Type

Full-size strollers

61 models · 22 brands, ~$135–$1,600

A full-size stroller is built for walking: larger wheels and suspension, a seat that reclines far or lies flat, and room underneath for a day's bags. Many take a bassinet or an infant car seat, and some grow into a double. What they ask in return is weight and a bulky fold, which is why owners so often add a lighter second stroller for the car, so the folded size and weight columns matter more here than anywhere.

Ordered by price, lowest first.

Choosing among full-size strollers

How a newborn rides: bassinet, flat seat or infant car seat

The UPPAbaby Vista V3's seat starts at 3 months, so a younger baby needs the Bassinet or Infant SnugSeat, or a Mesa or Aria car seat. That makes it one of 15 full-size strollers whose newborn route is a separately sold accessory. Of the other 46 in the category, 12 list a bassinet, 17 describe a seat the maker says takes a baby from birth, and 16 pair with an infant car seat. If you plan to click a car seat in, 18 pairings across 15 models attach directly (the Vista, Cruz and Kona among them), while 87 more use an adapter you buy and keep track of.

Weight and the boot of the car

The Nuna TRIV next is the lightest full-size stroller with a published weight, at 18.4 lb, and 11 of the 58 that print one come in under 22 lb. At the other end 17 weigh 28 lb or more, and the Chicco Corso Flex is heaviest at 34.5 lb. Folded size matters as much as pounds: the Nuna SWIV folds to 14.5 x 21 x 30.5 inches, while the Vista V3 stays 25.7 inches wide even folded, and three Maxi-Cosi models (Oxford Modular, Fame and Tana 360) are the only ones listed with a two-hand fold. Thirty-five list a fold that stands by itself, which helps in a hallway.

A basket rating is worth reading

A basket rating is easy to skip, but 35 full-size makers print one, and 22 of those rate it at 22 lb or more. Ten are far lower: the Cybex Priam, Inglesina Aptica and Baby Jogger City Mini GT3 are rated at 10 or 11 lb. The Austlen Entourage 2 lists 70 lb and the Thule Charm 33 lb. A low figure is not a defect, but it is the difference between a stroller that carries the diaper bag and the shopping and one that carries the diaper bag only.

Planning for a second child

If a second child is likely, look at the 15 full-size strollers that convert to carry one, among them the Vista V3 (RumbleSeat, plus the PiggyBack board for a third rider), the Bugaboo Kangaroo, Cybex Gazelle S, Joovy Qool and Chicco Corso Flex. Buying one of these means paying for a frame you grow into, and several of them sit in the heavier half of the weight range above. If a double is more than a year or two away, an ordinary single is lighter to live with in the meantime.

How the types differ, and where the lines blur →