Evidently, using a wagon to transport young children is the No. 1 mistake parents make when it comes to kids and wagons, according to Alisa Baer, MD, a pediatrician and co-founder of The Car Seat Lady. “The really big thing is to make sure that what you’re using is a wagon specifically designed to transport children—and specifically, children of the ages and weights that you want to be transporting,” Baer says.
“The child should be restrained in the wagon,” whether using built-in straps or a car seat securely attached to an adapter, Baer says. If not properly secured, your little adventurers may lean over or even try to climb out of the wagon and tumble headfirst onto the pavement. Or they could sneak an arm or a leg over the side and end up caught in a wheel or other moving part, says Ashita Kapoor, Consumer Reports’ associate director of product safety.
And there’s another concern. “You also don’t want your child to get their fingers stuck between the wagon’s wheels and its hubs,” Baer says. “Plus, a child moving around can upset the wagon’s weight balance and encourage it to tip.”
You shouldn’t carry certain cargo in the seating area of the wagon when children are inside, either, Baer and Kapoor say. Think about whether the gear you’re putting next to your kid could pose a danger (cords, sharp objects, medication, or makeup, for example), and put it in a bag with a luggage lock, if necessary. If it’s just a diaper bag or some relatively benign groceries, you probably don’t have to panic, especially if your kid is older or less sneaky.
Appropriately chastened, I set out to evaluate some of the most popular stroller wagons to see which options might work as a functional and safe means of transportation.
