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The Baby Jogger City Mini 2 stroller used to be compatible with the Chicco KeyFit 30, one of the picks in our guide to the best infant car seats. However, following a minor update to the stroller in 2021, the adapter no longer fits as it should.

Our upgrade stroller pick, the Uppababy Cruz, has been discontinued and replaced by the Cruz V2; we plan to test it for a future update to this guide.

After pushing 13 different strollers over 125 miles in five cities, we think the Baby Jogger City Mini 2 offers great performance and the most convenience, with a fast and compact fold, a fully reclining seat, underseat storage, and an extra-large canopy. The City Mini 2 also improves on the original City Mini with front basket access and an adjustable leg rest.

The City Mini 2 packs all the features you need in a full-size stroller and handles like much more expensive models. It has an impressively simple fold and weighs just under 19 pounds.

The Baby Jogger City Mini 2 is one of the lightest full-size strollers we looked at and has the quickest and easiest fold of any model we tested, making it especially convenient to transport and store. It offers excellent maneuverability on a par with that of much more expensive models, a generously sized canopy with multiple well-placed peekaboo windows, and a simple-to-use recline that allows newborns to lie flat and older babies and kids to sit in virtually any position. Improvements on the original City Mini, such as an adjustable leg rest and front access to the underseat storage, offer comfort and convenience for both child and adult. The City Mini 2 is compatible with many infant car seats with the addition of the correct adapter. (However, we’ve learned that—following a minor update to the City Mini 2 in 2021—the adapter for the Chicco KeyFit 30, one of the picks in our guide to the best infant car seats, no longer fits as it should.) The handlebar on the City Mini 2 can feel too high for shorter adults (a 5-foot-1 tester found it uncomfortable), and the storage basket is smaller and less accessible when full than the baskets of other strollers we looked at.

The Britax B-Lively is compatible only with Britax and BOB car seats, but it has large, convenient pockets in the rear and ample underseat storage that’s easily accessible.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $230.

The Britax B-Lively has the same three-wheeled design as the Baby Jogger City Mini 2, with comparable handling and maneuverability, plus a similarly easy-to-use recline. It has a larger, more accessible storage basket and a brake mechanism that requires less effort to engage (though the brakes don’t consistently lock into place, requiring you to confirm that they’ve been activated). However, the B-Lively is compatible only with Britax and BOB car seats; it won’t work with the popular Chicco Keyfit 30, our infant car seat pick, or with other brands. The B-Lively weighs 1 pound more than the City Mini 2, and folding it requires an additional step, making it a little less convenient to collapse—all of which put it in second place.

The Uppababy Cruz is expensive but has one-handed recline, extra-large underseat storage, and an adjustable handlebar. Although it’s good at handling rougher terrain, it’s also heavier than other full-size models we tested and isn’t as easy to fold.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $550.

The Uppababy Cruz (now discontinued) is typically twice as expensive as our other picks, but if you need a stroller that maneuvers smoothly on rougher terrain or streets, hauls bigger loads of groceries and gear, and is easier to handle and adjust, the Cruz may be a worthy investment. Its smaller wheelbase, front-wheel suspension, and extra-durable wheels give it a cushier ride than the competition. Its adjustable handlebar, reversible seat, and car-seat compatibility make it one of the easiest strollers to customize, too, and the extra-large storage basket holds more than twice as much as those of our other picks. Its mesh peekaboo window has a magnetic closure. (For some reason, babies can slumber through a fire engine’s blaring sirens but jolt awake at the rip of Velcro.) But at 21.5 pounds, the Cruz is bigger and more than 2.5 pounds heavier than the City Mini 2; in addition, its two-handed fold isn’t as intuitive as that of the City Mini 2 or the B-Lively, and it’s bulkier when folded.

Note: Since the original publication of this guide, Uppababy has come out with a new generation of the Cruz, the Cruz V2, which we have not tested. Among the new features on the Cruz V2 are larger, softer wheels for improved suspension and a roomier toddler seat and storage basket. The V2 is 4 inches shorter than the previous Cruz when folded, but it weighs 4 pounds more. We are planning to test the Cruz V2 soon for a future update.

The City Mini 2 packs all the features you need in a full-size stroller and handles like much more expensive models. It has an impressively simple fold and weighs just under 19 pounds.

The Britax B-Lively is compatible only with Britax and BOB car seats, but it has large, convenient pockets in the rear and ample underseat storage that’s easily accessible.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $230.

The Uppababy Cruz is expensive but has one-handed recline, extra-large underseat storage, and an adjustable handlebar. Although it’s good at handling rougher terrain, it’s also heavier than other full-size models we tested and isn’t as easy to fold.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $550.

We spent over 55 hours researching strollers, a process that included interviews with the R&D and product teams at Baby Jogger, BabyZen, Britax, Bugaboo, and Graco. We also talked to Isaac Judd, who was the chief operating officer of Magic Beans, a Massachusetts-based baby-store chain, at the time of our interview; at that point, Judd had sold strollers for over 10 years. In addition, we spoke with Jamie Mamikunian, owner and founder of Stroller Spa, a baby-gear resale and detailing shop with seven locations, including in Phoenix, San Francisco, and Toronto, and Dr. Heather Felton, an associate professor at the University of Louisville’s Department of Pediatrics, and an official spokesperson for the American Association of Pediatrics.

In addition to trying out strollers in person at BuyBuy Baby, Target, and the since-closed Babies“R”Us, I reviewed dozens of stroller guides online, including those by retail shop Magic Beans, BabyCenter, Consumer Reports, and Good Housekeeping, and I buttonholed strangers at coffee shops, children’s classes, and parks to ask them what they thought about their strollers.

