially a sleeping bag that attaches to the pushchair seat, keeping your child warm from chest to toes. In British winter — cold, damp, and windy for about five months straight — a footmuff is not optional.
When You Need One
From roughly October to March, depending on where in the UK you are. Scottish parents might need one from September. Southern parents might get away without one until November. If you’re walking for more than 15 minutes in temperatures below about 10°C, your child sitting still in the pushchair will get cold faster than you do walking behind it.
Universal vs Brand-Specific
Same trade-off as rain covers. Brand-specific footmuffs fit the seat perfectly, with the harness holes in exactly the right position. Universal footmuffs have multiple hole positions to accommodate different pushchairs but might not sit as neatly.
For brand-specific, expect to pay £40-80 depending on the pushchair brand. For universal, the BundleBean Go (about £30-40) is excellent — compact when packed, waterproof outer, fleece inner, and genuinely universal strap positioning. The Orzbow (about £20-25 on Amazon) is a popular budget option that does the job for a couple of seasons.
Layering vs Thick Footmuffs
Some parents buy the thickest footmuff they can find, then discover their child overheats on mild winter days. A better approach is a medium-weight footmuff plus removable layers — a blanket over the top for the coldest days, the footmuff alone for 5-10°C weather. The NHS recommends monitoring your baby’s temperature by feeling their chest or the back of their neck rather than their hands or feet, which naturally feel cooler.
Cup Holders and Phone Mounts
Cup Holders
Will a universal cup holder change your life? If you walk to a coffee shop most mornings, yes. A hands-free coffee while pushing the buggy is one of parenthood’s small luxuries. Most universal cup holders clip to the frame tube and hold a standard takeaway cup. About £8-15.
The Bugaboo cup holder (about £20) is overpriced but fits Bugaboo frames perfectly. For everything else, the Diono universal cup holder (about £10) works on most pushchair frame tubes between 20-35mm diameter.
Make sure the cup holder sits low enough that a full cup doesn’t affect the pushchair’s stability. A large flat white on a high-mounted holder can contribute to tipping on lightweight frames.
Phone Mounts
A phone mount on the handlebar keeps your phone visible for maps, music control, or checking messages while pushing. About £8-15 for a universal clamp-style mount. Useful for navigating unfamiliar areas or following a walking route, less necessary for your daily routine.
Be aware that vibrations from rough pavements and dropped kerbs can damage your phone camera’s optical image stabilisation over time. Apple has acknowledged this issue, and phone mounts with shock absorption are worth the small premium.
Parasols and Sun Covers
British summer is brief but intense when it arrives. A child in a pushchair at midday in July has no escape from direct sun without some form of shade.
Pushchair Parasols
A clip-on parasol attaches to the frame and provides adjustable shade. They look slightly ridiculous. They work. About £12-20 for a universal fit, £20-35 for brand-specific. The angle adjustability matters — a fixed parasol only blocks sun from one direction, and the sun moves.
UV Sun Covers
A mesh or fabric cover that drapes over the pushchair hood, extending the shade coverage. More effective than a parasol for all-round protection and easier to set up. About £10-18 for a universal fit. Look for UPF 50+ rated fabric for genuine UV protection.
The Muslin Myth
Do not drape a muslin cloth over the pushchair to block the sun. This is a common practice that the NHS and various parenting organisations have warned against — it restricts airflow and can cause the temperature inside the pushchair to rise dangerously. A proper ventilated sun cover allows air circulation while blocking UV rays. A muslin does not.
Buggy Boards for Older Siblings
If you have a toddler in the pushchair and a 3-5 year old who’s too big for the buggy but too small to walk the whole way, a buggy board is a lifesaver.
How They Work
A buggy board is a small wheeled platform that attaches to the pushchair’s rear axle. Your older child stands on it and rides along while you push. The best ones have a small seat attachment so the older child can sit when tired.
Best Buggy Boards
The Lascal BuggyBoard Maxi (about £55-70) is the market standard. It fits most pushchairs, folds up when not in use, and supports children up to 20 kg. The Maxi+ version adds a small fold-down seat for about £85. Our guide to how to clean and maintain your pushchair covers keeping the board and connections clean.
The main downside: buggy boards change your walking position. You have to walk with slightly wider steps to avoid kicking the board, and steep hills require more effort. Most parents adapt within a day or two.
Compatibility Check
Not all buggy boards fit all pushchairs. Check the manufacturer’s compatibility list before buying — some pushchairs with low-slung baskets or unusual frame shapes don’t work with standard boards. The Lascal website has a compatibility checker that covers most major pushchair models.
