REASONS TO BUY
Multiple seating options
Good storage
Lightweight for the size
REASONS TO AVOID
Poor canopy coverage
Double action brakes
Bulky fold
Graco Modes Nest Stroller Review
This is a versatile stroller with lots of capacity for kids and bags, but it isn't great quality, and the design features are subpar
Credit: Matt Lighthart
RELATED: The Best Full-Size Strollers of 2024
Our Verdict
The Graco Modes Nest Stroller is a “meh” option in our best full-size stroller review. This Graco is lightweight, has various seating options, and includes a large storage bin with a child's tray. However, many features are more of a check-the-box than a thoughtful design. The Modes storage bin doesn't indicate a weight limit, which means it will be a mystery when it is overloaded or wears out. The brakes are double-action brakes that require setting two pedals instead of one; we don't love this style because it is easy to forget to set both or assume one is enough. It is often the first indication of a cheaper stroller if it doesn't have single-action brakes. Overall, the Modes is harder to push, not as comfortable for passengers, and is really large when folded. These factors make it one we aren't fond of and wouldn't recommend over competitors.
Editor's Note: We updated our full-size stroller review in March 2024 with an all-new lineup of compelling and popular strollers.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Graco Modes Nest Stroller | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Lower Price Impressive Full-Size Stroller | Budget Full-Size For Growing Families | Best Tightest Budget Stroller | ||
| Price | $330 List $263.99 at Amazon | $650 List $519.96 at Amazon | $350 List $170.01 at Amazon | $173 List | $150 List |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | While it might offer versatile seating, it isn't high quality and features like double-action brakes are disappointing | While it performs well on flat surfaces, this high-quality option struggles off-road if those are your goals | A budget-friendly expandable stroller with good storage but limited other features and a heavier weight | Budget-friendly jogger with off-road capabilities, but the quality is on par with the price | The lower price makes the flaws of this jogger easier to accept |
| Rating Categories | Graco Modes Nest St... | Cybex Balios S Lux | Evenflo Pivot Xpand | Baby Trend Expediti... | Baby Trend Expedition |
| Ease of Use (40%) | |||||
| Maneuverability (25%) | |||||
| Transport/Storing (15%) | |||||
| Quality (10%) | |||||
| Kid's Comfort (10%) | |||||
| Specs | Graco Modes Nest St... | Cybex Balios S Lux | Evenflo Pivot Xpand | Baby Trend Expediti... | Baby Trend Expedition |
| Capacity Limits | Minimum: Birth Maximum: 50 lbs |
Minimum: Birth Maximum: 55 lbs |
Minimum: Birth Maximum: 55 lbs/43" |
Minimum: 6 months Maximum: 50 lbs/42 in |
Minimum: 6 months Maximum: 50 lbs/42 in |
| Measured Weight | 22 lbs | 25 lbs | 30 lbs | 28 lbs | 24 lbs |
| Measured Folded Dimensions | 26"W x 18.5"H x 35.5"L | 24"W x 16"H x 31"L | 26.7"W x 19.23"H x 32.7"L | 24.5"W x 16"H x 36.5"L | 23.1"W x 33.1"H x 16.3"L |
| Folded Volume | 17,076 cu in | 11,904 cu in | 16,790 cu in | 14,308 cu in | 12,463 cu in |
| Handlebar Height Min/Max | 41.5" | 39.5"/43" | 33"/44.7" | 41.5" | 41" |
| Mfr. Max Allowable Total Storage Weight | Not listed | 24 lbs | 11 lbs | 11 lbs | 15 lbs |
| Car Seat Compatibility | Graco (All) | Cybex (All) Maxi Cosi Mico 30, Maxi Cosi Mico Max, Maxi Cosi Coral XP Nuna Pipa lite |
Chicco KeyFit/KeyFit 30 Evenflo SafeMax, LiteMax Graco all with SnugRide, SnugLock 30/35 Peg-Perego Primo Viaggio 4/35 |
Baby Trend (All) | Baby Trend (All) |
| Wheel Type | Foam Filled Plastic | Foam Filled Plastic | Foam Filled Plastic | Pneumatic | Pneumatic |
| Brake Type | Double | Single | Single | Double | Double |
Show full specification details ▼Hide full specification details ▲
Our Analysis and Test Results
Graco was originally a car parts manufacturer. In 1953, the two owners decided to expand their product lineup to baby gear. Their first product was the original baby swing. Graco has been making baby products for over 60 years, with car seats, high chairs, play yards, strollers, and more.
Performance Comparison
The Graco is not as easy to use as much of the competition, with features that are more challenging than they need to be.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Ease of Use
The Graco is not the easiest to use and earned one of the lowest scores in the group for this metric
The Modes isn't necessarily hard to fold, but it has an awkward fold with the child tray sticking out.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Fold and Unfold
The Modes folds with two hands and will stand on its own when locked in place. It is not a challenging fold, but it can't be done single-handedly, and you need to remove parts to make it smaller.
The Modes has plenty of room for supplies, but with no maximum weight capacity, you'll never know when it might be close to giving out from being overweight.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Storage
The Graco has a large storage bin with access in the back and the front. It fits our large diaper bag, but Graco doesn't declare a weight limit for the bin.
This gives us pause as almost all competitors offer some limit between 10-30 lbs. That is a wide spread and over stuffing the bin could cause it to fail.
The Modes also offers a cup holder for parents on the frame side and a child tray with a cup holder and snack compartment.
