Is Stroller Envy a Real Thing? Parents Weigh In on Feeling Judged

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Parenting already comes with a healthy serving of things to worry about throughout our children's lives. But one thing most of us aren't expecting to worry about when becoming new parents is being judged by other parents for our choice of stroller. However, parents across social media have noticed that their affordable strollers are being scrutinized by parents with more expensive models.

The brand of stroller a parent uses has been a long-standing social cue among families for years now. There are parenting threads from over 10 years ago that explain the stroller judging phenomenon. More recently, a viral video from 2023 brought the conversation back to light. In today’s current climate—in which Stanley tumblers and Lululemon backpacks are all the rage—parents continue to face judgment on their baby gear.

Below, we explore the online discourse that led to the conversation around stroller envy, including how parents are combating the stigma around having an affordable stroller.

Stroller Judging Is Not New

It’s true that stroller judging has been a thing for a while now. In some spaces, parents are picked apart for which brand they wheel around and how much it may have cost them. According to a thread on DCUrbanMom from 2010, an anonymous user said, “Do I judge people based on their stroller? I have to be honest, Yes I do. I think Graco strollers just look cheap and ugly and sorry it does make me think the family doesn't have much money.”

In 2011, The New York Times dubbed TriBeCa the land of the $800 stroller. Citing the rising income levels in the area led to parents purchasing bougie strollers as a status symbol. Then, later on in 2018, The Guardian published a piece on luxury prams, explaining that the US industry was worth $750 million in 2016, which then skyrocketed to $3.5 billion by 2020.

The industry has seen many changes from the papery thin and patterned strollers that new parents of the past proudly used. Now, strollers are design-led robotic mechanisms that have endless features. But some parents still wheel around their ‘plain’ strollers—and judgment follows.

“Do I judge people based on their stroller? I have to be honest, Yes I do. I think Graco strollers just look cheap and ugly and sorry it does make me think the family doesn't have much money.”

The Conversation Grows on TikTok After #StrollerGate

In a viral video from 2023 dubbed as #Strollergate, TikTok user Brooke notes: "I never thought my stroller would enable classist side eyes." On a family trip to the Oakland Zoo, she shared how she felt other parents were judging her as she pushed what isn't one of the more expensive brands of baby gear.

"Every single stroller or baby device that I see that's going by is like an UPPA, UPPA Vista, Mockingbird, the Wonderfold," Brooke says at the beginning of her video. "And I'm pushing my Graco," she adds with fake disgust. "And I feel like people are judging me because of my Graco baby stroller".

Brooke's experience clearly is not a singular one, as many users added comments to share similar stories on feeling shamed. "I went to the park the other day with my Baby Trend!! stroller and I'm not kidding every single person had a Wonderfold and they weren't friendly," one user comments.

"I feel you. I just jumped from Evenflo Xpand Gold to Nuna Mixx Next for the same reason" another user shares. Other parents are working to combat the stigma around affordable strollers by turning a blind eye to the judging glares. "Not me with my used Graco. Not a care in the world," a user writes.

The stroller envy parents feel is a part of a larger conversation around the commodification of baby gear. As parents, most of us just want the best for our children, but sometimes conventional ideas of what "best" is becomes too expensive to maintain.

Why I Don't Worry About My Stroller

I don't believe in paying that much for a stroller. Far be it from me to judge anyone on their baby gear choices, but I know my tax bracket and I mind my own pockets. I would never put myself into debt to fit in with the playground posse or just to be a part of the luxury baby gear gang. An UPPAbaby Vista stroller can still easily go for over a thousand dollars—on sale. The most expensive Wonderfold tips the scale are around $1,600 dollars.

I live in New York City, where the rent is just too damn high to begin with. I couldn't imagine paying close to the price of a month's rent on a one-bedroom apartment to buy a stroller or wagon that my kids will never want to sit in anyway.

All of my kids are walkers and runners. They will sit in the stroller for all of five minutes before they want to take off and run throughout whatever location we are visiting. We are also fortunate enough to have a family car even while living in the city. So a stroller—even with three children—has always been more of a perk for our family and not really a necessity. We also tend to lean more towards baby wearing since it's what works best for our family.

Should You Worry About Your Stroller Brand?

It is not lost on me, however, that many families need a stroller. But I believe that how expensive or exclusive a brand is should be last worry on your baby gear checklist. There's a reason Graco is a baby gear brand that's more than eight decades old. The company's products continually rank high in safety, comfort, and affordability. If a brand can last that long in today's economy, then it is safe to say it is doing something right.

There are, however, two sides to every coin. Some parents believe that the features on more expensive strollers are worth the heavy price tag. "I have a Wonderfold...two autistic kids and one toddler. I absolutely love it for their safety. I hear so many rude comments when I'm at Disneyland," a user shares under Brooke's TikTok.

Another user states that if she's being completely honest, it is worth it. "Staying 100 here the Uppa is worth every penny! The wheels, the ease, the style, the breakdown. It’s an investment," she writes.

The reality of it all is that on the long list of things society will judge us for during parenthood, the cost of someone else's baby items has no effect on you. When looking to purchase any type of baby gear, I would urge parents to look at safety, ease of use, and durability. In the grand scheme of things, how much somebody else's stroller costs, or however prestigious the brand is supposed to be, really should not matter.

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