UPPAbaby Vista V2 Stroller Review – Is It Really The Best?

Consistently highly rated on Amazon and loved my mamas everywhere, the UPPAbaby Vista V2 stroller is a no-brainer when it comes to luxe full-sized strollers.

The UPPAbaby Vista V2 stroller works as your main stroller for one child, which can accommodate up to 3 children as your family grows. It’s currently at the top of my list of full-sized strollers. I would estimate that 75% of strollers that I see when we’re out, or on social media, are UPPAbabys!

It is the stroller that is most frequently recommended, and some even refer to it as the Rolls-Royce of strollers. You just can’t go wrong with this purchase, except in some specific circumstances that I will describe in more detail below.

Pros

• Reliable, spacious, and robust, with a high weight capacity and huge basket, and large wheels for a smooth drive.
• Looks nice, with many pretty colors to choose from
• Stands upright when folded
• Allows for multiple configurations (seat can face forwards or backwards) and can carry transport up to three children
• The UPPAbaby piggy-back buggy board attachment that allows the stroller to fold with it attached!
• Bassinet can be used on its own, or with a stand
• One-handed, multi-position recline and adjustable handlebar
• High resale value

Cons

• Expensive. The rumble seat for the 2nd child costs another ~$220
• Bulky and heavy (2 inches wider than the Bugaboo Fox), making it challenging to navigate narrow spaces, or lift into the trunk
• The rumble seat that connects to the bottom of the frame for the 2nd child is smaller and less comfortable than the regular seat
• The car seat only connects to the top of the frame, which means the bigger child will be in the rumble seat at the bottom, making it hard to maneuver

Why I chose this stroller

I chose this stroller for my registry just after the V2 was released, after I test drove it in person at a store, and found the drive to be smooth, and the frame sturdier than comparable models. I was mainly choosing between the Vista and the Nuna Mixx.

I liked the look of the Blue Melange fabric against the silver aluminum frame, and I was planning to have more than one child, so this stroller fit the bill.

I did have some hesitations – firstly, I knew I wanted the Nuna PIPA car seat because it had a rebound leg, and because it was the lightest on the market that could also be fitted with just a seat belt. I do care about things matching, so I wondered if it would be something that bothered me. After I saw some other parents mixing the Nuna PIPA with the Vista, I felt the confidence to go ahead with my top car seat and stroller choices even if they didn’t totally match in color.

Secondly, my friend, with whom I shared a lot of independently mutual choices in baby products, was going for the Nuna, because said that she didn’t like the feel of the stitching of the leather on the UPPAbaby’s handle. It wasn’t something I had noticed at first, but I made a point to pay attention to this when I checked it out a second time. Ultimately, I liked the look of the stitching and the “feel” of the stitiches did not bother me.

Situations in which I found the stroller most useful

When my baby was a newborn, before we took the stroller out for walks, we used the stroller and bassinet around the house. It was super convenient to be able to wheel the baby around from room to room or the patio. It actually worked better than a stationary bassinet, as you could rock the baby to sleep. I also clipped a mobile onto the top of the bassinet’s canopy for stimulation, and naptime music.

Later, we used it with the baby car seat attached at the top, and my older child in the bottom seat. Many times my older child, who is underweight compared to average, would climb into the basket and sit there instead. I know that the basket is not designed for seating, but he didn’t love the rumble seat as it is actually smaller than the regular bucket seat, so it was uncomfortable for him.

The rumble seat also put a lot of the weight towards the first 2 wheels of the stroller, making it difficult to maneuver. This to me is a major drawback, as it would be difficult to even roll over cracks in the road going uphill. However, this not really the stroller’s fault, as this is just the way tandem strollers are designed.

This stroller was especially useful on longer trips for which we needed to carry a day’s worth of gear, such as going for a picnic, to the zoo, or on long shopping trips. The giant basket was so convenient for carrying the entire family’s stuff, or for holding a day’s worth of shopping.

Circumstances that prevented me from using the stroller more

After the initial period, I actually put this stroller in storage for almost two years. This is because it took up all of our trunk space, so we grew tired of having to swap it out for the smaller stroller or when we needed more space in the trunk each time. We also had a narrow entrance to our front door with a few steps, so we were not able to simply push it out of the door.

I recommend reviewing your living set up and lifestyle before purchasing any large strollers.

Conclusion

I would still buy this stroller again! It’s nice to use something reliable, and feel like a good parent for investing in the comfort and safety of your child. It might not have worked that well for condo living, but we managed and still got plenty of use out of it.

I hope you’ve found this post helpful! I enjoyed writing it. This post includes affiliate links at no cost to you. Thanks for supporting a mama 🤓