I have worked as a fact checker and researcher, I was an editor and writer for the cookbook The Haven’s Kitchen Cooking School, and I have a PhD in American studies. My daughter was 10 months old when I first started writing about strollers, and in the past two and a half years we have tested 22 models—including travel strollers—in various terrains, temperatures, and countries.

The defining feature of full-size strollers is their ability to accommodate a child from birth through the toddler years. If possible, we highly recommend going to a baby-gear store, talking to a knowledgeable salesperson, and testing strollers outside the store. “There is no best stroller; there’s only the best stroller for you” is a common refrain among people who’ve spent years of their lives considering strollers, and in our own testing we’ve found that although most strollers do an adequate job transporting a child from point A to point B, each has a unique feel and specific features that may prove more or less important to any individual parent.

Full-size strollers tend to have more features and can serve you longer than umbrella strollers, whose more compact size, typically lower weight, and folding mechanisms limit their performance. Full-size strollers are often much lighter and smaller than double strollers or jogging strollers, which have large wheels to support all-terrain use. In general, jogging and umbrella strollers are recommended for use with children who are at least 6 months old and can sit up unassisted. Although you can find umbrella and jogging strollers that can safely transport newborns by providing full recline, supportive inserts, or car seat adapters, the ones that do so are still limited in terms of canopy size (umbrella), weight (jogging), or range of recline (umbrella).

Travel strollers, which fold to the size of a carry-on suitcase, combine the compactness of an umbrella stroller with features such as car seat adaptability, bassinet conversions, and full recline, all of which allow parents to use the stroller from birth. However, in exchange for going small and lightweight with a travel stroller, parents often sacrifice storage space, maneuverability, and ease of pushing, as well as features such as a large canopy.

The defining feature of full-size strollers is their ability to accommodate a child from birth through the toddler years.

Full-size strollers are sometimes sold as part of a “travel system,” which means the stroller comes with a compatible infant car seat. Compared with buying a stroller and car seat separately, a travel system can save a family anywhere from $10 to $80. Although travel systems can be convenient because they’re designed to integrate seamlessly, Magic Beans’s Isaac Judd suggested that families should focus on finding the features in each product that best suit their needs.

Keep in mind that there are many means to safely transport a child in those early months without investing in a full-size stroller, including using a carrier or a car seat caddy. I personally did not use a stroller with my daughter until she was around 4 months old. As city dwellers, my husband and I preferred using a baby carrier because we so often had to negotiate tight spaces at grocery stores as well as to move up and down stairs when coming and going from our home and taking the subway.

Parents and experts told us that the basic features they expected in a full-size stroller included accommodations for a newborn—especially car seat adaptability—easy pushing and maneuverability, a compact fold, and easy storage. Taking those priorities into account, we determined that a great full-size stroller should be:

Usable from birth through toddlerhood: A full-size stroller can support a child from birth until 3 to 5 years of age. To be safe for newborns, a stroller should have click-in infant car seat adaptability or offer a completely flat, bassinet-like position or a deep recline with a supportive insert. Dr. Heather Felton, spokesperson for the AAP, said it’s important to keep infants in a reclined position that supports their neck and head and keeps their airway open: “Newborns don’t have the neck control to sit up in the stroller. Don’t use an umbrella or jogging until they are 6 months and have core strength to sit up.”

Sitting upright is important for older babies and toddlers, so we also favored models that inclined more steeply over those with a more limited range. Most full-size strollers can support a child of up to 50 or 55 pounds (the average weight of a 7-year-old) or up to 40 or 45 inches tall (the average height of a 4- to 6-year-old).

Easy to push and maneuver: The wheel size, wheelbase (the distance between the front and back wheels), stroller weight, overall stroller size, and handlebar height all contribute to how a stroller handles. Full-size strollers come in either the traditional four-wheeled design or with three wheels on a triangular base. Many have larger wheels in the rear and smaller ones in the front. Because you push a stroller from the back, the larger rear wheels create traction and power; the swiveling front wheels steer movement. Larger wheel diameters make for an easier ride over uneven terrain and curbs, and up and down stairs. On the other hand, lightweight, more compact strollers require less effort to push, and their small wheelbase makes them nimbler than larger models.

According to Isaac Judd, wheel material has minimal influence in terms of performance unless you’re considering air-filled tires, which offer built-in suspension for a smoother ride (and are most common in jogging strollers) but can go flat. He said that the material of the wheel was more important in considering longevity—plastic being the least durable. In general, the most expensive full-size strollers use foam-filled rubber and polyurethane wheels, and the moderately to least expensive strollers use EVA foam or foam-filled plastic.

Full-featured: Although many full-size strollers come laden with features (and a price to match), we found that only a few features are strictly necessary. In addition to click-in car seat compatibility and a seat that reclines flat or nearly so, a good full-size stroller should have a five-point safety harness, a canopy to protect little ones from sun and wind, and a storage basket. We considered the absence of any one of these to be a dealbreaker. We decided that a peekaboo window, an adjustable handlebar, and a reversible seat were advantages but not necessities.

Some strollers have canopy fabric with specific sun protection ratings, tested according to ASTM standards. Although having the highest possible rating of UPF 50+ (which means the fabric blocks more than 98 percent of both UVA and UVB light) was good for a stroller, we didn’t consider that feature to be essential; the densely woven or knit nylon or polyester of most strollers provides ample sun protection.

Easy to use: The best full-size strollers are simple and intuitive to use, even when you’re simultaneously trying to soothe a fussing baby. Two features that make for less frustration are linked brakes, which you activate with a single action (usually by stepping on a pedal), as opposed to independent brakes that you need to engage for each rear wheel, and a harness system that doesn’t require connecting the shoulder straps to the waist straps every time you buckle in the child.

