3 Wheel Compact Stroller Review
If you’re a health-conscious person looking for a jogging stroller or just looking for an all-purpose stroller for everyday use, there’s a three-wheel compact stroller that is suitable for you. Wendy Schmitz, Senior Review Writer and Managing Editor at Sentry The models were put to the test on pavement and off-road surfaces. They also tested the comfort of the seats for children.
Stroller Features
The best strollers have features that allow you to travel with your child more enjoyable. Find features that simplify life, such as a large bin for storage, a tray for the parent with cups holders, adjustable canopy, and more when looking for the latest stroller. It’s important to know which features are essential for you and your family and those you can live without.
BOB Gear Wayfinder is our top-rated stroller for jogging. It comes with a variety of convenient features that will keep parents content and comfortable. The handlebar adjusts to three different positions to accommodate caregivers of all sizes and the wrist strap helps ensure that the stroller doesn’t roll away when you’re running. The Wayfinder comes with the largest sunshade of the strollers we tested and a glass opening at the top that allows children to look out while they rest. Jenni’s three-year-old son found the seat to have a comfortable cushion, so bumps on the road did not cause any discomfort for him.
The stroller is equipped with a hand brake that helps you keep control on slippery surfaces. It folds into a slim, compact package that occupies a small space in the trunk of your vehicle, and it can be converted into a travel system with the best infant car seats from brands such as Nuna, Maxi-Cosi, and Cybex using the purchase of an adapter. It also works with the Uppababy Mesa V2 Bassinet.
Solid tires are crucial for strollers that are used on terrains that are rough. While they don’t offer the same level of comfort as foam-filled or air-filled tires, they’re great to navigate potholes and bumps easily.
This stroller for jogging features a fold-up that takes just two steps. It locks when folded, and it’s small enough to fit in most elevators. However it’s not as simple to maneuver as some of our other strollers with four wheels, and the mechanism for locking is a bit difficult to understand. It requires pressing a button near the foot area on the front of the stroller and then lifting the handle. We’d prefer a simpler system that just clicks in place or opens by pulling.
Stroller Weight
The weight of the overall stroller is a crucial aspect to take into consideration. A heavier stroller is likely to be more stable than a lighter one and can provide better performance in rough terrain. However, many parents discover that a lighter stroller is more maneuverable and more suitable for everyday use.
The size and type of the wheels is another important feature. Certain strollers, such as jogging strollers with larger wheels will provide a more comfortable experience for infants. The larger wheels can weigh more on the stroller and make it difficult to fold, transport and store.
Some models in our selection have air-filled tires that are designed to offer a safe and comfortable ride for your child even on rough terrain. Air-filled tires are prone to flattening, and you will need to replace them. If you plan to travel a lot with your stroller, we recommend the use of tires that can withstand frequent contact with various surfaces and last for a longer time.
Strollers with swivel front wheels are ideal for navigating stairs and escalators safely. Falls on stairs or escalators are the most frequent stroller-related injuries. They can be particularly dangerous for infants. If you can’t avoid taking the stairs or escalator in your stroller, we suggest using it only when the child is securely strapped in the seat and hold them close to you when walking up or down.
Some strollers are a travel system which includes both the car seat and the stroller. These are typically more expensive and less convenient than their stand-alone counterparts and could not last in the long term. Additionally, many parents later regret buying a bundled product as it may not come with all of the features they would like, or it could prove to not be compatible with their vehicle or child’s seat. We suggest that you purchase a stroller that is purchased separately from a capsule or car seat if you wish to upgrade to a more advanced model in the future.
Stroller Folding
The most compact 3 wheel strollers are easy to fold and store. Some locks automatically lock into place when you open them. This feature is particularly useful for families that frequently take public transport or drive to take a walk.
Three-wheeled strollers can be maneuvered easily in tight spaces, like aisles of grocery stores or other areas that are crowded. Many are also equipped with suspension systems that give a smoother ride for your little one which is especially helpful on bumpy sidewalks.
The Guava Roam is a lightweight stroller that can be used for jogging. The stroller is elegant and can be used as a part of a travel set-up with adapters for car seats to fit Nuna, MaxiCosi, Cybex, and Nuna infant carseats as well as the Uppababy Bassinet. (Car seats and stroller boards sold separately). The stroller folds down in two steps and locks into place once opened.
The Babyzen Yoyo 2 is another nice-looking 3-wheeled jogging stroller. It’s a bit pricier than our top choices, but it’s worth the investment If you’re a lover of travel or live in the city. The lightweight stroller folds down to a compact size (20.5 x 17.pushchair 3 wheels x 7.1) and has a padded, adjustable five-point harness with no-rethread straps and a large basket. It can be used as a stroller suitable for infants or toddlers who are young, with an adapter for infant car seats.
The Babyzen is a great product that has some great features. It offers a large recline, and it also has extra storage. However, some parents are disappointed in its performance. The seat isn’t flat when it is reclining and there’s no cupholders or snack trays for children. The brakes are also a bit difficult to engage, and the handlebar height is too high for a lot of short moms.
The Graco Fastaction is another stroller that is designed to be as light as it can without skimping on comfort or ease of use. It comes with a long list of impressive features including a large basket and a one handed fold. The only drawback to this stroller is that the brakes are difficult to engage and they don’t lock when the stroller is folded.
Stroller Safety
A stroller’s safety features should aid in keeping your child safe during use. Some of the top-scoring products in our review have 5-point harnesses that are adjustable, padded crotch straps that allow for a customised fit. Others have a padded seat cushion to shield your child’s head in the event that they fall out of the seat or roll off. Some strollers have the safety lock that locks both wheels. This is particularly important for jogging walkers, as it stops them from falling over when going up and down stairs and escalators.
In our tests, we rated the strollers’ maneuverability in three different ways: a stroller’s ability to rotate and bounce over dips and bumps, its maneuverability when loaded with a child and its capability to traverse rough terrain. We also assessed the ease of opening and closing the safety harness as well as folding and unfolding the stroller, changing its backrest and handlebar height and operating the brakes as being able to attach and remove car seats (if necessary).
We found that strollers with 3 wheels were more maneuverable, but the advantage diminished as baby weight increased. We recommend selecting the model that has hand brakes. It will allow you to slow down or stop without having to exert as much effort as using your body by itself. However, the majority of best-scoring swivel wheel strollers don’t offer this feature and only one of our top fixed-wheel models has it.
It’s also important to think about the frequency that you will require to take your stroller up a set of stairs or an escalator, and if or not it’s safe to do this while the stroller is in its position. Escalators and stairs present greater risk because they move mechanical components which make it difficult to control the movement of the stroller. We recommend looking for alternatives to these obstacles, like an elevator, if you can or have a person else to carry the stroller up and down with you. Some of the best-scoring strollers are able to be pushed up an escalator or a set of stairs. an escalator with their safety brake engaged and locked, but it’s always better to be safer than to be sorry.
