Graco Alano Flipit Stroller Review

Graco brought the popular reversible stroller style to the budget price range with the Alano Flipit stroller and travel system. I was thrilled to see this stroller last year at the ABC Kids Expo, and couldn't wait to get my hands on one to review. For about $200, you get a standard-size stroller with a reversible handle and a Graco SnugRide infant car seat packaged together as a travel system so you can move baby from car to stroller to house easily. The Graco Alano Flipit travel system has some strong points that might make it a good choice for some families, but there are also some potential drawbacks to be aware of.

The handle on this stroller flips over to allow you to push the stroller with baby facing you or facing out. The seat itself doesn't move around, as with some reversible strollers.

• Folds with one hand and stands when folded.
• Adjustable handle height.
• Holds children up to 50 lbs.
• The front swivel wheels can be locked.
• Storage basket underneath, plus a zippered storage pouch on the back of the seat.
• Drop-down basket can fit a medium diaper bag (dimensions 22" x 12" x 9").
• Removable seat cushion for smaller babies.
• Front tray swings up and over for easier seat access.
• Stroller weighs about 20 lbs.
• Folded dimensions - 22" x 36" x 15".
• Infant car seat weight limit - 22 lbs.

The reversible handle is one of the nicest features of the Flipit stroller. To change the handle position, you pull up on the latches on both sides, and then flip the handle over. Since I'm not very tall, it was easier for me to reach over the stroller from the side to flip the handle, instead of trying to lean over the handle from the front or back. I didn't have any trouble finding a comfortable position to push the stroller, thanks to the height-adjustable handle.

The stroller seat reclines easily by pulling down on the latch on the back. Pulling the "tail" on the adjuster puts the seat back into an upright position. The mechanism is quiet and smooth. The seat doesn't recline to fully flat, but it does lay back for a comfortable nap space. Since it's designed as a travel system, the intent is to use the infant car seat for newborns, so the not-flat recline doesn't detract from the usefulness.

The one-hand fold is reasonably easy to use. There's a trick to the push and twist required to fold it, but it only took a few tries to get it right. There's no extra step to lock the stroller once you fold it, either, which is handy. I love that the Flipit stroller stands on its own when folded, and it stands very well. There's no need to balance it or find the right angle for it to stand. It just does, securely.

The Flipit stroller moves smoothly on smooth sidewalks and interior surfaces. I could stroll comfortably over grass, though it did get much harder to steer. The steering is pretty good in the forward-facing position. It's not one-hand steering, but on a stroller in this price range, I don't expect to see superior steering. I didn't have any trouble with kicking the wheels when using the stroller in the forward-facing position.

When the stroller is used in the rear-facing position the swivel wheels are in the back, which makes steering awkward, even on smooth surfaces. On grass and gravel, steering was difficult when the stroller is rear-facing. While the rubber wheels help on rough terrain, there's not a lot of cushion in the shocks, so baby gets a pretty rough ride. On one rough sidewalk, the stroller stopped short instead of going over a crack, which caused my niece to jerk forward pretty hard.

The stroller handle has to be flipped to the forward-facing position in order to fold the stroller. It's not hard to move the handle, but it's another step to folding that could be annoying if you're in a hurry.

I like that there's a parent cup holder included, and that it can be used from either handle position. However, you have to manually switch it, so if you have a drink or something in there, and you want to flip the handle, you need to find somewhere else to put your stuff while you flip the handle, or it will dump things out.

The 22 lb SnugRide infant car seat that comes in the travel system is generally a good choice. I don't like that some of the Alano Flipit travel systems come with a back-adjust car seat harness, though. Parents struggle to use the back adjust harness correctly, which takes it from convenience issue to safety issue. Make sure the version you buy has the front-adjust car seat harness. The extra $20-$30 is well worth it for this feature.

The Graco Alano Flipit travel system stroller is a reasonably good stroller for its price range. If you choose this stroller, though, know that it's not designed to handle rugged terrain. It's meant for fairly smooth surfaces and the occasional park run, and it will perform well under those circumstances. If you need to traverse rough ground on a regular basis, you'll likely be disappointed in the steering and shocks on this stroller.

This is one of few reversible strollers that costs less than $200. It's attractive and sleek, and is about average in terms of stroller weight. The stroller itself is as good as most other budget-priced travel system strollers.

I only recommend choosing a Graco Alano Flipit travel system if it comes with the front-adjust harness on the Graco SnugRide infant car seat.

Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.