Chicco Bravo

Chicco's standard full-size works in three modes: toddler seat, frame for a car seat, and with a tray. A one-hand fold stands on its own, and the stroller weighs 24.9 lb in toddler mode and carries 50 lb.

Weight: 24.9 lb; maker's figure
Folded size: 15 x 22.8 x 36.8 in; a 7.28 cu ft box
Max child weight: 50 lb; in the seat

Best for: One stroller from newborn car seat to toddler on a limited budget

~$300list price at the last catalog update

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What it does well

Frame mode drops to 20 lb for a car seat
15 in long folded, and it stands
Takes any Chicco infant seat with no adapter
$299.99 is under every full-size Cybex here

What it gives up

24.9 lb in toddler mode
Folded height with tray is 36.8 in
Car seat fit is Chicco-only

What owners say

Most Bravo owners got it as a travel system with a KeyFit, often because it was the affordable bundle that did everything they needed. What they like is the routine it allows: carry the car seat from the car, click it onto the frame, fold the stroller and go. Owners describe the fold as easy, and the stroller often outlasts the infant seat, carrying a toddler in the forward-facing seat well into the second year.

Harsh is how several owners describe the ride on city sidewalks, and it struggles with bumps, and second-hand owners report squeaky wheels and hinges and a fold that stiffens with wear. One owner with a Prius found it took up a lot of the car. There is no bassinet, which is the most common reason expecting parents start shopping for a second stroller.

If most trips start in the car and end on smooth pavement or in a shop, and you want a Chicco seat and stroller that work together, the Bravo fits. Owners who walk rough sidewalks or trails tend to move to a BOB or another all-terrain stroller, and parents weighing it against the Graco Modes Nest usually decide on whether they want a bassinet. Owners asking what more expensive strollers add compare it with UPPAbaby and Nuna.

What owners like

Paired with a KeyFit, it works as owners hoped: the seat clicks out of the car base and onto the frame without waking anyone, and parents who bought it as a bundle call that the main reason to own it
Owners say it pops open and folds easily, and parents who tried it in a store before buying came away liking how compact it is for a full-size
It survives a lot of use: one family pushed it daily until their child turned two, others bought it second-hand and say it has seen plenty of miles, and some second-hand buyers paid very little
Parents who flew with the Bravo and a KeyFit gate-checked the stroller with no trouble, and one notes the KeyFit can be installed in a taxi or hire car without its base
Once the infant seat is outgrown, owners moved their babies into the toddler seat facing forward and say they were comfortable on walks

Common complaints

Rough pavement is where owners turn on it: several say it handles sidewalk bumps badly and only use it for the car seat and shop runs. One owner disagrees and says the big wheels roll over park bumps easily
Squeaks develop with age, at the wheels for one owner and at the fold hinge for another, and a well-used one can get hard to turn and stiff to fold
There is no bassinet, and several expecting owners who planned long newborn walks went shopping for a second stroller. Most owners use the infant car seat on the frame for the first months and move the baby to the toddler seat once they can sit up

Questions owners ask about the Chicco Bravo

Does the Bravo need a KeyFit on the frame for a newborn?

Chicco lists the Bravo for newborns only with an infant car seat on the frame, and most owners did exactly that until the baby could sit in the toddler seat. Parents who want long newborn walks lying flat usually look at a bassinet stroller instead, though one owner of a summer baby never missed having one.

Is the Bravo and KeyFit combination easy to fly with?

Parents who flew with the Bravo and a KeyFit gate-checked the stroller and collected it at the plane door without problems. One owner warns that some airlines limit the weight of what they gate-check, so check yours first. Another owner of a well-loved Bravo bought a cheap car seat frame for trips so the main stroller stayed home.

Is the Bravo's ride too rough for bumpy sidewalks and gravel?

Not well, according to most owners who walk a lot. They describe it as rough over bumps and keep it for the car seat and errands, using an all-terrain stroller for trails. One owner disagrees and found it easy over bumps at the park.

Is the Bravo's three-height handle tall enough for a 6-foot-plus parent?

One owner with a 6'2" partner says it worked for them after they ruled out a stroller with a short, fixed handle. The handle has three heights.

What you lift

24.9 lb as Chicco weighs it.

Source: Chicco spec table: "Assembled Weight (Toddler) 24.9 lbs"; frame mode 20 lb, frame with canopy 21.8 lb

The first months: Newborns ride in an infant car seat. Chicco: all Chicco infant car seats attach via the included child tray (frame mode); no newborn seat is listed.

Why makers’ weights don’t always compare

Infant car seats

Seat family	How it attaches	Models the maker names
Chicco KeyFit / Fit2	Clicks on, no adapter	All Chicco infant car seats (via the included child tray, sold separately)

Source: Chicco Bravo page: "All Chicco infant car seats (sold separately); attaches via included child tray with no adapter required"

The whole car-seat matrix

Specifications

Approx. price: ~$300
Type: Full-size
Weight: 24.9 lb
Newborn option: Newborns ride in an infant car seat
Folded size: 15 x 22.8 x 36.8 in
Carry-on check: Over by 14.8 in (3 sides over)
Folded box: 7.28 cu ft
Unfolded size: 35.2 x 22.8 x 42.7 in
Fold: One-hand fold, stands when folded; Chicco: "One-hand smart fold design is compact and self-standing"
Max child weight: 50 lb; Chicco spec table: "Max Child Weight 50 lbs"
Recline: Chicco: multi-position recline
Car seats: 1 seat family: 1 click in directly