The Modes has a simple and basic harness that can be a 3-point or 5-point configuration.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Harness
The harness on the Mides can be used as a 5-point or 3-point. We prefer the 5-point option for safety and wish there was no 3-point variation. The harness is basic, and the nylon webbing is stiff and less skin-friendly than some competitors. Height adjustment has three slots, and the plastic buckle is stiff and hard to push through.
The brakes on the Modes are not fully set until both pedals have been engaged to prevent movement on both sides.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Brakes
The Modes has double-action brakes with two pedals, one on each side of the rear axle. The pedals take an average amount of force to press and are not foot-friendly with a lift-to-release design.
The brake pedals are small and close to the wheels. The size and location can make it harder for bigger feet to press them without wheel interference.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
The pedals are small, and those with wider or bigger feet might have trouble pressing them without conflicting with the wheels. We generally don't care for double-action brakes and worry some parents will skip one pedal which isn't safe.
Car Seat Compatibility
The Modes works with some Graco infant car seats, but there are no adapters for brands other than Graco. If you hope to create a travel system and choose the Modes as your stroller, you are then locked into the Graco infant car seat lineup.
The Modes has confusing instructions even though the stroller is relatively intuitive to assemble.
Credit: Graham Faulknor
Ease of Setup
The Graco is above average for assembly with a 10-15 minute setup time. The documentation is not as impressive and is below average for the group. It has dual languages and confusing illustrations. It only requires snapping parts on, and there are no tools required, but the instructions make it seem far more complicated.
The plastic wheels on the Modes makes changing to grass more of a challenge.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Maneuverability
Maneuverability for the Graco is pretty good for the price, and it performed better in this metric than similarly priced options. While not the best, it was better than the average stroller score.
The Modes was not an impressive mover over grass compared to other strollers.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
The Modes performed better on flat surfaces than on uneven terrain, but not by much. The hard plastic wheels are not as grippy as we'd like, and the density means you can feel every bump in the road. The Graco has a longer than it is feeling when pushing, which makes it feel sluggish when turning. Moving over cords and thresholds was smooth. It performed relatively well on the grass, too, but again, the length made it harder to turn, and we needed some prep time to make the turn when we wanted to.
The weight on the Modes is more forward than central, which means we needed to press the handle hard to lift the front. Plus, lifting the rear wheels up is also more challenging.
The Graco fold is bulky given that it is one of the lightest options in the group.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Transporting and Storing
The Graco transporting and storability score is better than average in large part because it is a lighter-weight stroller. However, it is also a giant folded stroller, which prevented it from scoring higher in this metric.
The Modes is lightweight; if that is your only goal, it will win at 21.88 lbs. This is one of the lightest weights in the group. Folded, it is 17,076 cubic inches. This size isn't great, but it also struggled with parts that stick out, and you'd have to take it apart to make it truly compact. Only a couple of strollers are bigger when folded, and one was a jogging stroller
Quality
This Graco offers average quality compared to the competition. We typically see this in Graco products across most baby gear categories.
The Graco has a cheaper and dated (in our minds) two-strap system for reclining the seat back.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
The wheels on this stroller are smaller and foam-filled plastic, which can dent or deform over time. They also lack any real grip. The frame is aluminum with plastic joints, and there is significant flex at the joints.
The fabric feels like a microfiber and is soft and skin-friendly. The canopy is stiffer and feels more like hotel curtains with some water resistance. The shoulder harness has pads, but they aren't good for much beyond preventing rubbing from the nylon straps. The overall fit and finish of the Modes are in the middle of the road.
Kid's Comfort
The Graco earned one of the lower scores for kid comfort in this review.
Seating on the Modes can slide up and down, which can bring babies closer to parents for comfort.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
The seat recline is a one-hand operation to recline and two to raise. It has two straps for infinite positions and can lay flat. Unlike similar-looking strollers, the leg rest does not adjust, which means there is less opportunity for every child to find real comfort.
The toddler's seat on the Modes can convert to a bassinet.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
If you don't notice what you are buying, it feels like a bait and switch, thinking it will be like other popular modern strollers.
The mesh peek-a-boo window on the Modes is small but adequate.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
The canopy on the Modes is smaller than most, and while it is nice to have a window to check on little ones, it is also small and unimpressive. It has a visor that helps make the canopy somewhat larger, but it isn't enough to protect passengers from anything but the overhead sun.
The included Graco seat can be adapted into a bassinet or a regular seat.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Should You Buy the GRACO Modes Nest Stroller?
The Modes is an interesting option, and we think parents will be drawn to it given the lower price. However, it didn't fare well in our tests, and we worry that the frustrations we had are not worth the savings over higher-ranking options. We think no matter what your goals for strolling might be, there are better options in our lineup to meet your needs.
What Other Full-Size Strollers Should You Consider?
If you want a great single full-size stroller, the UPPAbaby Cruz v2 is the absolute best option. It offers exceptional storage, has an easy fold, and is fairly small when folded for the style. While it does cost more, we think the value is there, especially if you plan to have multiple kids, hope to resell it someday, or want to avoid daily frustrations while strolling. If you need something more budget-friendly, and the style of stroller is negotiable, the Baby Trend Expedition Race Tec is one to consider. While it scored lower overall, it costs about half that of the Modes and is easier to use and easier to maneuver. It is bulkier when folded and heavier, but we think it offers a better experience when used, and most parents will prefer it. If you want something lightweight and easy to push at a reasonable price, the Britax B-Free deserves a closer look and can stand in as a travel stroller.
Manufacturer Video
—
Juliet Spurrier, MD and Wendy Schmitz
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