Travel Accessories
Travel Bags
If you’re flying with a pushchair, a padded travel bag protects it in the hold. Airlines are not gentle with checked items. A basic bag costs about £15-25, and a padded version with wheels about £30-50. Worth it if you fly more than once or twice — pushchair repairs after airline damage can cost more than the bag.
Gate-Check Bags
A lighter option for gate-checking your pushchair at the aircraft door. Less protection than a hold bag but keeps the pushchair clean and provides basic scuff protection. About £10-15. Our guide to flying with a pushchair covers which airlines allow gate check and what the process involves.
Car Seat Adapters
If your pushchair accepts car seat adapters, these let you clip an infant car seat directly onto the pushchair frame. Useful for the first 6-12 months when you want to transfer a sleeping baby from car to pushchair without waking them. Brand-specific only — you need the adapter that matches both your pushchair and your car seat. About £20-40.
Accessories That Aren’t Worth Buying
Pushchair Toys and Toy Bars
Your child will throw them on the ground within 30 seconds. Every time. You’ll spend more time retrieving dropped toys than your child spends playing with them. If your child needs entertainment in the pushchair, hand them a snack. It’s quieter and cheaper.
Expensive Branded Blankets
A £40 pushchair blanket does the same job as a £5 fleece from Primark. Your child will smear banana on it regardless of the price tag.
Pushchair Fans
Battery-powered clip-on fans that attach to the frame. They move so little air that the effect is negligible, and the spinning blades near small fingers make some parents nervous. On the few genuinely hot days in the UK, a damp muslin cloth on the child (not draped over the pushchair — on the child) is more effective.
Handlebar Warmers
Neoprene or fleece covers for the push bar to keep your hands warm in winter. They sound practical but make it harder to grip the handles properly, especially on hills. Wear gloves instead.
Mosquito Nets (in the UK)
Unless you’re traveling to a mosquito-heavy country, a mosquito net for your pushchair in the UK is unnecessary. British mosquitoes exist but rarely in numbers that justify covering your pushchair in mesh. The £12 is better spent on a rain cover, which you’ll use approximately 200 times more often.
Brand-Specific vs Universal Accessories
When to Buy Brand-Specific
- Rain covers — if your pushchair has an unusual shape or recline mechanism, the brand’s own cover will fit noticeably better
- Footmuffs — harness hole alignment matters for safety and comfort
- Car seat adapters — these must be the exact match for your pushchair and car seat combination
When Universal Is Fine
- Seat liners — multiple strap slots mean most universal liners fit most pushchairs
- Cup holders — a tube clamp is a tube clamp
- Organisers — Velcro straps fit virtually any handle
- Parasols — universal clamps work on most frame tubes
The Cost Difference
Brand-specific accessories typically cost 40-100% more than universal equivalents. For some items (rain covers, footmuffs), the better fit justifies the premium. For others (cup holders, organisers), you’re paying for a logo. Buy universal where fit doesn’t matter, brand-specific where it does.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need accessories that match my pushchair brand?
Only for items where fit matters — rain covers, footmuffs, and car seat adapters. For everything else (cup holders, organisers, liners, parasols), universal accessories work fine and cost less. Buy brand-specific where precision fit affects safety or weather protection.
What’s the most important pushchair accessory for UK weather?
A rain cover, without question. British weather is unpredictable, and you’ll use a rain cover far more than any other accessory. Even if you buy nothing else, buy a rain cover. A footmuff is the second priority for keeping your child warm during autumn and winter walks.
Can pushchair accessories cause tipping?
Yes. Heavy bags, loaded organisers, and full cup holders mounted on the handles can shift the pushchair’s centre of gravity backwards, causing it to tip when you lift the child out. Keep heavy items in the under-seat basket, not on the handles. This is especially important with lightweight pushchairs under 8 kg.
How much should I budget for pushchair accessories?
For the essentials — rain cover, seat liner, and footmuff — budget about £50-80 using universal options or £80-150 for brand-specific. Add a cup holder and organiser for another £20-30. The total rarely needs to exceed £100-150 unless you’re buying all brand-specific items.
Are second-hand pushchair accessories safe to use?
Most accessories are fine to buy second-hand — rain covers, liners, organisers, and cup holders have no safety expiry. Footmuffs and seat liners should be washed thoroughly before use. The only exception is car seat adapters, which should be checked for damage and recalled models before reuse.