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Folding wagons can be useful tools for families, beachgoers, or really anybody who needs to tote a lot of gear from one place to another.
After researching dozens of wagons and testing 10, we concluded that the Mac Sports Collapsible Folding Outdoor Utility Wagon is the best all-around wagon for basic toting.
If you intend to use your wagon primarily at the beach, we recommend the Mac Sports Heavy Duty Collapsible Folding All Terrain Utility Cart.
If you’re planning to tote kids around you might like the Evenflo Pivot Xplore All-Terrain Stroller Wagon or the more versatile (and pricier) Veer Cruiser.
A good collapsible wagon should easily push or pull a load of stuff over different kinds of terrain.
We took each wagon’s roominess and weight limits into account, as well as how difficult it was to get them in and out of a car trunk.
Two of our picks are considered stroller wagons, meaning they come equipped with harnesses and are specifically designed to carry both kids and gear.
One of our picks has wider wheels that can traverse sandy terrain with ease.
This versatile, light, easy-to-use wagon totes everything across different types of terrain and folds up to a compact, easy-to-carry size.
Of all the wagons we tested, the Mac Sports Collapsible Folding Outdoor Utility Wagon best hits the sweet spot of price, versatility, weight, and ease of use. It’s one of the simplest wagons to unfold and use, and it rolls smoothly enough to keep its contents intact over mud, grass, bumps, and curbs. At 22½ pounds, it’s one of the lighter models we tested and a cinch to lift into cars. It’s also one of the lowest-priced wagons we considered, but it performed as well as or better than wagons that cost twice as much. The wagon can hold up to 150 pounds. The similar Mac Sports XL is bulkier than the regular Mac Sports, but also has a higher weight limit and more space for all your tools—or toys.
Also great Mac Sports Heavy Duty Collapsible Folding All Terrain Utility CartA great wagon for the beach This wagon has wider wheels that can traverse sandy terrain with ease. And it comes with the same durable build of the standard Mac Sports wagon, but with twice the internal volume.Buying Options$270 from Walmart $160 from Amazon
This wagon has wider wheels that can traverse sandy terrain with ease. And it comes with the same durable build of the standard Mac Sports wagon, but with twice the internal volume.
The Mac Sports Heavy Duty Collapsible Folding All Terrain Utility Cart has the largest wheels and, at 6.7 cubic feet, the largest volume of any wagon we tested. So it’s easy to pull beach gear and little beachgoers across bumpy sand. This wagon easily folds and unfolds, and we found that it was simple (at 24.5 pounds) to lift into the car after a long day in the sun. We have a few issues with this wagon—the telescoping handle can feel flimsy, and it costs around $50 more than the standard Mac Sports wagon. But after previously recommending a cheaper, less-sturdy beach wagon—which broke after a year—we think the Mac Sports All Terrain’s overall durability and maneuverability on sand make it worth the increased cost.
A cross between a folding wagon and a stroller, this model comes with sunshades and harnesses, and it can carry both kids and gear.
If you’re seeking a folding wagon for toting small kids between the ages of 6 months and 4 years, the Evenflo Pivot Xplore All-Terrain Stroller Wagon has safety and comfort features that are similar to those on a stroller. Yet it can also carry a lot of your gear. The Pivot Xplore’s handlebar makes it maneuver more like a stroller than a folding wagon (you can push it, and it turns easily), and it folds up smaller than any of the other stroller wagons we looked at. At 34.7 pounds, the Pivot Xplore is the heaviest of all our picks, though. It’s also more than twice the price of both Mac Sports folding wagons; we think the extra cost and features may be worth it if you plan on making this one of your main modes of transportation for little ones.
This roomy and well-built wagon is likely to last a very long time, and since it has many add-on accessories, it can be adapted for use with kids of various ages.
If you’re looking for a wagon that will take children from infancy to grade school, the adaptable Veer Cruiser Stroller Wagon may make sense for you. This model is for those who are willing to pay significantly more for a wagon that will provide many years of transportation—as well as fun. The roomy interior and dedicated foot wells mean it’s extra-comfortable for two kids to sit in while they’re being pulled around the neighborhood. It weighs 32½ pounds—a couple of pounds lighter than our other stroller-wagon pick, the Pivot Xplore. And Veer sells various add-on accessories that make the wagon versatile for babies and bigger kids, including adapters to accommodate a car seat for infants and a multipurpose infant and toddler seat for toddlers.
This versatile, light, easy-to-use wagon totes everything across different types of terrain and folds up to a compact, easy-to-carry size.
