Pram and pushchair adverts are full of superlatives: the lightest fold, the safest harness, the most comfortable seat, tested to the toughest standards. Some are harmless enthusiasm, while others are factual claims that an advertiser has to be able to prove. This guide summarises how the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP), which writes the UK advertising rules, treat claims of this kind, using the ASA’s published advice pages. The examples the ASA gives concern other products, so they show how the principles work rather than any ruling about prams. The rules apply to advertising in the UK. This is general information, not legal advice.
When a claim needs evidence
The ASA’s substantiation advice, updated on 21 September 2026, says that before an advertisement is distributed, marketers must hold documentary evidence to prove claims that consumers are likely to regard as objective and that can be objectively substantiated, and that the ASA may regard claims as misleading in the absence of adequate substantiation. It cites Code rule 3.7.
The ASA says it considers the likely interpretation of a claim rather than the marketer’s intention. A claim can be ruled misleading without evidence even if the advertiser meant it as a subjective claim. For a pram, "folds to half the size of leading rivals" or "lightest in its class" reads as a measurable statement, so an advertiser would need measurements to back it.
Puffery and opinion
The ASA says obvious exaggerations, known as puffery, and claims the average consumer is unlikely to take literally are allowed, provided they do not materially mislead (rule 3.2). Claims that are clearly a marketer’s subjective opinion, and are unlikely to be read as objective, will not usually need supporting evidence, provided it is clear that the marketer is expressing an opinion rather than stating a fact (rule 3.6). Its examples are the claims "THE ORIGINAL AND BEST SINCE 2004" for a pillowcase and "The most comfortable beds in the world" for a mattress, both treated as subjective because the experience of comfort varies between consumers.
The ASA has also treated some superlatives as objective. It considered "the perfect network" to be an objective claim in context, and "best available tickets" to mean tangible benefits over other tickets. The lesson is that words such as best, perfect and lightest can move from opinion to fact depending on the context.
Comparisons and superlatives
The ASA says objective comparisons such as "leading", "best" or "cheaper" require evidence about both the advertiser’s products and the competitors compared, under rules 3.32 to 3.37. Where competitors are identifiable, the advertiser must compare products meeting the same need or intended for the same purpose (rule 3.33), and must objectively compare one or more material, relevant, verifiable and representative features, which may include price (rule 3.34). In one example, evidence relating to only three competitors and a small number of features was not adequate for a claim to be the best on the market. For a price-based comparison, the site’s guide to reference prices on prams covers the separate consumer-protection rules.
Safety certification and testing claims
The ASA’s baby-products advice says advertisements should not suggest that a product has been given a distinct safety certification, or that testing has been done to a safety standard established as relevant to the specific product, when that is not the case. Its 24 September 2026 advice for advertisers to new and expectant parents adds that claims that a product is certified safe, or tested to relevant British Safety Standards, need evidence of the relevant certification or testing, and that in the absence of that evidence such claims are likely to be problematic.
For pushchairs, the relevant standard is BS EN 1888, and a pram does not carry a CE or UKCA mark, so a listing that implies otherwise deserves scrutiny. The site’s guides to reading a pram’s labels and to why prams carry no CE or UKCA mark explain what to check.
Exaggeration, visuals and testimonials
The ASA’s exaggeration advice says advertisements must not mislead consumers by exaggerating the capability or performance of a product, and that visuals as well as text can create a misleading impression. It says genuine customer testimonials may be used, but these alone are unlikely to be sufficient to substantiate objective claims, and objective claims within testimonials must themselves be supported by evidence.
Green claims
The ASA’s baby-products advice says the basis of an environmental claim must be clear, that absolute claims such as "eco-friendly" or "100% green" need a high level of evidence, and that comparative claims such as "greener" can be justified only if the product provides a total environmental benefit over the advertiser’s previous product or competitors, with a clear basis of comparison. Claims must be based on the full life cycle of the product unless the advertisement says otherwise. A green claim on a pram listing should therefore make clear what it is based on.
Why this matters when buying
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 says public statements about the specific characteristics of goods, including in advertising or labelling, are among the relevant circumstances when deciding whether goods are of satisfactory quality. A pram that does not match a statement in its listing may therefore give grounds to complain to the retailer as well as to the ASA. The site’s guide to faulty pushchair consumer rights explains the remedies.
Frequently asked questions
Is "best pushchair" always allowed? Not always. The ASA treats some superlatives as subjective opinion and others as objective claims needing evidence, depending on context.
Can an advert say a pram is "tested to British Standards"? Only with evidence, according to the ASA’s advice on baby products.
The bottom line
Under the CAP Code, objective claims in pram adverts, such as lightest, safest or best-selling, need documentary evidence, while obvious puffery and clear opinion do not. Claims of safety certification, testing to a standard or environmental benefit need particular evidence, so treat unsupported superlatives with caution.
Sources
- ASA | CAP, "Substantiation"
- ASA | CAP, "Exaggeration"
- ASA | CAP, "Don’t feel rattled about your baby-related ads" (24 October 2024)
- ASA | CAP, "Handle with care: Advice on advertising to new and expectant parents" (24 September 2026)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (Goods to be of satisfactory quality)