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A full-size stroller needs to do—and be—many things.
It must safely and comfortably transport a child from point A to point B for several years, while also seamlessly supporting a family’s day-to-day activities.
Depending on where you live and what your daily life looks like, you may rely on your stroller to be a cargo carrier for groceries and extended outings.
You may need a stroller that you’re able to fold and carry with one hand—so you can easily toss it in the back of a trunk, carry it onto public transportation, or lug it up several flights of stairs.
Or maybe you want a stroller that facilitates a regular jogging routine, that’s built to handle jaunts off the beaten path, or that is easy to travel with. (We’ve included descriptions of our top-pick jogging stroller and travel stroller in the worth considering section of this guide because we think either could be an ideal everyday stroller for certain families.)
A stylish four-wheeler well suited to city dwellers – Uppababy Cruz V2
Best for: Caregivers who use their stroller as a child’s main source of transportation and don’t need to carry it on a regular basis.
Why we like it
The four-wheeled Uppababy Cruz V2 has amassed a loyal following, especially among city-dwelling parents. And for good reason: The Cruz V2 is a thoughtfully designed, well-executed stroller that gets most things just right, including a smooth ride, a huge canopy, and a generous storage basket. Overall, we think the Cruz is a better choice than Uppababy’s larger Vista for toting a single child.
The Cruz V2 has a narrow frame, so it’s easy to maneuver in tight spaces. The stroller’s profile is slim and short enough that navigating narrow spaces or swinging it around one-handed takes little effort. Despite that slim frame, it has a larger-than-average storage basket, with the highest weight capacity among any of our picks. I’ve used this as my main stroller for more than 18 months and have no issues or complaints. And every time I test another stroller, I’m always so happy when I can go back to the Cruz V2.
The Cruz V2 is the only stroller in our test group that has two foot brakes. A green one on the left unlocks the stroller, and a red one on the right locks it. The configuration seems designed for right-handed folks who would naturally use their right foot to brake. But I appreciate that the color-coded system makes it easy to confirm whether the stroller is locked—from any angle or from a distance.
It has the best toddler seat of any stroller we’ve tested. The Cruz V2’s one-piece harness is especially simple to adjust, and it makes getting out the door with a little one significantly easier. Unlike with many other strollers, with this one you don’t have separate shoulder and waist straps to wrangle—there’s just one continuous, easy-to-adjust harness.
The price is likely to be a deterrent for many people. Although this stroller is more satisfying to use than less-expensive competitors, getting a great stroller for a lot less is not difficult. (Also, this model currently costs around $700, so Uppababy really should’ve thrown in a cup holder.) But the Cruz V2 does go on sale fairly regularly, and it’s possible to buy pre-owned models, as well.
A four-wheeled stroller that offers bang for the buck – Evenflo Pivot Xpand Modular Stroller
Best for: Families who want the features of an Uppababy but want or need to spend much less.
Why we like it
The Evenflo Pivot Xpand Modular Stroller is a solid stroller that ticks the essential boxes, with adjustable handlebar height, a reversible toddler seat, and an accessible storage basket. It doesn’t feel as thoughtfully designed or streamlined as our other four-wheeled pick, the Uppababy Cruz, but it’s more than half as good for about half the cost.
It offers good maneuverability for the price. While the Pivot Xpand isn’t as pleasant to push as the Cruz, especially around tight corners, it is much easier to push and steer than comparably-priced four-wheeled strollers.
The toddler seat reclines smoothly via a handle on the back. The toddler seat also has an “infant mode” for children under 6 months old. When you unbuckle a strap under the seat, the seat becomes almost flat, creating a suitable position for small babies; this also makes the stroller particularly cost-efficient, since you don’t have to purchase a separate bassinet (as you do with the Uppababy Cruz V2).