This wagon has wider wheels that can traverse sandy terrain with ease. And it comes with the same durable build of the standard Mac Sports wagon, but with twice the internal volume.
A cross between a folding wagon and a stroller, this model comes with sunshades and harnesses, and it can carry both kids and gear.
This roomy and well-built wagon is likely to last a very long time, and since it has many add-on accessories, it can be adapted for use with kids of various ages.
I spent six hours researching folding wagons (sometimes called utility wagons), first identifying popular models and looking at the technology involved. To find out which features people value most in wagons, I surveyed half a dozen individuals who regularly pull or push loads of stuff—from groceries to gardening supplies to toddlers. I also visited a handful of outdoor-gear stores to see what models they recommend. To determine which wagons are the most popular for families, I interviewed company representatives; read hundreds of reviews on retail sites like Amazon, L.L.Bean, and Target; and looked at existing stroller-wagon guides from Babylist, Lucie’s List, Car Seat Blog, and Wise Pick.
Personally, I’m a science writer with more than a decade of experience interviewing experts in countless fields, including parenting, environmental science, and child development. I’m also the mom of two small guys who have enjoyed many wagon rides since I began working on this guide two years ago. I live in coastal California, where wagons are often the default way to move kids, beach gear, and even school equipment around the neighborhood.
Wagons can be helpful for all kinds of jaunts, including trips to the beach and the farmers market. They are handy for lugging a load of groceries home from the store, hauling equipment to playing fields, and even commuting with kids to and from school. They can also be a way to contain kids in a simple structure.
The combination of their light weight and a fold-down frame makes folding wagons especially handy for everyday use, including getting in and out of a car or on and off public transportation. We’ve seen people using these wagons around the neighborhood and at the beach, as well as for gardening, outdoor concerts and movies, and sporting events. I even ran into a PTA parent who was using a wagon to schlep a used printer to school.
Though you certainly don’t need to be a parent to potentially find a collapsible wagon useful, a lot of the growth in this product category recently has been focused on kids. Unlike the typical stroller, wagons allow two kids to face each other, to climb in and out easily, and to feel like they’re a bigger part of the action. Over the past decade, more and more families have started to use wagons as a way to pull kids around—and stroller companies have noticed. Companies like Keenz, Veer, and Evenflo now make collapsible wagons that meet many of the same Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) safety standards as strollers. And many of them also have other stroller-like features, including five-point harnesses, sunshades, snack bars, and brakes.
In fact, folding wagons have become so ubiquitous that some companies are pushing back. Disney theme parks have long had a ban on wagons, but it wasn’t enforced as long as parents pushed (instead of pulled) the wagons through the parks’ front gates. That changed in May 2019, when Disney officially banned all wagons, including stroller wagons, in an effort to reduce congestion from wide models. If you’re planning to use a wagon as a stroller substitute at a theme park or other public venue, check the company’s policy in advance.
With attachments, some stroller wagons can haul kids from infancy (in a car seat) up to age 6 or older, depending on their height and weight. As with any stroller, these wagons shouldn’t be used in extremely bumpy environments until a baby has full head and neck control.
We approached this guide with the aim of identifying wagons that are ideal for general use—like lugging groceries or going to the beach—as well as finding models that would be particularly suited to families with young kids. Based on our research, we determined that a good wagon should:
Have decent storage capacity: Whether it’s children or chairs, you want a wagon to haul things. We looked for models with a large capacity, enough to tote several bags of groceries or beach gear. Extra storage on the outside, like pockets, cupholders, and snack carriers, were considered a bonus.
Be comfortable and convenient to operate: We tested the wagons’ turning radiuses on sand, dirt, and concrete to see how easy it was to navigate cones when a wagon was filled with gear. In addition, we evaluated the ease of pushing or pulling the wagons in different situations. We looked at the materials of the frame and the sides, which affect the overall sturdiness and smoothness of the ride (as well as the comfort of any kids riding inside). And we also considered the length and angle of the handle, which adults of different sizes would have to push or pull.
Store without too much hassle: We assessed the wagons on their ease of folding, as well as their overall collapsed size once folded.
Be stable and fun for kids of all sizes to ride in: Even if wagons aren’t meant explicitly for holding kids, they should still be stable, not tippy. For wagons that are designed specifically for toting kids, we looked at how difficult they were to climb into and out of, the comfort of the harnesses, the seat design, and the extra features that keep little ones happy and safe inside.
