Help Me Decide! Veer Cruiser Wagon or Evenflo Pivot Xplore

Updated on
September 11, 2023

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Help Me Decide! Veer Cruiser Wagon or Evenflo Pivot Xplore

Stroller + wagon hybrids are taking the baby gear market by storm. Which one works for you?

By Babylist Staff

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Help Me Decide! Veer Cruiser Wagon or Evenflo Pivot Xplore.

Ever find yourself stuck between two products and you just can’t make up your mind? Baby registry decision fatigue is real—so Babylist’s Help Me Decide! series is here to help.

Everything we love about stroller and a wagon all rolled into one? File this under GENIUS ideas we can’t believe someone didn’t think of sooner.

Stroller wagons are brilliant, and they’re taking the baby gear market by storm. Two have risen to the top: Veer’s Cruiser Wagon and Evenflo’s Pivot Xplore. But neither come cheap, and both have a ton of different features to consider.

We’re shining the spotlight on two of the most popular stroller wagons on the market to help you decide which one is the best bet for your growing family.

THE SHOWDOWN

Veer Cruiser Wagon

Veer’s stroller wagon was the first of its kind when it launched in 2017 and has been turning heads ever since. This high-end cruiser with front-wheel suspension and rugged, oversized tires easily tackles any terrain, from gravel and grass to sand and snow. It boasts an aluminum frame, three-point safety harnesses for two riders, and tons of add-ons like adapters for an infant car seat or bassinet, custom colorways, extendable canopies and lots more.

Evenflo Pivot Xplore All-Terrain Stroller Wagon

Coming in at a (much) lower price point but with just as many rave reviews, Evenflo’s Pivot Xplore shares lots of features with the Veer. It also holds two kiddos, boasts XL wheels that tackle all types of terrain and can accept an infant car seat add-on. The Pivot comes standard with a snack tray, dual canopy, storage basket and water bottle holders.

Updated Veer vs Evenflo Comparison Chart

THE LOWDOWN

What’s the same?

The basics. There’s a lot to love about both of these stroller wagons—and that’s because the overall design and functionality of the Cruiser and the Xplore are pretty similar. Both stroller wagons have a similar look. Both seat up to two children up to five years old in three-point harnesses and accept an infant car seat attachment and add-on toddler seats. Both offer oversized tires, storage, accessories and a push and pull functionality. Are there some (big) differences, too? For sure. (And we’ll get into those below.) But both of these popular hybrids have a lot in common, so it’s easy to see why they’re so loved by parents and kids alike.
Specs. There are some slight differences between the Veer Cruiser and the Evenflo Pivot Xplore. (The Cruiser is slightly lighter than the Xplore, for example, while the Xplore is slightly longer and higher than the Cruiser.) But for the most part, both stroller wagons are very similar spec-wise. While you’ll always want to be sure to measure things like doorways, car trunks, etc. before purchasing any item of baby gear that’s as large and bulky as these stroller wagons are, you can be fairly certain that if one works for you, the other likely will as well.

What’s different?

