This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Research checked October 2026. I have owned and used the strollers where I say so; the rest are research-based picks rather than ones I have pushed around myself.
Since newborns can’t sit up or hold up their heads, for the first 4 to 6 months you’ll need a stroller that fully reclines, has a bassinet attachment, or works with your infant car seat. Most umbrella and jogging strollers don’t recline enough or give younger babies the head support they need, so you’ll wait about six months to use those.
The best stroller for you depends on how you’ll use it, your budget, storage space, terrain, the timing of a second baby, basket needs, and whether you want baby to face you. For a deeper dive, read my Stroller Buying Guide: 9 Questions to Ask Before You Buy.
Note: If I had a lot of money and a huge house with a lot of storage, I could make a great argument for having a single stroller, double stroller, jogging stroller, umbrella stroller AND infant car seat stroller frame. BUT, that isn’t the case. Assuming that also isn’t your situation, decide your priorities and which ones make the most sense for you. Since most umbrella strollers aren’t recommended for newborns, I’d wait until your baby is a few months old to get one, if you decide you need it.
Jump to what you need:
- Full-size and convertible strollers
- Everyday and lightweight strollers
- Jogging strollers
- Stroller frames
- What you will want later
- Common questions
Full-Size & Convertible Strollers
UPPAbaby Vista V3: An awesome luxury stroller that converts from a single to a double. It folds easily and is pretty compact when it does, which is a huge perk for a double if you have a small living space. We sold our City Mini GT and got the Vista when my second was born. Tip: we got a deal by buying the floor model. I LOVE the UPPAbaby, the many configurations, the storage basket, etc. But I do miss the light weight, easy fold and maneuverability of the City Mini GT.
Baby Jogger City Select 2: Converts from a single to a double with tons of seat combinations, and it’s usually a lot cheaper than the Vista. Note: Baby Jogger is the brand. These are not jogging strollers. The trade is size. It is about 27 lbs, it takes two hands to fold, it does not stand on its own once folded, and the small plastic wheels do not love grass, gravel or curbs. Getting the smallest fold means taking the seats off first.
UPPAbaby Cruz V3: The Vista’s single-only sibling. You get the same reversible seat and big basket in a slightly smaller frame, for less money. A great pick if you don’t plan on needing a double. The catch is that it does not convert to one. If a second baby is anywhere in your plans, the Vista is the one that grows with you.
Bugaboo Fox 5 Renew: Bugaboo has a line of sleek, modern strollers. The Fox has a large basket, a reversible seat and comes with a bassinet for your infant. The price is high! But if you live in a city and your stroller is basically your car, it may be worth the money.
Also worth comparing
Three more in this category that are worth a look, including the one I would pick if you have not settled on a car seat yet.
Mockingbird: A single-to-double that is sold direct by Mockingbird rather than on Amazon, so you order it from them. I am including it because it has the widest car seat adapter list of anything on this page, covering Chicco, Graco, Britax, Clek, Cybex, Maxi-Cosi, Nuna, Joie and UPPAbaby seats. If you have not settled on a car seat yet, that flexibility is worth a lot. It converts to a double, has a big basket, and costs well under the Vista.
Nuna MIXX next: The one to look at if you are getting a Nuna PIPA car seat, because the PIPA clicks straight in with the included ring and there is no adapter to buy. It has a true lie-flat recline, so a newborn can ride in the stroller seat itself rather than needing the car seat or a bassinet, plus four seat modes and a roomy two-compartment basket. It is heavy at around 28 lbs, and it only takes Nuna car seats, so it is a commitment to the brand.
Joie Ginger Pramette: A 4-in-1 with a built-in lie-flat pramette, which means you get a bassinet-style ride for a newborn without buying a separate bassinet. It works with Joie’s own infant seats, the Mint Latch and the Rue. Around 22 lbs, which is on the heavier side for this class, and it sells through Babylist, Strolleria and Target rather than Amazon.
Everyday & Lightweight Strollers
Baby Jogger City Mini GT2: A fantastic all-terrain single stroller. It folds with one hand (!!!), has a hand brake and does well on surfaces off the beaten path. We had the original City Mini GT when we just had one child and it was great, minus the small storage basket. It works for almost any living situation, but if you walk to do your grocery shopping, the basket won’t fit multiple bags. I love how easily it gets up and down bumps and curbs.
UPPAbaby Minu V3: A compact stroller that still feels like a real stroller. It folds small and is easy to carry, so it works as an everyday stroller or a travel stroller. Two things to know: it does not recline fully flat, so a newborn needs either the infant car seat with a separately sold adapter or the bassinet insert, and at about 17 lbs it is on the heavy end for a travel stroller. It also does not love grass.
Bugaboo Butterfly 2: Folds small enough to fit in many airplane overhead bins. A great choice if you travel a lot. Worth knowing it is about 16 lbs, which is heavy for a compact, and it has only three recline positions. This one is built for sidewalks and airports, not rough ground.
Joolz Aer2: About 14 lbs with a one-hand fold. Easy to carry up stairs, onto the train or through the airport. The downsides: only three recline settings, and reaching the flat position means unzipping and unhooking the fabric, which will probably wake the baby. The basket is on the small side and it pushes a little heavier than the weight suggests.
