Britax Brook + Review

Britax launched in the US in 1996 after a successful start in Europe. The company has been creating baby products for over 70 years, including their best-selling car seats in our best infant car seat review. Britax's goal is to develop safe and useful gear, whether it is convertible car seats or strollers. Britax works with governments, manufacturers, and experts on safety to bring parents products for their children.

Ease of Use

The Brook+ is not as easy to use as some of the competition, with one of the group's lowest scores for this metric.

Fold and Unfold

The Brook+ does not self-stand, requiring two hands to fold and unfold. It has dual levers below the handlebar to initiate the fold. The final product is awkward with the size of the child seat and the child tray. It has an automatic lock to keep it closed.

Storage

The Brook+ has an extra large storage bin and fits our large diaper bag. However, the maximum weight limit is only 10 lbs, so it's unlikely you can fit your groceries and baby supplies inside, even though it looks large enough.

A small Velcro pocket is in the basket, and the parent console has two cup holders and a phone holder.

Harness

The harness is easy to adjust, sliding the webbing up and down. The buckle is like other BOB/Britax buckles, with a stiff but reaffirming click when engaged.

Brakes

Cheaper strollers often have double-action brakes, which we see here on the Brook+. This means engaging two pedals to set the parking brake instead of one. It is a minor inconvenience, but we worry that parents will forget or think one side is "good enough." So, despite not being a huge hassle, we still don't like the opportunity for errors. The pedals are easy to use but have a cheaper feel than the competition.

Car Seat Compatibility

The Brook+ can be used as a travel system paired with Britax infant car seats.

Ease of Setup

The ease of setup for the Brook+ is only average. It isn't that hard or even takes a long time, but it is more involved than most competitors. The Brook+ has more parts to assemble than the average stroller, with more zip ties to cut. It doesn't require tools, but the parent tray has an odd snap-on design that we weren't fond of.

Maneuverability

The Brook+ is also not the easiest to push and turn, with a maneuverability score that is below average, though higher than the lowest-scoring options.

For hard, flat surfaces like sidewalks and vinyl, the Brook+ rolls pretty well, but it gets hung up worse on cords and thresholds than we like. The tires are harder with little give, and we could feel the rough pavement through the frame up to the handlebar. It struggles even more when you get off-road on grass and gravel and doesn't roll well when the grass gets long. Turning is a burden, and you can feel bumps and uneven surfaces. It is a lot of effort and likely not something you want to do regularly.

Transporting and Storing

We weighed the stroller at 23 lbs in our tests. This makes it fairly lightweight for this category, with only a few options weighing less. It isn't as small as you'd think because of the strange way the seat and belly bar stick out when folded.

The measured folded size is 13,745 cubic inches. While this is not the largest in the group and isn't super large overall, it is strangely large for a stroller with this little going on. You can make it smaller or more manageable to transport in a car by removing the seat, but your options will be limited if you are trying to get ona bus or set it out of the way at a cafe.

Quality

The Brook+ earned one of the lowest scores for quality with an overall fit and finish that can't compete side-by-side in this group.

The fabric for its stroller is below average with backpack-style canvas, and a design choice that feels like a cost point was more the goal than comfort. The wheels are foam-filled plastic and could easily dent or become misshapen if they hit harder rocks. They are skinny and small, which once again feels like a decision made for price, not quality or ease of pushing.

The frame is probably the best part of the Brook+, with a minimal design and limited flex. This is a no-frills stroller with a smaller price for this group, but it is clear, in our opinion, that many design choices were made to cut costs with little thought to form or function.

Kid's Comfort

With a bare-bones look and feel, the Brook+ doesn't provide as much as it should for kid comfort, with a just below-average result for features that benefit passengers.

The seat back and leg rest recline as one on a sling-style seat with an oval frame.

The adjustment is a squeeze button with an adjustable strap. It requires two hands to raise but only one to lower. The leg rest also rotates on a pivot point for comfort.

The canopy is large on the Brook+, and while there is nothing to brag about, it isn't awful. It has a mesh peek-a-boo window with a flip-up cover and is not big enough for the afternoon sun.

Should You Buy the Britax Brook +?

The Brook+ has an attractive price, and parents might be drawn to the savings or the lightweight design. But the Brook+ struggled in our tests to meet the same performance as other options. It is harder to push, and the quality is on par with the price. It isn't the worst option in the review, but it isn't one we'd recommend to a friend over other competitors, depending on strolling goals.

What Other Full-Size Strollers Should You Consider?

The Britax B-Free is our preferred Britax. It is lightweight, has a compact fold, is quick to fold, and is comfy for passengers. The storage is good, the canopy is large, and we think it is worth the bump-up in price for the better quality materials. The B-Free is easier to transport, stow, push, and turn than the Brook+.

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