The Very Best Strollers

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Type:Full-size convertible, four wheels| Weight:27.6 pounds(when used with one child seat)|Age/weight range:Newborn to 50 pounds| Maneuverability and folding:Two-handed fold, stands on its own when folded |Materials and design:Foam-filled rubber tires, full-grain leather details, adjustable handlebar, large storage basket, rain shield and bug shield included

If you have the space for it, theUPPAbaby Vista V3is the closest thing you will find to a do-everything stroller and the best investment on this list. Strategist writer Lauren Ro, mom to two boys who are 7 and 3 and a half, originally chose an earlier model of the Vista as her main stroller when she was pregnant with her first child, because of its versatility and numerous features. According to Ro, the biggest advantage of the Vista is its adaptability. It grows with your family and can accommodate up to three children with the right accessories and adapters, some but not all of which are sold separately. You can combine two bassinets, two seats, two car seats, or any mix of the three and add a kick board for older kids, all without changing the stroller’s width. Plus, it works seamlessly with manyUPPAbaby car seats, and the handlebar is adjustable, so adults of all heights can comfortably push it.

Ro says the stroller feels heavy duty but is easy to push. I spent a morning steering Ro’s V3 stroller on neighborhood sidewalks and through Prospect Park and found it to be the smoothest ride of any four-wheel stroller I have tried. It also has a huge storage basket with a weight limit of 30 pounds. For context, that’s equivalent to multiple bags of groceries, an average 3-year-old child, or a medium-size dog. The cargo capacity and maneuverability are the Vista’s major selling points and the reason why every Brooklyn nanny I have spoken to says it’s the gold standard. Though it’s one of the heaviest strollers on this list, it still looks and feels sleek, especially in the monochrome matte-black color. And if you’re looking for something that will withstand years of daily schlepping, the Vista is known to be incredibly durable. Vista strollers are almost always passed down, often multiple times, and they have a great resale value.

One potential drawback of the Vista — though it depends on whom you ask — is that the child seats do not lie completely flat. They can be reclined quite far (which is easy to do one-handed), and the footrest can be moved up and down to accommodate different heights as your child grows. But the seat has a bucket design, like a chair that tilts backward, so the rider won’t ever be able to fully lie down. On the plus side, this design holds babies and toddlers more snuggly in place; “My nanny has complained about the true lay-flat seats on the Stokke Yoyo 3 and the Thule Glide strollers because there’s nothing aside from the harness to keep babies from sliding down in the seat,” Ro says. But if a totally flat sleeping surface is a priority, the bassinet is the only way to get it on the V3.

Another point in the Vista’s favor is UPPAbaby’s customer service, which Ro and several other Strategist parents have found to be excellent. You can even take the brand’s strollers to in-person repairlocationsin Boston, Brooklyn, Santa Monica, and Toronto for free maintenance and affordable repairs. “We’ve taken ours in several times for tune-ups and also got a replacement seat for just $60,” Ro says.

Type:Full-size, four wheels |Weight:28.3 pounds |Age/weight range:Newborn to 50 pounds |Maneuverability and folding:Two-handed fold, stands on its own when folded |Materials and design:Foam-filled rubber tires, full-grain leather details, adjustable handlebar, extendable sun canopy, large storage basket

I have been very impressed with the Nuna Mixx Next stroller in both style and function. It is larger and heavier than most of the other strollers I’ve tried, but it also offers a luxury experience that is pretty unparalleled. I tested the model with a matte-black frame and blackfaux-leather accents (called “ocean” because the seat material is actually a very dark blue-gray), and I love how it looks. It is easy to fold and smooth to push. After using it for several months when my son was a year old, I gave the Nuna Mixx Next stroller to a friend with a new baby; that baby recently turned 1, and she still frequently tells me how much she loves the stroller’s “effortless handling” and easy maneuvering on both city streets and country hills.

Children sit up higher in this stroller than in more compact strollers, which my son loved because it put him at eye level with adults when we were out at a café or sitting next to him on a bench in the park. He also liked that the seat can be positioned fully upright so he didn’t have to lean forward like he did while riding in the Yoyo or the Baby Jogger strollers reviewed below. The harness is especially easy to adjust and fasten thanks to the no-rethread straps and magnetic buckle, which saved time and cut down on fussiness when we were trying to get out the door. The seat can be used both parent-facing and forward-facing; I wish I’d had a stroller with this feature when my son was still an infant because it was so nice to talk to him as we walked.

