We Review the UPPAbaby Cruz V3, Tested by a Real Mom of Three

In a nutshell:

The UPPAbaby Cruz V3 offers parents the same top-tier handling and maneuverability as the V2, but with a new fully flat, reversible seat that takes the stroller into true from-birth territory. And while this upgrade makes the impact on your wallet a little easier, our tester still appreciated that the full bassinet attachment is available for parents who want it.

The Uppababy Cruz, but now with a newborn-friendly toddler seat? It’s an update that sounds minor on paper, but can mean the difference between budgeting for extra gear and strolling out the door on day one. A true from-birth, full-size stroller with no required attachments is no small thing—and we had to see for ourselves whether the promise holds up to practice.

To find out, we turned to our product tester and mom of three, Erin P., to put the Cruz V3 through its paces. Juggling a 2-month-old, 18-month-old and 4-year-old, she tested it out on neighborhood walks, errands and bumpy roads to see if this is the kind of stroller that supports your day or slows it down. And we didn’t stop there—we paired her first-hand experience with our in-depth product research and feedback from parents nationwide.

Overview of the UPPAbaby Cruz V3’s Features

How We Tested the UPPAbaby Cruz V3

To find out how the UPPAbaby Cruz V3 performs in a real family setting, we took the following steps:

• We enlisted the help of Erin P., an independent product tester and mom of three, to use the stroller with her 2-month-old and 18-month-old across multiple real-life scenarios. She tested the Cruz V3 on neighborhood walks, family outings, uneven sidewalks and mixed-terrain routes.
• As part of her testing, Erin folded, lifted, carried and stored the stroller repeatedly—including in the trunk of her car—to measure the true impact of the V3’s fold, weight and size on day-to-day transport. She also tested the toddler seat with her 18-month-old and 4-year-old to determine overall comfort, recline performance, nap potential and how well the stroller accommodates growing children.
• We asked Erin to rate the Cruz V3 across multiple categories—including ease of pushing and steering, folding and unfolding, ease of use, style, design and value—on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the worst possible score and 10 being the best.
• We combined her ratings with extensive product and market research by our in-house editorial team, including scouring parent forums, messaging boards, and user reviews to better inform the in-depth product review below and see how this stroller holds up for parents nationwide.

Editorial integrity is at the heart of everything we publish. Read more about how The Bump develops our product reviews.

UPPAbaby Cruz V3 Review

Newborn-friendly features

For parents, the big headline update from the Cruz V2 to the V3 is simple: the toddler seat is now hinged in the middle, allowing for a full-flat recline. When used with the included infant insert, this means the Cruz V3 is ready to roll on your first day back from the hospital, with no separate (and potentially pricey) bassinet attachment required. Erin found the conversion from upright seat to full recline easy. “You just pull it all the way back—no issue,” she confirms. “Even adjusting the feet to be able to lie flat was an easy adjustment and was already attached as part of the seat.” Pull up and fasten the newborn apron, add the infant insert, and the reclined seat forms a nest-like structure that UPPAbaby calls its carriage mode.

For most parents in our research, this feature justified the new release all on its own. Particularly if they were trying to save on the price—full-size strollers aren’t cheap, and the fewer attachments you have to buy the better. There is a bassinet attachment available—and Erin both tested and loved it—but it’s sold separately and costs close to $300.

If you have the means though, Erin thinks the bassinet is worth the price. “My baby loves how comfy and warm it is," she says. "He never got sweaty or overheated, and when it was warm outside, I just unzipped it and let the fresh air blow in.” And on rougher paths, the combination of FlexRide Suspension and the bassinet’s sturdy shell made a difference. “Baby actually liked it and went to sleep on those bumpy roads,” she adds. And when paired with UPPAbaby’s bassinet stand (also sold separately) it’s even rated for overnight sleep. “Having the dual option for both the stroller and the home stand is great because you have to remove the bassinet from the stroller compartment regardless,” she observes.