The Pivot Xpand has a large storage basket that’s nicely open and accessible from the back. It easily holds a 70-count box of diapers. But the storage basket’s weight capacity is only 10 pounds, so it’s less than ideal for serious grocery trips. (The Uppababy Cruz V2’s basket has a 30-pound weight limit.)
A nimble and ultra-portable three-wheeler – Thule Spring
Best for: Families who want a compact, agile three-wheeled stroller that folds quickly and can be thrown into a trunk or carried up a flight of stairs with ease.
Why we like it
The Thule Spring is a nimble, compact stroller. And it has a quick, one-handed fold that’s sure to be deeply appreciated by anyone who regularly loads their stroller into a car trunk, lugs it up stairs, or tries to jam it into an already-packed space.
The sharp-looking Spring is a peppy stroller to tool around with. We love how this three-wheeler can squeeze between parked cars and hop curbs—it’s both fun and easy to drive. I could easily hoist the whole thing, complete with my son inside, up into my arms in order to scale a few steps—something that was impossible to do with our four-wheeled picks. Our long-term tester appreciated that the Spring was “nimble and agile and spritely” without compromising her daughter’s comfort. She compared it to “the difference between driving a zippy little sports car versus a big SUV; refreshing, fun, easy.”
The underseat storage is more generous than on similar models. Many three-wheeled strollers have small, shallow storage baskets that are difficult to access. But not the Spring: Its underseat storage basket is completely open in the back, so you can toss things right in or even fit larger items, like a 70-count box of diapers.
The Spring’s one-handed fold is simple and elegant. You slide over a small plastic tab and pull up on a sturdy handle (hidden beneath the child’s seat), which you can then use to comfortably carry the stroller (kind of like a suitcase).
A rugged, all-terrain stroller with a hand brake – Baby Jogger City Mini GT2 All-Terrain Stroller
Best for: People who want a larger stroller that can handle different types of terrain but that’s also light and easy to fold. It’s also a good fit both for tall kids and tall caregivers.
Why we like it
The three-wheeled Baby Jogger City Mini GT2 All-Terrain Stroller delivers rugged functionality. It’s sturdy and wide yet also very light. And it has a simple, one-handed fold—the best of any stroller we tested—so it’s easy to pop into the back of your car before you head off on an adventure.
It excels on tricky terrain like grass and gravel. (But, despite the brand name, this stroller is not designed for running.) Overall, the City Mini GT2 is a pleasure to drive, with responsive, nimble handling.
It’s pleasant to push and to ride in. The stroller’s rubberized handlebar is comfortable for long-term pushing and gripping as you maneuver over bumps and curbs, and its large canopy and deeply reclining, nap-friendly toddler seat lend themselves well to extended day trips.
It fits taller kids (and parents) well. This stroller has the longest toddler seat of any of our picks. And its adjustable handlebar can go up the highest, 44 inches, making this stroller a potentially great fit for particularly tall families.
It’s the largest of the (non-jogging) three-wheeled strollers we’ve tested. The stroller’s scale could make it less than ideal in certain urban settings or any sort of cramped quarters. But its wider frame—which distributes weight evenly and provides extra stability—makes it especially well equipped to take on rougher terrain.
The fold cannot be beat. You pull up on a nylon handle located at the center of the toddler seat, and the entire thing collapses. This stroller has, by far, the simplest and most streamlined folding process among our picks.
It’s an improvement over the Baby Jogger City Mini 2, a previous pick in this guide. A Wirecutter writer who has been using the City Mini GT2 has been particularly impressed by how much better it drives compared with her previous Baby Jogger City Mini 2. “It’s much smoother, easier to push, and gives a more cushiony ride,” she said. The two strollers share the notably quick fold.
It has foam-filled tires. The City Mini GT2 has what Baby Jogger calls Forever-Air tires. These rubber tires are filled with a lightweight foam, rather than air, and they’re intended to be buoyant and capable of handling different surfaces. They do not require refilling, unlike the air-filled tires on jogging strollers.