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With the right stroller, you and your young one are ready for anything, from a quick trip to the stores to a week-long overseas vacation. The Bugaboo Cameleon Stroller is our top choice because of its versatile configuration, its ease of steering, and its many handy accessories and enhancements that let you customize it for your family.
Our son recently had his four and a half year "birthday," and in those 4.5 years, he has used four different strollers. Two of them now rest in the garage, relics of those bygone infant and toddler years, one has been rolled along on its way, and one still gets frequent use. We didn't stop using any of our strollers because we wanted some fancy new one or because any of them couldn't accommodate the weight of a growing child or anything like that, we stopped using each of the other strollers because they broke. But why do we have that fifth stroller? Because now we have a newborn, too, and our newest stroller works with her car seat. Yeah, kids get pricey.
While expecting our first child, my wife and I did exhaustive stroller research online, in catalogs, and through talking to parents with young kids. We also tested out multiple strollers before selecting one. Or, to be accurate, two. You will quickly find that having two strollers for one child is neither luxury nor necessity but is certainly a convenience.
I recommend getting one larger, rugged stroller used for the daily walks or for larger excursions (Disneyland, for example), and one smaller, compact stroller used when you need to travel light (flying to Europe or taking the train to New York City) or for use on quick shopping trips when you need the stroller to fit into the trunk beside the groceries.
But even with two strollers, and even if you use them strategically, you'll be lucky if even one is still in perfect operating condition after the half-decade or so in which a child will use it. And if you have two or more kids, forget about it: You're going through at least two strollers. Or three or four. That's why we've put together this guide to help parents find the right stroller(s) for their needs.
Here are our top picks for the best stroller you can buy:
Updated on 05/21/2018 by Steven John: Added the Nuna DEMI Grow and Stokke Xplory strollers based on personal testing, removed out of stock items, and updated prices.
Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks and for more advice on what to buy for your baby.
The best stroller overall
Why you'll love it: The Bugaboo Cameleon Stroller is a transformer that converts from a bassinet to a three position, dual-direction seat that can carry kids from birth to age three.
Yes, the Bugaboo Cameleon Stroller is very expensive. (And yes, by the way, that's the right spelling, not "chameleon" like, y'know, the chameleon.) But when our Bugaboo Cameleon finally broke after almost exactly four years of almost daily use, guess what stroller we bought to replace it? Another Bugaboo.
By my rough estimation, our Cameleon probably logged more than 2,000 miles during its lifespan. That factors in an almost daily walk that was more than two miles long plus thousands of errands, museum and zoo visits, all-day excursions during vacations, and so forth. We used our Cameleon five or six days a week from the first days when our son was born through the day its central locking mechanism snapped, rendering the chassis a fancy paperweight. All those years and the many miles help make the $1,200 price tag much easier to stomach.
The Bugaboo Cameleon Stroller is a great choice for two primary reasons: ease of use, and child comfort. When I say ease of use, I mean two things. First, it's very easy to steer, responding deftly even as you navigate tight turns, trundle up or downhill, or push the stroller's foam-filled tires over rough terrain. Second, the versatile, modular stroller is easy to configure in various ways. The frame converts from a newborn's bassinet to an infant's seat to a toddler-sized setup in just a few minutes.
Every piece of the stroller that can be removed for storage or during a reconfiguration is controlled via clear white buttons, clasps, or locks that are readily identified and easy to operate.
As for child comfort, this stroller is hard to beat. The bassinet is deep, softly padded, and can keep a baby warm and shielded from the sun. As a seat for toddlers, it can be outfitted with a snack tray and cup holder. The seat tilts to varying positions to allow a youngster to recline for a nap or sit up when they want to see everything around them. And the large, shock-absorbing wheels keep the ride comfortable even over bumpy ground.
We have also always loved the large storage bag that slings under the stroller and the adult's cup holder that clips onto the handle. And with practice, I learned to get the stroller disassembled and into its travel bag in about three minutes, a great source of dad pride. (Dads know what I'm talking about. Moms, too.)
Now to be fair, even when packed down, this stroller is still pretty bulky. Again, yes, it's very expensive. But I'll bet you too would consider buying another after years spent with your first.
