Evenflo

Evenflo is probably one of the best known stroller brands on the market, selling in a variety of "mass market" channels like Walmart, Target and online on Amazon.

The company is probably most famous for its baby bottles, as that is how the company was founded in 1920 as the Pyramid Rubber Specialty Company in Ravenna, Ohio. Pyramid made rubber baby bottle nipples (among other rubber items like surgical supplies), as it was located near the "rubber belt" in nearby Akron, Ohio.

Also nearby were the major glass manufacturers in Pittsburgh (including Owens-Illinois Glass Co), which enabled Pyramid to marry it its rubber nipples with glass bottles to become one of the first mass-marketed baby bottles. The name "Evenflo" came from a unique twin air valve in the nipple that promoted liquid flow.

Evenflo rode the post-World War II baby boom to bigger sales and soon expanded into other juvenile products, including baby gates, car seats and eventually strollers. After changing hands among private equity owners several times in the early 2000's, Evenflo was sold in 2014 to Goodbaby International.

Goodbaby itself started in Kunshan, China in 1989 as a manufacturer of baby strollers, at a time when many companies (like Evenflo) off-shored their production. Goodbaby also acquired German stroller brand Cybex shortly before buying Evenflo. According to Forbes, Goodbaby has a complex of 11 factories that churn out over 10,000 strollers day under 15 different brand names (Goodbaby sells both its own strollers under Evenflo and Cybex as well as contracting out manufacturing for other brands).

Today Goodbaby sells strollers under the brand names Evenflo (mass market), Cybex (specialty stores, chains) and gB/Urbini.

Like other mass market brands such as Graco, Evenflo often sells stroller with confusingly similar names—hence, there is a Pivot Xpand stroller (modular) and a Pivot Xplore (stroller wagon). There is also two levels of prices: a regular Evenflo brand and Evenflo Gold, which are the same strollers with premium fabrics and fancier finishes.

Evenflo sells strollers under four basic categories: stroller wagons, modular strollers, lightweight strollers and car seat/stroller combos (an infant seat that converts into a stroller).

Flagship Model: Pivot Xplore All-Terrain Stroller Wagon

The Evenflo Pivot Xplore All-Terrain Stroller Wagon (see price on Amazon) (34.7 lbs) kicked off the recent boom in stroller wagons when it debuted in 2019. Yes, there were stroller wagons on the market since the early 2000's, but these were typically sold at higher prices, at $500 or more. Evenflo brought a stroller wagon to the market in the $300 range, which innovations such as two independent canopies on each seat. Before the Pivot, most stroller wagons had one large canopy that covered the entire wagon.

The Pivot wagon has a handle that reverses, so the wagon can be pushed or pulled. You can also add an infant seat via an adapter (sold separately) or a second seat that rides above the wagon.

At 34 lbs, the weight of the Pivot is an issue for some parents—and the stroller does not fold in a compact manner. As a result, you need a significant amount of trunk space to haul it to the zoo. That said, the all terrain wheels enable the wagon to be pulled over gravel, wet grass and other uneven surfaces.

Modular (Single-To-Double) Stroller: Pivot Xpand

Riding on the modular stroller trend first pioneered by Bugaboo and then expanded on by UPPAbaby, Evenflo rolled out the Pivot Xpand (see latest price on Amazon) in 2019 as their entry in this category.

The Pivot Xpand has four modes with a single stroller seat that can face forward or rear—and the seat makes into a lay-flat bassinet that also can face out or in.

The stroller can also expand to hold two kids, either via a second toddler seat or adapter that holds an infant car seat (sold separately as accessories).

Evenflo's innovation in this category is an adjustable canopy that can be moved higher for a growing child.

The Evenflo Pivot Xpand is sold as a stand-alone stroller or paired with an Evenflo car seat as a travel system (see latest price on Amazon).

Lightweight strollers: Otto, Reversi

The Evenflo Otto (23.5 lbs., see latest price on Amazon) claim to fame is a one-hand standing fold. It also includes a carry handle that enables easier transport when folded. As with most Evenflo lightweight storller, this model features a large storage basket and compatibility with Evenflo infant car seats (without need of an adapter).

The Evenflo Reversi (16.9 lbs.) is a Walmart exclusive (see latest price) has a reversible seat that either face to the parent or outward. Like the Otto, it can hold an Evenflo infant car seat without adapters and has a standing fold.

Car Seat/Stroller Combo: Shyft Dualride

The Evenflo Shyft Dualride (see latest price on Amazon) is clearly a riff on the Doona, which was among the first brands to pair an infant car seat with wheels that pop-out to make it a stroller.

The Shyft is designed in a very similar way to the Doona, with an in-vehicle base that you snap the car seat into for transport. Both have anti-rebound bars, for example.

There are a couple of key differences between the Evenflo Shyft and the Doona—the biggest is Evenflo's carrier mode. The infant car seat can detach from the wheels (which are left in the base), so it can be carried like a regular infant car seat. The Doona's wheels can not be detached—and that makes carrying it around awkward.

The Evenflo Shyft Dualride also can be used for smaller newborns (starting at 3 lbs) thanks to a lower harness setting (Doona starts at 4 lbs. and has a higher harness position). The Shyft Dualride has a no re-thread harness that the Doona lacks—that means you adjust the Evenflo's harness by raising the headrest. The Doona requires the harness to be rethreaded to adjust it.

The Doona only has one crotch buckle positoin; the Shyft Dualride has two.

The Evenflo Shyft Dualride has a storage basket and cup holder accessory. On the other hand, Doona has larger wheels than the Evenflo Shyft Dualride, which makes it easier to go over rougher surfaces. And the Doona has more color choices than the Evenflo.

At 29 lbs., the Shyft Dualride is about three pounds heavier than the Doona (when weighed with the wheels on the Evenflo model).

Pricewise, both the Doona and the Evenflo Shyft Dualride are priced about the same, although special editions that are more pricey.

Other Evenflo Strollers

Evenflo often makes strollers as exclusives for certain retail partners. For example, Walmart sells the Evenflo Omni Plus Modular Travel System—this is basically a less fancy version of the Pivot Xpand.

Older models of Evenflo strollers are often kept in stock at retailers, despite not appearing on Evenflo's web site. Example, Target sells the Evenflo Sibby Travel System with LiteMax 35 Infant Car Seat, a stroller that was released in 2018.

Safety Recalls

Evenflo has not had a safety recall on strollers since 2000, as of this writing. However, Evenflo in Canada did recall 45,919 Victory jogging strollers in Canada in 2018 for failing to meet Canadian safety standards.