Baby Trend Snap-N-Go

Bottom Line

The Baby Trend Snap-N-Go is the original car seat stroller frame, and it's still a top choice of experts and owners for transporting an infant car seat without the hassles of a large travel system. Some car seats snap onto this stroller frame; others just sit on it and need to be secured with the included straps.

Safety

Some leery of strap system. A number of reviewers -- Chicco KeyFit owners in particular -- say the Baby Trend Snap-N-Go's strap system doesn't seem secure enough with their car seat and they returned the stroller frame for a different brand. Even so, there are no specific complaints about the Snap-N-Go being unsafe or of any infant car seats coming loose or falling off. Its rear brakes are individually activated, and the owner's manual advises giving the stroller a back-and-forth push to be sure the teeth engage. The front wheels do not lock.

Ease of Use

Easy to fold, unfold. The Snap-N-Go is a one-handed fold that users say is very simple to manage. The stroller has a manual lock to secure it closed for easy carrying, and its 12-pound weight is a breeze to lift and carry. However, even owners who love the stroller warn to be sure that its straps are out of the way when folding and unfolding; they can get caught in the hinges and are difficult to extricate. The strap-in system for securing a car seat isn't difficult, but there are several steps involved.

Lifestyle Features

Great for suburban parents. The Baby Trend Snap-N-Go was the first stroller to solve a problem often faced by suburban parents: how to transport babies in a car seat without disturbing their sleep and without investing in an expensive, unwieldy travel system.

Experts say that car seat stroller frame imitators have made the Snap-N-Go passé. Other models feature adjustable handles in addition to the parent trays and cup holders made popular by the original. Some even have suspensions that make them a good choice for longer outings and multi-terrain surfaces, and most feature locking front wheels. However, one downside of the Snap-N-Go is its puzzling basket design. It opens from the front instead of the back, so with a car seat installed, a parent has to go around front to access it.

Be that as it may, owners generally like the Snap-N-Go, particularly those who have seats that snap in rather than just sitting on the frame to be secured with straps. There's no list of which seats snap in, but a full list of car seats that the Snap-N-Go accepts is available on the Baby Trend website.

In 2012 Baby Trend released the Snap-N-Go EX universal infant car seat carrier (*Est. $70), an upgrade from the basic model that accepts more car seats. The basic Snap-N-Go also comes as the Snap-N-Go Double (*Est. $100).

Customer Service

Short warranty, long phone wait. The Snap-N-Go is warranted for a relatively brief 180 days. We can't speak to customer service issues via email, but when we called to ask a question, we waited on hold for eight minutes while "all customer service reps are busy." Our call was finally answered by a live person asking us to continue to hold, which we did for another five minutes or so before we were helped. The rep was very nice, but that's a long wait.