Silver Cross Reef 2

Modular city stroller, 26.5 lb, with five riding modes, a reversible lie-flat seat and a one-hand fold that stands on its wheels. It takes car seats from Clek, Cybex, Maxi-Cosi and Nuna through adapters.

Weight: 26.5 lb; maker's figure
Folded size: 19 x 23.5 x 29 in; a 7.49 cu ft box
Max child weight: 55 lb; in the seat

Best for: City parents who want a reversible seat and a car-seat travel system in a mid-size frame

~$1,200list price at the last catalog update

What it does well

Adapters named for four car seat brands, where the Cove 2 names none
Seat reverses to parent- or world-facing and folds either way
Self-standing fold keeps the handle off the ground
Lie-flat seat with newborn apron avoids buying a bassinet at the start

What it gives up

26.5 lb is heavy and the fold is 19 x 23.5 x 29 in
From $1,199.99, among the ten dearest non-double strollers listed
Adapters and bassinet are separate purchases

What owners say

Owners choose the Reef 2 for how it rides and how it is built. The suspension and large rear wheels come up again and again: owners take it over ice, snow, gravel and cobblestones, and one says the baby barely gets jostled. They describe it as a premium, solid stroller that feels luxurious to push.

The flat seat lets owners use it from birth without a bassinet, which several did to save money and storage space, while one owner who got the bundle used the bassinet a lot. The fold is one-handed for most, though one owner closes it with two hands. Weight is the recurring complaint: owners find it a heavy lift into the boot, and one bought a bigger car partly to fit it. The basket holds a bottle bag, a purse, a changing pad and a carrier, according to one owner, but is smaller than on single-to-double strollers.

It suits families who walk a lot on rough or wintry ground and who drive with room in the trunk; owners who travel pair it with a lighter stroller such as the Bugaboo Butterfly or the Silver Cross Clic. One owner who chose it over the Nuna Mixx Next finds it comparable in weight to the Mixx and the UPPAbaby Cruz, and somewhat more expensive. It does not convert to a double, which one owner accepted because they did not plan children close together.

What owners like

The suspension is what owners praise most. One has pushed it through snowstorms, months of lingering ice, cobblestones and grassy hills, another says it goes over gravel well, and one city owner says bumpy streets feel like riding in a luxury car
The seat lies flat from birth, so several owners skipped the separate bassinet altogether and one says their newborn took many naps in it
Owners describe it as solid and well made, a stroller they expect to outlast cheaper ones. One who takes it through construction sites thinks a cheaper stroller would have broken by now
Most owners fold and open it one-handed, and one says it folds small enough to tuck under a restaurant table

Common complaints

It is heavy and bulky to lift into a car. One family upgraded to a car with a bigger boot, and others say loading it is a chore, though a couple point out that rival full-size strollers weigh about the same and one owner finds it light enough
Owners don't fly with it: one calls it far too heavy to take on a long overseas trip, and others bought a separate travel stroller alongside it

Questions owners ask about the Silver Cross Reef 2

Do I need the Reef 2 bassinet?

Several owners skipped it because the seat lies flat and works from birth, and one notes a bassinet only matters if you want it approved for overnight sleep. Another owner who bought the bundle used the bassinet a lot and likes how easily it swaps with the seat.

How does the Reef 2 handle snow, ice and rough ground?

Very well, according to owners. One walked it through back-to-back snowstorms and months of lingering ice, plus grass, dirt and cobblestones, and says the suspension keeps the baby from being jostled. Another says the large rear wheels make bumpy pavement much gentler for the baby.

Can I travel with the Reef 2?

Owners generally don't. One planning a long trip across Asia and Europe called it too heavy to lug around and looked for something lighter, and others bought a separate travel stroller. One owner does take it everywhere in town and says it folds small enough to fit under a table.

Is the Reef 2 fold really one-handed?

Most owners say yes, for both folding and unfolding. One owner says theirs closes with two hands.

What you lift

26.5 lb as Silver Cross weighs it.

Source: Silver Cross spec: "Weight 26.5 lbs* *excluding bumper bar"

The first months: Seat is rated from birth. Silver Cross: fully lie-flat seat with the included newborn apron from day one; overnight-approved bassinet sold separately.

Why makers’ weights don’t always compare

Infant car seats

Seat family	How it attaches	Models the maker names
Clek Liing	Adapter: Reef 2 car seat adapters (sold separately)	Clek (select seats, per Silver Cross)
Cybex Aton / Cloud	Adapter: Reef 2 car seat adapters (sold separately)	Cybex (select seats, per Silver Cross)
Maxi-Cosi Mico / Coral	Adapter: Reef 2 car seat adapters (sold separately)	Maxi-Cosi (select seats, per Silver Cross)
Nuna PIPA series	Adapter: Reef 2 car seat adapters (sold separately)	Nuna (select seats, per Silver Cross)

Source: Silver Cross Reef 2 page: "with the addition of car seat adapters, Reef 2 can create a tasteful travel system with select premium car seats of the following brands: Clek, Cybex, Maxi Cosi, Nuna" (specific seat models not listed on that page)

The whole car-seat matrix

Specifications

Approx. price: ~$1,200
Type: Full-size
Weight: 26.5 lb
Newborn lift weight: 26.5 lb (seat is from birth)
Newborn option: Seat is rated from birth
Folded size: 19 x 23.5 x 29 in
Carry-on check: Over by 10 in (3 sides over)
Folded box: 7.49 cu ft
Fold: One-hand fold, stands when folded; Silver Cross: "fold down one-handed in seconds, Reef 2 stands independently on its own four wheels"
Max child weight: 55 lb; Silver Cross: "Stroller Usage: Birth to 55 lbs"
Recline: Lie-flat reversible seat; position count not published
Car seats: 4 seat families: 4 with an adapter