Easy to fold, carry, and store: The fewer steps it takes to fold a stroller, the better. Strollers that fold in one piece are preferable to those that require you to remove the seat before folding. An automatic lock to keep the stroller folded and a self-standing fold also make transport and storage easier. We eliminated strollers weighing over 27 pounds (many of which were jogging strollers or strollers that expanded to accommodate additional children).

Good quality: Some strollers feel sturdier and more well built, whereas others can feel rickety or somewhat loosely held together.

A good value: We eliminated strollers priced over $900. Many high-end strollers offer features such as all-terrain wheels and luxury fabrics, or weigh over 25 pounds. We concluded that those were not worth the premium.

In addition to the above, the following are criteria that some families may want to consider but that did not influence how we ranked the strollers:

Durable: Long-lasting strollers tend to have a welded back axle versus one that is riveted to the chassis. Strollers that rely on a pin-lock braking system versus an interlocking gear system are more dependable. The former relies on pressure from the foot brake to engage a pin that bolts into a groove to park it in place. With the gear system, it isn’t always clear if the brake is secured between the gear teeth, requiring you to press down on the foot brake multiple times. These details may be more important for a family who plans to use a stroller over many years and for multiple children.

Convertible for multiple children: Many stroller companies have made it possible to transform single-child strollers to support up to three riders. We tested one such model, which was our upgrade pick for double strollers. More common are full-size strollers that you can adapt with a riding board, which can hold a child weighing up to 44 or 55 pounds depending on the model.

Easy to clean: We found that most parents do not regularly clean their strollers apart from the occasional vacuum, spot clean, or dusting off of crumbs. They would not consider washing the stroller’s fabric unless their child had a catastrophic food or diaper incident on it. A removable fabric seat would be helpful in those cases, but isn’t a crucial feature.

Equipped with additional features: Most of the strollers we looked at came with additional features such as a bumper bar, a rain cover (sometimes sold separately), a mosquito net, or a child tray with cup holders.

Strollers are expected to meet federal safety standards established by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which relies on the testing rubric determined by ASTM International. I took these standards as well as American Academy of Pediatrics safety guidelines into account in my research, and also considered whether individual strollers had Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association certification, which meant that they had been independently tested to meet ASTM safety standards.

We came up with an initial list of 59 strollers. We eliminated strollers that did not accommodate newborns or were not compatible with popular car seats, as well as those in which car seats were secured by straps instead of a more convenient and secure click-in mechanism. We dismissed strollers that weighed more than 27 pounds, had multiple complaints about quality, or had few or no reviews. This step winnowed the field to nine finalists, all but one of which are independently certified by the JPMA for safety:

For the summer 2019 update to this guide, we tested the Baby Jogger City Mini 2, the Baby Jogger City Mini GT2, the Britax B-Lively, and the Thule Sleek.

For each stroller, with the exception of two that came already assembled, I unboxed the model and consulted the manual to put the stroller together. The strollers that took the most time to assemble required inserting a retaining pin to hold the rear wheels to the axle—a design common among inexpensive models.

After assembly, I read the instructions to learn how to use the safety harness, seat recline, canopy, and brakes, as well as additional features that came with some models, such as a car seat, reversible seat, bassinet, peekaboo windows, and adjustable handlebars. I also tried to see what fabric I could remove for machine washing or hand washing, disassembling all of the fabric parts if possible.

With cones set 36 inches apart, the minimum width of a hallway in an American home, we performed S-curves, U-turns, figure eights, and a one-handed push.

In 2017, I used each of the strollers for at least four days, logging more than 120 miles testing all nine strollers over three months. I pushed my daughter in each stroller through Brooklyn’s Prospect Park as well as to our local grocery store, and for walks and errands around the city. My husband and I pushed all of the strollers through rain, on grass, on sidewalks, and on paved and cobblestone streets. We traveled with them on subways, buses, and airplanes. We even traveled with some of the strollers to Philadelphia, London, Los Angeles, and Honolulu.

Because I’m 5-foot-1 and my husband is 5-foot-6, it was important to see how the strollers performed for someone who was much taller. I set up a maneuverability course on a soccer field for a friend who is 6-foot-2. With cones set 36 inches apart, the minimum width of a hallway in an American home, we performed S-curves, U-turns, figure eights, and a one-handed push with my 8.6-pound diaper bag in the basket, my 4.9-pound purse on the handlebars, and my 17-pound daughter seated fully upright as well as fully reclined.

For the update in 2019, I tested four additional strollers using the same general regimen, with the exception of the maneuverability course with a taller person.

All of the strollers we tested performed well in the basic tasks of pushing, maneuvering, reclining, shading, and storing things. We dismissed three models whose brakes didn’t engage as securely as those of the other strollers we tested. One of these strollers had independent brakes, which were inefficient and had a lot of slide before reaching a hard stop.

Though the American Academy of Pediatrics and most instruction manuals advise against hanging bags on handlebars due to the tipping hazard that causes, the reality is that most caretakers ignore this advice. For the remaining stroller contenders, we conducted two tip tests: one with my 4.6-pound purse on the handle and another with an overloaded 11.6-pound diaper bag on the handle. In both cases we started with an 8-pound medicine ball in the seat to simulate the weight of a newborn. All of the strollers passed the purse test, but in the diaper bag test one stroller failed and three others were at the verge of tipping over.

The City Mini 2 packs all the features you need in a full-size stroller and handles like much more expensive models. It has an impressively simple fold and weighs just under 19 pounds.