Jogging Strollers
If you are a runner, a jogging stroller is a must-have so you can exercise with your baby! Typically your baby has to be about six months old before they can safely ride in a jogging stroller. Because of this, and the fact that jogging strollers tend to be very heavy, you may not want to use one as your everyday stroller. If you want a jogging stroller as your only stroller, I recommend getting a car seat adapter that works with your infant car seat, and a jogging stroller with a swivel front wheel. The car seat adapter lets your infant ride safely for the first few months. The swivel wheel is key so you don’t have to lift the front wheel every time you turn when you are strolling around town.
BOB Gear Alterrain Pro: BOB has been the go-to jogging stroller for years. The Alterrain Pro is an excellent all-terrain single with a hand brake for hills. It’s expensive and heavy, but if you want a jogging stroller and don’t have much space, it’s worth considering as your primary stroller. If you are tight on cash, you can often find good gently used jogging strollers on Facebook Marketplace or other resale sites.
Thule Urban Glide 3: BOB faces tough competition from the Thule Urban Glide. It’s smooth on runs, more maneuverable around town, and usually has a lower price tag. One real annoyance is the basket. It is triangular, so bigger items are awkward to get in, and when the seat is fully reclined you can barely reach it without disturbing a sleeping kid. It also needs adapters for a car seat, and at 26 lbs it is wide and long enough to feel like a lot in a small apartment.
Bumbleride Indie: Bumbleride is a great choice if you want to be eco-friendly. They use recycled materials and no fire retardants. The Indie is an all-terrain stroller you can jog with when the front wheel is locked. If you’ll be running a lot, look at Bumbleride’s Speed, their dedicated jogging stroller. Worth knowing before you commit: the seat does not reverse to face you, which is a lot to give up at this price, it never sits fully upright, and the handlebar swivels but does not extend, so it may be short if you are over about 6 foot 2.
Joovy Zoom360 Ultralight: Lighter and more budget-friendly than the big names. A solid pick for occasional runs. You can feel where the money was saved. The canopy is short and sits high on the frame, so it does not block low sun well, the fabric is durable but coarse, and the suspension passes more bumps through than BOB or Thule do.
Budget option: Baby Trend Expedition: This is a good jogging stroller for the price, and one of the least expensive you will find. It isn’t ideal for serious runners, and the front wheel doesn’t feel as stable. But you are paying way less than you would for the top jogging strollers. If you are a casual jogger on a tight budget, take a look at this one!
Stroller Frame
This is an optional stroller frame that basically serves as wheels for your infant car seat. Your living situation will determine how useful this is for you. When we lived in a condo with a long walk to and from the elevator, this was really nice to have when taking the baby out in the car. But if you live in a very urban area and don’t use your car much, it probably isn’t worth it. If you get one, it should be the same brand as your car seat, since not every infant car seat has a frame that works with it.
Now that we live in the suburbs, I still find a frame useful anytime we go somewhere in the car in the first five-ish months. Stroller frames are lightweight and easy to fold and put in the trunk. You can keep the baby in the car seat and snap it onto the frame for an appointment, a restaurant, the park, or anywhere really. That way you don’t have to lug the car seat around on your arm or take your baby out to put them in another stroller. We loved our Chicco KeyFit Caddy Stroller Frame.
Later (5-ish Months)
Umbrella stroller: Most (not all) umbrella strollers shouldn’t be used until the baby is 4 to 6 months old. If you use a car a lot, you’ll love having an umbrella stroller in your trunk at all times. Umbrella strollers and other things you’ll need later »
Stroller questions parents ask
Most families do fine with one, sometimes two. A full-size or convertible stroller covers the first few years. An umbrella or travel stroller is a cheap second if you drive a lot or fly. Buy the one you will push every day first, then add another only if you hit a real problem.
Yes, but only in a stroller that fully reclines, takes a bassinet, or holds your infant car seat. Newborns cannot sit up or hold their heads up, so a seat that does not lie flat is not safe for them until around 4 to 6 months.
Usually around 6 months, and some brands say later. Running jostles a baby far more than walking does, so they need head and neck control first. Check your stroller’s manual for its own limit. If you want to run sooner, use a car seat adapter so your infant car seat carries the baby instead.
They solve different problems. A bassinet gives a newborn a flat place to nap on long walks. A stroller frame is just wheels for your infant car seat. The frame is cheaper and more useful if you drive a lot; the bassinet is better if you walk everywhere. Plenty of people skip both.
Usually yes, and it is one of the better ways to save money on baby gear. Strollers do not expire the way car seats do. Check the model against the CPSC recall list first, then test the brakes, the harness and the fold lock before you hand over any money.
A one-hand fold and a weight under about 15 pounds. Some compact strollers fold small enough for an airplane overhead bin, which saves you gate-checking it. Gate-checked strollers do get damaged, so flying with a cheaper travel stroller rather than your nice one is often the smarter move.
A note on sources. Weights and measurements come from each manufacturer’s own published specifications. Where I describe how a stroller behaves in real use and it is not one I have pushed around myself, that draws on BabyGearLab’s independent hands-on testing. The strollers we actually owned are named as ours in the write-ups above.
One safety note. Strollers do get recalled, usually for folding or brake problems, and a recalled model can stay in circulation on resale sites long after the notice goes out. Check any stroller you are buying used against the CPSC recall list, and register the one you own with the manufacturer, because registering is how you actually get told.
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