REASONS TO BUY
Compact
Lighter weight
Comfy seat
REASONS TO AVOID
Flexy frame
Small wheels make a rougher ride
Thule Spring Review
The frame is so flexy it detracts from the other positives of this stroller
Credit: Abriah Wofford
RELATED: The Best Full-Size Strollers
The Skinny
The Thule Spring is a 3-wheel everyday stroller in our best full-size stroller review. It is lightweight and folds ultra-small, making it a good choice for those with limited space or lifting abilities. We love the deep reclining seat with additional padding over the average stroller. We think the folding process is easy and can be done quickly. The Spring has a reasonable price and can be paired with infant car seats by purchasing adapters. However, the Spring is not as high of quality as most Thule strollers, and the smaller wheels and flexing frame made it hard to push and turn on and off-road. The pushing problems make this stroller less of a favorite than it used to be, and it could be greatly improved with larger wheels and stiffer joints.
Editor's Note: We updated our full-size stroller review with over a dozen strollers tested side-by-sid in March 2024.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Thule Spring | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  | | | ||
| Price | $400 List $399.95 at Amazon | $650 List $598.73 at Amazon | $350 List $349.99 at Amazon | $173 List $169.05 at Amazon | $150 List |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | The frame flex and smaller wheels are a distraction from an otherwise interesting stroller | While it performs well on flat surfaces, this high-quality option struggles off-road if those are your goals | A budget-friendly expandable stroller with good storage but limited other features and a heavier weight | Budget-friendly jogger with off-road capabilities, but the quality is on par with the price | The lower price makes the flaws of this jogger easier to accept |
| Rating Categories | Thule Spring | Cybex Balios S Lux | Evenflo Pivot Xpand | Baby Trend Expediti... | Baby Trend Expedition |
| Ease of Use (40%) | |||||
| Maneuverability (25%) | |||||
| Transport/Storing (15%) | |||||
| Quality (10%) | |||||
| Kid's Comfort (10%) | |||||
| Specs | Thule Spring | Cybex Balios S Lux | Evenflo Pivot Xpand | Baby Trend Expediti... | Baby Trend Expedition |
| Weight | 23.1 | 25.3 | 30.0 | 28.1 | 24.0 |
| BGL Folded Dims. | 17"W x 15"H x 30"L | 24"W x 16"H x 31"L | 26.7"W x 19.23"H x 32.7"L | 24.5"W x 16"H x 36.5"L | 23.1"W x 33.1"H x 16.3"L |
| Capacity Limits | Minimum: 6 months Maximum: 64 lbs/ 44 in |
Minimum: Birth Maximum: 55 lbs |
Minimum: Birth Maximum: 55 lbs/43" |
Minimum: 6 months Maximum: 50 lbs/42 in |
Minimum: 6 months Maximum: 50 lbs/42 in |
| Mfr. Max Allowable Total Storage Weight | 14 | 24 | 11 | 11 | 15 |
| Car Seat Compatibility | Clek Liing Cybex Aton and Cloud Series Maxi-Cosi Mico Max 30, Mico Max Plus Nuna PIPA, PIPA RX, PIPA Lite, PIPA Lite LX, PIPA Lite RX and PIPA Lite R |
Cybex (All) Maxi Cosi Mico 30, Maxi Cosi Mico Max, Maxi Cosi Coral XP Nuna Pipa lite |
Chicco KeyFit/KeyFit 30 Evenflo SafeMax, LiteMax Graco all with SnugRide, SnugLock 30/35 Peg-Perego Primo Viaggio 4/35 |
Baby Trend (All) | Baby Trend (All) |
| Min./Max. Handle Height | 39"/43" | 39.5"/43" | 33"/44.7" | 41.5" | 41" |
| Wheel Type | Foam Filled Rubber | Foam Filled Plastic | Foam Filled Plastic | Pneumatic | Pneumatic |
| Brake type | Single | Single | Single | Double | Double |
Show full specification details ▼Hide full specification details ▲
Our Analysis and Test Results
Thule (Too-La) was launched in Sweden by Erik Thulin in 1942. They started by making gear for fishermen. They transitioned to outdoor gear as time went on. Their main goal was to help adventurers transport their outdoor supplies with greater ease. For more than 70 years, Thule has been developing products for the outdoors with a lineup of gear from top-ranking baby backpack carriers and best bike trailers for kids to roof racks and other strollers from our strollers review.
Performance Comparison
The Spring is easier to use than the average stroller.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Ease of Use
The Spring offers above-average ease of use for the group.
The Spring fold is quick and easy.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Fold and Unfold
The Spring fold is initiated under the seat. A stiff flap lifts up so you can slide and lift the handle. There is a lever on each side for left or right-handed people.
While the bin on the Spring was large enough for our large diaper bag, the limit of 11 lbs could be a deal-breaker if you hope to buy groceries.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Storage
The Spring storage bin is only medium in size, but it fits our large diaper bag with easy access. However, it only has an 11 lb limit, which is something to consider if you want to fetch groceries. A mesh pocket on the back of the seat will accept 3 lbs more, but it isn't a big space.