Compared with many other full-size strollers, the intuitive-to-use Baby Jogger City Mini 2 is simpler to adapt for newborn use and offers a roomier seat for bigger kids. Thanks to its three-wheeled design, the City Mini 2 is one of the most agile strollers we’ve tried, and among the most versatile. It’s quicker and easier to fold than any other model we tested, which along with its light weight makes it a reliable travel stroller as well as a great everyday stroller. As the update to the original City Mini, our former main pick, the City Mini 2 adds front access to the underseat storage and an adjustable leg rest, both helpful, if minor, improvements. Some people may find the underseat storage skimpy or the handlebar too high, but overall the stroller offers an excellent value given its sturdy build and solid performance, and it’s the only one among our picks with fabric that is machine washable.

The City Mini 2 comes with adapters for the Baby Jogger City Go 2 infant car seat and Graco car seats. With the purchase of an additional adapter, not included, it is also compatible with infant car seats made by Britax, Clek , Cybex, Maxi-Cosi, Nuna, and Peg Perego.

Baby Jogger also sells an adapter that makes the City Mini 2 compatible with the Chicco KeyFit 30, one of the picks in our guide to the best infant car seats. However, in 2021 a minor update to the City Mini 2 inadvertently affected the way that the adapter for the Chicco car seat fits onto the stroller base. (One of the tweaks altered the shape of the elastic that lines the stroller’s perimeter, and now the elastic is too snug to be moved aside to easily accommodate the adapter.) Although a spokesperson for Baby Jogger confirmed that the adapter is still safe to use, the recommended troubleshooting solutions for actually getting it on the stroller—which include loosening the straps under the stroller seat or removing the stroller seat cover entirely—are likely too much of a hassle for most caregivers.

The City Mini 2 can be reclined fully to support a newborn. For those who want a proper pram, the stroller is available for purchase in this bundle with a pram attachment, but the pram is no longer sold separately as an add-on. At the other end of the age spectrum, the City Mini 2 can hold a child weighing up to 50 pounds, and it has one of the largest seats (10 inches deep and 14 inches wide with a 23-inch backrest) we saw. Even though the seat is padded, Baby Jogger recommends using a neck support (not included, but here’s a popular option) for a newborn until they have gained neck and head control, usually around 4 months.

The City Mini 2’s triangular wheelbase and three-wheel design give it a tighter turning radius and more agility than what you get from most of the other strollers we tested. Larger, four-wheeled strollers such as the Uppababy Vista and Cruz or the Graco Modes make wider turns, and their overall bulk makes seeing around them challenging. The City Mini 2’s sloped front makes it easier for shorter adults to see where they’re going. Although some models have larger wheels, making them more capable of handling extremely rough terrain, the City Mini 2’s middle-of-the-pack, 8-inch EVA foam tires, along with its overall size and weight, make this stroller more nimble and less bulky. The front double wheel provides additional stability as well as the stroller’s sole suspension. It’s not quite as responsive on grass as more expensive models we tested, like the Uppababy Vista or Cruz, nor does it have as effortless a glide on pavement as the two most compact strollers we tried (the Bugaboo Bee5 and Babyzen Yoyo+), but it does provide solid all-around performance. Note that in spite of the name of its maker, the City Mini 2 is not designed to be a jogging stroller because the wheels and frame can’t reliably handle unpredictable terrain and higher speeds.

The City Mini 2 was one of the easiest strollers to carry up and down subway stairs, and when we took the folded stroller on the bus there was still room for other passengers to get past it in the aisle.

At 18.8 pounds, the City Mini 2 is one of the lightest strollers we tested, and it’s easy to fold, transport, and store. Its patented fold is the quickest we found: You tug on a strap on the seat bottom to snap it shut like a book. The stroller is also among the easiest to unfold—simply unlatch the lock on the side and lift the handlebar (if you want to bypass the lock step entirely, you can remove it from the frame). The folded stroller is compact, with the wheels neatly aligned on the bottom. You can use the folding strap to carry the stroller as you would a large garment bag without much hassle. Many of the other strollers we looked at had more complicated folding mechanisms that resulted in an asymmetrical heap of dangling wheels and jutting handles that we found awkward to carry. The City Mini 2 was one of the easiest full-size strollers to carry up and down subway stairs, and when we took the folded stroller on the bus there was still room for other passengers to get past it in the aisle. The City Mini 2 is also easier to store than most other strollers we tried: When folded, it can balance upright on the handlebar and front wheel (locking it improves stability).

The City Mini 2’s thoughtful features make it less frustrating to use than other strollers we tested. The safety harness adjusts to four different heights—on most strollers the harness adjusts to only three. You recline the City Mini 2 by pulling on straps with one hand, and you can adjust it to any height within the range; there are no predetermined positions as there are with push-button-operated recline. Bringing the seat’s back upright requires two hands. Because the canopy remains stationary when you recline the seat, it provides more protection. Three much more expensive models we looked at (the Bugaboo Bee5, Uppababy Cruz, and Uppababy Vista) had canopies attached to the seat that moved out of position when we reclined the seat.

The extra-large three-panel canopy, which has a UPF 50+ rating, offers some of the best coverage among the strollers we tested and is capable of providing the right amount of shade no matter what angle the sun’s rays are coming from. The City Mini 2 is the only stroller with three large flap-covered peekaboo windows—two vinyl ones in the canopy and one mesh back panel that offers ventilation when the seat is reclined. (The rest have just one or two.) You can adjust the canopy to two different heights, and you secure it to the chassis by a zipper instead of the usual loop and hook. In addition, you can raise the leg rest to support shorter legs, an action that also allows for front access to the underseat basket. The seat fabric is fastened to the frame by snaps, making it easy to remove—and unlike that of most of the competition, including the B-Lively and Cruz, it’s machine washable.

