I wanted to get this Uppababy Vista stroller review up before the new Uppababy Vista V2 version that’s included in the Nordstrom anniversary sale sold out, but alas! We have the 2018 version that’s now marked down slightly to make room for the 2020 version (you can read about the differences between the two models here) and I wanted to share everything I love about it because 1) even on sale it’s still a huge investment and 2) it is hands down my favorite piece of baby gear we’ve used these past ten months. I read a ton of stroller reviews as I was putting together our baby registry last year and so I hope this is helpful for some of you doing the same research!
What I love about this stroller:
1. Durability. We’ve pushed it down cobblestone hills, dirt roads, sandy paths, uneven sidewalks, you name it, and this stroller stops for absolutely nothing. It’s by far the sturdiest stroller we tested in stores last summer and I much prefer pushing this to the Doona stroller we ordered for the two plane trips we took with Teddy pre-COVID. (The Doona is still a great pick for travel or city living — it’s much more lightweight and you can’t beat the versatility of a car seat and stroller in one piece of gear when you’re on the go.)
2. Storage. The storage basket underneath the seat is enormous relative to other brands and perfect for carrying a diaper bag, handbag, toys, beach towels, or anything else you may be toting around. We added this organizer up top to hold smaller items like cell phones, coffee cups, sippy cups, snacks, and sunglasses.
3. Flexibility for multiple kids. We hope to have several more kids in the coming years and my top priority was finding a stroller that would accommodate a growing family. The Uppababy Vista has a ton of different configuration options: it comes with an infant bassinet (babies up to 20 pounds) and a toddler seat (up to 50 pounds), and you can also add a separate rumble seat (up to 35 pounds) depending on the age/size of your next child. You can even add a ride-along board for an older third child!
4. The leather handlebar. Definitely a superficial factor, but I love the look and feel of the leather handle (we have the Jake colorway that’s black with black leather, but the 2020 version comes in lots of pretty color combos!). The handlebar is also adjustable so it’s great for parents of different heights.
5. The included baby bassinet. This was an absolute dream for the first five or six months of Teddy’s life (it’s safe for birth through 20 pounds, but we stopped using it as Teddy became more interested in sitting up and looking around) and an easy way to tuck him in for a nap on the go.
6. Ventilation and sun protection. The canopy rolls up for additional ventilation behind the baby’s head and the extendable sun shade offers UPF 50+ sun protection.
7. General ease of use. The foot brake clearly switches from red to green when you’re ready to go and folding and unfolding the stroller became completely second nature after a couple tries.
The only con I can think of (besides the aforementioned expense) is the weight. Both the Uppababy Vista stroller and the Uppababy Mesa carseat (which we also have and love) are heavy compared to other options on the market and it’s important to anticipate how many times a day you’ll be using it before committing to this as your primary stroller. I’ve gotten used to throwing it in the trunk of our car and unfolding it on my own (which does require both hands), but I can’t imagine hauling it into a taxi multiple times a day or lugging it down a flight of stairs to get onto the subway if we lived in a city. I have city-dwelling girlfriends who swear by the Doona for that reason — it’s great for popping in and out of the car several times a day — but it’s kind of comparing apples and oranges when I think about how we personally use each of them.
That’s all I can think of for now but if you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments! You can browse more baby items we registered for in this post and read more reviews here and here.
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