Best Mainstream Strollers

Best full-featured strollers overall

Aside from the top-rated UppaBaby Vista (*Est. $680), trendy luxury strollers don't earn consistently high marks from both experts and parents. What does? Under-$200 strollers from Graco.

High style isn't Graco's strong point, reviews say -- comfort, features and value are. The Graco Vie4 (*Est. $115), Graco MetroLite (*Est. $150) and Graco Quattro Tour Deluxe (*Est. $165) all accommodate Graco infant seats, and all prove safe, maneuverable and easy to use in one major stroller test. In fact, they sweep the top three spots in that test, outscoring strollers from Bumbleride, Inglesina, Mutsy and Zooper that cost twice as much. Importantly, all are favorites of parents posting at Amazon.com.

Of the three, the Graco MetroLite (*Est. $150) slightly edges out the other two strollers to become our Best Reviewed pick. The main difference is weight: One major source says that after the umpteenth time wrestling your stroller into the trunk, you'll be glad you picked the 17-pound MetroLite instead of the 26-pound Quattro Tour. They offer many of the same features -- 50-pound child weight limit, harness that can be used as three- or five-point, padded seat with multi-position recline, wheel suspension, lockable swivel wheels, one-hand fold, pivoting child tray with cupholder, parent tray with two cupholders, peek-a-boo canopy, and a bottom basket that drops down when the seat is reclined to give easy access -- and the MetroLite adds a height-adjustable handle that the Quattro Tour lacks. We found some durability complaints for previous MetroLite models from owners on Buzzillions.com, but no complaints for the most recent model on Amazon.com.

Graco calls the Quattro Tour "the SUV of strollers," and one top source likens it to a baby Hummer; at 24 inches wide, it's five inches wider than the MetroLite stroller. The Quattro Tour gives up the MetroLite's adjustable handle, but it adds one-touch brakes, a removable infant head support and a rotating canopy. The Graco Quattro Tour Sport (*Est. $170) has elliptical frame tubing that gives it a slightly sportier look, but it actually weighs half a pound more than the Deluxe. The Graco Vie4 (*Est. $115) is a scaled-down, 23-pound version of the Quattro Tour but with similar features to the MetroLite, except its bottom basket lacks the drop-down feature.

Another capable stroller in this price range is the Chicco Cortina (*Est. $150). It's very similar to the top-rated Graco MetroLite stroller in looks and features (and performance and safety, according to one major test), but at 22 pounds the Cortina is heavier. The Cortina is compatible with the Chicco KeyFit 30 infant car seat -- in fact, the Cortina is a very highly rated travel system when you buy both together (see our separate report on car seat strollers).

Pricier strollers from brands such as Inglesina and Peg-Perego have been pushed out of the ratings. A former favorite, Italy's Inglesina Zippy (*Est. $350), still gets mostly good marks from owners for its easy one-hand fold and essential features (full recline, removable/washable seat padding, universal car seat adapter, rain hood, rear-wheel suspension and height-adjustable handles). Peg-Perego's strollers, such as its most popular Peg-Perego Pliko P3 Classico (*Est. $280) -- a stroller with features similar to the Inglesina Zippy -- have also dropped off of most experts' recommended lists in favor of the more price-friendly Graco and Chicco strollers.

How much stroller can you get for less than $100?

Yes, you can get a good stroller for less than $100, reviews say -- but you might forgo a few amenities.

For example, the Graco LiteRider (*Est. $75) has some of the top-rated Graco MetroLite's features for half the price. Like the MetroLite stroller, the LiteRider is compatible with all Graco infant car seats, weighs about the same (17 pounds) and looks very much the same, with a two-cupholder parent tray and drop-down bottom basket. However, although the LiteRider has a child's tray with cupholder, it's removable -- not swing-open. The LiteRider's seat has a two-position recline, but it doesn't lie flat (so it's not appropriate for infants). It folds with one hand, but it doesn't stand up when folded. The LiteRider has a 40-pound weight limit (versus 50 for the MetroLite), a smaller canopy and no handle-height adjustment. The LiteRider stroller gets mostly good owner reviews, but it's not a top pick at any of our expert sources.

That's why -- although it's a close race -- our Best Reviewed budget pick is the Kolcraft Contours Lite (*Est. $75). In a top expert test, the Kolcraft stroller proves just as safe and maneuverable (and almost as easy to use) as the top-rated Graco MetroLite stroller, and it gets mostly good user reviews. We did find several durability complaints for Kolcraft Contours Lite models from a couple of years ago, but it remains to be seen how the new model will hold up. Complaints aside, both the Kolcraft Contours Lite and the Graco LiteRider strollers are favorites at Amazon.com. Both can carry children up to 40 pounds, and both have five-point harnesses. Your choice may come down to which features you need. Unlike the Graco LiteRider, the Kolcraft Contours Lite stroller stands when folded, and its child tray/cupholder swivels to allow seat access. At 15.5 pounds, the Kolcraft stroller is also a bit lighter. However, the Graco accommodates infant car seats -- something the Kolcraft does not do. And since the Kolcraft stroller doesn't recline fully, it's not appropriate for infants who need to lie totally flat.

We found fewer owner reviews for the Combi Savvy (*Est. $90), a very lightweight (11.7 pounds) stroller that looks a lot like an umbrella stroller when it's open, but with a one-piece handle. The Savvy is compatible with the Combi Shuttle 33 infant car seat and has a few of the perks you'd expect from a full-featured stroller: self-standing fold, multi-position reclining seat and washable cushion. A few professional reviewers recommend the Savvy, but none of them seem to have tested it -- and the few user reviews we found on Amazon.com and Buzzillions.com were mixed. Although some parents have no problems with the Savvy stroller, others complain that it feels flimsy, the wheels get stuck in the wrong position or their children get their legs stuck in the open sides. Overall, the budget strollers from Graco and Kolcraft get better reviews.