Radio Flyer City Luxe Stroll ‘N Wagon Review: Great Fold, Basic Ride

This one’s been independently lab-tested, not just reviewed off a spec sheet, and it landed at #3 out of 18 double strollers and wagons compared, with an Editors’ Choice award for best wagon in that lineup. At $230, it’s genuinely one of the cheaper entries in this whole category, and it earns its ranking mostly on how easy it is to fold, carry, and maneuver — not on how plush the ride is for the kids sitting in it.

That last part matters. Of the five categories that testing measured, kid comfort scored dead last, well behind everything else. This is a wagon built around convenience for the parent pushing it, not a padded, reclining ride for the kids inside it. Know that going in and the rest of the tradeoffs make a lot more sense.

Quick facts

Spec	City Luxe Stroll ‘N Wagon
Price	$230 list
Measured weight	31.2 lbs
Age / capacity	12 months and up, 120 lbs max
Folded size	24.3″W x 32.5″H x 14.4″L (11,372 cu in)
Handlebar height (push / pull)	13″-36″ front, 12″-43″ rear
Harness	5-point, convertible to 3-point
Recline	None
Car seat compatibility	None — no adapters offered
Setup time	About 20 minutes
Fold type	One-handed, self-standing, no lock

How it actually scored

Category (weight in overall score)	Score (out of 10)
Ease of Use (40%)	7.8
Maneuverability (25%)	8.4
Transporting / Storing (15%)	8.7
Quality (10%)	6.3
Kid Ride (10%)	5.0

Read the weighting before the scores. Ease of use counts for nearly half the overall grade, and it’s also one of the wagon’s strongest categories — that combination is a big part of why it ranked as high as it did despite the weak kid-comfort score barely registering in the final math.

Folding and setup

The fold is genuinely one-handed once you know the motion: undo the velcro strap underneath, pull the center strap, and the frame collapses. Unfolding is the reverse — push down until it clicks, then reattach the velcro. The one snag testers ran into is that strap: it’s easier to reattach with two hands, and doing it one-handed takes some practice or tipping the wagon over. Once folded, it stands on its own, which is a nice touch for garage or closet storage.

There’s no lock holding it shut once folded, just that velcro strap — which means there’s a real chance of it popping back open in a trunk or a closet if the strap isn’t secured properly every time. Initial assembly out of the box runs about 20 minutes, with attaching the wheels being the fiddliest part, though the instructions and illustrations were rated clear enough to follow without much trouble.

Pushing and pulling: the actual strength

This is where the wagon earns its ranking. It uses two separate handles — a spring-loaded front pull handle that Radio Flyer calls “Never Fall” because it bounces back upright instead of dropping to the ground, and a fold-away push handlebar in back. Testers described the overall feel as similar to a nice grocery cart: responsive, easy to turn, not the smoothest ride in the category but easy to manage. Pushing worked better on sidewalks and longer paths; pulling came in handier on sand and softer ground. Both handles adjust for height, which matters if more than one adult is going to be pushing this thing regularly.

On terrain, the larger 12-inch rear wheels handled grass, cracks, and curbs reasonably well, and it managed small rocks and sticks without much fuss. It’s not built as a dedicated all-terrain wagon, but it’s more capable off pavement than its size and price would suggest. Radio Flyer also sells a Deluxe Tires upgrade if beach or sand use is a regular part of your routine.

The harness has an unusual trick

Five-point harnesses come standard, which is the safer setup for younger kids. What’s less common is that they convert down to a 3-point configuration — useful once a kid is old enough to want to climb in and out on their own without needing full harness coverage every time. The harnesses themselves aren’t especially refined: no shoulder or crotch padding, and the release button runs a bit stiff. Functional, not polished.

The brake works well for normal use, less so for hills

A single-action crossbar brake engages the wheel cogs and works fine even in sandals or bare feet — a small detail that matters more than it sounds once you’ve tried releasing a stiff brake pedal barefoot on a hot sidewalk. On flat sidewalks, in parks, and on typical streets, it’s reliable. Testers specifically noted some hesitation about trusting it on steep hills, which is a reasonable caution rather than a confirmed failure — just not a wagon to lean on hard for hill-heavy routes.

Kid comfort is where this wagon shows its price

No recline, no leg rest, no extra padding in the main riding area — just an upright seat with a nearly 360-degree view, which kids do seem to enjoy for the novelty of being able to look around. For short rides and casual outings, that’s a reasonable tradeoff. For long walks or all-day outings, the lack of any cushioning becomes the wagon’s clearest weak point, and it’s reflected directly in that 5.0 kid-ride score — the lowest of any category tested. One genuinely clever feature here: the riding cabin converts into a bench, which makes it useful as a home base at a park or beach even when nobody’s actually riding in it.