Our initial research left us with a list of 10 contenders. We ultimately settled on a testing pool of six models that were recommended by experts and well reviewed, and that included the features parents told us they wanted.
We then spent 15 hours testing these six finalists. To start, we assessed the initial assembly of each wagon, noting any particular frustrations, as well as any extra tools that were required. (Because none of the wagons were especially difficult to put together, we did not make this a major criterion.) We also looked at how easy each wagon was to fold and pick up, and to store in a small space.
We evaluated the wagons in several scenarios and conditions. For the first round of testing in 2019, I used all six wagons for two-kid trips to my son’s elementary school, traveling about half a mile each way over sidewalks and city streets during the course of two months. I also took the non-stroller wagons to the beach, rolling them down the beach path and testing them on the sand. Additionally, I tested each wagon (filled with soccer equipment) on grass and bumpy, broken concrete surfaces, paying attention to how the suspension and wheels performed under different conditions. I checked how each stroller’s straps and seats fit my boys (then a 40-pound, 4-foot-6-inch 6-year-old and a 25-pound, 2-foot-9-inch 3-year-old), and I noted how content they were to stay in the seats for long periods of time. In spring 2021, I tested four additional beach-friendly wagons during several trips from my home in Santa Monica to the beach (10 blocks away) and back. I hauled both of my sons along with beach gear like boogie boards, coolers, chairs, and endless amounts of sand toys.
This versatile, light, easy-to-use wagon totes everything across different types of terrain and folds up to a compact, easy-to-carry size.
The sturdy yet simple Mac Sports Collapsible Folding Outdoor Utility Wagon is what most people are probably looking for in a folding wagon—a versatile, easy-to-use, lighter wagon at a reasonable price. The Mac Sports Wagon weighs 22½ pounds and can hold up to 150 pounds of gear. Based on its listed interior dimensions, we calculated the storage to be about 3½ cubic feet. It has a solid frame, which remained durable throughout a battery of tests, including rolling the wagon down a hill while it was filled with equipment.
Like the Mac Sports Heavy Duty Collapsible Folding All Terrain Utility Cart (our pick for use on sand), the Mac Sports Outdoor wagon has an easy-to-use, telescoping handle. Of all the folding wagons we tested, this Mac Sports wagon was the most adept at making sharp turns to navigate a small obstacle course on grass or concrete. It does not require any assembly, which is also true of our beach-wagon pick from the same company. Two small mesh pockets at the front can hold drinks or flip-flops, and we found that these pockets were better placed and more useful than similar pockets on other folding wagons.
This Mac Sports wagon folds up to about the same size as the beach-wagon version of the Mac Sports. But because of how tightly this one folds, it seems more compact and easy to carry than any of the other wagons we tested. When folded, the Mac Sports wagon’s dimensions are approximately 29½ by 20 by 8 inches. It comes with a small cover, which squeezes the accordion folds together tightly and makes the wagon easier to lift and carry with the included strap. The material is easy to wipe clean, and during our testing it didn’t grow any mildew when stored damp. Even after over a year of use, the wagon didn’t lose any ability to fold or unfold smoothly. It comes with a one-year warranty.
The Mac Sports wagon’s skinny rubber wheels, compared with larger-wheeled models we tested, sunk into the sand a bit during testing. This wasn’t too problematic when the wagon was carrying an average load (beach chairs, towels, drinks, and snacks). But with a kid or two added to the mix, this wagon’s wheels started to drag deeper. We think the Mac Sports wagon is fine for occasional beach use, especially if your gear is more bulky than heavy and you don’t have to travel too far to your spot. But if you’re looking for a folding wagon to primarily use at the beach, we recommend paying more for the Mac Sports Heavy Duty Collapsible Folding All Terrain Utility Cart.
An important thing to note is that our simple folding-wagon picks, the standard Mac Sports and the Mac Sports Heavy Duty, are not rated for toting kids in them. Though it’s common for people to haul kids in these wagons—and we occasionally put our own kids in them during testing—it’s not an official use. So we can’t safely recommend it. If you plan on using a folding wagon mostly for transporting kids instead of gear, we suggest that you look at our stroller-wagon picks, which are specifically designed for safely carrying kids.
Like the other basic folding wagons we tested, the Mac Sports lacks locking wheels, so it will roll when left on a hill. The only wagons with locking wheels that we tested were the stroller-type wagons and the Beau Jardin.
This wagon has wider wheels that can traverse sandy terrain with ease. And it comes with the same durable build of the standard Mac Sports wagon, but with twice the internal volume.
