At the 2017 ABC Kids Expo, I locked eyes with the Veer Cruiser wagon from across the room. Love at first sight, I tell you. Before the rep could finish asking if I’d like a sample for review, I blurted out… YES!!!
I know what you’re thinking: locking eyes with a piece of baby gear… she’s lost it. While I agree that after having two kids, I have in fact, lost it, I also feel like I have found “it” — as in the key to this whole two-kid-urban-living thing.
Veer Cruiser Wagon
Right before our youngest (Brodie) was born, our 2-year-old was teetering on that cute stage where he thought he could walk rather than ride in the stroller. We all know how this plays out. Five minutes into every “walk,” I’m carrying him ten blocks to our destination and calling the chiropractor as soon as we get home.
I started the “2-kid thing” using a City Select double stroller — which I thought was working well until I met the Veer Cruiser Wagon. Our double stroller has since been collecting dust in the corner of the garage.
See also: Best Wagons
The all-new Veer Switchback System
Veer recently introduced their brand new Switchback System, which features the Switchback Seat (~ $399) designed to fit on all Veer strollers, joggers, wagons, bike seats, camp chairs and it converts to a booster chair as well. WOW! So cool.
Note that this is so new we haven’t gotten a chance to play around with it yet ourselves (nor are there many reviews out there yet). But as soon as we’re able to get our hands on it, we’ll report back! In the meantime, check out this Magic Beans video showcasing the Veer Switchback Seat.
Set Up and Go
The wagon arrived in multiple boxes, which scared me at first. I laid out the components and felt overwhelmed while my husband laughed at me. In just a few minutes, I was the one laughing, because it took me just three steps to get the wagon up and rolling – woohoo!
I usually struggle when it comes to gear assembly, but setting up the Veer Cruiser wagon was easy peasy. Set-up entailed attaching the wheels, opening up the “T” handlebar, sides and seats — and that’s it! The “fold-down” of the cruiser was just as easy in reverse: you fold down the sides, lock the handlebar, and throw it in your trunk or stand it upright in your garage.
Quality
The build quality of this wagon is top notch (as you’d expect from the price tag). The aluminum frame is sleek and durable and really makes it lightweight; my double stroller feels like a behemoth in comparison. The plastic components are firm and not flimsy. The harness buckles are strong and easily secured.
Babies
Unlike the Keenz Wagon, the Veer Cruiser Wagon accommodates infants! For one baby, Veer sells a nap system accessory ($89) that turns the wagon into a bassinet (I want to crawl in and take a nap myself!).
In fact, the cruiser offers a solution for all stages of baby and toddlerhood, beginning with the infant car seat adapters ($49) for the following popular seats: Britax, Chicco, Graco, Uppababy, and Cybex/Maxi-Cosi/Nuna. With the infant car seat adapter, both a baby and a toddler can ride along together (vs. the bassinet, which is just for one child) — see below.
The Perks
The Veer comes with a few great accessories. There are 6 cup holder options for all the coffees, sippies and water bottles your crew requires on your journey. An amazing snack tray (shown below) holds all the cheddar bunnies and fruit snacks you could need and doubles as a well-placed divider to separate your kiddo’s territories. The tray easily snaps on and off, with no accidental pinching of fingers or mystery tabs needed to secure it.
You can purchase accessories separately to pimp out your Veer. The removable canopy is an awesome addition for sunny days. Yes, you can get canopies for both sides of the cruiser so both kids are shaded. The rear storage basket has a zippered net closure into which you can stuff all your beach gear (I highly recommend purchasing the storage compartment, as it expands the Veer’s versatility even further.)
Veer Customization Set
Veer has also just released its first customization set for the cruiser: a super cool camo print (shown below). I expect them to offer more colors and fun prints in the future. (Note: I had a hard time swapping the standard side walls out for the camo ones. It wasn’t as intuitive as the initial set-up of the cruiser.)
Another accessory you can get is the toddler comfort seat upgrade with harness. The Comfort Seat provides more cushioning and support and includes a 5-point harness for safety (the basic wagon only has 3-pt harnesses).
The Cruiser’s parking brake is very intuitive (see below). It has a one-touch foot break that’s engaged by pushing down on a large button at the base of the handle.
The bottom of the wagon also has a nice drop-down footwell for older babes. When riding in our old Radio Flyer, my 4-year-old is often hunched over his knees, but the Veer gives him some decent leg room (and he’ll use it for a lot longer, too).
The low sidewalls make it safe and easy for older kids to venture in and out. Big kids love the 360° view that you don’t get with a stroller.
I love the tires; they are rugged and handled all the surfaces we tested with ease. It even passed the sand test on our trip to the beach, which is no easy feat. The tires are “airless” aircraft grade aluminum, which means you’ll never get a flat, and have performance braking and front suspension for rugged off-roading.
I love the tires; they are rugged and handled all the surfaces we tested with ease. It even passed the sand test on our trip to the beach, which is no easy feat. The tires are “airless” aircraft grade aluminum, which means you’ll never get a flat, and have performance braking and front suspension for rugged off-roading.
A major factor that sets the Veer apart from other wagons is that you can lock the handle bar upright and push the wagon, stroller-style, instead of pulling it. I love this feature, as pulling can get pretty heavy when you’re schlepping your kids and all their gear.
The Veer Cruiser wagon has a smaller footprint than my City Select Double when folded up (and about the same weight – 32 lbs), and it takes up way less trunk space in my car for all our beach and zoo trips.
Conclusion
I’m a major fan of the Veer Cruiser wagon (no, they do not pay us to say this!). For my family of four, it has completely replaced our double stroller. Unlike the Keenz Wagon, which is a similar product, this wagon also works well for infants. Downside: when walking up our Seattle hills, it’s definitely easier to push a stroller than a wagon.
See also: Best Wagons for 2018
Though its $600 price tag is steep (though pretty comparable to most all-terrain double strollers), I feel like it’s something I can use well beyond the kid-toting years are over for things like tailgating, beach trips, and the weekly farmers market trip.
Enjoy!
~ Kristen
Comments
Leave a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I have wanted this wagon since it came out! Just wish I could afford it.
We absolutely love our cruiser! Even though it took a little practice to steer lol
We’re loving the wagon so far, but I’m struggling a bit with what to do when it rains. We also live in Seattle and I plan to use this for every-day commuting to day care. We’re all going to be soggy and sad in October when the rains come back.
Do you have any suggestions?
Hi Pat! Kristen recommends double canopies. You can put two on one cruiser. Almost giving full coverage but definitely covering both children.
While, I do love this stroller, like the comment above, I do wish this had full coverage for both the sun and rain, but it does the job when the days are beautiful and clear! Keep up the great work!
Hi! How does this work when the kiddos want to nap? Can they position themselves comfortably to do so?
Hi Angela! Veer makes a nap system that you can purchase additionally. It’s for use up to 1 year(ish).