Graco Trekko Review

Presenting Graco's first all terrain stroller, the Trekko. I was excited to see this model come out because I was curious to see how Graco, maker of more traditional strollers and travel systems, would break into the all terrain stroller market.

I had previously owned a Jeep Liberty stroller, and the all-terrain is my personal favorite type. I was looking forward to see how the Graco Trekko would compare because the photos looked so cool!

The Trekko was taken out on a 4-mile walk around the neighborhood, going over sidewalks, a boardwalk near the beach, some sand, grass, and playground wood chips. I took it at different speeds from a brisk walk to jogging and I put 20 pounds in the seat to put it through its paces.

By the time you finish reading this detailed review of what I put this stroller through, you will discover the features I would change about it and what impressed me. I think you'll find this quite helpful in making your decision.

Let's take a look in detail at what the Trekko Activity Stroller can do for active parents like yourself, so let's start with the features.

Graco Trekko Features:

• Accepts a Graco SnugRide or SnugRide 35 car seat
• Holds your child up to 50 pounds
• One-handed easy fold
• Padded 4-position reclining seat including flat
• Leg rest flips up to become a Velcro-tab enclosure
• Adjustable 180°-rotating sun canopy & flip-out visor
• Ventilated peek-a-boo window

• Lockable front swivel wheel
• Large drop-down storage basket beneath the seat
• Height adjustable handle
• Rotating padded bumper bar
• One-step linked parking brake
• Foot rest
• 3 or 5-point adjustable safety harness

Sturdiness and maneuverability

The Graco Trekko is a hefty, sturdy all terrain stroller with a nice thick frame made of oval tubing for more strength. It can carry your child up to 50 pounds. The Trekko can also accommodate Graco SnugRide car seats as a travel system and it
has great stability due to the wide wheel base so you don't have to worry about balance.

Is tipping backward a concern you have? I draped a loaded messenger bag around the handle bar when the Trekko was empty and it did not tip backward.

The wheelbase is wide at just over two feet. This may pose a problem for you if you have narrow hallways or wish to go shopping down narrow aisles. The good part about the wide wheel base, though, is that stability factor again.

The Graco Trekko's front swivel wheel turns tightly and the 12-inch rear wheels take on all sorts of terrain like a champ. A simple turn of the knob at the front of the footrest cone locks the swivel wheel into place and makes going over rough surfaces much easier.

My only complaint is with a slight wobble of the front wheel. So far I've seen this observation from another review as well, and while it doesn't wobble too much during brisk walking, you should not jog with this stroller because the wheel wobbles too much.

Never-flat rubber tires on the Graco Trekko eliminate the need to buy an air pump and worry about leaks or flats. That's something I dealt with several times a year with my previous stroller. But the ride is different with rubber tires, so please don't expect the same smooth floating quality you get with air-filled tires. Baby's ride is not bumpy and jolting, just not as smooth as you get with air.

What I do like is the easy linked brakes. One step on either side engages the brakes fully, and another step disengages.

Another thing to consider is the weight of the Graco Trekko. Like most all-terrain strollers or joggers, it is big and bulky. It weighs nearly 30 pounds!

What is the seat like?

I was impressed with the seat on the Graco Trekko. The seatback isn't that high, but seatback to canopy allows for plenty of headroom as your child grows. Additionally, the seat strap adjustment slots go up to nearly the top of the seat as you can see by the picture.

Many parents are not happy with the full upright position of some stroller models, but it looks like the Graco Trekko seat sits upright enough so your baby can see out without slouching too far back. A Tennessee mom recently said in her review that the more upright seat is good for her son when he's ready to sit up and play.

An adjustable 5-point safety harness can switch over to a 3-point lap belt when your child is older for greater freedom of movement. While the buckle isn't heavy-duty like luxury brands, it does the job securing your child safely.

I like the seat recline on the Graco Trekko. Pull a lever on the back of the seat and a side indicator tells you which position the seat is in. It clicks from position to position rather easily and can recline completely flat for your car seat or for a very sleepy little passenger.

Now here is a highlight on the seat - the leg rest flips up and can be secured with Velcro tabs to create a nice, cozy enclosure for your small child. See how that looks at the photo on the right with the seat completely reclined.

The top of the seat and the canopy are not connected with any fabric, mesh or otherwise; it is just open air. Therefore, if your child is completely reclined, make sure to secure him or her with the safety harness.

