We're publishing a review from our favorite stroller reviewer, Baby Toolkit's Adrienne Jones, to coincide with a pretty astonishing sale on the Britax B-Ready Stroller that isn't likely to last long. (You can get a B-READY plus a Chaperone car seat or a B-READY second seat for a grand total of $400 [MSRP = $500 + $229 or $150].) If you're in the market for a versatile stroller that will comfortably seat two kids through several years of growth, read on to see what Adrienne thought of this stroller after several months of use testing.

Britax's B-READY stroller first struck me as a sleeker, more hip version of their Chaperone Stroller. The add-on "rumble seat" (a la Phil and Ted) initially looked like a dubious doubler (functional, but impractical). When my pregnancy abruptly ended in a premature birth, I soon discovered the brilliance of transitioning gear.

In its standard configuration -- a single-seater with the seat installed facing forward or backwards -- the B-READY looks like Britax's market competitor for high-end makers like Bugaboo and UPPAbaby. (It’s worth mentioning here that it retails for $500, which is at least $200 less than either of those.) The huge canopy, quality wheels & bearings, strong frame, adjustable handle, suspension, and multi-access lower basket speak to parents shopping for luxury and utility. The stroller is designed for use for kids from six months (or from birth, with an infant seat) through year five.

We used the B-READY in this basic configuration with both our young toddler and our preschooler, and found that the stroller had a great turning radius, solid balance, decent storage, comfortable handing, and overall durability. But when we added an infant (and her Britax Chaperone car carrier seat) to the mix, the stroller’s Swiss Army knife utility surprised and deeply impressed me.

Here's a quick video showing off its various configurations. I've used this stroller in most of them, and will discuss them in detail after your orientation.



Okay, let's get down to it.

Standard Seat (included)

The standard seat is great for little kids. Our two-year-old likes the high perspective, giant shade, and adjustable footrest. Unlike most strollers, the B-READY seats a young child at (or very near) standard table height. We regularly use the stroller in place of a restaurant high chair, and unlike most front-to-back double strollers, it can be angled so it doesn't block walkways with the child facing the table.

Our tall five-year-old likes the stroller, but his feet hang below the seat's footrest. His feet sometimes end up on the nylon front of the under-stroller basket. Because of zipper and seam placement it looks like he could quickly damage that nylon panel. This isn’t much of an issue as he almost never rides in the stroller, but it could present problems (cosmetic ones) if the stroller were regularly used for an older, taller rider.

Storage (standard configuration)

Almost all of the Britax’s storage is under the seat. Normally, I would hate this configuration, but with lower access panels from all sides and very open rear access, it works well.

I usually set up the frame, toss in my mid-sized backpack, then attach the appropriate seats. Even with my big bag, there's room to spare. It's where I can also stow the toddler and preschooler winter coats and all our library selections.

There's a nice organizer included which attaches to the rear of the basket and offers some very functional pockets, but it can't be used when attaching an accessory to the back of the stroller. I detached it when we brought the baby home and have never missed it enough to reattach it when using the stroller for only one kid.

Britax Infant Car Seat Adapters (included)

When my older kids were infants, I adored the ease of a frame stroller for the car carrier seat. The adapters for the Chaperone snap under the round Britax logo handle attachment points. These adapters can be left in place when the car seat is in regular use.

Lowering the Chaperone into the B-READY's receptors is easy and the seat latches strongly to the stroller. The stroller is well-balanced and stable with a Chaperone seat in place.

Removing the car seat from the stroller is counter-intuitive. My first impulse is to grab the normal car seat release at the head of the seat and lift the seat by the handle. This does nothing but entertain onlookers and mystify the occupant. The seat releases from the stroller are on the dual adapters (under the sides of the carry handle). They need to be pressed and held simultaneously, so the seat is not lifted off the stroller by the carry handle, but rather by both sides. While this is a safe way to remove the seat, it doesn't position the hands ideally for transitioning to car installation. I usually rest the carrier on my knee and shift my hands to the handle or the seat's head and foot so I can place it in the car base. The movement is awkward, but gets more fluid with practice. This off-beat release method seems like it might befuddle casual users like grandparents or baby sitters.

Another car seat adapter (accessory, $50) works with infant carriers by Graco, Chicco, and Peg-Perego.

Second Seat (accessory, $150)

We call this the rumble seat because it reminds us of those flip-open backseats on some antique cars.
It looks sharp and can remain attached when the stroller is folded, but I suspected that no kid would want to ride in that visually obscured position with their feet in the stroller basket. With load protests, our two-year confirmed that she has no interest in being this stroller's back-seat rider.