Since the City Mini 2’s release in March 2019, the reviews have been just as enthusiastic as for the previous version, which had a long track record of positive customer reviews. The City Mini 2 is also a top pick of BabyGearLab and Lucie’s List, and it’s recommended by Consumer Reports.

The City Mini 2 comes in five colors: black, turquoise, taupe, and two shades of gray. Baby Jogger offers a limited lifetime warranty for the frame and a one-year warranty for the fabric and other soft materials. You can purchase additional accessories such as a belly bar, a child tray, a rain cover, a parent console, a cup holder (currently unavailable), and a glider board for an additional, older rider separately.

The most common complaint about the original Baby Jogger City Mini concerned the small storage basket, and the City Mini 2’s is just as small. Fortunately, unlike the original version, the City Mini 2 provides front access to the underseat storage, which makes the space much more usable. The stroller also has a big mesh pocket in the back with a recommended weight limit of 2 pounds, but that pocket doesn’t have gusseting on the bottom, so it’s best suited for a phone and a wallet. The positioning of the handlebar also makes access to the back pocket cumbersome.

Because the storage space is meager, parents often resort to hanging bags on the handlebar. The City Mini and City Mini 2 are the only models we’ve tested that have a warning printed on the canopy near the handle: “Do not hang bags on the handlebar.” Unlike the original City Mini, the City Mini 2 didn’t tip over when we hung a heavy diaper bag from the handle. Regardless, the general advice is not to hang bags from the handlebars, because doing so can affect the stroller’s stability. If ample underseat storage is a primary concern of yours, our runner-up or our upgrade pick is likely a better choice for you.

The City Mini 2’s seat doesn’t incline nearly as upright as those you operate with a push button or a pull-up latch, such as on the Bugaboo Bee5, Uppababy Cruz, or Uppababy Vista. This limitation may be frustrating for older babies and toddlers who want to sit more upright: In our tests, my daughter would often try to pull herself up from the sides of the stroller to get a better view of her surroundings (she also did this with the B-Lively). Another drawback of the strap-recline system is that it doesn’t lock the seat position in place, so you could easily kick or jostle the seat (and, possibly, a sleeping child), especially when the stroller is deeply reclined and you’re rummaging in the basket. Whereas some other strollers we tested, such as the Cruz, allow you to position the seat forward or backward facing, the City Mini 2’s seat is forward only (if you attach a car seat, the baby faces you).

The City Mini 2’s five-point safety harness can be frustrating. The shoulder straps and waist belt are separate, and you have to make sure their clips are slotted together before buckling in the baby, an extra step that can be annoying if you’re in a hurry or your kid is having a meltdown. Unfortunately, this is a flaw on most of the strollers we tested.

The Baby Jogger City Mini 2 has a fixed handlebar that might be too tall for shorter adults. I’m 5-foot-1, and I found the stroller uncomfortable to push sometimes.

Because the rear wheels extend 4 inches behind the narrow frame, it can be difficult to judge how much clearance the stroller has, especially when you’re walking through doors and on narrow sidewalks (this design does provide stability, though). The City Mini 2’s foot brake is not sandal-friendly and can stubbornly resist being tapped down or up. However, there’s never any doubt if the brake is engaged or not, which was not true for some other models we looked at. The City Mini 2’s brake is exposed, making it more vulnerable to damage; other models with a similar pin-locking brake system usually hide or cover the cable or bar in the rear axle with fabric.

A more minor issue with the City Mini 2 is that the two peekaboo windows in the canopy are made of vinyl, which can be hard to see through sometimes because of glare. They are also secured by Velcro, which can be noisy for a sleeping child and may wear out faster compared with magnetic closures. The stroller does have a mesh peekaboo window that is usable when the seat is fully reclined.

The Britax B-Lively is compatible only with Britax and BOB car seats, but it has large, convenient pockets in the rear and ample underseat storage that’s easily accessible.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $230.

The Britax B-Lively, which replaced our previous runner-up pick, the Britax B-Agile, in 2018, is not our main pick because it’s less versatile for newborn use, doesn’t fold as quickly or conveniently as the Baby Jogger City Mini 2, and weighs a couple of pounds more. However, if you already have or plan to purchase a Britax or BOB car seat, and you don’t mind pushing an extra button to fold your stroller, the B-Lively has better storage space and a slightly smaller frame, making it an excellent alternative to—and in some ways, a better choice than—the City Mini 2.

The B-Lively is compatible only with car seats made by Britax (including BOB seats), and an adapter is included with the stroller. (A company representative told us that the company was planning to sell adapters for Chicco, Graco, Peg Perego, and Uppababy car seats by late 2019.) Unlike the City Mini 2 and the Uppababy Cruz, the B-Lively does not have a bassinet available for purchase, which some parents may prefer to use with their newborn instead of a car seat because it allows babies to lie flat.

Britax recommends using the B-Lively with an infant car seat for babies who have not yet developed sufficient head and neck control (which generally happens around 4 months). The stroller supports a child weighing up to 55 pounds, the highest weight limit among the strollers we tested, or up to 44 inches tall.

The B-Lively has a quick-folding mechanism similar to the City Mini 2’s, but adds the step of pushing a button. This may be inconvenient for some people but is meant as a safety measure for the benefit of children who grab onto the folding strap to climb into the stroller. When collapsed, the B-Lively is more symmetrical and shorter than the City Mini 2, which makes it easier for shorter people to carry. Britax redesigned the handle bar to have a squared, flat end, which makes the stroller more stable when you prop it against a wall, but it does not have a reliable standing fold. It reclines like the City Mini 2: You pull on the slider at the back of the seat to lower the seat’s back. Sometimes it can take several tries to get the slider to work. To raise the seat, you pull the two straps apart—which is difficult to do symmetrically and often results in a lopsided seat back that requires extra effort to correct.