An article from Mom's Stroller Reviews says the Cameleon's "maneuverability is absolutely great" and appreciates that "the all-terrain wheels are foam filled." And a survey of ratings left on the respected site Consumer Affairs found that the stroller has an average 4.5-star rating among its many satisfied owners.
Pros: Great maneuverability, easy to adapt to varied configurations, smooth and responsive steering
Cons: Very expensive, rather bulky
The best stroller for multi-kid families
Why you'll love it: The Nuna DEMI Grow Stroller is lightweight yet sturdy, it folds down with ease, and can accommodate two kids at once.
When we had our first kid, we bought one of the safest car seats we could find and we bought one of the best strollers we could find. And both were great, more or less. The car seat was soft and supportive for our son, and it gave us peace of mind. But it was savagely heavy. And the stroller was responsive and rugged and had great storage space underneath, but it was big and bulky even when collapsed. Worst of all? The car seat and stroller weren't compatible, so every time we needed to transition our baby from car to stroller or vice-versa, we had to unbuckle him, scoop him up, and strap him back in, which basically guaranteed hysterical crying.
That's why my wife and I have been thrilled with the Nuna DEMI Grow Stroller we're currently using with our newborn daughter. The stroller is agile and light, turning on a dime even with one hand on the handlebar, yet it rolls over bumps and rough road easily, absorbing much of the shaking. The storage basket below is ample enough for a moderate grocery shopping and the hood provides plenty of sun coverage for our baby girl.
But there are two reasons above all that the DEMI Grow was a game changer. First, it works with our Nuna PIPA Lite car seat, so we never have to rouse a sleeping baby to switch from car to stroller. Second, the DEMI Grow is so lightweight that my wife can easily lift it into the trunk of an SUV, and it folds down small enough to fit in a slender coat closet at home.
Along with the car seat configuration, the DEMI Grow can also accommodate an infant seat, a toddler seat, and it can even be used with two children at the same time in an over/under configuration. Full disclosure, we've never tried that arrangement, because we have a couple of other strollers for our older kid.
A customer review left on Nordstrom's website echoes some of my sentiments, saying the DEMI Grow"is made soundly but remains light," adding the good point that it "is made of gorgeous fabrics."
And in a write up from Little Baby Gear, the DEMI Grow was hailed as being "simple and functional," easy to fold up or deploy, and with a dozen "seating configuration options."
Pros: Lightweight and nimble, multiple configuration options, quick and easy compact folding
Cons: Pricey option, especially with added options
The best low-cost stroller
Why you'll love it: The Summer Infant 3Dlite Convenience Stroller is lightweight, easy to steer, and keeps kids secure with a five-point safety harness for less than $100.
You could be forgiven for finding the sub-$100 price tag of the Summer Infant 3Dlite Convenience Stroller a bit unnerving. Could something that inexpensive actually be safe enough to transport your priceless child? Well, if you believe a couple thousand glowing reviews posted online by other parents, the answer is yes. Also, there are legally mandated safety standards, of course.
This stroller manages to be very low priced but reasonably well-made, and quite comfortable for younger children thanks to its reclining seat, padding, and sun shade. It also manages to fold down nearly flat and to weigh in at around 13 pounds, making the stroller compact and light enough for any able-bodied adult to lift with ease.
If you need to carry your stroller onto the subway or tuck it into the trunk of a car regularly, then this small, light stroller is a great choice. If you need a stroller that can handle rougher terrain, like grass, dirt, gravel, and so forth, then this one is the absolute wrong choice, though. Its wheels are small and the tires are narrow, easily bogging down on uneven ground. That said, this is a city stroller first and foremost, and thanks not only to its minute weight and folded size, but also thanks to its large storage basket.
Even after more than 2,100 reviews, the Summer Infant 3Dlite Convenience Stroller has a 4.4-star rating on Amazon. One owner who reports having been through seven strollers with her three kids (see, it's not just me!) speaks for many when she calls this one "awesome" and says she "can't recommend it enough" thanks to how easily it folds, its light weight, and its maneuverability.
The experts also love this one, by in large. A writer with The Bump called it "super light and easy to fold" but did note that it can tip if you hang a heavy bag on the handles. In a write-up on FirstTimeParentGuide.com, a reviewer noted the "decent storage underneath" and the "durable aluminum frame."
Pros: Great low price point, lightweight and compact, good storage underneath
Cons: Wheels too small for rough terrain, kids outgrow it quickly
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