Are Expensive Strollers Worth It?

Are expensive strollers worth it? We asked ourselves that before paying up for our own premium stroller. In our case, the answer ended up being yes, but only because we cared a lot about comfort, newborn use, and long-term value.

Often yes, but only when the more expensive stroller solves a real need. Premium strollers usually win on suspension, build quality, resale value, and newborn comfort, but not every expensive model is worth the extra money.

If you first want to understand why stroller prices get so high, read Why are strollers so expensive?. If you want concrete price bands, see How much does a stroller cost?.

By that point we had owned three very different strollers: Bugaboo Donkey, Joie Litetrax 4, and Hauck Sport Buggy. Together they gave us a decent feel for what high-end, mid-range, and low-end strollers actually offer in real life. We were happy with all three, but they made sense at different times and for different jobs.

What is the difference between expensive and cheap strollers?

If you asked me to do a blind test with our three strollers, I am confident I could tell which was high-end, mid-range, and low-end. You can feel that the Bugaboo is built to a higher standard. Our Bugaboo Donkey worked reliably for more than eight years, and the only repair we needed was changing an inner tube after a flat tire.

Expensive strollers often excel at comfort. In our case, the shock absorption clearly followed the price of our strollers. With its excellent suspension and large air-filled wheels, Bugaboo Donkey offered a smooth ride even during forest walks. This is just wonderful when you have a little newborn. Both our son and daughter fell asleep and stayed asleep during our long walks with the Bugaboo Donkey. Our mid-range and low-end stroller just can’t compete.

While many strollers can technically be used from birth on paper, we think a real bassinet with a roomy, flat surface is a major benefit for a newborn. It is more comfortable for the baby and more straightforward for you as a parent, especially with a first child. Bugaboo Donkey also has excellent ventilation. In our experience, more expensive strollers often do better on ventilation and sometimes on materials that help with temperature regulation too.

One often overlooked detail is resale value. Buying an excellent but expensive stroller can work out surprisingly well if the brand keeps its value. Well-known premium strollers often resell for far more than cheaper models, so when you are done with it you may get a meaningful share of the purchase price back. In our case, that made the more expensive stroller easier to justify.

Are All Expensive Strollers Great?

I want to put a little warning out there. Price alone is not enough to say that a stroller is excellent. You need to think about what is important to you. For us, it was safety, comfort, and convenience. While it doesn’t hurt if the stroller is pretty, this isn’t something I’d be willing to pay for. We recommend you try the stroller, but if that isn’t possible, focus on evaluating it based on the wheels, suspension, ventilation, fabric properties, and other attributes with concrete benefits. In particular, avoid unknown brands that just look pretty.

Do I Need an Expensive Stroller for My Baby?

While it is not strictly necessary, we do not regret buying a premium stroller and felt that the value was strongest when our children were youngest. We would even say it paid us back in time and convenience because it helped our baby fall asleep more easily and stay asleep for longer. The good resale value later on mattered too.

Do I Need an Expensive Stroller for My Toddler?

Not nearly as much as for a newborn. The reason for paying for a premium stroller changes once your child is older. With a newborn, the main upside is giving the baby a smoother, more comfortable setup. With a toddler, the bigger benefit is usually for you: easier handling, better performance on rough ground, and less maintenance because the stroller is often built better.

Once our son was old enough, we also bought a cheaper stroller, the Hauck Sport Buggy, for travel. It was much less comfortable for us as parents, but our son barely cared which stroller he was sitting in.

Getting a Great Stroller on a Budget

If money is tight, it is completely understandable to feel shocked by stroller prices. We certainly were. At first it felt excessive to spend that much on something that looks simple, but the amount of daily use changed how we thought about it. In hindsight, for us, the extra spend was worth it.

We would especially recommend checking the second-hand market if you want premium quality without paying full price, particularly for newborn use. If your child is anything like ours, you may feel the value the first time the stroller helps them fall asleep faster or stay asleep for the whole walk.

Final Thoughts

You might be shocked the first time you see what premium strollers cost. We certainly were. While we’d be happy if they were not that expensive, in hindsight, we are delighted that we got a premium stroller. We appreciated the excellent suspension, shock-absorbing wheels, height-adjustable handle, and many more features. But perhaps most telling is that we are convinced we’d easily be able to say which stroller is high-end, mid-range, and low-end in a blind test. You can easily feel and hear it if you take the stroller for a spin.