REASONS TO BUY
Narrow footprint
REASONS TO AVOID
Bad brakes
Hard to turn
Strange rear seating
Poor storage access
Poor quality
Kinderwagon HOP Review
Harder to maneuver with poor rear seating and hard to use features
Kinderwagon HOP
Credit: Abriah Wofford
RELATED: Best Double Travel Strollers
Our Verdict
The Kinderwagon HOP earned a low rank in the double travel stroller review. This stroller earned below-average scores for every metric we tested and was, in many ways, quite boring. The HOP has an in-line design that makes it easier to push through smaller spaces. Still, it sacrifices the rear passenger riding experience with a strange short canopy, limited legroom, and no visibility with the canopy open. With disappointing scores in crucial metrics like maneuverability and ease of use, the HOP is a stroller we don't recommend, and we think it will lead to issues of which child sits where and why.
Our Analysis and Test Results
Kinderwagon was born when a family couldn't find just the right stroller that met their desired level of quality, comfort, and convenience. Kinderwagon wanted to create strollers that engaged babies and were no-nonsense for parents. With three children of their own, the creators of Kinderwagon are determined never to cut corners on safety or quality.
Performance Comparison
The HOP earned a bottom rank in our review.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Weight and Folded Size
The HOP scored below-average in this metric. This stroller weighs 21.4 lbs and measures 12,071 cubic inches when folded, making it one of the largest strollers in the group.
The folded HOP is on the larger side with almost all of the competition folding smaller.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Ease of Use
The HOP earned a subpar score for ease of use, with one of the more difficult and strangely designed strollers in the group.
The manual lock on the HOP needs to be longer to avoid the need for parents to sit on the folded stroller to engage the lock.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Fold and Unfold
We had trouble folding this option flat and getting the manual elastic lock strap connected. While some testers could do it one-handed, others took two, but none liked the stroller lock and how difficult it was to use. It does not self-stand, and unlocking requires putting pressure on the frame to fold the stroller flatter to disconnect the strap.
Brakes
The HOP brakes are single action brakes that are easy to set and release, but unfortunately also seem to release themselves if you tip the stroller back or push it forward hard. This caused concern and left us not liking the brakes, even if they are sandal foot-friendly.
Brake Safety Concern
During testing, we experienced repeated brake failure on the HOP. The brakes release themselves if you tip the stroller and let it fall back even slightly. The brakes also failed when we pushed the stroller forward hard or abruptly. We worry the brakes will disengage when parents don't intend them too, resulting in accidents and potential injury. This problem grew more pronounced as time went on.
During testing, we experienced repeated brake failure on the HOP. The brakes release themselves if you tip the stroller and let it fall back even slightly. The brakes also failed when we pushed the stroller forward hard or abruptly. We worry the brakes will disengage when parents don't intend them too, resulting in accidents and potential injury. This problem grew more pronounced as time went on.
The HOP's under seat storage bin only holds 5 lbs, and there is no good access point thanks to a convoluted frame that includes multiple folding crossbars.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Storage
The HOP has a small hard to access storage bin with only 5 pounds worth of storage. The cross brace blocks larger items from being put in the bin, and 5 lbs is unlikely to be enough for supplies for two. The bin only has access from the sides because of the back stretcher and top folding crossbars. The HOP also has a cup holder low on the frame that fit our test water bottle.
The HOP front canopy is larger than the rear, but the window has no cover and is only usable if the canopy is fully open. The rear canopy is fabric stretch from seat back to seat back with a hard to use window and limited height.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Sunshade
The HOP canopies are vastly different from one another. The front canopy is average with a small visor and has a zippered panel that helps it extend as far as the belly bar, but leaves most of the leg exposed. The front peek-a-boo window is in the zippered portion of the shade, but there is no cover, so the sun will shine onto baby. When the canopy in the front is closed, it folds right into the face of the kid in the back. The back canopy is a piece of fabric that velcros to the back of the seat with a virtually useless peeping window when the seat is upright. The rear canopy covers the top and sides but crosses low, making it a poor choice for taller riders.
The HOPs harness buckle is easy enough, but its harness is harder to adjust and the lowest height is probably too high for younger passengers.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Harness
The HOP has 5-point harnesses for each seat. The front seat has a tight piece of fabric covering the back where you would push the tabs through to rethread, making it difficult to access, and it is easier to adjust if you unclip the strap. The straps adjust with a slide clip, and the fabric is too stiff to slide it into place, and you have to help it by pushing the strap through, which is an arduous process.
Seat
The HOP has different seating for each passenger, something common with in-line double strollers (above left). The front seat has an adjustable leg rest that has several positions, including straight out, which is strange because it hardly reclines, which makes the straight leg rest uncomfortable. The rear seat does not have an adjustable leg rest or a leg rest at all, but it does offer a deeper recline (above right). Neither seat is comfortable enough for longer trips.
Ease of Setup
The HOP has one of the nicest manuals with clear pictures. It took us about 5 minutes to unpack and assemble this stroller with no tools required.
Maneuverability
The HOP earned a low score for maneuverability. None of the strollers in the double travel stroller review were easy to push or turn, but the HOP was good at pushing straight as opposed to turning where it struggled. While its narrower footprint helped it move through tighter spaces, it takes more forethought to get it turning. The HOP has some wobble in the wheels and flex in the handles as they are taller than most, and while you might be able to push it with one hand, you can't turn it with one. It was easier to push over rougher terrain and managed transitions from one kind to another better than the competition.
The dual front wheel design on the HOP make it harder to turn than strollers with single front wheel designs.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
This stroller has all-wheel suspension, but given the firmer seats and strange seating options, it isn't the most comfortable. The taller plastic handles are strangely placed, and not the most ergonomic. The handles tall and close to the stroller design also meant that taller testers kicked the rear axle when strolling.
The HOP has a busy design with lots of exposed fasteners and pinch points that connect in an average way using average materials. The poor brake functionality however, is what dropped its quality score to a disappointing 1.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Quality
The HOP earned one of the lowest scores for quality in the group. The materials used and components come together in what looks and feels like an uninspired design that is hard to use. The flex of the frame and the feel of the fabric reminds us of a less expensive stroller. Further, what decreased HOP's score is mainly the poorly functioning brakes. We believe had the quality of the parts and craftsmanship been higher then the HOP brakes would not have suffered such a fatal flaw, and would have consistently worked without accidental disengagement.
—
Juliet Spurrier, MD & BabyGearLab Team
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