Nuna TAVO next: Entry-level Luxury from Day One

Entry-level Nuna stroller with all the bells and whistles.

This is stop three on our tour of Nuna's strollers. First came the four everyday single strollers, then the three travel ones. The TAVO next stroller gets a stop of its own because it's Nuna's entry-level full-size stroller, and it does a couple of things its own way: the seat faces forward only, and a PIPA clicks straight on with no adapter. We recommend it to caregivers who want all the luxury of a full-size Nuna, but with a simpler design and at a price that's a bit easier on the wallet. Below, we'll walk you through its specs, how it works with a newborn, whether it fits your trunk, what the basket holds, and how it stacks up against the MIXX next, the Nuna parents most often weigh it against.

Nuna TAVO next specs

What you get with the Nuna TAVO next

A smooth ride, an easy buckle and shade to spare.

Nuna's known for superior craftsmanship, attention to detail and premium features, and the TAVO next is no exception. Here's just some of what it offers:

• Suspension at both ends. Front and back, with rubber tires on the back wheels, to handle every cracked sidewalk between your door and the coffee shop with ease.
• Magnetic buckle. The clips guide themselves into the buckle and lock on their own, so you aren't lining up two clips over a squirming baby. The button on top of the buckle releases them.
• A harness that grows with them. The shoulder straps slide up as your child gets taller, so you never have to pull them out of the seat and rethread them.
• Shade that stretches. Nuna makes this canopy oversized, and unzipping a panel stretches it out even further, which helps when the late-afternoon sun comes in low under a regular canopy. It's rated UPF 50+, a peekaboo window lets you check on your baby without stopping, and the top unzips to mesh when the afternoon gets sticky.
• Mesh seat for summer, padded seat for colder months. Take the seat padding off for a cooler mesh seat in summer, and put it back on for winter.
• One hand to fold it, one hand to open it. The other one can stay right where it is, under a sleeping baby.
• A height-adjustable pushbar. It sets at four heights, so you and a taller partner each find yours and nobody spends the walk hunched over.
• A newborn insert in the box. It gives a tiny rider extra comfort in the seat, and it's removable, so it comes out as your baby grows.
  

How does a Nuna PIPA infant car seat attach to the TAVO next?

It clicks right onto the frame.

Of Nuna's everyday strollers, the TAVO next is the only one a PIPA clicks onto with no adapter. No adapter means one less part to pack, lose or leave at home on the day you need it. The carrier lock is built into the TAVO next stroller itself, so the only thing you carry over from the car is the PIPA, baby included. To fit the PIPA, recline the stroller seat all the way, push the canopy back and attach the included arm bar, then slide the lock open, set the PIPA over the arm bar and slide the lock closed. Pull up on the carrier to check it's fully locked.

(Still deciding which PIPA infant car seat you want? We've compared the PIPA aire, PIPA rx and PIPA aire rx to help you choose.)

Will the Nuna TAVO next fit in my trunk?

Yes, it should fit in just about any trunk.

Folded, it's about 28.4 inches long, 22.5 wide and just 20.9 tall. At about 26.4 lb, it sits right in the middle of the pack for an everyday Nuna. It stands up on its own when folded, and it rolls along behind you like a carry-on, so the only lift is the one into the car. And if that's not small enough, the wheels come off with a quick release for the days the trunk's already holding a pack-and-play, somebody's scooter and next week's groceries.

How much can the Nuna TAVO next basket hold?

Up to 10 pounds, plus a zip pocket for keys.

The basket underneath the seat looks roomy, but the 10 lb weight limit is low for a Nuna, and for strollers in general, so we'd consider this a drawback. On the upside, the basket hides a zippered compartment for anything small you need to stay put.

And if you need more room, Nuna sells a stroller organizer (sold separately) that straps onto the pushbar and keeps snacks, drinks and baby's essentials within arm's reach, with two inside pockets, a zippered pouch and an adjustable cup holder.

Is the Nuna TAVO next compatible with a bassinet?

No. Newborns ride lying flat or in a PIPA.

One of the best things about the TAVO next stroller is that it's plug-and-play for infants, so you don't need a bassinet. Its seat reclines flat into what Nuna calls the "carriage position," so your baby can ride in it from birth. It even includes an infant insert to keep them cozy in those early weeks, as we mentioned above. And if that weren't enough, the TAVO next is the only everyday Nuna stroller that a PIPA infant car seat clicks right into, no adapter needed.

