Pram Accessories Worth Buying, and the Ones That Can Wait

Last reviewed September 2026

The accessories wall at a baby store is designed to make you feel under-prepared. Most of it can wait. A handful of things make a pram genuinely better to live with in Australia, and this is the list, in order of how often we see them used, with a note on what is already in the box so you do not buy it twice.

1. A rain shield

The one accessory every pram needs, and the one that comes in the box with every UPPAbaby pram: the Vista V3 ships with a rain shield for the toddler seat and a bug shield for both seat and bassinet. If yours did not, buy one that is made for your model from the rain covers range. Universal rain covers flap, gape at the sides and let the rain in exactly where the baby's feet are. A fitted one clips on in seconds and stays put, and it doubles as a wind shield on a cold day or a ferry.

2. A pram fan

Australian summers make this close to essential. A clip-on fan on the frame, pointed across the seat rather than at the face, cools a pram that would otherwise sit in the sun at a cafe. Choose one with soft or fully caged blades, mount it out of reach, and pair it with the canopy rather than a cover. A covered pram is hotter than an open one, whatever the cover is made of.

3. A cup holder

Used every single day, and the cheapest thing on this list. The UPPAbaby cup holder fits the Vista, Cruz, Minu and Minu Duo, clips to the frame where it will not catch a doorway, and comes off in a second. The Ridge has its own. Skip the universal clamp-on kind: they slide on the tube, spill, and sit exactly where your hand wants to be.

4. A parent organiser or caddy

Phone, keys, wallet, a bottle and a snack, at hand height instead of in the basket. The UPPAbaby parent organiser clips to the handlebar, has an insulated bottle pocket, and comes off in one motion for the car. It is the accessory that stops you digging in the basket at every set of lights.

5. A seasonal liner

A breathable liner keeps a hot seat comfortable in summer and washes in the machine when the seat fabric would need a scrub. UPPAbaby prams ship with a seasonal seat liner, so a second one is a spare rather than a need; the reversible seat liner is the one to add, and the rest of the pram liners range covers newborn inserts and the winter footmuff. Whatever you buy, the harness slots must line up with your seat; a liner with the slots in the wrong place is unsafe.

6. A travel bag

If you fly with the pram, a padded travel bag is the difference between a pram that lasts and one with a cracked handle. UPPAbaby's bags are shaped for the fold of each model, Vista and Cruz, Minu and Minu Duo, and come with the TravelSafe program: register the bag and any airline damage to the pram is covered. If you only fly once a year, a well padded generic bag and a bit of care at the gate is fine.

7. Adapters, when you need them

Not an accessory so much as a fitting. A capsule adapter lets a car seat click onto the pram; a RumbleSeat adapter puts a second seat on a Vista. Buy the one made for your frame, always. The adapter finder tells you which one, by pram and by capsule.

Things you can skip

• Pram covers and muslin drapes. They trap heat and block air. Use the canopy, the bug shield and shade.
• Toys that hang across the seat. Fine on a play gym, a hazard on a pram once the baby can grab.
• Footmuffs, unless you live somewhere cold. In most of Australia a blanket tucked under the harness does the job for the few weeks it is needed.
• A second basket or under-seat bag. A 13.6 kg basket on a Vista or Cruz is more than a day out needs.
• Anything a baby can reach and pull down. Phone mounts, hanging bags, fans clipped low.

Questions parents ask

Which pram accessories are actually worth buying?

For an Australian family: a rain shield, a pram fan for summer, a cup holder, and a parent organiser or caddy. A travel bag if you fly. Everything else depends on your pram and your climate, and most of it can wait until you know how you use the pram.

Are pram fans safe?

A clip-on fan with soft blades or a fully enclosed cage, mounted on the frame out of the baby's reach and pointed across rather than directly at the face, is safe and makes a real difference in summer. Avoid fans with exposed hard blades, and never clip one where a baby can pull it down.

Do I need a pram liner?

In summer, a breathable liner keeps a hot seat comfortable and washes more easily than the seat fabric. UPPAbaby prams ship with a seasonal seat liner, so a separate one is only needed if you want a spare or a different fabric.

Are pram sun shades safe?

A canopy, an extending sun visor and a mesh bug shield are all safe. A cloth or muslin draped over the pram is not: it traps heat and blocks airflow. Use the canopy, position the pram for shade, and use a fan rather than a cover.

Does the UPPAbaby cup holder fit every model?

One cup holder fits the Vista, Cruz, Minu and Minu Duo, and the Ridge has its own. Both clip to the frame without tools and come off in a second.