We Tried It: The Nuna Swiv Is a Smart Stroller for Small Spaces

If aesthetics matter to you, and they definitely do to me, the Swiv is a winner: The toddler seat is spacious but tidy-looking, the colorways are beautiful and elegant, and the leatherette bumper bar and handle bar make the whole thing look sleek—and I mean, it’s a stroller.

It’s not actually supposed to be a glamorous product; eventually it’s going to have Cheerios crumbs buried in the seams and drool stains on the strap pads. The Swiv’s stylish design keeps it looking nice even after there’s evidence of your child’s existence written in its fabric (not like I’m speaking from experience). 

I tested this stroller in the midst of a truly brutal summer—the most humid on record, apparently—so I was grateful for the mesh back on the toddler seat, which helped keep my baby a little bit cooler. A soft fabric insert blocks the mesh during the chillier months.

A wide canopy with mesh sides and an opaque fabric center keeps my baby protected from the sun, and the well-positioned bumper bar provides a good spot for my stroller fan.

And with the included cup holder, I’m able to keep cool too, with the help of my customary Arnold Palmer. 

We don’t have a car, so it’s crucial that our strollers have a large basket underneath to hold our groceries, diaper bag, water bottle, and whatever else we need while going about our errands with a baby in tow. The basket underneath the Swiv, which has a 22-pound capacity, is big enough to hold a few days’ worth of groceries, so I can pick up whatever I need on the way home from daycare.

I especially appreciated the size of the Nuna Swiv’s basket when I picnicked with a friend and her son: I had storage space for snacks, a blanket, and plenty of toys to entertain the babies while my friend and I chatted and relaxed. With a smaller basket, I would not have been able to bring along quite as many toys, and our picnic would have been a little less of a good time for everyone involved.

To get to our picnic spot, my friend and I had to push our strollers over 50 yards of bumpy, end-of-season grass, the kind that erupts from the ground in thick patches like islands in a brown sea of dust.

The Nuna Swiv weathered this with grace. Its all-wheel suspension and foam-filled tires can handle a poorly maintained lawn nearly as well as it can deal with my city’s neglected sidewalks. I appreciate that my child isn’t getting uncomfortably rattled by our daily trips over battleworn sidewalks.

Although it touts a “near-flat recline,” the Swiv doesn’t even recline as flat as my Nuna TRVL LX travel stroller (though the difference is a marginal 3 degrees). My nearly 10-month-old can nap on the go in this stroller, because his head and neck control are excellent, but I’d want a flatter recline if he were younger.

That said, the Swiv does come with a car seat adapter, so infants can stay snug and supported in snapped-in Nuna car seats during those early months. The Swiv is also compatible with the LYTL bassinet, though that’s an additional $400 that caregivers may or may not want to spend. 

Although the Swiv is 22 pounds—not far off from other comparable full-sized strollers—it feels bulkier than other full-sized strollers. It’s neither especially wide nor long, yet something about its construction makes it feel that way, and as a result it’s difficult to maneuver one-handed, such as when I’m trying to answer a phone call with one hand and steer the stroller down bumpy sidewalks with the other. My husband, who occasionally takes the baby out when he walks the dog, dislikes this aspect of the stroller in particular. 

The Swiv’s adjustable handlebar has three heights. I’m 5 feet tall and find the lowest height ideal (a feat, because most adult-sized things are too big for me). My husband, who’s a full foot taller, says the tallest handlebar height is still a bit too low for his comfort. 

Great suspension? Check. Feature-rich canopy? Check. Aesthetic appeal? Definitely check. I’ve enjoyed using this stroller over the past month or so, and think it’s a great choice, especially in city environments, although it’s equally appealing for suburban families. Though its $900 price may be difficult to swallow, it’s sturdy and beautiful, and comes with accessories like a rain cover, car seat adapter, cup holder, and stroller bag that would add up if purchased separately. Despite the stroller’s large size, the 360-degree wheel swivel makes navigating small spaces a cinch; no longer do I fear getting stuck at the end of a tiny aisle in a bodega.

If you want to use a bassinet attachment for your newborn, however, the $400 Nuna LYTL is pricier than the bassinets compatible with other strollers, such as the $200 Uppababy bassinet or the $150 Britax Zinnia bassinet. But snapping a compatible car seat into the stroller frame is perfectly acceptable for your littlest littles. Consumer Reports’ testers recommend the Nuna Pipa Aire RX infant car seat, which is one of the Nuna infant car seats that’s compatible with the Swiv. 

Interested in reading more? Our lab tested the Swiv and recommended it, giving it a score of 81; you can read our testers’ methodology and how they came to that score.