UPPAbaby Vista

$670 with bassinet, UPPAbaby

Overall score: 4. It's a beautiful, highly functional stroller, and it's eco-friendly.

Value: 4. Its price is comparable to that of similar models, and all the extras are included.

The basics: 24 pounds. Good from birth to 50 pounds. With bassinet. 25 inches at the widest point when it's unfolded. Collapses to 32 by 26.5 by 18 inches.

The extras: The Vista features a one-step fold system, a reversible seat, and a three-position seat-angle adjustment. Telescoping handles for parents and an elevated seat for kids make it a comfortable stroller all around. UPPAbaby also fits the stroller with rubber-coated chrome-finish tires that "never go flat" and have four-wheel shocks with suspension. A zip-in weather shield and a mesh bug-and-sun shield are included. Plus, the canopy features a pop-out extension with SPF 50. Another cool bonus, the fabric is made of organic soy fiber and cotton.

Folding and storage: Folding and unfolding the Vista is practically automatic. One fluid motion and the stroller collapses. It takes two hands but not much pressure. Like similar models (Quinny's Buzz 4 and Mutsy's 4Rider), the Vista is rather bulky when folded, but the back wheels can be removed to reduce its size.

Pros: It feels luxury. The company says it's made of a "formed aircraft aluminum alloy frame." Let us translate: It's really durable. Plus, at 24 pounds, parents said that it's not as cumbersome as comparable models. It's comfortable to grip for lifting, and the seat and back wheels can be removed to make the frame smaller for storage. You can't take it down the stairs with one person, but it's fine with two. The massive wheels allow for a smooth ride, and despite its large size, it corners like a dream. "We're big on the outdoors, and this stroller would be great for uneven ground or bad weather," said one California-based tester. A gigantic storage basket also scores high points, compensate for its lack of a cup holder or organization tray. Where the Vista pulls slightly ahead of similar models is in the additional seating options: forward, backward; up, down; seat, bassinet. The rain cover, even when tested in heavy rain, kept one family's 4-month-old "dry as a bone." The extended sun canopy was a hit as well.

Cons: Urban parents weren't thrilled with the Vista. Fellow pedestrians struggled to maneuver around the 25-inch-wide honker, so you're not going to want to take it on a bus or down into a subway. It's nice for around the neighborhood, but taking the Vista into a city grocery store is difficult. The wheels are too wide to fit down narrow aisles. Suburban testers weren't thrilled with the stroller's width either. One tester's trip to the mall was spent picking up things the stroller knocked off the racks. In fact, the wheels are so far apart that one tester couldn't get it through his sliding patio door. While the seat's accessories scored big with testers, its reclining positions did not. Parents felt the range of positions was too limited. "I wish my kid could sit up and lay down more," one tester said.

Who will love this stroller? Nature-visiting, small-SUV-driving families. Parents who want a superlight, compact stroller or walk up six flights of stairs daily should look elsewhere. But if you're going for an SUV of a stroller, this one is for you. It's great for active families in need of a smooth ride and perfect-for-the-outdoors features.

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