The rumble seat was shelved until we started taking neighborhood walks. With the baby's car seat in the upper position and both kids walking, I attached the second seat below. While my toddler shunned it in ideal conditions, she's willing to ride if gets too tired to keep walking or the weather turns ugly. I've also employed it, with her protests, when we've had to rush home unexpectedly and could not amble along at toddler-speed.

Lower Infant Car Seat Adapter (accessory, $80)

Though the second seat only has periodic use, this lower car seat adapter is B-READY's ultimate accessory for families with an infant (or two) or an older child.

Rather than installing the baby in the upper position and the social toddler in the lower position, this adapter allows the toddler to get the best views while the baby stays discreetly behind the scenes. With our preemie's vulnerability to illness, I am thrilled to have her mostly out of view and reach. Even the boldest stranger wanting to touch a baby will feel uncomfortable leaning down to interact while an adult holds the stroller. If the stroller operator doesn’t back away from the handle, there is a primal instinct that prevents people from putting their heads so close to another person’s knees and feet. I LOVE that. No one attempts to touch the baby if they even notice her in the first place.

Thanks to an older child in the limelight, few people even recognize that a baby is on board the stroller. When I took all three kids to an appointment for the baby, the nurse gave us strange looks when we were called from the waiting room. She literally scratched her head and contemplated my two-year-old as she double-checked the patient's name with me. I repeated the baby's name, and she looked around the waiting room and back at my riding toddler and walking preschooler. "Where is she?" I stepped back and pointed to the low-riding carrier. She laughed, and said "Best preemie stroller ever." Indeed.

The lower infant adapter can make the B-READY into a great twin stroller for infants. The wheelbase is much shorter than the typical front-to-back twin frame stroller.

The lower infant adapter attaches to the main stroller in a manner that doesn't significantly change the stroller's center of gravity. (I have been known to be quite exhaustive in my assessments of stroller tipping.) The B-READY remains firm on the ground and is not prone to tipping even when only the lower infant carrier is occupied. The stroller can be folded with the lower infant carrier adapter in place.

Size & Fold

Even folded, this stroller isn't petite. It can fit in Honda Civic trunk, but it might take some serious wrestling to get it into the boot of a Toyota Corolla.

The cost of its great stability is a pair of wide-set rear wheels that can catch on standard doorways unless carefully navigated.

The stroller latch doesn't always catch when folding the stroller, which is probably a good thing as newbies may catch their fingers when they collapse the B-READY. We class it as a real knuckle smasher, so fold with caution.

Step Lock

The lock works well, but sometimes it is tricky to disengage. If the user does not fully depress the lever, the green indicator only partially reveals and the stroller remains locked. I think this may be a safety precaution, but it feels ridiculous when I push hard on a still-locked stroller. A second press releases the lock, but does little for wounded pride. My preschooler likes to loudly narrate this situation “You need to take the lock off!”

Summary

The versatility of the B-READY is surprisingly handy and innovative. Being able to swap the stroller from a toddler/preschooler + infant double to a single rider or single car carrier allows me to only take as much stroller as I need on any given trip. I don't have to crowd a giant stroller into a small medical office if only the baby comes along. If both big kids want to hike, I can load the baby where she can see us (with or without car seat) and tuck the rumble seat in below should anyone get tired or hurt.

For our family with children ranging in age from newborn to preschool, the B-READY adapts to our rapidly changing needs. It allows me to try more solo situations with all the kids (like zoo trips) than I could with a single stroller, yet I don't have to commit to pushing a giant double everywhere.

Other accessories include a rain cover ($50), a boot cover for the standard seat ($40), UV mosquito net ($40), child cup holders ($20) and a bassinet ($150).

You can find the Britax B-Ready Stroller and its accessories on Amazon.com, where the B-READY is currently on sale for $400 (from a $500 MSRP) with a free Chaperone car seat ($229), second seat ($150) or bassinet ($150) thrown in. That offer won't last -- and if you click through to the Amazon.com page for the B-READY and don't see the offer, it's over.

Adrienne Jones blogs at Baby Toolkit, and contributes stroller and car seat reviews to Z Recommends. You can read her other ZRecs stroller and car seat reviews here She received the stroller from Britax, and is keeping it. (We have a policy of not keeping items we review internally, but don't impose this policy on our outside contributors.)