The B-Lively’s canopy is a smidgen smaller than the City Mini 2’s but is also made of UPF 50+ fabric and delivers ample shade and wind protection. When the flap is open, the mesh provides ventilation and 180-degree child viewing, which proved to be useful when I needed to sneak a peek at a sleepy child who was resisting a nap. Unlike those of other strollers we tested, the B-Lively’s flap is not secured by Velcro, magnets, or hooks, so it’s quiet to open. Even without closures, it reliably stays open and closed as needed, though in our tests the canopy would at times slide off its attachment points, which was annoying but a relatively easy fix.

One significant way the B-Lively is better than the City Mini 2 is in its superior storage options. The large basket has a wide opening in the rear as well as limited access on the sides, and the leg rest serves as a hatch cover for front access. The basket easily fit our diaper bag plus additional groceries. The front access may be too narrow for many diaper bags, but it’s useful when the seat is fully reclined and you can’t get to the basket through the back. The stroller has a large, zippered back pocket with two slit pockets in front that can hold water bottles, snacks, a wallet, and a phone; when the stroller is folded, however, those pockets awkwardly drag on the floor. The underseat basket has a weight limit of 10 pounds, just about matching the weight limits of most of our tested strollers (with the exception of the Uppababy models’ far more generous weight limits). The pocket holds up to 1 pound, a pound less than the City Mini 2’s pocket can hold.

Like the City Mini 2, the B-Lively has a fixed-height handlebar, but at 40 inches (versus the City Mini 2’s 41 inches), its lower position is more comfortable for shorter adults. Although the City Mini 2 was easier to steer in our testing, we found the B-Lively—which has three-wheel suspension as opposed to the City Mini 2’s single-wheel suspension—more responsive over uneven terrain such as grass and gravel. The larger wheel size makes it easier to drag (not push) this stroller on the beach than other models we’ve attempted that with. Like the City Mini 2, the B-Lively has its back wheels offset from the frame, so gauging how wide it is, especially when you’re going through doorways, can be challenging.

Unlike the City Mini 2’s brakes, the B-Lively’s brakes are painless to use even when you’re barefoot. However, locking the brakes into place can require an extra push of the stroller, whereas with the City Mini 2 you can tell immediately that the brakes are engaged when you depress the lever.

Customers on Amazon have noted the B-Lively’s no-brainer fold and smooth ride, its convenient storage, its handling on rough terrain, and its ease for travel.

The B-Lively comes in red, black, and steel gray. It has a two-year warranty. You can purchase rain and sun/bug shields, a child tray, a parent caddy, and a travel bag separately. Unlike the City Mini 2 and the Cruz, the B-Lively does not offer a glider board option to accommodate a second, older child.

The Uppababy Cruz is expensive but has one-handed recline, extra-large underseat storage, and an adjustable handlebar. Although it’s good at handling rougher terrain, it’s also heavier than other full-size models we tested and isn’t as easy to fold.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $550.

Note: Uppababy has come out with a new generation of the Cruz, the Cruz V2, which we are planning to test for a future update to this guide.

The Uppababy Cruz (discontinued) costs more than twice as much as either the Baby Jogger City Mini 2 or the Britax B-Lively, but if you’re looking for a stroller that offers a still more comfortable ride, even over rougher terrain, as well as exceptional handling, a reversible seat that allows your baby to face you, and superior storage capacity, the Cruz may be worth the premium.

Like the City Mini 2, the Cruz is fully equipped to support a child from birth through their toddler years, but it offers more options and convenience for doing so than our main pick. Although both the City Mini 2 and the B-Lively require adapters even for car seats from their own respective brands, the Cruz allows you to click in the Uppababy Mesa infant car seat without requiring any extra parts. Parents who own our infant car seat pick, the Chicco KeyFit 30, or who own seats made by Cybex, Maxi-Cosi, or Nuna can purchase an adapter to make them compatible with the Cruz as well. The Cruz’s included stroller seat is safe for newborn use with the Infant SnugSeat insert (not included) and when fully reclined. Because the seat is reversible, the child can face the adult, which some research argues is beneficial for early development, rather than facing only forward as with the City Mini 2 or B-Lively. Parents can also purchase a bassinet for use with newborns in and out of the stroller.

The Cruz is also better than most of the other strollers we tested at growing with a child. You can slide the canopy up to adjust for height, a feature also available on only the two most expensive models we tested, and you can adjust the padded footrest to two heights or fold it back completely by pressing the side buttons.

You recline the Cruz with one hand by pushing a button at the top of the seat back. The handlebar can get in the way, however, making the button awkward to use. The seat locks into five positions, which means that you won’t accidentally bump or jostle your child as you can with the City Mini 2 and B-Lively.

The Cruz accommodates children weighing up to 50 pounds—the same as the City Mini 2 can hold, and 5 pounds less than the B-Lively can hold. It also inclines higher than both competitors, to nearly 90 degrees, which may be preferable for older children who want to sit more upright.

The Cruz provides one of the largest underseat storage baskets we’ve seen. You can easily access it from the back or front (as long as the footrest is raised), and it has a weight limit of 25 pounds—the second highest of the strollers we tested, after the Uppababy Vista. The Cruz comes with a rain cover, a mosquito net, and a bumper bar. The magnetic closure on the Uppababy models’ peekaboo window is a thoughtful detail: Unlike the Velcro on most of the other models, it allows you to quietly check on a sleeping baby.