With the largest capacity of any wagon we’ve tested, a quick and compact fold, and the best traction on sand we’ve found, the Mac Sports Heavy Duty Collapsible Folding All Terrain Utility Cart is our pick for toting gear to the beach. Although it does cost more than the standard Mac Sports wagon and the Seina (our former beach-friendly pick), the Mac Sports Heavy Duty wagon’s giant plastic wheels made it immune to tipping, even when it was full of beach gear, including two chairs, an umbrella, a boogie board, snacks, and a bag of sand toys. With 6.7 cubic feet of internal volume, this wagon fit more stuff than any of the other beach wagons we tested—while also clocking in at a middle-of-the-road 24.5 pounds.
The Mac Sports Heavy Duty wagon has 9-inch wheels that are 4 inches wide. So this model is easy to roll over large bumps and loose sand. It ranked high on our sand-turn tests, with a quick pivot. Yet it was less likely to tip over than other beach wagons we tested, and it didn’t sink into the sand, even when filled to capacity. We also like that this wagon has small, rivet-sized holes in its four internal corners that help let sand out (this is an unexpected-but-much-appreciated feature we didn’t find in other models). Like the Seina, our former pick for sand, the Mac Sports has a carrying capacity of up to 150 pounds. However, we think the Mac Sport’s much larger internal space—6.7 cubic feet, compared with the Seina’s 3.6 feet—is worth the higher price. Like the regular Mac Sports wagon, the Heavy Duty model comes with a one-year warranty.
The Mac Sports Heavy Duty wagon beat out our former beach-friendly pick, the Seina, in its traction on sand, maneuverability, and capacity, but at a cost: it’s about twice as much as original pick. One other issue is that, compared with the standard Mac Sports wagon’s helicopter handle, the Heavy Duty’s helicopter handle felt flimsy and didn’t click into place while extended. Also, the wagon doesn’t fold down to the same size as the standard Mac Sports, making it a tighter squeeze when folded in a sedan’s trunk. Despite those minor difficulties, we still think it’s by far the best for beachgoers.
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A cross between a folding wagon and a stroller, this model comes with sunshades and harnesses, and it can carry both kids and gear.
The Mac Sports wagons are basic models intended primarily for lugging gear, but the Evenflo Pivot Xplore All-Terrain Stroller Wagon is designed specifically for hauling kids. Unlike our other picks, the Pivot Xplore has a swiveling handlebar that makes it move more like a stroller than a wagon. That handle flips from pushing to pulling position, giving the wagon flexibility for different types of movement across various terrain. The Pivot Xplore weighs 34.7 pounds, so it’s much heavier than both Mac Sports wagons. And it’s just slightly heavier than our upgrade pick, the Veer Cruiser. Even though the Pivot Xplore lists only a “2019 JPMA Innovation Award” on its product page, we confirmed that the Pivot Xplore is in fact JPMA-certified, like the Veer Cruiser.
Out of the box, the Pivot Xplore takes about 15 minutes to put together; it requires a few (included) tools to connect the long handle to the wheels. The Pivot Xplore folds up into a small, compact shape, at 23 by 27 by 37 inches. Even though the Veer and the Pivot Xplore both fold down to about the same size, the Pivot Xplore feels way more portable when folded, compared with the tank-like Veer.
The Pivot Xplore has only a small amount of storage on the outside, compared with other stroller wagons, but it does include a clip-on basket that you can attach for some quick-access storage. Inside, the Pivot Xplore is a bit smaller than the Veer. The Pivot Xplore can hold up to 120 pounds, which is 30 pounds less than our simple folding-wagon picks hold. Unlike basic folding wagons like the Mac Sports models, stroller wagons don’t usually list their capacity in volume, since they’re mostly used for toting kids instead of gear. But we estimated the Pivot Xplore’s capacity to be about 3.4 cubic feet—about the same as the Veer Cruiser’s, slightly less than that of the regular Mac Sports wagon, and only about half that of the Mac Sports Heavy Duty wagon.
My kids enjoyed the Pivot Xplore’s sunshades and snack bar, as well as how easily the wagon glided over many types of terrain. The three-point harnesses offer the safety of a stroller, but in a fun ride that allows two kids to face each other. The two UPF 50+ sunshades can be pulled up to meet in the middle, or they can be adjusted so there’s just one up. The Pivot Xplore comes with the shades included and ready to go (shades are an additional purchase on the Veer Cruiser).
