Our Scoring Methodology
Every stroller score we publish is based on a documented, repeatable testing process. This page explains what we measure, how we weight the dimensions, and how we arrive at a final score. If you see a score you disagree with, this page tells you exactly what it's based on.
The 10-Dimension Framework
| # | Dimension | Weight | What We Measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fold Reliability | 15% | Fold/unfold cycles until first jam; force required to engage. |
| 2 | Weight | 12% | Kitchen scale, with seat and canopy attached. |
| 3 | Durability | 15% | 6-month daily use, plus 3-year long-term tracking for select models. |
| 4 | Seat Comfort | 10% | Padding thickness (mm), recline range (degrees), observed child comfort. |
| 5 | Storage | 8% | Basket capacity (liters), access height, secondary storage options. |
| 6 | Maneuverability | 10% | Turning radius (cm), one-hand steer test, 3-surface performance. |
| 7 | Value | 10% | Price-to-quality ratio, resale value after 2 years, TCO. |
| 8 | Aesthetics | 5% | Material feel, color accuracy in 3 lighting conditions. |
| 9 | Warranty | 7% | Warranty length, replacement parts availability, CS responsiveness. |
| 10 | Travel Compatibility | 8% | Folded dimensions vs overhead bin limits, gate-check survival. |
Scoring Scale
Each dimension is scored 1-10:
- 9-10: Category-leading. Better than anything else we've tested.
- 7-8: Strong. Good performance for the price.
- 5-6: Average. Acceptable but unremarkable.
- 3-4: Below average. Significant compromises.
- 1-2: Poor. Fails at basic function.
Final Score Calculation
The final score is a weighted average of the 10 dimensions:
Final Score = (Fold × 0.15) + (Weight × 0.12) + (Durability × 0.15) + (Comfort × 0.10) + (Storage × 0.08) + (Maneuverability × 0.10) + (Value × 0.10) + (Aesthetics × 0.05) + (Warranty × 0.07) + (Travel × 0.08)
Where We Source Data
- Published specifications: From the manufacturer's site and retailer listings.
- Measured dimensions and weights: Our own kitchen scale and tape measure.
- Fold time: Recorded over 20+ trials with a stopwatch.
- Wheel bearing quality: Free-spin time test after standard push.
- Durability: 6-week daily use tracked with weekly photo logs, plus 3-year long-term for select strollers.
- Resale value: Tracking sold listings on eBay, Facebook Marketplace, and Mercari.
What We Don't Score
Some things don't fit neatly into a scoring framework, and we don't pretend they do:
- Your specific child's comfort: Subjective. We measure padding thickness and recline range, but every child is different.
- Your specific use case: A stroller that's perfect for a NYC subway commuter might be wrong for a suburban family with an SUV. We score on general use and note specific scenarios.
- Future availability: We can't predict when a stroller will be discontinued or when its price will change. All scores are timestamped.
Score Updates
We update scores in three cases:
- Product design changes: If the manufacturer updates the stroller, we re-test and re-score.
- Price tier shifts: If a stroller's price changes significantly, we re-evaluate the Value dimension (and sometimes the final score).
- Long-term durability issues discovered: If our 3-year tracking reveals a problem the initial test missed, we update.
Every score update is logged with a date and reason. We don't quietly change scores.
Editorial Independence
We earn commissions when you buy through our links. This is disclosed on every article. Our scores are not influenced by commissions — if a stroller isn't good enough, we say so, and we don't link to it. Our Manifesto explains our editorial principles.