Baby Trend Expedition Double Review

Baby Trend was the first company to create a sit and stand style stroller and the first to offer a diaper pail that works with ordinary kitchen trash bags. This company began designing baby products over 26 years go with walkers, bouncers, car seats, and strollers included in their lineup. Baby Trend makes affordable gear for children.

Performance Comparison

Ease of Use

The Expedition is harder to use, despite having lots of features parents want.

We think ease of use is important because it impacts your daily experience when using the stroller.

Fold and Unfold

The Expedition is relatively easy to fold, requires two hands to fold, has a manual locking mechanism, and self-stands. It takes four steps to fold (including safety straps release), and requires bending down about halfway, but it isn't complicated or involved. Unfolding is more difficult because it tends to want to fold back up as you unfold it and the size makes it somewhat unwieldy. It only has two steps, but it does require both hands and some patience.

The double action brakes on the Expedition can occasionally skip across the gear teeth and feel like they are engaged when they aren't.

Brakes

The Expedition has double action brakes that require the depression of two pedals. While this style isn't the end of the world, it does leave room for error if you forget to press the second pedal. Double action brakes are more commonly found on inexpensive strollers. The brakes are difficult to set and release, and are not sandal friendly (a disadvantage that might leave parents reluctant to set both sides).

The storage bin on the Expedition is good, but would be better if it weren't divided down the middle and there was no strap on the back.

Storage

The Expedition has divided under-seat storage. It can hold two large diaper bags, but the strap divider prohibits anything larger. The bin has a weight allowance of only 5 lbs, so it limits what you can put inside. The bin has access from the rear and some from the sides, but the top and front are both lack access.

Each seatback has a large mesh pocket and we like the location for quick access items. We couldn't find a weight allowance for the pockets, but the thin mesh will be self-limiting and could stretch or rip if you aren't careful. We like that the pockets have a string to tighten the opening and are adjustable. It also has a parent console with two cup holders and a covered storage tray; it is arguably the best parent's tray in the review.

The passenger seats have mesh pockets inside that are fairly wide and can fit some sippy cups. The Expedition has 2.75-inch deep cup holders high and behind the baby's head in front of the handlebar. The holders have a closed design and taller or heavier items can fall out while strolling and the items could potentially land on the baby.

The peek-a-boo window is a good size, but the mesh is flimsy and the cover attaches with hook and loop closures.

Sunshade

The Expedition has one canopy. This canopy is small and doesn't extend far enough to cover the leg rest on the seat. It offers ventilation and it has one medium-sized mesh peek-a-boo window with a hook and loop closure on the cover. The canopy can be rotated forward, but this limits overhead protection.

The photos above show the Expedition with the seats upright and canopies closed and with the canopies fully open and seats reclined.

The buckle on the Expedition is stiff, but the straps pop out on their own. The shoulder straps can be removed to make 3 point harnesses on both seats.

Harness

The Expedition sports 5-point harnesses in each seat. The harness can be difficult to buckle, but unbuckling is even harder because the button is hard to press. The straps spring away from the buckle, which speeds up the unbuckling. Adjusting the straps is only average as the upper straps tighten with a single pull while the lower straps require significant maneuvering. Shoulder height adjustment is a rethread design with 3 positions and the crotch strap is only adjustable in length.

The recline feature on the Expedition is easy enough to operate, but it does require two hands to operate.

Seat

The Expedition does not have an adjustable leg rest, but the padding on the rest feels nice. Both seats have the same recline adjustment and it requires two hands and is fairly involved. The recline has infinite positions, which will allow each little one to have the recline angle they need to be cozy.

Car Seat Commpatibility

The Expedition does not work with any infant car seats from any brand. This means children will need to be independently sitting with full head and neck control before using this stroller.

Ease of Setup

Setup for the Expedition is average with a setup time of 9:20 minutes. The documentation is also average, with a multi-language format that is hard to use. The assembly requires a crescent wrench and a Phillips head screwdriver. Most of the competition does not require tools.

The pneumatic rubber tires helped the Expedition earn a high score for maneuverability.

Maneuverability

Maneuverability is where this stroller shines, performing better than much of the competition. This is impressive given the large difference in price.

The best in the group are far more expensive, have rubber tires and only score slightly higher.

The front swivel wheel on the Expedition can be locked in place for jogging or easier pushing over uneven terrain.

The Expedition did a great job on flat surfaces but it is somewhat wide. The rear wheels tend to get stuck in narrow spaces because they stick out past the frame. We had difficulty with the wheels getting caught on floorboards, and we weren't able to get it through a 34-inch doorway with a 32-inch opening. Pushing off the beaten path is also easy, and it moves well over grass and gravel. The larger wheels make it easy for this jogger to make it over the uneven surfaces.

The Expedition is surprisingly light and small for a three wheeled jogging stroller.

Weight and Folded Size

The Expedition weighs 30.6 lbs, making it the lightest jogger in the review and one of the lighter doubles overall. The heaviest stroller is 39.7 lbs.

The Expedition is 18,401 cubic inches when folded, which is on the larger side but still below the average of 18,900, and it could be reduced slightly by removing the front wheel.

The Baby Trend Expedition is a 3 wheel jogging style side-by-side stroller.

Quality

The Baby Trend brand is usually the least expensive in almost every gear category. For strollers, you tend to get what you pay for so it isn't a surprise that the Expedition provide below-average quality.

The fabric is only so-so for quality, but the padding under the fabric is decent. The piping on the leg portion is raised and feels like it would chafe. The canopies are heavier more durable fabric, with softer canvas on the seating areas. The mesh peek-a-boo window is harder to snag than it looks like, but the storage bin is relatively flimsy.

The frame on the Expedition is solid but it looks flimsy and cheap. It has a lot of plastic components and there is flex. The overall fit and finish are on the flimsy side. The tires are pneumatic rubber and the wheels are spoked. The wheels are described as bicycle wheels, which sounds impressive but we had trouble with the wheels and the rubber staying on. All the wheels had trouble at one point or another with the rubber falling off. The tubes are fine and they didn't go flat, but it was a hassle and annoying. We suspect the average parent won't know how to fix this and might end up at a bike shop paying money.

The handlebar is stationary and is a smaller diameter which is never a good thing for something you may need to hold for a longer durations. It has a rubber cover, which we don't like as much as foam for comfort and heat reasons. There is a divide in the handlebar with a plastic portion that sits on the ground when it folds and stands. This means it is challenging to push with one hand.

There is no suspension which is a shame for a jogging/all-terrain stroller, and we think short-sighted. However, for the price, we can almost forgive this given that the tires are rubber and the sling-style seats should make the ride somewhat more comfortable.

This stroller could be used for older twins or children of different ages. These little models are 2.5 years old, 30 lbs. and 37.5" inches tall, and 5 years old, 40 lbs. and 44" inches tall.

Twins

The Expedition doesn't accept any infant car seats, which makes it a poor choice for infant twins. For parents looking for an instant option for newborns, this stroller will not fit the bill as children need to be at least 6 months to ride. However, because it has equal seating for both passengers it could be a good solution for price-conscious parents of older twins and children of multiple ages. If saving money is the plan, most families can still save money by choosing this option for older children and a frame stroller for infant children in car seats. Both strollers together create a total of close to $300, still a very budget-friendly combination and below most double options that do accept two infant car seats.

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