Because the Cruz has a slightly smaller wheelbase, it’s more responsive and it maneuvers better than the City Mini 2 and B-Lively. Although the B-Lively’s larger wheels help it roll more easily over obstacles and challenging terrain, the Cruz, which has front-wheel suspension and polyurethane wheels, offers a noticeably cushier ride than our other picks. The telescoping handlebar is easy to adjust on the fly for caregivers of various heights, but the adjustment button’s placement in the middle of the handlebar makes the Cruz hard to push one-handed.

The main drawback of the Uppababy Cruz lies in what the City Mini 2 and B-Lively excel at: The Cruz has an awkward two-handed fold that some parents we talked to didn’t find intuitive. One parent complained that she always pinched her fingers when folding it. (The City Mini 2 and B-Lively are nearly pinch-proof.) The seat must be facing forward when you’re folding it, adding another step if your child has been sitting the other way. The Cruz stands when folded, but it seems unstable and sits tall, and it’s not as compact as our other picks. Unlike the large three-panel canopies of the City Mini 2 and B-Lively, which you can use in stages for varying levels of shade, the Cruz’s canopy is smaller and works only when fully extended.

At 21.5 pounds, the Cruz is nearly 3 pounds heavier than the City Mini 2 but just a pound and a half heavier than the B-Lively and still lighter than many other models we tested. If foldability, lighter weight, and more compact size are your priorities, you should get the City Mini 2 instead.

The Cruz is BabyGearLab’s Editors’ Choice, and The Nightlight named it the best full-size stroller. Amazon reviewers compare it favorably with the City Mini 2: “The standing fold is a must in my opinion. This was why I chose UPPAbaby over Baby Jogger,” one parent writes. “This stroller is perfect, it is fairly compact and easy to maneuver yet does not compromise on any features,” comments another reviewer, who says she has been through a few strollers. “If you are tall, it is easy to walk and you won’t kick the stroller if you have a large stride. This was my #1 complaint with most other strollers.”

The Cruz comes in eight colors, some with a luxe leather handlebar and bumper bar. You can also purchase add-ons such as a cup holder, a parent organizer, and a ride-on board for an older child. Uppababy provides a standard two-year warranty with an additional year if you register the stroller online within three months of purchase.

After testing and living with four to 12 different strollers at any given time over the past two years, our family has continued to look to the Cruz as our go-to stroller. We use the Cruz nearly every day, and even though it has traversed well over 800 miles, it remains sturdy and easy to push, and it has adapted to our daughter’s growth and development. We love the giant, easy-to-access underseat basket, which we fill to the brim when we go grocery shopping and for trips to the park. We also have an Uppababy service center close by that has replaced the worn tires and provided a tune-up (for free).

People who want a stroller that excels on rougher roads or can work for bigger kids (up to 65 pounds) may find it worthwhile to spend an extra $120 for the Baby Jogger City Mini GT2, an amped-up version of the City Mini 2. It has an adjustable handlebar and larger wheels with all-wheel suspension, both of which make it easier to push and maneuver than the City Mini 2, the Britax B-Lively, or even the Uppababy Cruz. But considering the GT2’s inconvenient hand brake, skimpy storage, and nonreversible seat, we think most people who want a premium stroller will be happier with the Uppababy Cruz.

The Thule Sleek is a robust, full-featured vehicle with large wheels (8-inch front and 11-inch rear) that easily handles city bumps and grassy knolls. It has the agility of a three-wheeled stroller but takes wide turns. We dismissed the Thule primarily because it typically costs significantly more than our picks and we don’t think most people need its extra features, such as a zippered basket, reflective rims, and a hook to hang a proprietary diaper bag. Its skimpy underseat storage holds only 11 pounds (the Cruz and Vista storage areas hold 25 and 30 pounds, respectively). However, we think the Sleek is promising as a double stroller (with the purchase of an extra seat or adapters), and we plan to test it for our next update to that guide.

The Uppababy Vista is essentially our upgrade pick on steroids: In addition to having many of the Cruz’s excellent features—multiple newborn accommodations, a reversible seat, an adjustable footrest—it’s equipped with larger wheels (11½ inches in the rear) and a higher-capacity basket (30 pounds) than what we found on the Cruz or any of the other strollers we tested. Plus, it comes with a bassinet. But it usually costs more than three times what the City Mini 2 or B-Lively costs, and it’s simply more stroller than most people need. That said, you can convert the Vista into a tandem double stroller, and it’s the upgrade pick in our guide to double strollers, so if you have or are planning to have multiple kids, or if you walk through a lot of snow or rough terrain, this stroller may be worth its hefty price.

Although the Chicco Bravo LE is solidly built, our main pick is of better quality and weighs 5 pounds less. Available for $20 more than the base-model Bravo, the LE, which has the exact same frame, includes a child tray and an extra 4 inches of canopy with a flip-out visor (which came warped on the stroller I received). It also lacks a locking mechanism to keep the stroller folded, so if you travel with it or want to store it, you’ll need to secure it yourself.

After the Uppababy Vista, the Bugaboo Bee5 is the second most expensive stroller we tested. It also has one of the lowest-profile frames. But it does not have as many features as the Uppababy Cruz and can hold a maximum of only 37½ pounds (about the weight of an average 4-year-old), in contrast with the respective 50- and 55-pound maximums of the City Mini 2 and B-Lively. Its basket holds 8.8 pounds at most, whereas the City Mini 2’s holds 10 pounds and the Cruz’s holds 25. The Bee5 is also more awkward to fold than the City Mini 2 or the B-Lively.