We tested the Pivot Xplore on multiple surfaces, including sand, grass, and concrete, and the large, stroller-like wheels moved smoothly through all the environments. As you’d expect, it was a bit harder to push through beach sand, though still feasible. The brakes on the Pivot Xplore are activated by a small pedal near the wheel, and we found them to be fairly easy to use. Our folding-wagon picks, the Mac Sports Collapsible Folding Wagon and the Mac Sports Heavy Duty Collapsible Folding Wagon, don’t have brakes, but both stroller wagons we recommend, the Pivot Xplore and the Veer, do have them.
Evenflo says the Pivot Xplore is good for kids up to 5 years old, but we found it works best for younger kids, between the ages of about 6 months and 4 years. Even though my smallish 5-year-old was under the metrics that a company spokesperson told me were the wagon’s limits—39 inches or 55 pounds (PDF), whichever comes first—my kid’s head was already hitting the sunshade, and he had to place his legs diagonally in the seat.
Evenflo offers two accessories for the Pivot Xplore: a car seat adapter for infants (which seems to be compatible only with Evenflo car seats) and an elevated second seat for kids who weigh less than 55 pounds. We have not tested these two new accessories, but even with these options, we think the Veer’s overall design is more adaptable than the Pivot Xplore’s.
In addition, we thought some of the plastic pieces on the Pivot Xplore felt a bit flimsy—though they held up during our months of testing. The Pivot Xplore has a 90-day limited warranty, which is short compared with Veer’s two-year warranty. Some reviews on the Evenflo site mention that the front wheels rattle and shake, but we didn’t experience that. We’ll keep an eye on this model as we long-term test it.
This roomy and well-built wagon is likely to last a very long time, and since it has many add-on accessories, it can be adapted for use with kids of various ages.
The sturdy Veer Cruiser Stroller Wagon is more expensive than any of our other picks—but it’s also the most adaptable wagon for people with kids. If you’re looking for an ultra-solid piece of gear that can double as a stroller and a folding wagon as your family grows, the workhorse-like Veer Cruiser could meet your needs. It has a lightweight aluminum frame (all of our other picks have steel frames) and perforated seats for ventilation. At 32½ pounds, it’s about 5 pounds lighter than the Pivot Xplore, and we found it surprisingly easy to lift. Like the Pivot Xplore, the Veer wagon can be pushed or pulled, though we found the steering to be a bit more wiggly in the push mode than on the Pivot Xplore.
The Veer doesn’t fold up from the center, as most wagons do. Instead, the sides easily fold down, making it a flat rectangle that can stand upright. Its folded dimensions are 37 by 20 by 14 inches (with the big wheels removed, the folded height of the body is actually 8 inches). The Veer and the Pivot Xplore both have similar dimensions when folded down, but because of their different shapes, the Veer feels a bit bulkier when folded. The Veer also has a dedicated foot well for kids’ feet (none of our other picks have this). Like Evenflo, Veer does not list the capacity of the wagon in cubic feet. But we estimated it to be around 3.4 cubic feet, just under the capacity of the Mac Sports regular wagon and about half that of the Mac Sports Heavy Duty.
The Veer has a car-seat adapter (sold separately; check for compatibility with your seat), so this model can be used for infants, and the wagon’s size and weight limit make it comfortable for kids who weigh up to 55 pounds. And, though we don’t recommend doing this, the company says it loaded the wagon with up to 400 pounds of stuff without failure. Many reviewers reported the wagon holding up to 170 pounds of stuff. A toddler seat (an additional accessory) is basically a padded seat that makes the wagon easier for kids to use and helps them to stay inside. Another accessory allows you to add extra storage.
The Veer has one-touch pedal foot brakes that are simpler to use (even when you’re wearing flip-flops) than the Pivot Xplore’s smaller, stroller-like brakes. The foot brake is activated below the handle, along the center of the wagon. Like the Pivot Xplore, the Veer Cruiser meets ASTM safety standards and is also JPMA-certified. It performed very smoothly on bumpy sidewalks and grass surfaces, though it sank in the sand due to its heavier weight. My kids loved the depth of the seats, the interior storage space for their treasures, the snack tray, and the roominess of the foot well. “It’s like our own little car,” my 6-year-old told me as he and his brother shared a snack and a water bottle while getting pulled around the neighborhood.
The handle’s angle and length are adjustable, allowing you to choose to push or pull, depending on the scenario (for example, pushing through a crowded farmers market but pulling over a soccer field). My husband occasionally found the Veer hard to steer when he was pushing it‚ compared with the Pivot Xplore, whose pushing mechanism is a handlebar. But I didn’t have the same issues.