Though it can only be used as a single stroller (in contrast to the convertible Vista V3), the Nuna Mixx Next can similarly be used with a car seat, a child seat, or a bassinet. It doesn’t come with a bassinet — you have tobuy it separately with a stand for $500. If you don’t want to buy the bassinet and stand, though, the child seat can be used as a lie-flat cot for babies: You just recline the seat to the fully flat position and flip the leg rest up to support it at the bottom, a motion that is as smooth and easy to do one-handed as it is on the Vista V3.

Nuna’s strollers are known for being tall-person-friendly; the handlebars are fairly high in the starting position (41 inches) and adjust upward for even more height. I am five-feet-seven, so this isn’t the most important stroller feature for me, but my son’s former nanny is at least four inches taller than me, and she loved it. (Petite parents might be happier with the comparable UPPAbaby Cruz.) We both appreciated the large storage basket, seat cushion you can remove to reveal breathable mesh when it’s hot out, and all-terrain wheels that make it more convenient to spend all day outside with a toddler. While testing this stroller, I traveled alone with my son from Bridgeport, Connecticut, to Port Jefferson, New York, via ferry across Long Island Sound. Because we were being dropped off and picked up on either side, I had to carry a car seat on the boat, along with a large backpack and a tote bag for diapers, snacks, and toys. The Mixx Next made it feel like a fun, casual outing rather than a sweaty schlep. I was able to slide the car seat into the stroller’s storage basket and still had room to put the tote bag on top.

The Nuna Mixx Next has a more compact fold than the UPPAbaby Vista and can be folded with the seat facing in either direction. On my trip I was able to quickly pack it in the trunks of both a Subaru and a Mini Cooper without needing to remove the wheels. I still love the all-terrain Baby Jogger stroller, below, for rugged outdoorsy walks — but if I had to choose between the two, the Nuna Mixx Next, with its bigger storage basket, easier recline, and fancier details, is the one I would pick.

Type:Full-size, three wheels |Weight: 21.6pounds |Age/weight range:Newborn to 65 pounds |Maneuverability and folding:Wide-set back wheels, one-handed fold, stands on its own when folded |Materials and design:Airless all-terrain tires, rubberized adjustable handlebar, hand-operated brake, all-wheel suspension, extra long sun canopy, adjustable leg rest

The City Mini GT3 is the newest version of Baby Jogger’s full-size three-wheeled all-terrain stroller. It has excellent shock absorption that gives it an extremely smooth push and easy handling on pavement, grass, and dirt. I originally tested the older City Mini GT2, starting when my son was 7 months old, because the stroller we’d received as a registry gift — a gloriously compact but kind of hard-to-push Yoyo 2 — was putting a lot of strain on my wrists. While looking for a smoother alternative, I watched a ton of stroller review videos and talked to all of my friends who had babies, and the City Mini GT2 kept coming up for its combination of a cushioned three-wheel push and easy one-handed fold. My son is now 3 years old and I still regularly use the GT2 when I take him to the park or for nature walks on bumpy dirt roads. The newer GT3 is just as sturdy and smooth to push and still folds like a dream with one hand, plus it has a few exciting upgrades that address the GT2’s less popular design details: magnetic buckles, a no-rethread harness, a more accessible storage basket without the pesky bar in the way, a foot brake instead of a hand brake, and a more upright seat back.

It’s also two inches narrower — the wide berth was my main complaint about the GT2 — and one pound lighter. This improves the turning radius and makes it much easier to navigate doorways and sidewalks. It’s still too bulky for subway rides and too heavy to lift up and down stairs, as I have done with the Yoyo 2, the Joolz Aer+, the Ergobaby Metro+, and the Bugaboo Butterfly 2. But even one less pound does make a difference, and it’s more compact when folded than the previous model.

New Yorkfeatures writerIrin Carmon, a self-described stroller nerd who regularly provides advice in a stroller-focused Facebook group with over 50,000 members, has been using the City Mini GT3 for about five months and says its biggest selling point for her is that it has a weight limit of 65 pounds — 15 pounds more than any other stroller on this list — which is great for bigger kids like her older daughter, who still likes being pushed on long days out in the city. Other perks include an adjustable handlebar for adults of different heights, a huge sun canopy, and the aforementioned one-handed fold: You pull up on a soft handle in the middle of the seat and the stroller collapses under your hand. It has a roomy padded seat with a near-flat recline and lots of rear ventilation that makes it comfortable for kids to sleep in, even in hot weather. The storage basket on the GT3 has the same weight capacity as the GT2, ten pounds, but because the opening is bigger now, it’s much easier to shove all your stuff underneath and easier to grab a snack pouch or wipes out of your diaper bag.