What’s more, the Bassinet V3 comes with some serious upgrades, including improved ventilation and a foam-free breathable mattress. The extendable, UPF 50+ sunshade is a welcome feature, too. “The hood of the bassinet worked great, and even the depth to which it lay down, the sun wasn’t much of a problem at all,” she affirms. Not to mention the Bassinet V3 arrives fully assembled in one of the simplest setups she’s seen. “The bassinet was already built for you!” she says. “All you had to do was zip it open and push the inside of the bassinet to open fully, and it locked into place.”

Toddler comfort and growing with baby

Erin tested the Cruz V3 with both her 18-month-old and her 4-year-old, and the stroller surprised her with just how far it can stretch. “Even my /[4-year-old] still fit and wanted to stay in it,” she says. “It’s a great grow-with-me stroller and beyond!” Add to that, the thick, sturdy seat fabrics that Erin observes are not going “to diminish easily,” and you’ve got a high-quality stroller that “not only looks good but functions well with a dirty toddler” (if you know, you know).

The multi-position recline makes it easy to find a comfortable angle for older toddlers who want to sit upright and watch the world. “The toddler seat was easily accessible to take off or put back on or spin it around with no issues,” shares Erin. The recline is simple to use, too—even during spontaneous naps on the go. “We never had any problems with the reclining,” she tells us. “It was easy and smooth to do with just one hand!” Another bonus? “I loved that I was able to put up the footrest to lie flat so her feet weren’t dangling down.”

This new version of the Cruz also adopts the magnetic buckles that were so popular on the Vista V3, with adjustable shoulder straps that can be positioned to fit baby from early weeks to older toddler years. “The straps were easy adjustments and fit over them great, even when they fell asleep,” affirms Erin.

Pushing, steering and terrain

If there’s one area where Erin felt the Cruz V3 overdelivered, it was the push. This probably won’t be a surprise to anyone who’s used a past version of the Cruz, or UPPAbaby’s other model, the Vista—these strollers are known for their smooth handling. “The wheel size just makes the ride so smooth, especially when you’re on an already smooth terrain,” she tells us. “I think the easiest way to describe it was an airy feeling when it came to pushing it.” Yes, even on her neighborhood’s broken, uneven sidewalks. “I didn’t have to stop and pick up one side to go over, the wheels were big enough, I could just continue walking, and I loved that!”

Even on rough, bumpy terrain, the Cruz V3 held its own, and the suspension kept the shocks to a minimum. “Baby actually liked it and went to sleep on those roads from the bumps,” shares Erin, which tells you everything. But not all terrain is smooth sailing for the Cruz V3, with sand being a particular challenge. “It was almost impossible,” she observes. “I think because of the bigger wheels, it was just getting stuck in the softer sand.” But it was nothing a little maneuvering on the back wheels couldn’t solve—no small feat when you consider sandy terrain is a common constraint for any full-size stroller without dedicated all-terrain tires. (And while UPPAbaby does make an all-terrain wheel set for the Vista, no such set exists at this time for the Cruz.) The Cruz V3’s adjustable handlebar also earned high marks from Erin’s taller husband (she tells us it “makes a big difference in everyone being able to push the stroller comfortably”). The only drawback: on rougher ground, Erin needed both hands to steer. Still, on smooth surfaces, one-handed navigation was a breeze. “We took it to the aquarium, and it was easy to maneuver through people,” the mom of three tells us. “I was able to manipulate it well, going in and out of elevators without hitting the walls or doors.”

Folding, storage and transport

Full-size strollers aren’t small products. If you’re looking for a compact, travel-friendly stroller, this might not be the model for you. Still the frame is slightly reduced in size from the V2. But it is also slightly heavier, clocking in at 26.5 lbs., a hair above the V2’s 25.5 lbs. (Essentially the difference of a can of soup.)