To set up the carriage position:

• Squeeze the recline handle and pull the backrest all the way down.
• Lift the calf support, the panel your baby's legs rest on, until it stands upright and closes off the front of the seat.
• Pull out the fabric flap tucked under the calf support, and fasten it to the sides of the seat with its four snaps.
• Last, take off the arm bar, the bar across the front of the seat.

The TAVO next's seat also works in every season, which matters most for a newborn who can't tell you they're too hot. The padding keeps your baby cozy in winter, and it unsnaps to a breathable mesh seat for summer.

(Just note that once your baby can lift up on hands and knees or crawl out, it's time to abandon carriage mode.)

Nuna TAVO next vs MIXX next: which should you buy?

TAVO next, unless you need the MIXX next's extras.

Parents compare the MIXX next with the TAVO next more than any other Nuna, and it's the fairest match. Both seats lie flat for a newborn and the buckle, suspension, seat pad, no-rethread harness and UPF 50+ canopy are the same on both. So parents are really weighing the few things that differ: which way the seat faces, whether they want a bassinet, the basket size and the price.

The MIXX next gives you more on three of those four, but at a significantly higher price. The main selling points of the TAVO next are a PIPA that clicks on with no adapter, a lower price and a little less weight to lift into the trunk. But where the MIXX next wins out is its seat, which turns (like those on the TRIV next, SWIV and DEMI icon), a feature some parents aren't willing to forgo. It also takes a bassinet, the Nuna MIXX series bassinet + stand (sold separately), if that's the route you'd prefer to go, although it's not a must since both seats lie flat for a newborn. The MIXX next basket holds 33 lb against the TAVO next's 10, which counts if your errands tend to come home in the stroller.

If none of those extras are on your list, the TAVO next pulls ahead. The MIXX next costs $200 more. A PIPA clicks straight onto the TAVO next, where the MIXX next needs a ring adapter (which is included with purchase, just like it is on all Nuna everyday strollers). And at 26.4 lb to the MIXX next's 29, it's a little lighter to lift into the trunk.

Is the Nuna TAVO the same stroller as the TAVO next?

No, the TAVO next is its newer, shorter-folding sibling.

The TAVO next folds to about 28.4 inches long, against the original's 36.8, which leaves about 8.4 inches more trunk floor for the groceries. It also adds the magnetic buckle and suspension at the rear wheels.

Accessories for the Nuna TAVO next

Nuna makes five add-ons that fit the TAVO next, each sold separately, so you can set it up to work for your family.

• Nuna TAVO cup holder. It clicks onto the pushbar, so your coffee rides within reach, and it goes in the top rack of the dishwasher.
• Nuna TAVO snack tray. A clip-on tray for your little one, with a cup holder of its own and raised edges that keep the puffs from going overboard.
• Nuna TAVO rain cover. Clear and ventilated, and cut to fit the TAVO next right down over the footrest, so your baby stays dry and still gets a good look at the puddles.
• Nuna stroller wind cover. A clear wrap-around shield that covers your baby head to toe against wind, rain and snow, and unzips for easy in and out. It fits every Nuna stroller except the TRVL dubl, so it can move to the next stroller too.
• Nuna stroller organizer. It straps onto the pushbar, with two inside pockets, a zippered pouch and an adjustable cup holder for the things you reach for most.

How long can you use the Nuna TAVO next?

Until 50 lb or 45 inches, about age 6.

Whichever limit comes first ends it, and for a typical kid that's height, at around age 6. Unlike a car seat, the stroller itself has no expiration date in its manual, so a well-kept TAVO next can roll on to a younger sibling, then a cousin, then the neighbor's new baby.

Who should buy the Nuna TAVO next?

Parents who want Nuna luxury in a simpler stroller.

You get Nuna's smooth suspension, magnetic buckle, no-rethread harness and oversized UPF 50+ canopy for the lowest price of any everyday Nuna. A PIPA clicks straight on with no adapter, the seat lies flat from birth in the carriage position, and the same stroller carries your child all the way to 50 lb or 45 inches. If you'd rather the seat faced you, Nuna's turning-seat strollers are the place to look.

Buying the infant car seat too? The TAVO next + PIPA series travel system makes choosing a breeze, with the stroller, a PIPA and its base in one order.