RECARO Easylife

My first impression of the RECARO Easylife stroller was that it boasts a sleek design and it is clearly very well made. Sometimes some of the lightweight strollers can appear “cheap” or flimsy, but not the Easylife!

The user manual was easy to navigate, and setup was a breeze. I’ve set up quite a few baby strollers in my day, and this was by far the easiest. It took me a total of about 10 minutes to put it together, and I figured out how to fold it before I even read it in the manual.

The fold requires only one hand and is extremely easy. However, opening it can be a little tricky at times. It is easy to get it most of the way open but to lock it in place takes a little extra power and finesse. When the stroller is folded, it is extremely compact and could fit into any trunk or even in the backseat. The Easylife also stands on its own when folded, as it folds from top to bottom rather than from side to side as in a typical umbrella stroller.

We previously had an umbrella stroller, which was fine and did the job, but my son, George, clearly likes the Easylife more. It is just more comfortable for him and not as flimsy, so he is supported more. There is a 5-point harness that works well and doesn’t seem to bother him one bit. It is readily adjustable, and even though George is on the smaller side, it is snug enough for him.

The Easylife holds a child up to 50 pounds, so we will have it for quite some time. The seat has more padding than the typical umbrella stroller, and it reclines a decent amount. It doesn’t go completely flat, but that never seems to be an issue as my little guy always wants to be sitting up straight, so he can see the most.

The wheels are plastic but very durable. There are 6 all together and the front ones can lock into place or swivel, whichever you prefer. I think the swivel feature is key for the mom who uses the stroller for travel or shopping—it makes it a breeze to get around and make tight turns. The stroller is best on sidewalks, indoors, cement and city walks; it can be a little tough getting through gravel and tall grass.

The brakes are located with foot steps just above the rear wheels. One is green for “go” and the other red to “stop.” I actually like them a lot and enjoy that they are on two separate sides, as it makes it very easy to engage and disengage them.

The stroller is easily wipeable and ours is black, so it hides just about everything anyway. There is a cupholder that is attachable for mom or dad. I especially like that this is an attachment and not permanent, so you can add it only when needed. The handlebar is also at a perfect height, so you are not bending over to push the stroller. There is no snack tray for baby, but that hasn’t been an issue for us thus far. (I prefer things to be in bowls anyway.)

The canopy is great quality and is large enough to completely cover my little guy. So often the smaller strollers have canopies that are too small and don’t protect the child from the sun. Happy, that’s not the case with the Easylife!

The Easylife is travel system compatible, which I love because we’re about to have our second baby, and this stroller is much easier to travel with than the other one I have! It works with the RECARO Performance Coupe Infant Car Seat, which I also have and love.

There is a rain cover you can get as well that is great; it works perfectly and is very nice to have on hand. The large basket underneath the seat makes it easy to have the cover on hand if the weather is looking iffy.

There are three different colors to choose from: scarlett (red), onyx (black), and graphite (light grey). All of them look sharp so you can’t really go wrong.

Price: $199
To buy: amazon.com