Type:Lightweight, four wheels |Weight:17.1pounds |Age/weight range:Newborn to 50 pounds |Maneuverability and folding:Tight turning radius, one-handed fold, stands on its own when folded |Materials and design:Plastic wheels with rubber treads,faux-leather handlebar and belly bar, extra-tall seat cushion, full recline with optional mesh ventilation, parent cup holder and rain cover included, adjustable handlebar and leg rest, extra-wide sun canopy

The Metro 3 Deluxe stroller is an upgraded version of the Metro+ Deluxe stroller with better suspension, a taller seat back, slightly larger front wheels, a more compact fold, a bigger storage basket, and a smoother folding mechanism. It also has something called “newborn nest mode,” which transforms the child seat into an infant-safe cot; you recline the seat all the way flat and then unfurl and snap together the hidden wings under the leg rest to create the foot of the nest. The older model also had a version of this, and though I didn’t use it with my own son, I did test the process and found it impressively easy. When a good friend asked for help finding an affordable travel stroller to take her infant son on a trip to Italy, the Metro 3 was my immediate recommendation.

My husband and I tested an older model of the Ergobaby, the Metro+ Deluxe, for about a year and a half and loved it way more than expected. My favorite features (all of which are the same or better on the new model) were the extra-comfy padded seat, the included belly bar, rain cover, and cup holder, and the no-rethread harness that’s easy to buckle fast and never gets twisted. The stroller’s parent cup holder is the only one I have tried that actually kept my coffee from spilling. My son’s favorite feature was the curved belly bar (the newer one is angled a bit differently) that let him put his feet up or rest his arms without ever restricting his personal space the way other belly bars, like the one on the UPPAbaby Minu, do.

Folding the stroller is now even easier to do one-handed and when it’s folded it is as small as the Yoyo 3 with the added benefit of standing on its own. It’s smoother to push than the Yoyo 3 and about as easy to maneuver as the Joolz Aer2. It’s narrow and turns well but doesn’t sacrifice comfort, and though it’s heavier than some of the other compact strollers on this list, it is also sturdier and less likely to tip over. I have taken both the Metro+ and a friend’s Metro 3 on the subway and into stores and cafés with no trouble at all. And I was able to quickly carry it up subway stairs with my son sitting in it just as easily as with the Yoyo, the Joolz, and the Bugaboo Butterfly 2. All this and a near-flat recline for $80 less than the Joolz Aer2.

Type:Lightweight, four wheels |Weight:16 pounds|Age/weight range:Newborn to 50 pounds |Maneuverability and folding:Tight turning radius, one-handed fold, stands on its own when folded |Materials and design:Plastic wheels with rubber treads,faux-leather handlebar, extra-tall seat cushion, most accessories not included

My current day-to-day stroller, and the one I have been using for the last eight months, is the Bugaboo Butterfly 2. In its latest upgrade, the Bugaboo pulled out ahead of the Joolz Aer+ (and now the Joolz Aer2) to become my pick for the Best Lightweight Stroller for Toddlers. Both strollers are smooth and easy to fold with one hand, have surprisingly large storage baskets, are comfy for little kids to sit in and easy for them to climb into on their own, and light enough to carry up and down the subway stairs alone, even with a 30-pound child inside. But the recline mechanism the Bugaboo Butterfly 2 is far superior to the cumbersome one on the Joolz Aer2 (which, as I wrote above, is nearly impossible to use while there is a child in the stroller). Even without any recline, the Butterfly 2 has more substantial edges to its seat, so if my son falls asleep, there is more of a barrier to catch his head when it inevitably flops to one side.

Another nice detail is the “springy back perimeter” on the Butterfly’s storage basket that makes it even easier to carry large items. “I’ve fit an entire other stroller in it,” says Carmon (for the record, the other stroller was aGB Pockit, and she has heard theCybex Libellefits in the storage basket too). For travel, Carmon says, theWayB Pico car seatfits easily in the Butterfly’s basket as well. Though it isn’t newborn-friendly without attaching a car seat, it does have a very high seat back that measures 26.8 inches, over five inches taller than the seat on the Joolz Aer2, which is great for tall or older kids. Plus, the footrest extends really far compared to other compact strollers, making it more comfortable for kids who might nap in it at a later age.

