Britax Affinity Stroller Review

Pros
• Well built
• Comfy, padded seat
• Multiple seating positions

Cons
• Not very compact when folded
• Need to take baby out to adjust certain features

Bottom Line
Lusting after a high-end set of wheels for baby, but more interested in paying about half the price? This all-in-one stroller is super adaptable, with plenty of seating position options and color choices. You won’t be left wishing you splurged more.

Rating: 4 stars

Features

I read a study that said having baby face you in the stroller is good for language development, so once I discovered the Affinity lets you position the seat in either direction, I was hooked! (Many strollers don’t allow baby to sit facing you once they outgrow their infant seat attachment.) Since our mornings tend to be rushed, I especially loved being able to interact with my son in the stroller on our way to day care—it felt like we had a little extra time together each day.

In addition to being reversible, the seat can be adjusted to four different positions, including a full-recline setting, which you can adjust with baby still in the seat. My son has taken many a nap in it, and I can easily tilt him back to a lying position without waking him up. The Affinity also features an adjustable footrest, which you can move by pushing two buttons on either side.

The leather-like handlebar on the Affinity pivots up or down rather than telescoping in or out, so you can easily adjust it depending on what’s most comfortable for your height. It also features a gripper that’s really comfortable on the hand and makes one-handed maneuvers totally feasible.

Performance

The metal frame on the Affinity is super sturdy and the seat is padded and comfy—it’s an actual seat, as opposed to some other strollers that are really just glorified umbrella strollers with hammock-like seats. But this is definitely a city stroller—I stick to the sidewalks. I don’t think it would be the best for off-roading, since the front wheels are pretty small. (Plus, it’s so pretty, I hate the thought of bringing it to a muddy soccer practice!) The back wheels have air-filled tires that need to be refilled every now and again with a standard bike pump (I think I’ve only had to do it once and it was very straightforward). It also has a foot break that’s easy to use, even with open-toe shoes.

The easiest way to fold the Affinity is to take the seat off the frame, so it’s not the quickest dismantling job. It’s also not terribly compact when folded (although you can pop the back tires off to make it a little more manageable). But for what this stroller offers, I didn’t really expect it to be teeny. This is my “big” stroller. It stayed by our apartment door completely unfolded for months on end because we used it every day, and that was okay with me. It’s held up well against our family’s abuse, and I have no doubt we’ll use it well into toddlerhood, since it can hold a child up to 55 pounds.

My only regret with the Affinity was that I bought it after I bought my car seat, so the car seat wasn’t compatible with this stroller without an adapter. If you buy the Affinity, I suggest purchasing the compatible Britax B-Safe infant car seat (and if you have a newborn, you’ll probably want the bassinet as well). Both easily attach to the stroller, thanks to the Integrated Click & Go Adapter.

Design

The Affinity is really adorable and comes in loads of color options for a customized look. The base stroller comes in three different metal colors (white, silver and black), and you can choose from six different color packs (black, brown, red, blue, green and berry) for the seat padding, canopy, basket liner and harness straps, which are all easy to assemble.

I really like the sun canopy because it gives the stroller a sort of classic pram look, even if you don’t have the bassinet. I get compliments on the stroller all the time! The canopy also unzips so you can expand it to shield more of baby’s face if the sun is in his eyes.

Also important to note is that the Affinity comes with a rain cover, which fits like a glove over the stroller and creates a cute little pod for baby on a rainy day. I thought this was really great, since there’s no need to use one of those ill-fitting generic ones.

The stroller design makes cleaning a breeze—the seat padding comes right off and is machine-washable. The footrest is made of a rubberized material that’s super easy to wipe clean as well.

Summary

The Affinity stroller looks more high end than it costs, and is sure to get a ton of use from city families. If you’re looking for comfort and versatility—and you predict lots of naps while you’re on the go—this is your stroller pick.