The UPPAbaby VISTA Has Everything You Want in a Stroller (And Then Some)

• Value: 17/20
• Functionality: 19/20
• Quality/Ease of Use: 19/20
• Aesthetics: 18/20
• Durability: 19/20
• TOTAL: 92/100

I was four months pregnant when my husband and I took our first trip to a baby store. “It’ll be fun,” I told him, envisioning us holding up adorable onesies and giggling as we strolled through the aisles, breezily crossing off our shopping list. Spoiler alert: It was not fun. In fact, it was very stressful. Who knew there were so many options for everything? And sure, there are certain baby items that you can add to cart now and figure out if your kid actually likes them later (hi, pacifiers), but a stroller is something you’re going to use every day for years and is typically one of the most expensive items on your registry. In other words, it’s not something you can purchase willy-nilly. So I went away and did some research and talked to a lot of moms. The stroller that all the parents and mommy blogs couldn’t stop raving about? The UPPAbaby VISTA. So I joined the club, and guess what? My son just turned one and now I’m the one telling other moms-to-be about how much I love my stroller.

At $848, this luxe pick is definitely an investment. But one of the main reasons this stroller has such a cult following is that it’s one of the best ones on the market for growing families. While the VISTA comes with a bassinet for newborns and a toddler seat, you can also add a Rumble Seat and PiggyBack board, which means it’s possible to fit up to three kids on the stroller. Which sounds, well, totally chaotic but also a great way to get more bang for your buck if you’re planning on having more than one. (Side note: Have you ever tried to walk anywhere with a little person? They are slow. The ability to strap ‘em into the stroller or have them standing on the back is huge.)

Speaking of multitasking, the bassinet is a safe sleep solution for on the go, which means you can skip the Pack ‘n Play and use this guy for weekend trips to grandma instead. We teamed our VISTA with the UPPAbaby Mesa car seat for a complete travel system and even brought this bad boy with us on two international trips. I’m happy to report that it fared as well on cobblestone streets as it did on forest terrain. (Pro tip: Buy the UPPAbaby travel bag and any damage caused to your stroller during air travel will be covered by the company.) This stroller is seriously sturdy—it weighs 25.9 pounds—which means it can handle a lot…but maybe isn’t ideal for five-story walk ups.

Another major benefit to the VISTA is that quickly folds up in one relatively smooth step—with or without the seat attached. This has been great for storing the stroller at daycare, as well as getting it up and down stairs (yep, I have to haul this thing up and down our stoop every day). The opening and closing action takes a little bit of practice, but once you get the hang of it, it’s easy-peasy. And the self-standing frame means I can easily stow it away (although it does take up a not-insignificant amount of space, so that’s definitely something to keep in mind). It also gets top marks for its ease of use—the brakes come on with one click of the foot and the five-point-harness is easily put on and taken off (even with a wriggling, fussy baby in tow).

While it’s great for travel, my favorite way to use the stroller is going to the grocery store. The under-seat storage bin can easily carry a diaper bag, groceries, toys, blankets, packs of LaCroix and bottles of wine (#momlife). Basically, anything you can think of, up to 30 pounds. Moms should know, however, that you’ll have to purchase a storage pocket for the handlebars separately, which is a must-have for phones, keys and the million knickknacks you accumulate when you’re a parent.

Is it pricier than other strollers out there? For sure. But this is an item that will take care of your kid from the newborn to toddler stage (up to 50 pounds), plus any other little ones that join the family along the way. Which is more than you can say for half the other stuff on your registry (no offense, changing table).