The Veer is the priciest wagon we tested, and the accessories (car seat adapter, toddler seat, sunshade) are all add-ons. The Veer comes with a two-year warranty, compared with 90 days for the Pivot Xplore.
If you want a beach wagon with brakes: The Beau Jardin Folding Wagon Cart was the only beach wagon we tested with brakes on the front wheels, and with wheels that could be adjusted to be wider or narrower for different surfaces (which was helpful when parking on packed sand sloping down to the water). The Beau Jardin also makes storage easier because it stands while folded, which our beach-friendly pick, the Mac Sports Heavy Duty Collapsible Folding All Terrain Utility Cart, does not.
Overall, we thought this was a useful option for those who might value having brakes more than interior capacity or maneuverability on sand: The Beau Jardin allows for only 4.1 cubic feet of beach gear. At around the same price as our standard Mac Sports pick, it’s a reliable around-town option that could also get to the beach.
If you don't mind a bulkier wagon and you need to lug more weight: The Mac Sports XL Folding Wagon with Cargo Net may be your best choice. This wagon has a top weight limit of 300 pounds, twice as much as the basic Mac Sports. It also comes with a cargo net, which helps contain your gear. The XL also has wider wheels—halfway in between the basic Mac Sports and the beach version. It still folds up tightly and can stand on its own, but it takes up more space in the back of a car.
At 30 pounds, the L.L.Bean Collapsible Wagon was the largest and heaviest of the folding wagons we tested. But even though it had nice wheels and construction, this wagon was a headache to fold and unfold. It took two people—and several minutes—to put the L.L.Bean wagon away after use. We had to wrestle the cover onto the bulky rectangle and tug it down to get it on. One of the wheels came loose when one of our testers was carrying about 100 pounds of gear, which is well under the stated weight capacity.
In our testing, the Keenz 7s Stroller Wagon gained points for having lots of storage and a great shade canopy. But we didn’t like the pushing and pulling handlebars, which were not as adjustable as those on our two stroller picks, the Pivot Xplore and the Veer Cruiser. Each time the wagon is opened, the canopy and accessories have to be reattached, and the storage cover is not easy to use. Plus, it was hard to turn and maneuver the wagon when it held two kids.
The Radio Flyer 3-In-1 Off-Road EZ Fold Wagon gets good reviews and passes ASTM safety standards. But it is not JPMA-certified, and it lacks other safety features, like a five-point harness and brakes, which we think stroller wagons meant for toting kids should have.
The bare-bones Uline Utility Wagon was not as highly rated as the Mac Sports wagons. It’s also not as widely available as our picks.
The Timber Ridge Folding Camping Wagon looks similar in construction and design to the L.L.Bean wagon, and it gets decent reviews online.
The Sekey Folding Wagon Cart feels like a durable tank, built solid. It scored high marks for having an attractive price point, as well as having fabric that could be easily removed for washing (which the other wagons did not have). But it didn’t turn or pull as smoothly on sand as the Mac Sports beach wagon, and its smaller wheels seemed to sink.
The Oniva Collapsible Adventure Wagon’s major downside was its folding mechanism, similar to that of an umbrella, rather than an accordion, like on the others. It was extremely hard to squeeze inward and still jutted outward if not squeezed into its cover: an impossible ordeal when wrangling two kids in a parking lot. The sand-removal feature, which seemed promising, worked only partially, and many reviewers noted that the wagon’s handle was short.
We started looking for a better option than our original beach-friendly pick, the Seina Folding Utility Beach Wagon, after a nut fell off the wagon at a critical time—when we were on the sand, about a quarter-mile from the parking lot. We were able to fix the problem, but a year of use has also led to scratches on the wheels and the plastic looking pretty shorn. One staffer who also owns the Mac Sports Heavy Duty Collapsible Folding All Terrain Utility Cart has also noticed scratches on the wheels. But the Seina offers just half the internal space, and its 4-inch wheels were more prone to tipping when packed with the same beach gear.
The Ozark Trail Folding Multipurpose Camp Wagon comes at an attractive price, but we found the materials felt cheap and it was hard to fold tightly—instead of an accordion fold, it uses an umbrella fold that meets in the middle (like a Pack N’ Play). We also found that, even when fully open, the wagon bed doesn’t lie flat.
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Hdk Sports Cart Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions. Whether it’s finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we’ll help you get it right (the first time).