Beach season is upon us. That means that we will pack our Veer Cruiser and head to the beach. Onlookers will ooooh and ahhhh and ask me how it performs in the sand. Then they will ask me where I found it, and I’ll tell them. They never ask how much it costs or how I really feel about it because that’s not socially acceptable. I imagine they go home, realize it costs a small fortune, have a minor heart attack, then decide against it. I’ve only ever seen two other Veers out in the wild, so this must be what’s going on.

We’ve been using the Veer Cruiser for about five years. My parents live far away and their love language is “gifts.” They are very generous with their grandchildren. This wagon was a gift. Read on to find out if you should ask for a Veer wagon from the very generous grandparents in your life.

VEER CRUISER FAST FACTS

Base Cost	$699.99 -$799.99
Number of Seats	2 / 4
Seating Width	20″ / 24″
Dimensions, Open	37″ x 20″ x 23″ / 37″ x 24″ x 23″
Dimensions, Closed	37″ x 20″ x 14″ / 37″ x 24″ x 14″
Weight	32.6 lbs. / 36.7 lbs.
Infant Car Seat Adapter	Available
Tires – Solid or Air-Filled	Solid
Folds Flat	Yes, once wheels are removed
Removeable Wheels	Yes
Washable	Yes

PERFORMANCE

FORWARD

One of the big draws of this wagon-stroller hybrid is it’s ability to use it in either the forward or reverse direction. I think this is a bunch of B.S. When not utilizing our wagon, we are sporting a BOB double. Comparing against our BOB, the Veer is very squirrely in the front end when pushing it in the forward direction. It doesn’t navigate well, and the wheels always seem to be doing the opposite of what we want them to. This is likely because the caster wheels are now in the back and are doing the majority of the steering. For short distances, it’s fine. Though, if you’re hoping to use this as your primary vehicle of choice, I’d say choose something else.

REVERSE

The BOB handles well when being pulled. If you’re going to buy a Veer Cruiser, expect to do a lot of pulling, not pushing. When the big wheels are in the back, they keep the squirrely castor wheels stable and the navigating is much improved.

BEACH

The beach is probably where we get the most questions and compliments on our wagon. While it does fairly well in the sand, I would say both parents still participate in pulling it through the fluffy stuff and certainly up over the boardwalk. On hard sand, it’s a dream, and one parent can easily pull two children. It’s certainly better than taking our stroller on the beach. Last year, I saw some ingenious parents pulling a cheapie red sled and we actually might give that a try this year. All in all, I do enjoy having our wagon for beach days, especially due to the accessories (mostly the storage basket).

TRAIL

We’ve done this exactly once, and I don’t foresee myself giving it another go. It did not handle as well as I expected. I would say that a well-groomed trail with minimal roots would probably be okay, provided it’s packed down dirt and not crushed stone. Otherwise, I’d recommend just sucking it up and buying a hiking pack and kissing this idea goodbye.

GRAVEL

ACCESSORIES

TODDLER SEAT

We bought the toddler seats to help with padding. I did not find them useful at all. In fact, they’re a pain in the butt to clean and you really shouldn’t have a kiddo that can’t comfortably sit on their own in a wagon, anyway. I was elated when the poop-splosion happened in our basement and we were able to get our money back on these via homeowner’s insurance.

SNACK TRAY

Oh man this thing sucks. While the clips on it work (hooray!), none of my kids are able to comfortably utilize it. This is because my children are tall-ish (?) and their knees bump it. By tall-ish, I mean they are taller than the average age range, but both their parents are 5’6″, so it isn’t like they’re giants. Additionally, it doesn’t seem to fit any of the water bottles we own. Maybe this would work for a very young toddler, I’m not sure. Ultimately, I’d vote to skip it because you can give your kiddo a bar for the ride and use the mesh side pockets for their beverages.

RETRACTABLE CANOPY

Oof. The retractable canopy. This is probably the most irritating Veer accessory. Due to said septic explosion in our basement, we have had F-O-U-R of these canopies. Not a single one of them has worked properly. The canopies clip onto the sides of the stroller and then (supposedly) retract backward when not in use. In two (50%) of the canopies, we’ve had clip issues, where the clip does not seem to be fitted properly to the edge rails of the wagon. Only one canopy glides smoothly up and down. They don’t have a very good track record in my house. On the flip side, they now sell the canopy clamp replacements for $19.00, so I may give that whirl and see if it improves our functionality. My hopes are not high, however.

STORAGE BASKET

WAYS TO SAVE

The thing about the Veer Cruiser is I’ve never seen a sale on it. Not that I’ve been looking over the last five years, but when I was in the market (for about a year), I didn’t see them go on sale ever. The best way to save on a Veer is to not buy one at all and find something that drives properly.

WORTH THE TRUNK SPACE?

I asked my husband to tell me if he wanted to add anything to this review. He looked around and whispered “If I’m being honest, I don’t really like it.” As if the wagon police were going to pop out the playroom storage. Listen. In a world full of toxic positivity, I am just here to keep it real. The Veer Cruiser is not my favorite, either. Because we are avid beach goers, I’m not ready to sell it just yet. It’s certainly the best thing we’ve tried on the sand so far, but on every other terrain, I’d prefer to use one of my BOBs. Unless you have a gaggle of very young children (more than 2) and you go to the beach very regularly, I’d say skip this and invest in a nicer stroller.

That said, if your heart is still set on the Veer, consider spending the extra $100 and upgrading to the Veer All-Terrain XL, and getting an extra two seats out of your cruiser.