Stroller Frames

Save money with these lightweight alternatives

According to experts, the most economical solution is a low-priced stroller frame that accommodates most major brand infant car seats. This allows parents to buy the car seat of their choice and to wait until their child is older before investing in a good stroller. The Baby Trend Snap-N-Go (*Est. $60) was the first stroller of this kind on the market. The Baby Trend stroller frame weighs 12 pounds. It has a lower storage basket and parent tray, and is designed to be compatible with popular infant car seat brands including Baby Trend, Britax, Chicco, Evenflo, Graco and Peg-Perego. (See our report on infant car seats for reviews of the car seats themselves.) Baby Trend also makes a double version called the Double Snap-N-Go (*Est. $95) that accommodates two infant car seats arranged one behind the other.

The Kolcraft Universal 2 Infant Car Seat Carrier (*Est. $65) is another stroller frame option similar to the Baby Trend Snap-N-Go. Its features are virtually identical, with a lower storage basket and a removable parent tray. Some parents say the basket is a little larger than on the Baby Trend. The Kolcraft Universal 2 comes with a warning that it's only for use with one of the 21 infant car seats specified in the instruction manual -- and 14 car seats should specifically be avoided. The popular Graco SafeSeat and SnugRide series are on the approved list, as is the Evenflo Discovery car seat -- but not the Evenflo Embrace, or the Chicco KeyFit. If you're considering this carrier with a specific infant car seat in mind, it's essential to check first to make sure they're compatible.

Graco also makes its own stroller frame. Company representatives told us that it is only meant to work with Graco infant car seats, but we found comments from parents who say it works with other seats as well. If you own or plan to buy the popular Graco SnugRide or Infant SafeSeat car seat, this stroller frame may be the way to go, since your car seat is guaranteed to fit. Features on the Graco SnugRider stroller frame (*Est. $65) are similar to the others, with a storage basket along with two parent cupholders. The one big difference is that the Graco SnugRider has a height-adjustable handle, so it would be a good choice for parents of differing heights, or for shorter or taller parents. Comments for all of these stroller frames are very good overall; many parents say they started out with a full-size travel system but found it much too cumbersome – according to them, the stroller frame is just a better idea.