REASONS TO BUY
Potential for jogging
Easy carrier connection
REASONS TO AVOID
Works only with Chicco brand
Poor maneuverability and quality
Chicco Activ3 Air Combo Review
Works well with Chicco car seat, but struggles in all other metrics
Credit: Abriah Wofford
RELATED: Best Stroller and Car Seat Combos
The Skinny
The Chicco Activ3 Air is a full-size stroller that works with some Chicco brand infant car seats. While the connection was easy and straightforward in our tests, and we are fans of most Chicco brand infant car seats, the Activ3 is not a top-performing jogger or even good choice for a full-size option. Its performance in other categories and the combo review make it a stroller we don't recommend for any use.
Our Analysis and Test Results
Pietro Catelli began the Chicco (kee-ko) company in Europe and has since become one of the most popular baby-centric product brands in the world with sales in over 120 countries. Chicco is now part of the Artsana Group.
Performance Comparison
The Chicco Active 3 Air is a jogging style stroller that works with Chicco brand infant car seats.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Ease of Attaching Car Seat
The Activ3 Air is relatively easy when it comes to attaching an infant car seat with incorporated compatibility and no adapters required. This stroller works with the Chicco Keyfit seats and the Chicco Fit 2, both of which are award winners from our infant car seat review. We tested our stroller with the Chicco Keyfit 30.
The canopy on the Activ3 can be used in conjunction with a car seat carrier.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
The Activ3 self-stands which can be good for storage, but this fold is larger with the front wheel protruding from the bulk of the stroller unless you want to follow more steps for a compact fold.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Weight and Folded Size
The Activ3 Air is heavy and large. With a weight of 27.1 lbs, it is one of the heaviest in this review, even heavier than the other joggers. It measures 14,229 cubic inches when folded, which is smaller for a jogger but more substantial than most of the combos we tested, including full-size options. The Activ3 could be harder to fit in some cars, making it a poor choice for car seat use.
The front wheel on the Activ3 looks like it should be easy to push and turn with a jogger design.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Maneuverability
The Activ3 Air is a jogging stroller with rubber tires and a three-wheel design that should improve maneuverability. However, it failed to meet expectations given that joggers are designed with movement in mind. The swivel wheel helps it turn and negotiate indoor and narrow spaces. It moves okay on flat surfaces, but it feels clunkier than a jogger should. The rubber tires help it move easier over grass and gravel, but it isn't as smooth as similar designs.
The Activ3 has a swivel front wheel you can lock in place via the handlebar as opposed to at the wheel.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
The front swivel wheel locks in place for pushing over uneven surfaces and running. And unlike other joggers, it locks on the handlebar (above) instead of by the wheel. Locking the wheel helps, but it still isn't as smooth as the competing joggers.
The parent console on the Activ3 is canvas and sort of frumpy with shallow cup holders and somewhat useless center storage compartment.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Ease of Use
The Activ3 Air easy enough to use.
The Activ3 folds with a button push and a twist of the handle to initiate.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Fold and Unfold
This stroller has a one-hand fold with an auto-lock mechanism and self-stand ability. The process is easy and includes a button push and twist of the handle. It can take anywhere between 5-11 steps depending on how compact you need it to be. Unfolding is very easy and takes five steps to finish.
The single action parking brake on the Activ3 is operated with an adjustment on the handlebar.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Brakes
The single-action brakes on the Activ3 is a unique parking handbrake. It is somewhat convoluted, but once you know how it operates, it isn't difficult. The lack of pedal means there are no concerns about sandaled or bare feet.
The storage bin on the Activ3 is triangular and smaller with a 10 lb weight limit.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Storage
This stroller has under-seat storage, parent console, and child tray. The child tray is covered when you attach the car seat, so the bin and console are the only available storage. The basket is medium with a 10 lb weight limit. It has easy access from all sides. The parent console has two shallow cup holders and a small center storage tray.
The sunshade on the Activ3 has a vinyl peek-a-boo window that works well unless you open the canopy all the way and then it moves too far forward to see inside.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Sunshade
The Activ3 has a large size canopy with a small, vinyl peek-a-boo window. You can use this window to spy on your baby when using the shade with a car seat carrier. If you rotate the shade too far forward, the window will be poorly placed and harder to use.
Ease of Setup
The Activ3 Air took 10:31 minutes to assemble, which is more challenging than about half the competition. It has more parts to assemble than most with a front-wheel mount, all-wheel attachment and the canopy and bumper bar to attach. The manual is multi-language, and it takes more time than it should to find the right assembly instructions.
The Activ3 is not the highest quality in the group but on par with most Chicco products.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Quality
The Activ3 Air earns a 6 of 10 for quality with a busy frame and cluttered appearance. This seat has Chicco specialized breathable fabric which feels like plastic "ribs" that aren't skin-friendly and collect a lot of gunk and dirt easily. Our fabric snagged easily during testing and didn't feel durable. The Ativ3 frame feels sturdy with more flex in the adjustable handlebar than other Chicco options. The stroller has above-average wheels with foam-filled rubber tires suitable for a jogger and average suspension. The handlebar has a foam cover and feels good to hold. The seat is hard and unforgiving, unlike sling-style seats without hard bottoms.
Manufacturer's Video
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Juliet Spurrier, MD & BabyGearLab Team
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