The Spring has a multi-step process to fully buckle with nesting components.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Harness
The Spring has a well-padded harness and is the only one with padded waist straps. The harness is a nested option that requires each component to be inserted separately into the buckle. The button is firm but not too stiff, and you need to remember to put the wist straps in the buckle before the shoulder straps. It seems unnecessarily convoluted.
The rocker brake pedal on the Spring means you don't need to lift the lever with the top of your foot.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Brakes
The Spring has a single-action brake pedal near the right wheel on the rear axle. It is easy to press and release. The pedal is bright red and easy to spot, with a rocker pedal style that is press to set and press to release, making it foot-friendly.
The close placement of the brake pedal near the wheel means larger-footed people might rub the wheel when setting the brakes.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Car Seat Compatibility
The Spring has adapters available for some infant car seats from Nuna, Clek, Evenflo, Maxi-Cosi, UPPAbaby, and Cybex.
Assembly of the Spring is snapping the components of wheels and canopy onto the main frame.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Ease of Setup
The SPring was easy to put together and took between 5-10 minutes due to packaging and reviewing the instructions. Overall, it was intuitive and straightforward.
The spinning front wheel on the Spring wasn't always in the right position when pushing.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Maneuverability
The Spring did not perform well in our maneuverability tests, with a surprisingly lower result.
An adjustable handlebar makes pushing easier for taller parents, but the center-placed adjustment button makes the Spring harder to push with only one hand.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
This three-wheeled design stroller has smaller diameter wheels that impacted its results for maneuverability. One-handed steering was a challenge because of the adjustment button in the center of the bar. The frame had a lot of flex, which gave it a fairly slow response time. It felt a little more like an umbrella stroller when pushing, especially when moving over thresholds and cords.
Moving off-road, the Spring becomes more of a challenge, especially over grass, which you are likely to encounter at play parks.
The Spring struggled with the transitions from surface to surface and could have performed better if the front wheel had been bigger.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
The flex in the frame made it harder to push, making it sloppy when steering. However, moving up and over larger obstacles isn't terrible, given the lighter weight and ease of popping up the front wheel to traverse obstacles.
The Spring folds flat compared to some but is not the smallest in the group.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Transporting and Storing
The Spring is relatively lightweight and small when folded, giving it one of the highest results in our tests.
The Spring weighs 23.13 lbs, and the folding lever also acts as a carry handle. It is one of the lightweight options in the group, and it isn't awkward to lift and put in the car.
At 7,650 cubic inches when folded, it is one of the smallest options in the group, making it a compelling choice for those with limited space or who frequent public transportation.
The Spring wheels are foam-filled rubber with a grippy feel.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
Quality
The quality for the Spring is below average compared to the competition. The fabric is a ripstop style everywhere and feels durable and easy to clean. The canopy is taunt and looks finished and sleek to the stroller. The zippers work smoothly, and there is lots of thoughtful padding with shoulder and hip strap covers.
The softer foam cover on the Spring is a thoughtful comfort addition to the handlebar.
Credit: Matt Lighthart
The wheels are foam-filled rubber, which is better than plastic. The smaller size hurt its functionality, but the sticky rubber coating gives it better action on harder surfaces.
The frame looks well put together and clean. However, it has a lot of flex from side to side, which impacts functionality and increases frustration when pushing. Overall, the sit and finish are nice, but the flexing in the frame is a disappointment, and it seems to have worsened over time.
The deep recline is cozy for passengers and has a covered ventilation panel for more air-flow on hot days.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Kid's Comfort
The Spring offers just above average results for kid comfort features. The sling-style seat has more padding than most. It has a deep recline with infinite possible positions. The adjustment mechanism is a toggle with two straps you can release with one hand, but you'll need two to raise it up: one to hold the toggle and one to pull the straps.
When reclined, the top portion has a nice ventilation space that can be covered when temperatures dip or the wind is high. The leg rest has heavy ripstop material that feels durable, but it isn't adjustable, and longer legs could dangle off the sides.
The seat recline adjustment is a one-hand operation to lower with a central toggle and two side straps, but it requires two hands to lift.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
The Spring canopy is super large. It comes with a 50+ UPF rating and will protect against most sun until very late or very early in the day when the sun is low in the sky. The canopy also has a zippered mesh panel that makes it even larger but will impact sun and weather protection, so it is a trade-off. It is the only way to peek at little ones.
The Thule Spring has a lot going for it and if your space is limited, it might be compelling, but overall it struggled in our tests for maneuverability and quality.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Should You Buy the Thule Spring?
We don't hate the Spring, but we probably wouldn't recommend it for many. It is a good-looking, nimble stroller with good storage. However, the smaller wheels and flexing frame created a situation that wasn't fun to push. We think parents will be attracted to the price and looks of this stroller, and it has some compelling features, but we think overall, there are higher-performing options that are nicer to push and turn and offer a smoother ride for little ones.
What Other Full-Size Strollers Should You Consider?
If you want a nice three-wheel stroller that is not a jogger, we prefer the Britax B-Free. While not an award winner, it is a compelling choice that is easier to push than the Spring and includes a comfy seat, good storage, and a quick fold in a compact package. It has a higher overall score than the Spring and is easier to transport.
Manufacturer Video
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Juliet Spurrier, MD and Wendy Schmitz
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