Carmon’s main complaint about the older Butterfly model was that it was kind of “tippy,” especially when turning corners quickly while pushing a heavier kid or navigating deep sidewalk cracks. But with the Butterfly 2, this issue has been almost completely resolved. I never worry about it tipping sideways or backward, even when my son turns around in the seat and leans against the back of it. Now my only complaint is that the Butterfly 2 doesn’t come with any basicaccessorieslike those that are included with other strollers. And that the rain cover alone costs $60.

Type:Lightweight, four wheels |Weight:13.7 pounds |Age/weight range:Newborn to 48 pounds |Maneuverability and folding:Tight turning radius, one-hand fold, doesn’t stand on its own when folded |Materials and design:Plastic wheels with rubber treads,faux-leather handlebar with nylon tether, shoulder carrying strap

The Yoyo 3 stroller has a lot of the same features that made the earlier Yoyo 2 popular with parents who like to travel, particularly by plane. At just over 13 pounds and around 17 inches wide, it adds undeniable convenience to flying and exploring new cities with a young kid. Strategist senior editor Winnie Yang has taken the Yoyo 3, her preferred stroller for travel and daily use, on family trips to Florida and New Mexico and loves that it’s easy for her almost 3-year-old son to climb into and out of on his own. Yang appreciates that it turns very easily and feels “nimble,” allowing that “it’s not great with curbs, and it’s definitely more prone to tipping than full-size strollers, but the agility and lightness are worth it.”

If you want to use the Yoyo 3 with a newborn, you have a few options: abassinet attachment(which Strategist senior editor Ailbhe Malone preferred) or anewborn pack, which is a softer, sleeping-bag-type cot attachment that, unlike the bassinet, can be folded right along with the stroller. Carmon counts these newborn-friendly accessories as a reason you might opt for the Yoyo over the Bugaboo Butterfly, which doesn’t have either. But I still think it’s a better stroller for shuttling toddlers around the city than for infants (no wonder it’s one of the most popular strollers among Parisian parents). Once he was old enough, I routinely took my son in the Yoyo on the subway from Brooklyn to Manhattan and never had any trouble maneuvering through the winding station tunnels or past other passengers to find a seat in crowded cars. It was easy to carry up and down subway stairs while my son was riding in it, and Carmon was even able to push it down the aisle of a plane in coach.

The main drawback of the Yoyo is that pushing it isn’t very smooth compared to other strollers; Yang describes it as a bit “squirrely,” and when I would push it over grass or dirt paths, I could feel every bump in the handlebar. That said, the Yoyo 3 has better suspension and is quite zippy on flat, smooth surfaces. It is harder to fold than the Joolz Aer2 or the Bugaboo Butterfly 2, and while the seat of the Yoyo 3 is an improvement over the Yoyo 2 seat, it still doesn’t support kids in as much of an upright position as other compact strollers. But if your family flies often, Carmon notes that unlike other travel strollers, the Yoyo is recognized by every flight attendant you might encounter, so no one will give you trouble about bringing it onboard.

Type:Jogging |Weight:26.2pounds |Age/weight range:6 months to 49 pounds |Maneuverability and folding:Exceptionally smooth push, one-handed fold, doesn’t stand on its own when folded |Materials and design:Air-filled wheels, adjustable rubber handlebar with twist brake, zip-top storage basket, rear suspension, reflective accents on wheels and canopy

The Thule Urban Glide 3 has large and smooth air-filled tires, a twist hand brake, and a roomy storage basket, plus a comfortable upright seat with adjustable recline, magnetic buckles, an easy-to-use foot brake, a storage basket that holds up to 15 pounds, and an adjustable, padded leg rest.

True to its name, Ro says the Urban Glide 3 is the smoothest stroller she has ever pushed thanks to its big, air-filled rubber wheels. This makes it easy to run in Prospect Park while pushing the stroller one-handed. It also thrives on rugged terrain, she says, and is great for taking on nature trails or to the zoo. The standout feature is its handlebar twist break that slows the stroller down for you when you’re running down a hill, making it easier to keep control without having to use your own body weight as a counter-balance. And it’s lighter than other popularjogging strollers, like the Guava Roam or the BOB Gear Wayfinder, which weighs over 30 pounds, Ro says, which makes it easier for a wider range of runners — beginners included — to use.

