Graco Modes Nest Stroller Review

Graco was originally a car parts manufacturer. In 1953, the two owners decided to expand their product lineup to baby gear. Their first product was the original baby swing. Graco has been making baby products for over 60 years, with car seats, high chairs, play yards, strollers, and more.

Performance Comparison

Ease of Use

The Graco is not the easiest to use and earned one of the lowest scores in the group for this metric

Fold and Unfold

The Modes folds with two hands and will stand on its own when locked in place. It is not a challenging fold, but it can't be done single-handedly, and you need to remove parts to make it smaller.

Storage

The Graco has a large storage bin with access in the back and the front. It fits our large diaper bag, but Graco doesn't declare a weight limit for the bin.

This gives us pause as almost all competitors offer some limit between 10-30 lbs. That is a wide spread and over stuffing the bin could cause it to fail.

The Modes also offers a cup holder for parents on the frame side and a child tray with a cup holder and snack compartment.

Harness

The harness on the Mides can be used as a 5-point or 3-point. We prefer the 5-point option for safety and wish there was no 3-point variation. The harness is basic, and the nylon webbing is stiff and less skin-friendly than some competitors. Height adjustment has three slots, and the plastic buckle is stiff and hard to push through.

Brakes

The Modes has double-action brakes with two pedals, one on each side of the rear axle. The pedals take an average amount of force to press and are not foot-friendly with a lift-to-release design.

The pedals are small, and those with wider or bigger feet might have trouble pressing them without conflicting with the wheels. We generally don't care for double-action brakes and worry some parents will skip one pedal which isn't safe.

Car Seat Compatibility

The Modes works with some Graco infant car seats, but there are no adapters for brands other than Graco. If you hope to create a travel system and choose the Modes as your stroller, you are then locked into the Graco infant car seat lineup.

Ease of Setup

The Graco is above average for assembly with a 10-15 minute setup time. The documentation is not as impressive and is below average for the group. It has dual languages and confusing illustrations. It only requires snapping parts on, and there are no tools required, but the instructions make it seem far more complicated.

Maneuverability

Maneuverability for the Graco is pretty good for the price, and it performed better in this metric than similarly priced options. While not the best, it was better than the average stroller score.

The Modes performed better on flat surfaces than on uneven terrain, but not by much. The hard plastic wheels are not as grippy as we'd like, and the density means you can feel every bump in the road. The Graco has a longer than it is feeling when pushing, which makes it feel sluggish when turning. Moving over cords and thresholds was smooth. It performed relatively well on the grass, too, but again, the length made it harder to turn, and we needed some prep time to make the turn when we wanted to.

The weight on the Modes is more forward than central, which means we needed to press the handle hard to lift the front. Plus, lifting the rear wheels up is also more challenging.

Transporting and Storing

The Graco transporting and storability score is better than average in large part because it is a lighter-weight stroller. However, it is also a giant folded stroller, which prevented it from scoring higher in this metric.

The Modes is lightweight; if that is your only goal, it will win at 21.88 lbs. This is one of the lightest weights in the group. Folded, it is 17,076 cubic inches. This size isn't great, but it also struggled with parts that stick out, and you'd have to take it apart to make it truly compact. Only a couple of strollers are bigger when folded, and one was a jogging stroller

Quality

This Graco offers average quality compared to the competition. We typically see this in Graco products across most baby gear categories.

The wheels on this stroller are smaller and foam-filled plastic, which can dent or deform over time. They also lack any real grip. The frame is aluminum with plastic joints, and there is significant flex at the joints.

The fabric feels like a microfiber and is soft and skin-friendly. The canopy is stiffer and feels more like hotel curtains with some water resistance. The shoulder harness has pads, but they aren't good for much beyond preventing rubbing from the nylon straps. The overall fit and finish of the Modes are in the middle of the road.

Kid's Comfort

The Graco earned one of the lower scores for kid comfort in this review.

The seat recline is a one-hand operation to recline and two to raise. It has two straps for infinite positions and can lay flat. Unlike similar-looking strollers, the leg rest does not adjust, which means there is less opportunity for every child to find real comfort.

If you don't notice what you are buying, it feels like a bait and switch, thinking it will be like other popular modern strollers.

The canopy on the Modes is smaller than most, and while it is nice to have a window to check on little ones, it is also small and unimpressive. It has a visor that helps make the canopy somewhat larger, but it isn't enough to protect passengers from anything but the overhead sun.

Should You Buy the GRACO Modes Nest Stroller?

The Modes is an interesting option, and we think parents will be drawn to it given the lower price. However, it didn't fare well in our tests, and we worry that the frustrations we had are not worth the savings over higher-ranking options. We think no matter what your goals for strolling might be, there are better options in our lineup to meet your needs.

What Other Full-Size Strollers Should You Consider?

If you want a great single full-size stroller, the UPPAbaby Cruz v2 is the absolute best option. It offers exceptional storage, has an easy fold, and is fairly small when folded for the style. While it does cost more, we think the value is there, especially if you plan to have multiple kids, hope to resell it someday, or want to avoid daily frustrations while strolling. If you need something more budget-friendly, and the style of stroller is negotiable, the Baby Trend Expedition Race Tec is one to consider. While it scored lower overall, it costs about half that of the Modes and is easier to use and easier to maneuver. It is bulkier when folded and heavier, but we think it offers a better experience when used, and most parents will prefer it. If you want something lightweight and easy to push at a reasonable price, the Britax B-Free deserves a closer look and can stand in as a travel stroller.

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