Storage: enough, not generous

Between the riding cabin doubling as cargo space, mesh side pockets, water bottle holders, and a parent caddy mounted on the push bar, there’s a reasonable spot for snacks, drinks, and the basics. It’s rated as a small storage basket compared to the rest of the category, so if you’re the type of family that packs heavy for every outing, this isn’t the wagon built around hauling capacity the way some pricier options are.

The canopy: quick to use, not built for low sun

The sunshade poles live inside the frame and pop into position when needed, then roll back up almost on their own and tuck into a storage pocket — genuinely easier to manage than wagons with separate, detachable canopy pieces you have to track down and reattach. Coverage overhead is solid. It doesn’t do much once the sun drops to a lower angle, and the poles have a reputation for bending under pressure, so treat it as daily-use shade rather than something to lean on hard.

A noticeable smell out of the box, and a few rough edges

Testing flagged a strong manufacturing smell straight out of the box, which faded after a few days of airing out — a temporary nuisance rather than a lasting defect, but worth knowing so you’re not alarmed on day one. Beyond that, quality scored respectably: a sturdy welded frame, durable fabric, and better-than-basic foam wheels, offset by a handful of plastic components and an adjustable handle mechanism that isn’t perfectly refined.

No car seat compatibility, period

This is a real limitation compared to a lot of the competition. There’s no included car seat compatibility and no adapters offered at all — not sold separately, not available as an upgrade. If you need a wagon that doubles as infant transport, this isn’t it. It’s built for kids who can already sit upright on their own.

What it’s like with twins

Testing specifically covered this: two kids can ride together, but they’re sharing one cargo space rather than getting separate seats. When they’re small, there’s usually enough room to stretch out comfortably. As they grow, that shared space gets tighter, and at some point most families will outgrow it. If twins are your actual situation, our guide to the best stroller wagons for twins covers dedicated options built around separate seating from the start.

What the same testing lab suggests instead, depending on your priorities

The same review that ranked this wagon #3 of 18 also pointed toward two specific alternatives, depending on what you’re actually optimizing for. If you want a more upgraded wagon experience — better seating, more thoughtful storage, a plusher overall feel — they pointed to the WonderFold Elite Pro, with the caveat that it’s a worse fit if you’re loading and unloading a wagon from a car constantly, since it’s bulkier. If your routine is more about daily errands, city walking, and frequent in-and-out-of-the-car use, they suggested a traditional double stroller like the Zoe Twin v2 would serve better than any wagon, City Luxe included.

That’s a useful way to think about where this wagon actually sits: it’s not trying to be the most comfortable option or the most practical daily-errand option. It’s optimized specifically for being easy, light, and low-stress for occasional, casual use.

Radio Flyer’s track record matters here

Radio Flyer has been making kids’ ride-on products since 1917, and the company backs that history with a real parts program — they ship thousands of replacement parts every year specifically to keep older wagons running well past their warranty period. For a wagon at this price, that’s a genuine point in its favor: a broken wheel or a worn strap doesn’t necessarily mean buying a whole new wagon.

Radio Flyer is also a certified B Corp, meaning it’s been independently assessed against standards for social and environmental performance, not just self-reported. Practically, that shows up as things like a tree planted per product sold and carbon-neutral shipping — nice-to-have details rather than reasons to buy on their own, but worth knowing if company values factor into your purchasing decisions. If you’re comparing Radio Flyer’s own lineup, our Radio Flyer Voya review covers a different model in the same family, built around a different set of tradeoffs.

Who this makes sense for

Families who want a low-stress, budget-friendly wagon for short outings — park trips, zoo visits, casual errands — where fold-and-go convenience matters more than plush seating. Also a solid pick as a secondary wagon you’re not precious about, something you can toss in the trunk without worrying about wear and tear on a more expensive primary stroller. If you’re still deciding whether a wagon makes sense over a double stroller in the first place, that comparison is worth reading before you commit to any specific model.

Who should skip it

Skip it if you need car seat compatibility at all — there’s no adapter option here, full stop. Skip it if long walks and all-day outings are the norm rather than the exception; the lack of recline or padding will show up fast on those trips. And skip it if you’re regularly navigating steep hills, given the brake’s more cautious rating there. If you’re still comparing broader options, our guide on whether a stroller wagon is worth it and our roundup of stroller wagons for toddlers are both worth a look before settling on this one.

For what it’s asking in return — $230 and a straightforward fold — it delivers exactly what it promises. It just doesn’t promise very much beyond that, and it’s honest about the trade.