Baby Trend Expedition Review

For 26 years plus, Baby Trend has developed gear for juveniles. Since the beginning, the company has designed budget-friendly products for growing families. Baby Trend developed the first sit-and-stand stroller and the Snap-N-Go stroller. They make a variety of gear for babies, from a diaper pail and infant car seats to high chairs and strollers, and everything in between.

Performance Comparison

Ease of Use

The Baby Trend did not perform as well for ease of use as some of the competition, coming in below average for the group.

Fold and Unfold

The Expedition requires two hands to fold, which can be somewhat unwieldy as it closes. It has dual finger releases on each side of the frame near the handlebar to initiate the fold. You can remove the wheels if you need to make it smaller, but this would only work for stowing in a car or at home; it would not be convenient for public transportation. The snack tray sticks out awkwardly, but it does self-stand.

Storage

The under-seat storage basket on the Expedition is a good size, but it has a 5 lb weight limit, which hinders what you can put inside. Unlike other joggers, it also lacks a cover to help things stay clean or avoid items falling out.

The parent console and child tray can hold some more weight, but the items will need to be small. The parent unit has dual cup holders and a place to hold a smaller phone or snack. However, the cup holders are shallow and won't accommodate most modern water bottle sizes. The same is true of the child tray, but at least sippy cups and kid's water bottles are shorter and less likely to topple out when strolling.

Harness

The Expedition harness can act as a 3-point or 5-point harness, though we wouldn't recommend 3 points.

The shoulder straps attach to the main buckle via hooks and are meant to be removed when changing the shoulder strap height, but we worry some parents will skip them if a child complains enough. The harness is as simple as it gets with canvas webbing.

Brakes

Sadly, the Expedition has double-action brakes, so you must press two different pedals to engage the brakes fully. There are two pedals, one on each side of the rear axle. We don't care for double-action brakes, and while these are easy to set, you MUST do both to put the brakes on.

Car Seat Compatibility

The Expedition is compatible with Baby Trend infant car seats. You should not run with a child under 6 months old and should consult with your pediatrician and the manual before moving at any higher speed than walking.

Ease of Setup

Putting the Expedition together is pretty easy and should take 5-10 minutes. The manufacturer's directions and pictures are mediocre, with half relating to something that came pre-assembled. We didn't need any tools to assemble it, but the directions will tell you otherwise because of the components that came assembled. We also needed a bike pump to inflate the front tire, and fitting in on the stem was challenging.

Maneuverability

The Expedition performed well for maneuverability, which isn't surprising for a jogger with rubber air-filled tires. While it wasn't the smoothest on hard surfaces, it excels off-road, which comes up more than you think.

It rolls easily on hard surfaces, but it can get tippy if you make fast turns, thanks to the 3-wheel design. The rubber tires squeak on flooring like vinyl and hardwood, which might dissipate over time but could be annoying for some. Rolling over cords or thresholds is no problem at all.

This stroller excels when you move off flat surfaces onto grass and gravel. It moves over most things with ease and has no problems with curbs and other obstacles you might meet. If you might be on trails or greenbelts often, it is important to consider how easy it is to push.

Transporting and Storing

The Expedition is a bulky stroller when folded, but so are most of the joggers. The design and bigger wheels make it kind of big at 12,463 cubic feet. However, it isn't as big as other joggers and could fit in spaces some of the full-size strollers could match.

It weighs 24.00 lb, which is neither big nor small. It can be awkward to carry and is easier to manage without the child's tray.

Quality

For the price, we think you get what you pay for here. It isn't an expensive stroller, and this is reflected in the quality score.

The material is a thick canvas, like a school backpack. The canvas is somewhat rougher than the seat, but neither is super skin-friendly. The peek-aboo-window has a wide-opening mesh that is loose and easy to snag. The basket is thinner canvas and mesh, which seems like a poor design decision since it will take a lot of wear and tear over time. The material is all very economical, and little thought seems to be given to the details.

The wheels are larger than standard strollers with spokes and tires like a bike, but cheaper. They are 16 in in diameter in the back and 12 inches in the front. They have a good amount of “play” in them, and they don't spin entirely straight, which is fine for a full-size stroller but is one of the reasons we don't love it as a full-time jogger.

The frame is rigid with little flex, but it has a lot of exposed fasteners and hinges. The overall fit and finish are disappointing, but this feeling is easily assuaged when you consider the price.

Kid's Comfort

Keeping kids cozy is essential to a smooth strolling trip. Having features that offer comfort and are easy to use is key. The Expedition has a reclining seat back with a stationary leg rest that is not adjustable.

The seat back has infinite position options and can be lowered with one hand pinching the strap holding mechanism. However, it takes two hands to raise the angle because you need one to pull the strap and the other to hold the mechanism. The legrest is padded and flows down to a narrow plastic footrest. The padding behind the leg that rails down from the seat does not extend to the footrest; there is a gap.

The canopy is stupidly small and not attached to the seat back or frame. It rotates forward and back, which can help block some direct sun, but there is no full coverage, and we suspect kids will play with it once they are old enough to figure out what it does. It has a mesh bill, which is just perplexing and virtually useless.

Should You Buy the Baby Trend Expedition?

The Expedition is a good stroller for those on a budget or anyone who might jog occasionally or head on a gravel pathway. In the past, it has won awards in multiple categories for offering a lot for a very small price (comparatively). While we still like this troller, the newer “upgraded” version of the Expedition is an overall better stroller in every way. We think most parents will appreciate the additional benefit they get for a smaller price bump.

What Other Full-Size Strollers Should You Consider?

The Baby Trend Expedition Race Tec is the upgraded Expedition and is worth the higher price. Often, with sales, the price difference is negligible. While the two strollers are very similar, the Race Tec has a more comfortable seat, a bigger canopy, and more, making it our favorite. If you jog for fun, love visiting the park or festival, and want larger tires to move over uneven surfaces, this is the one for you. If you have a larger budget and are more concerned with features and quality than price, the Thule Urban Glide 2 can't be beaten in this genre of crossover options that can be good for everyday outings and running.

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