Tell me about the sun canopy

As soon as I unfolded the Graco Trekko for the first time, I noticed the sun canopy right away. It is amazing! While not as big as brands like a BOB or Baby Jogger for a budget stroller, the canopy is impressive.

First, the canopy can rotate 180° and come down past the baby's bumper bar. This means that whatever angle the sun is shining, your child will be protected. I really like that.

You can also see on the first photo that open air gap I was talking about between the top of the seat and the back of the canopy.

Next, take a look at the peek-a-boo window. The flap unzips on each side, and having a zipper is quieter as it won't disturb your child during naptime. Roll up the flap neatly and tuck it with a Velcro tab. The exposed window is a large mesh panel to allow for more air circulation as you check in on your child.

To allow for even more shade, flip out a sun visor at the end of the canopy. The sides of the canopy also have some clear vinyl panels so your child can see out.

What about the fold?

The fold is unbelievably easy on the Graco Trekko. Slide the grey button in the middle of the handle, twist that middle section on the handle and the frame collapses. A latch loops around a nub on the inner part of the handle to hold the frame together.

However, like most all terrain strollers, the Graco Trekko is very bulky. You can easily remove the front tire for a more compact fold, but you are going to need a lot of trunk or closet space to keep this stroller. It takes up a lot of room!

Storage and parent amenities

The Trekko has some great features for parents and some features I wish it had. Let's start with what the stroller includes.

First the storage basket. It's a good size, roomy enough for a large diaper bag and your purse. One nifty thing I like about it is that you can lower the basket while the seat is in full recline so you can have easy access to your stuff. Love that.

Next is the adjustable height handle bar. It ranges from 36" up to 41" so that no matter your height, you will feel comfortable walking and not hunch over or kick the rear axle. The handle bar has a nice foam grip that absorbs moisture and is ergonomically designed for your hands. It was very comfortable to use.

Now for the amenities I wish this stroller had, both for myself and for baby. I wish it had a parent console with at least one cup holder. There is a lot of space between the handle bar and the sun canopy, and perhaps a telescoping handle would accommodate a parent console rather than the rotating bar.

With no parent console, there's usually some extra little pockets elsewhere on other strollers, such as inside the storage basket or behind the seat. That would have been nice to have, but the Trekko does not.

I wish there was a baby snack tray, interchangeable with the bumper bar. My son always liked having snacks on our outings and this would have been an issue.

How much is the Graco Trekko?

If you just want to get the stroller by itself, you can expect to pay around $160. I've found that the best place is to buy on Amazon; the free shipping saves you lots of money and I received mine in a matter of days.

However, if you want to get the SnugRide car seat as a travel system set, I've seen that on BabiesRUs for about $280. The one offered on BRU is black with red trim, a slightly different color scheme.

See my video review of the Graco Trekko in action:

What others are saying

Very few reviews are available but the ones out there give the Graco Trekko 4 stars for maneuverability, easy fold and the large sun canopy. I'm inclined to agree with them!

A Knoxville, TN mother commented how easy it is to put together. Another mom mentioned the smooth ride and the performance going over her bumpy driveway.

Overall, I LOVE how well this all terrain stroller handles different types of terrain. It tackled bumpy dirt, lush grass, boardwalk, wood chips at the playground and even through sand, which is always challenging.

I'm also extremely impressed with the sun canopy, the easy seatback recline and the infant enclosure.

Disadvantages

As mentioned previously in the review, I wish the Graco Trekko had a parent console with cupholder and a child's snack tray. Several reviews of the few that are out there also mention this, so it's a frequent complaint.

This is also quite heavy and bulky and will take up a lot of space.

Lastly, be aware that the front wheel may wobble a bit; the stroller is not meant for long bouts of jogging, though I found that locking the wheel straight helps.

Where can I buy the Graco Trekko?

Ever since the Trekko was released, I've been looking around at different retailers and I recommend you buy on Amazon for the best price and prompt, free shipping.

If you want a travel system set, I suggest you check with BabiesRUs.

Related Articles:

All Terrain Stroller: The all terrain stroller models that consistently score high with parents are from BOB, Phil and Ted, Chicco and Baby Trend; let's take a more detailed look at these all terrain strollers.

Jeep Liberty Stroller Reviews: The sporty Jeep Liberty Stroller is a reliable and economical all-terrain choice.

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