Still, while the Cruz V3 may weigh no more than the average carry-on, Erin found it to be a “tight squeeze to get in alone in the back of our SUV.” It also proved awkward to carry, even when folded, since there’s no clear place to lift the stroller—something other reviewers have noted, too. “It’s a good city stroller,” notes Erin, but with a word of caution: “If you’re having to get on public transportation, it’s not an easy breakdown situation.”

While the Cruz V3 may not snag the top prize for easiest fold or carry, it does fold down to a notably compact footprint… for a full-size stroller. “I store mine in our hallway, and it’s folded up well and out of the way,” says Erin. This is likely because of updates from the V2 that allow the leg rest to fold down further, and the bumper bar to tuck in more effectively. The fold is tight, thoughtful and manageable once you know the steps; just don’t go in with any illusions that you’re going to get ultralight portability.

How the Cruz V3 fits into everyday life

Like the Cruz V2, the V3 has an extra-large storage basket, with a 30 lb. capacity. It’s a storage space not to be snuffed at, though our tester Erin was tentative about using it. “It had a little too much elasticity, and that made it harder to put heavier things in,” she notes, reasoning that it made her not trust that she could. “I didn’t have a problem with anything falling out of it, though,” she adds. And it wasn’t hard to push either, even when carrying a backpack and lunch pail packed “with ice and heavier drinks that weighed it down.” Although when it came to walking that particular load up hills, the basket seemed to drag. Still, while it came close to its limits on an incline (with a very loaded setup), its ability to hold so much and yet not compromise the compact fold is impressive.

The UPPAbaby Cruz V3 car seat is compatible with the Mesa V3 and Aria, and the same adapters that worked for the V2 will allow the V3 to hook up to a variety of popular brands of infant car seat. It’s also compatible with the PiggyBack ride-along board for older siblings—and if you’re juggling a baby and a tired preschooler, that may very well mean fewer meltdowns and a far smoother flow through busy streets on busier days. But even for one-and-done families, the Cruz V3’s streamlined 17-pound frame can support up to 50 lbs with a maximum height of 40”, giving you years of use before you have to think about upgrading.

Who is the UPPAbaby Cruz V3 Best For?

The Cruz V3 is a full-size stroller that behaves like a from-birth solution without demanding extra gear. If you want a stroller that can carry you from the newborn weeks through the preschool years with minimal add-ons, the Cruz V3 delivers: the lay-flat seat is practical, the push is genuinely smooth and the toddler seat is built for extended use.

And while it hits its smoothest stride on sidewalks and neighbourhood terrain, the Cruz V3 is still competent (though not flawless) on rougher ground, making it a strong fit for city-based families who want one stroller to do most things well—school runs, errands, weekend trips to the aquarium—without stepping into the bulk or price bracket of a single-to-double model.

It may not be the lightest stroller on the market, nor the easiest to fold with a baby on your hip, but it delivers a polished, reliable daily experience that genuinely feels elevated. That said, if you’d prefer a snugger, cocooned setup for the early weeks or you plan to use the upright stroller seat sparingly until baby is bigger, the UPPAbaby Bassinet V3 and stand are still worth investing in—not least of all for their potential as an overnight sleep solution.

Bottom line: the Cruz V3 makes the case for itself as the only stroller you’ll need—one that works from day one, grows smoothly with your child and handles daily life with ease. The bassinet isn’t essential anymore, but it is still valuable, depending on how you move through those first few months.

About the writer:
Keshia Roelofs is an e-commerce editor at The Bump, where she researches, edits and writes content supporting parents through pregnancy, postpartum and parenthood. With a background in audience research, Keshia is passionate about delving deep into parents’ needs and helping them make more confident, informed choices. Since 2020, she has collaborated with coaches, experts and human-centered brands, translating complex topics into empowering content that serves those who need it most. As a member of The Bump editorial team, she brings that same people-first approach and editorial rigor to create research-led e-commerce content that families can trust.