Price, price, price. This is the most obvious difference and probably the first thing you’ll notice when comparing the Veer and the Evenflo. The Veer Cruiser clocks in at over double the base price as the Evenflo Pivot, at almost $650 versus almost $300 respectively. That’s not nothing! Start adding accessories onto the Veer (since it doesn’t come with things like canopies or a storage basket like the Evenflo does) and you’re going to get to an even higher price point really quickly.
Maneuverability. The Cruiser and the Pivot stack up pretty well in all aspects of maneuverability except for one: sand. Veer’s wagon tackles sand without an issue. Whether you’re pulling or pushing this stroller wagon, it’s almost as easy to maneuver on sand as it is on any other type of terrain. The Pivot Xplore…not so much. While it tackles lots of other terrain really well, sand is not where this wagon shines. It’s slightly easier to pull as it is to push on sand, but frankly, neither experience is all that great.
Fold. In terms of ease of fold, Evenflo’s stroller wagon comes out on top here. Both hybrids hover somewhere between “not the easiest but not the hardest” when it comes to packing them up, and both are self-standing when folded. But the Pivot, whose fold is more like a stroller, has one major advantage: you can leave the accessories in place when it’s time to fold everything up. Unlike with the Veer which requires you to pop everything off before you fold, you can leave things like the canopies, storage basket and snack tray in place when folding the Pivot Xplore. If you’re packing up your stroller wagon on the regular, that’s a huge feature to consider.
Accessories and Add-Ons. This difference also speaks to the price differential between the two stroller wagons that we already noted, and we think it’s both a pro and a con. As mentioned above, Evenflo’s stroller wagon comes with a snack tray, two canopies and a storage basket all included in the base price of $300, which isn’t the case with the (much more expensive) Veer Cruiser. That’s a definite pro. However, although they’re sold separately, Veer offers way more accessories and add-ons for their wagon than Evenflo does. There are tons of fun things you can buy to soup up your Veer’s ride, from a misting fan and a shearling seat to a nap system and a weather cover. You can even customize your wagon colors; Veer sells custom sidewall kits as well as custom canopies in everything from camo to seven other fun colors. Other than a toddler and stroller seat and an infant car seat adapter, none of these things exist for the Evenflo at the moment. (The Evenflo does come in three different colors, however.)

THE VERDICT

We’re big fans of both the Veer Cruiser and the Evenflo Pivot. Weighing the pros and cons of each can help you decide which one is right for you.

The Veer Cruiser Wagon may be a good choice if:

You’re a beach family. Live near a beach? Want to use your wagon for your yearly summer adventures by the sea or the lake? Then the Veer is your wagon of choice. Its unparalleled performance on sand definitely stands out from the Evenflo, so if this is something that’s important for you, Veer’s Cruiser is the way to go.
You love a custom ride. There’s no denying that it’s fun to customize the Veer Cruiser with both accessories and fabric. Although they come at a price, there are so many cool add-ons to choose from and lots of cool fabric colors to select. It’s easy to quickly build a customized ride that will go the distance with your family.
You’re going to be strolling (frequently) with a baby in tow. While both the Cruiser and the Pivot accept infant car seats, Veer’s stroller wagon accepts over eight different car seat brands, while the Evenflo wagon only accepts Evenflo seats. Unless you know you’ll be using an Evenflo brand infant car seat, you’ll have many more choices as to which infant seat to use if you buy the Veer.

The Evenflo Pivot Xplore All-Terrain Stroller Wagon may be a good choice if:

You aren’t looking to drop a small fortune. Is $300 a lot for an item of baby gear? You bet. But it’s way better than $650. Considering its impressive functionality, features and accessories, the Pivot is an awesome stroller wagon that’s way more affordable than its popular competitor.
You’re going to be folding and unfolding on the regular. Planning on taking your stroller wagon in and out of the car a lot? Need to fold it inside your home for storage? The Pivot is the way to go. Not having to remove the accessories every time you fold up your wagon is a huge plus here that’s not possible with the Veer.

Shop These Stroller Wagons

Veer All-Terrain Cruiser Wagon - All-Terrain Cruiser Wagon

$699.00

Evenflo Pivot Xplore All-Terrain Stroller Wagon - Wayfarer

$349.99

Veer Cruiser Wagon Retractable Canopy - Gray

$59.00

Veer Foldable Rear Storage Basket

$79.00

Veer Infant Car Seat Adapter for Veer Cruiser Wagon - Cybex/Maxi-Cosi/Nuna

$59.00

Veer Cruiser Wagon Comfort Seat for Toddlers

$89.00

Evenflo Pivot Xplore Stroller Second Seat - Wayfarer

$149.99

Evenflo Pivot Xplore Stroller Wagon Infant Car Seat Adapter

$54.99

Babylist Staff

Editor

Babylist editors and writers are parents themselves and have years of experience writing and researching, coming from media outlets like Motherly, the SF Chronicle, the New York Times and the Daily Beast, and the fields of early childhood education and publishing. We research and test hundreds of products, survey real Babylist parents and consult reviews in order to recommend the best products and gear for your growing family.

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