The Babyzen Yoyo+ (frame only, seat and newborn carry-cot sold separately) was the first stroller designed to be compliant with airline baggage restrictions (it folds to fit into some planes’ overhead bins). At just 13½ pounds, it’s effortless to push, but its small wheels mean it can’t handle grass or gravel as well as other strollers we tested. Its fold is also somewhat more complicated than those of the City Mini 2 and B-Lively, and we found that it didn’t always stay locked when folded. However, its design, size, features, and price make it our also-great pick in our guide to travel strollers.

For our early 2019 update, we considered the Ergobaby 180 Reversible Stroller, which has a handlebar that you can switch back and forth so the child can sit rear-facing without your moving the seat. In spite of its glowing reviews, we ultimately decided to forgo testing it because of complaints about a wobbly handlebar and the quality of the front and back swivel wheels.

We considered testing the highly rated Chicco Viaro but ultimately dismissed it because some reviewers say it provides a bumpy ride.

Many reviewers complain that the under-$100 Graco Verb has a faulty folding mechanism and squeaky wheels. As a result, it didn’t make the cut for our testing.

We eliminated the Peg Perego Booklet because it had limited reviews at the time of our research, and because few retailers carried the brand.

The Bugaboo Cameleon3, Cybex Priam, and Stokke Xplory all exceed our $900 price cap and require that you remove the seat before folding them.

The Nuna Mixx is a high-end stroller. We decided not to test it because it had limited reviews and was not widely available for purchase at the time, but we will reconsider it for a future update.

The Chicco Cortina CX and the Graco Modes are no longer available. They were two of the least expensive strollers we looked at (the Chicco was sold as a travel system with our infant car seat pick), and we could tell: Both did an adequate job transporting a child but felt rickety and poorly put together compared with our picks. The brakes also required us to double-check that they were properly engaged.

The Mountain Buggy Nano is no longer available. We did not test it for this guide because it uses a strap attachment for car seats rather than a click-in system, which we consider more secure. It’s the budget pick in our guide to travel strollers.

The original Baby Jogger City Mini is no longer available. It was our top pick in the first edition of this guide, and it had most of the same features as our current top pick, the Baby Jogger City Mini 2, including the agile three-wheel design, one-handed fold, and extra-large canopy. Unlike the City Mini 2, it lacked a leg rest, refused to balance upright when folded, and had a storage basket that was inaccessible from the front.

The AAP’s guidelines on stroller safety recommend that you always use the stroller’s brake whenever you are stopped.

If you’re using your infant car seat with your stroller, make sure you’re using the proper adapter and that it feels secure.

The AAP and many other experts caution against hanging bags on stroller handlebars. A 2016 study published in Academic Pediatrics notes that stroller tip-overs are a significant cause of injury for children under 5. Jamie Mamikunian, the owner of stroller repair and detailing shop Stroller Spa, told us that putting bags on the handlebar strains the frame and doesn’t bode well for the longevity of the stroller.

The three-wheeled design of the Baby Jogger City Mini 2 and the Britax B-Lively resembles that of jogging strollers, but their wheel size and material do not provide the stability required for higher speeds and potential obstacles. If you want a stroller to run with, see our guide to jogging strollers.

You can machine-wash the City Mini 2’s fabric in cold water and line-dry it; the fabrics of the B-Lively and Cruz are hand wash or spot clean only. Uppababy recommends regularly tightening the rivets and screws. Baby Jogger suggests cleaning the City Mini 2’s wheels and frame with a damp cloth. Stroller Spa’s Mamikunian advised periodically applying a silicone-based lubricant to moving parts. If you use your stroller in the rain or snow, make sure the stroller is completely dry before folding and storing it to avoid rust, mildew, or mold growth.

Isaac Judd, co-owner and COO of Magic Beans, phone interview, July 7, 2017

Jamie Mamikunian, owner and founder of Stroller Spa, phone interview, July 7, 2017

Kelly Thomas (brand manager) and Claudia Prager (senior product manager), Britax, phone interview, October 23, 2017

Chris Davenport (brand development) and Matt Rivera (R&D – engineering), Baby Jogger, phone interview, August 30, 2017

Heather Felton, associate professor, University of Louisville, Department of Pediatrics, phone interview, August 10, 2017

Carolyn Paine, brand development, Graco, phone interview, August 20, 2017

Aaron Clark, R&D, Graco, phone interview, August 20, 2017

Juliet Spurrier, MD, Wendy Schmitz, & BabyGearLab Team, How to Pick a Stroller that Is Right For You, BabyGearLab, April 7, 2018

Mayo Clinic Staff, Stroller safety: Tips for parents, Mayo Clinic, May 15, 2018

How to Buy a Safe Stroller, American Academy of Pediatrics, November 21, 2015

Sonjia Hyon is a freelance researcher and writer who has worked in marketing, cultural programming, higher education, and food. Most recently, she contributed to the writing of The Haven’s Kitchen Cooking School. She has a PhD in American studies and lives in Brooklyn with her husband and her daughter, Nico.

We’ve tested dozens of car seats, strollers, and diapers to narrow down the list of things you really need before you bring your baby home.

by Katharine Gammon and Jenni Gritters

After considering 20 jogging strollers and testing seven, we think the Thule Urban Glide 2 is the best overall.

We spent 87 hours testing 11 double strollers. The Chicco BravoFor2 is the best tandem and the Baby Jogger City Mini Double is the best side-by-side.

We logged over 130 miles testing nine strollers and took four on five flights, and we found that the best travel stroller is the Uppababy Minu .

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