Type:Convertible,four wheels|Weight:27.75 pounds |Age/weight range:Newborn to 50 pounds |Maneuverability and folding:Exceptionally smooth push, one-handed fold, stands on its own when folded |Materials and design:Airless all-terrain tires, adjustable handlebar, fully flat recline, adjustable leg rest, extendable UPF 50+ sun canopy, 6 seat colors sold separately, front suspension and tunable rear shocks

The Veer Switch&Roll modular stroller marries the versatility of a full-size convertible stroller like the UPPAbaby Vista with the functionality of an all-terrain wagon. I tested Veer’s Switch&Roll and Switch&Jog stroller configurations, which are both part of the brand’s modularSwitchback system, on the street in midtown Manhattan. It’s not the most challenging terrain that either of these strollers can handle, but I was still able to get a sense of how they do with curbs, tight turns, and crowded sidewalks. My main takeaway is that they both felt smooth and bouncy in a good way, like they would be fun to push on a trail or to take camping. I prefer the Switch&Roll, as its four-wheeled base is a tiny bit narrower than the base on the three-wheeledSwitch&Jog. The stroller seat, which Veer calls the Switchback and which works with either frame, has built-in shock absorbers to give babies the smoothest ride possible, even over crags and potholes. And it has the easiest and quietest recline of any stroller I have tried. It has four recline positions including totally flat and fully upright, and switching the seat from facing backward to forward is easy to do. It also has a massive storage basket that can hold up to 30 pounds as well as built-in cup holder and zipper compartment.

The most unique feature of the Switchback system is that the same seat can be used on the brand’s standard stroller orjogging stroller frames, as well as on the popularCruiser wagon, theVeer bike seat frame,camp chair base, and as a booster seat on almost any restaurant chair with a back, thanks to hidden straps on the back of the seat. As with the UPPAbaby Vista, the standard Switch&Roll stroller frame can be configured to carry multiple children at a time with two seats, two bassinets, two car seats, or a combination of all three. All of the brand’s add-on accessories (snack tray, parent organizer, cup holders, and two different coolers) are compatible across the entire collection of strollers and wagons.

Type:Full-size convertible, four wheels| Weight:25.5 pounds(frame and child seat), 9.9 pounds (car seat without the base)|Age/weight range:Newborn to 50 pounds| Maneuverability and folding:Two-handed fold, stands on its own when folded |Materials and design:Foam-filled rubber tires, full-grain leather details, adjustable handlebar, large storage basket, rain shield and bug shield included

Strategist deals writerMartha Tuber, who has a 4-year-old daughter and is currently expecting her second child, has the UPPAbaby Cruz V3 and Mesa car-seat travel system on deck to bring her new baby home from the hospital. This will be her second time using the Cruz and Mesa combination, as she had the older model of the Cruz when her daughter was a baby. “We went for the Cruz because friends recommended it, and it turned out great — definitely big and a little bit of a pain to open, but the ease of simply lifting my daughter out of the car in her Mesa car seat and plopping it onto the frame made up for that,” she says, adding that at the time she stored her Cruz frame in the trunk of her small Toyota Prius and it fit just fine. Now, as she prepares for the birth of her second child, she’s excited to use the upgraded Cruz V3 that can be used from birth with the accompanying Mesa V3 car seat or with the Cruz child seat and infant insert in “carriage mode,” with the seat reclined all the way flat.

New Yorkdeputy editor Alexis Swerdloff also used and loved the Cruz when her kids were little. And while Tuber lives in Los Angeles and doesn’t walk everywhere like she would in New York, she appreciates that the large and durable wheels on the Cruz allow her to take it up and down hills, on longer nature walks, and on outings to the park. The huge storage basket with a capacity of 30 pounds (just like the one on the Vista) also means she can use it for farmers’ market hauls and as an additional seat for her dog Dee Dee. The Mesa car seat has long been a best seller for UPPABaby and the V3 model is easier to install, is safe for babies who weigh 4-to-30 pounds and measure up to 32 inches long, and has an easy-to-secure five-point harness with magnetic buckles and a no-rethread harness. It’s also easy to use without the base thanks to its straightforward seatbelt path. Tuber says that it was instrumental in getting her daughter to nap (she only ever napped in the car seat or in the stroller) from birth until she was too heavy to comfortably carry in her car seat. “Being able to keep her contained in the Mesa made transferring her to the stroller or into the house a total breeze. And it helped that the Cruz was pretty easy to fold and unfold, and clicking the Mesa into the base was so simple,” she says.