9 best pram cup holders that make staying hydrated a walk in the park

Best: Overall

Rating: 9/10

With change from a ten pound note, Little Life’s buggy cup holder proves that you don’t have to pay through the nose for quality. As a brand, it’s known for quality outdoors gear such as child carriers and kids’ backpacks, but also offers a fantastic range of pushchair accessories, and this is demonstrated by this fantastic cup holder.

The body is made from ABS plastic, which is known for its tough and rigid performance, and even to the touch felt the sturdiest out of those tested.  It’s simple to use – you just loosen the screw head and tighten to the buggy chassis at your desired angle and side of the pushchair, and with a secure fit, even when navigating curbs, this cup holder is impressively effective at keeping drinks in place. Inside there are three prong-like pieces of plastic that create a smaller inner to keep the vessel in place; it also allows it to fit a variety of sizes of bottles and cups, and both our reusable cup and drinks bottle fitted like a glove.

Best: For functionality

Rating: 9/10

Skip-Hop has proven that practical products can still be easy on the eye with its stroll & connect cup holder. We like the anthracite grey colourway, and there’s a subtle embossed dotty pattern too, making it a more stylish option. Coming in two parts, to install it you unscrew to loosen the clasp and attach the product to either the handlebar or the pushchair frame. We opted for the frame to avoid taking up space on the handlebar, and were impressed by how easy it is to adjust the angle as you simply twist once connected.

It is the widest of those we tested (its body’s width is 11cm), so does stick out a little – but is the perfect size if you’re partial to a grande cup. Slimmer drinks are looked after too, as it’s made from a flexible silicone complete with interior tabs to keep the vessel in position. Being that little bit bigger didn’t affect the stability as it’s super secure, even when navigating bumpy terrain.

Best: For easy attachment

Rating: 8/10

Because of the Velcro fastening we were dubious on how securely this product could be attached, but we needn’t have worried. As long as it’s pulled tight, you have yourself a sturdy cup holder for daily strolls. It arrives as two parts – the strap and body – and we actually found it one of the easiest cup holders to attach, as you simply line up the plate with the body and push together. You need to apply a bit of brute force to adjust the angle but it does mean it can be placed on either the handlebar or chassis on each side, so there’s plenty of flexibility – it’s certainly universal. The drinks also felt secure thanks to the four additional interior prongs.

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Best: For larger bottles

Rating: 8/10

This bottle holder from reputable pushchair brand Mountain Buggy is designed for bottle use only, and while it can fit our 12oz reusable cup, due to the tilted nature we can appreciate why it works best with bottles. There are two Velcro attachments, which are positioned around the frame and hold it in place well. We were impressed to learn it can carry up to 1.5L, making it great for long walks when dehydration kicks in. It’s the tallest holder standing at just shy of 20cm, and there’s also a handy netted compartment, perfect for a phone or keys.

Best: Insulation

Rating: 8/10

As the name suggests, My Buggy Buddy specialises in pushchair accessories to give a helping hand on those trips out with a little one, and the brand’s drink holder allows you to add a pocket to your pushchair by using a Velcro attachment. Pull the strap tight to the frame, and it feels safe and secure. However, the strap is stitched at an angle so the bottle is tilted, which could potentially cause problems with leaky bottles. As it’s insulated it keeps bottles and cups warm or cold – perfect for a thirsty toddler on a hot day. It’s also made from fabric so it’s easy to store away when not needed, and looks discreet on the pushchair.

Best: Price

Rating: 7/10

For a purse-friendly £8 we were impressed with Mothercare’s cup holder offering, as it performs on all levels. However, we can’t deny that this was certainly the fiddliest to attach. It comes with five parts, plus, fortunately, easy-to-follow instructions. Firstly, choose which size strap is required (shorter for strollers, longer for standard pushchair), and feed it through the attachment. You’ll then tighten it with the screw, which is somewhat bulky, but predominantly hidden by the pushchair frame as it’s placed underneath. Nonetheless, once attached there’s no doubting the security. We did find it a rather cumbersome addition – it’s about 10cm wide, plus the attachment adds a few centimetres, so it’s not a wise choice if you’re likely to be in tight spaces. However, what this does mean is there’s a lot of bottle or cup space if you’re likely to have a larger drink in tow.  We also found it looked after our drink well, as there are four additional flexible prongs inside for beverage stability.

Best: Slim design

Rating: 7/10

While Mamas & Papas has branded this as a universal product, on closer inspection it is compatible across Mamas & Papas own range of pushchairs and strollers, which may see you in troubled waters. However, we were still able to attach to the Joolz geo pushchair frame, and if your pushchair has a protruding bolt (as part of its handlebar adjustment mechanism) then there’s no reason it can’t fit.

To give it a fair test, we borrowed a Mamas & Papas ocarro pushchair (£849, Mamasandpapas.com), where the bolt sits on the outside of the frame (as with Mamas & Papas’ other models) and it neatly clips in to feel secure and sturdy, and looks the most streamlined. However, on our Joolz it can only clip to the inside of the frame, making the pushchair’s recline feature obsolete. The width dimensions are the smallest of all those tested, which worked well for our medium-sized vessels, but if you’re partial to a large takeaway drink then it won’t be able to fit.

Best: Drink security

Rating: 7/10

We’re unsure why you’d need two (unless you’re also a keen cyclist, as it can also attach to a bike) but this BundlePro cupholder is a bestselling product, and sold exclusively through Amazon. On first glance the body is a little flimsy – rather than fully covering the cup or bottle there are two flexi plastic arms that are stretched to house the drink. To our slight disbelief, once you place your cup or bottle inside it’s actually incredibly sturdy and supportive, as the arms give the chalice a tight squeeze. This is perfect if you have a firm drinks bottle or cup, but is too much pressure for a flimsy disposable cup. We did find the attachment rather fiddly too, as the screw head and washer come off completely. Once screwed, though, you are in safe hands, and it was simple to adjust the angle to suit the position.

Best: For storage

Rating: 7/10

Okay, so this isn’t your usual cup holder, but this product also gives parents an alternative carrier for a drinks bottle while strolling. In fact, there’s actually two elasticated drinks holders within this buggy organiser. Having said that, they’re rather slight, so are more suited to sippy cups or slim bottles and cans. The organiser attaches directly to the pushchair’s frame using two Velcro tabs, but due to its size this may be problematic if using your pushchair’s recline feature. We love the handy zipped compartment – a convenient space to keep your keys and cards which, for the price, offers affordable extra storage right at your fingertips.