The Best Strollers for One Year Olds (We Tried All of These!)

If you’re looking for the best stroller for your one year old, you’ve come to the right place. We’re a little obsessed with finding the perfect stroller and of course, it can change with your child’s age. Between the mamas who write for this blog, we’ve tested dozens, and while some are great for babies of any age, some strollers are just better for one year olds and toddlers.

Whether you’re looking for something all-terrain or a stroller for your next flight, here are the best strollers for one year olds, all tried and tested by our team of mamas:

The Winning Lineup

• Best all around – Guava Roam
• Best full size – Nuna Mixx Next
• Best for a growing family – Uppababy Vista
• Best compact stroller – GB Qbit
• Best for budgets – Ergobaby Metro+
• Best for travel – Joolz Aer
• Best wagon – Veer Cruiser

Guava Roam – Best All Around

After testing many-a-stroller, my favorite is the Guava Roam. It ticks almost every box I have, and I have a lot of boxes!

It works great on uneven terrain and on some of the dirt trails we take to our favorite local Lake Tahoe beaches, it handles curbs and uneven pavement amazingly, the canopy is great, the recline is pretty good, the ride seems comfortable for my son, it has nice storage and comes with a drink holder and organizer, and it folds up impressively small for its size.

It folds down smaller and weighs less than the BOB but loses nothing when it comes to maneuverability and off-road capability. It’s easy to push up hills as well, which we have a lot of in my neighborhood. When I’ve pushed our Nuna Mixx, it certainly feels heavier.

If I could only pick one stroller, it would be this one. I prefer something smaller for traveling, but this one could even still work for airport travel as a gate-checked option. Read my full Guava Roam review.

Nuna Mixx Next – Best Full Size

Speaking of the Nuna Mixx, I still like this as a full sized stroller when I need all the under-seat storage space I can get. When my son was younger, it was great with the bassinet, and could recline almost fully as well, which is great for nap time.

This is the stroller you’d get if you want something full-sized that’s made from premium materials and folds easily. There’s a bit more you can do with this stroller, like facing the seat toward you when needed. If you plan to have a little one again in the future, it’s compatible with Nuna car seats as well, which clip in easily with the car seat adapter ring. Read my full review.

Uppababy Vista – Best for Growing Families

The UPPAbaby Vista is similar to the Nuna Mixx in that it’s a full sized stroller with ample storage and a similar amount of bells and whistles. For many parents, it comes down to choosing between these two, and the deciding factor is the Vista’s ability to have extra seats and a kick board added for a growing family, or a toddler who has no interest in actually riding in the seat of the stroller.

The UPPAbaby Vista is also compatible with a bassinet and their Mesa car seat.

If you’re looking for something that’s made by the same brand, which prioritizes safety and nontoxic materials, the Minu is a smaller, more compact stroller that is great for traveling as well. Compare the Vista and Minu here.

GB Qbit – Best Compact

Funny story time – I accidentally ordered this stroller on Rebelstork when I meant to get the GB Pockit for an upcoming trip, and due to the nature of their return policy, we had to hold onto it. However we have come to actually love this stroller.

It’s small, lightweight, it folds and unfolds with one hand, which is super helpful in an airport or life in general, and the canopy is great. It reclines nicely too. So many travel strollers that can fit in the overhead bin are missing something, and this one does have it all in my book.

That said, it’s about an inch too large to fit into the overhead bin on paper, but we’ve been able to bring it on to international planes without any issues.

Ergobaby Metro+ – Best on Budget

For the price, the Ergobaby Metro+ is pretty good. I view it as more of a travel stroller, but it could be an everyday stroller as well, provided you don’t need a lot of storage space. I’ve also strapped our diaper bag to the handlebar before and it works as long as my son is in the stroller to counterbalance the weight.

It fully reclines and comes with a leg rest, which is more than I can say for the Babyzen Yoyo (read my comparison), and the Deluxe comes with a handlebar, rain cover, and drink holder and a bit more storage space. This one is also small enough to fit in the overhead bin of an airplane, including smaller aircraft. That means it fits into smaller closets and trunks, too.

The only things I don’t love are the canopy, which I wish had better coverage, and the fact that it takes two hands to fold. However for a starting price of $299, this stroller feels much more expensive than it is!

Joolz Aer – Best for Travel

Although the GB lineup and the Metro+ are great travel strollers, I am partial to a stroller with a wider canopy and one-handed fold. Although I have an embarrassing amount of strollers (okay six), I have to give it to the Joolz Aer for being my fave travel option.

It is small enough to fit in the overhead bin, which saves valuable time if you have a tight connection or just don’t want your stroller getting broken, and it folds easily. I prefer it to the Babyzen Yoyo for many reasons.

My only qualms are that it doesn’t have a leg rest (which we had to buy separately), or fully recline, but if your toddler doesn’t need either of those things, you’ll probably be pleased with the large storage space (for a travel stroller).

Veer Cruiser – Best Wagon

Maybe the best stroller for you isn’t a stroller at all, but a wagon that can carry gear in addition to your toddler.

The nice thing about the Veer Cruiser is the all-terrain wheels that make it suitable for beach days, game days, and trail days. It’s great for hauling cargo along with kiddos, and comes with a snack tray and possible seating for four kids (when you get the XL version). It also folds up small enough to fit into the trunk of a car and can even fly in a travel bag.

It doesn’t have the smaller size of a stroller and can be cumbersome indoors, so keep in mind this is a wagon for activities more than a stroller for getting from point A to B. Read our Veer review.

How to Get Them Cheaper

I know that it can get pricey shopping for babies real quick, especially if you prefer the premium brands. I decided from the beginning that I wanted the best for my baby (and now toddler), but I didn’t want to pay top dollar for it. The thing about baby stuff is almost nobody is using it for more than a year or two, and that’s why I don’t go for the cheapie stuff made with materials I don’t feel good about that will break easily. I go for the brands that endure.

You have so many options other than buying these brand new. There are resellers and open box sellers like Goodbuy Gear that often have nice discounts, and there’s the secondhand market. I’ve gotten so much of our baby stuff, including the SNOO, essentially for free by buying and selling on the secondhand market. I’ve saved thousands of dollars this way.

Even if you buy new, consider selling so that you can recoup some of the money and give the item a second life.

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