UPPAbaby Cruz V2 Stroller Review

A look at the Cruz V2 by UPPAbaby. Is a premium stroller worth the splurge — or will a cheaper one do the same job?

The Short Version

The UPPAbaby Cruz is a full-size stroller that lasts from birth to toddlerhood (up to 50 lbs). It offers multiple seating configurations, including the UPPAbaby Mesa Infant Car Seat for infants, a reversible seat (parent-facing or forward-facing), adjustable leg recline, and attachments like a bassinet. Ours has lasted four years, and we plan to use it for our next baby.

One thing to know before buying: like our review of the Mesa V2, this review covers the Cruz V2 — but UPPAbaby has since released the Cruz V3, and stores no longer sell the V2 new, so the shopping links in this post point to the V3.

The Pastello Scale: 🖍️🖍️🖍️🖍️✏️ (4.5/5)

Why We Brought It Home

We wanted a stroller that would grow with our baby and last for the next kiddo, so we wouldn’t need to buy and store multiple strollers as our child grew. We also wanted something convenient and easy to use.

A few years ago, after looking at all the options, the UPPAbaby Cruz Stroller plus the Mesa car seat met all our needs on paper. Before deciding to buy the UPPAbaby Cruz, we visited a few stores and tried multiple strollers, and it felt best overall when factoring in ease of folding, storage space, feel while walking, etc.

It was on the pricier side, but with our first child, we valued safety and convenience while we figured out parenthood. Fortunately, all our UPPAbaby products have lasted four years and will keep up as our family grows.

The Everyday Feel

The UPPAbaby Cruz has a comfortable handle and large wheels that make pushing the stroller smooth. We’ve used it on a variety of terrains without any issues, including bumpy roads.

The storage basket underneath is huge — we’ve fit a backpack, a diaper bag, and clothes with room to spare, and you can hang smaller items from the handles. For day trips, it’s big enough that you rarely need to carry bags on your shoulders.

Folding it was much easier than many of the other strollers we tried at the stores; just press a couple of buttons and fold. It fit nicely in our truck, though it does take up a fair amount of space.

The seat’s adaptability is a huge plus. We started by snapping our UPPAbaby Mesa Car Seat on, then later flipped between forward- and parent-facing configurations. The canopy also blocked out the sun, and reclining the seat took only one hand, which let us switch to “nap mode” quickly.

A Few Quiet Details

  • Multiple Configurations: You can click the car seat on, or flip the toddler seat between parent-facing and forward-facing.
  • Storage: The basket swallows a diaper bag and more, and holds up to 30 lbs.
  • Smooth ride: The large wheels and suspension keep the ride smooth even on bumpy surfaces.
  • Premium Quality: Like many UPPAbaby products, it has that premium look and feel, plus ours has lasted over four years.

The Low Lights

The stroller weighs over 25 lbs. That’s no problem when you’re pushing it, but the size and weight can make it a struggle to lift in and out of the car trunk. Even though it’s easy to fold, it still takes up quite a bit of space when stood up, so we had to carve out a spot in the garage when we didn’t have it in the truck.

The official UPPAbaby accessories are expensive — the travel bag, snack tray, infant insert, rain shield, and so on add up fast. We flew once with the Cruz, and we get a decent amount of rain in our area, so we ended up buying non-brand-name accessories instead. They weren’t perfect, but they were good enough for us.

And at around $900 before any accessories, it’s one of the pricier full-size strollers out there.

Is It Worth the Space?

The bottom line: the UPPAbaby Cruz lasts. Newborn to toddler, four years in, still going strong — and ready for baby number two. Despite the initial price, it’s been well worth it.

Shop the Notes

A quick note: our review covers the V2, but since UPPAbaby no longer sells it new, the links below point to the V3.

A quiet note: Some of the links in my journal are affiliate links. If you click them and decide to buy, I earn a small commission at no cost to you.