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Labor Day Weekend Travel: What to Do if Your Flight Is Delayed or Canceled

Labor Day Weekend Travel: What to Do if Your Flight Is Delayed or Canceled

What's happening

An estimated 12.8 million Americans will fly over Labor Day weekend.

Why it matters

While air travel has returned to pre-pandemic levels, many airlines are still plagued by significant delays and cancellations.

Labor Day is here and, despite ongoing flight disruptions and high ticket prices, an estimated 12.6 million Americans will be flying over the three-day holiday weekend, according to data from travel site Hopper.

American Airlines alone estimates 2.5 million customers will board 26,400 scheduled flights through Monday. 

Many of those fliers will face delays and cancellations. On average, 23% of flights in August were delayed from departing US airports, an increase of nearly 30% compared to 2019. And cancellation rates last month were more than double their 2019 rates, as airlines mobilize to address staff shortages, pickets, weather disruptions and other issues.

By 10 a.m. ET on Thursday, American Airlines had already reported 100 delayed flights, according to the website FlightAware, and 23 cancellations. Industrywide, more than 800 flights within, into, or out of the United States have been delayed Thursday morning and 102 canceled.

Analysts don't expect schedules will get back to normal until at least the fall, when demand settles down and new hires have had time to be trained up. 

If you're flying over Labor Day, here's what you need to know about avoiding a travel nightmare, what the airlines owe you if there's a cancellation or delay, and more. 

For more travel tips, here are some great travel gadgets, guidance on renewing your passport online and 19 things to add to your travel checklist. before leaving home.

Why have there been so many delays and cancellations?

Layoffs and contract buyouts during the pandemic have left many airlines short-staffed, fueling ongoing delays and cancellations.

Getty Images

Since Memorial Day, US-based airlines canceled more than 50,000 flights and delayed over a half-million, according to NPR. Delta said it canceled 100 scheduled daily flights in the US and Latin America between July 1 and Aug. 7. Southwest Airlines nixed almost 20,000 summer flights.   
The biggest factor has been that airlines are incredibly short-staffed. When the pandemic slowed air travel to a trickle, many carriers bought out employees' contracts and encouraged older pilots to take early retirement.

As a result, from December 2019 to December 2020, the number of airline workers shrank by at least 114,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Now carriers are clamoring to staff back up, but they're finding it hard to fill positions. 

The shortages extend to ground staff, baggage handlers, gate personnel and other workers, FlightAware spokesperson Kathleen Bangs told CNET. "They did a lot of buyouts during the pandemic. It's a remarkable growth period and they're just back-footed." 

It's particularly acute with pilots because it can take up to five years and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to train someone to fly a commercial airplane.

"Most airlines are simply not going to be able to realize their capacity plans because there simply aren't enough pilots, at least not for the next five-plus years," United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said in a quarterly earnings call back in April, NBC News reported.

Extreme weather has also added to the problem: Severe thunderstorms have caused multiple delays and flight cancellations, and that's aside from hurricane and wildfire season. Aircraft can fly at lower altitudes to try to avoid storm systems, but that burns more fuel -- a dicey proposition given the high cost of jet fuel. 

How to avoid having your flight delayed or canceled

There isn't much you can do to prevent a delay or cancellation. But there are some common-sense steps that will give you a better shot at making it to your destination -- or at least relaxing at home or in a hotel room, rather than stewing in the airport.

Download your airline's mobile app to keep on top of changes to your flight schedule.

Pavlo Gonchar/Getty Images

Leave extra time for layovers. You might think an hour is plenty of time to get from one gate to another, especially in the same terminal. But if the first leg of your journey is delayed that hour can turn into 30 minutes. And with most airlines closing the plane doors about 15 minutes prior to departure, you could easily miss your connection.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Denver International Airport (DEN) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) top the list of busiest hubs over the Labor Day holiday, according to Hopper.

Don't book a late-night flight. If you miss a connection, most airlines will work diligently to get you on the next available flight. But if you booked the last flight of the day to your destination, that may mean having to wait until morning -- and either pacing through the airport for hours or booking a night in a nearby hotel. 

Download the airline's app on your phone. Opt into flight notifications and start manually checking the status of your flight regularly, at least 24 hours in advance. As soon as you hear your flight has been cut, find out if you've been transferred to another flight.

Monitor the weather at both your departure and arrival airports. Start checking the weather in both places a few days before your flight. Some airlines will actually reschedule your flight in advance of a major weather front at no extra charge. If a storm is on its way, you might consider leaving a few days earlier or later or finding a different route.

Buy travel insurance. Depending on why your flight is canceled or delayed, the airline might not comp any meals, accommodations or transport you're forced to purchase. The payout for travel insurance may not cover all of your expenses, but it will definitely be more than the cost of a policy, typically 5% to 10% of your trip cost.

What to do if your flight is delayed or canceled

Time is of the essence, so be proactive about rescheduling your flight. 

"A lot of the time you can reschedule yourself on the flight of your choice" using the airline's app, said David Slotnick, senior aviation reporter for The Points Guy. "It'll save you a lot of time and aggravation." (Like CNET, The Points Guy is owned by Red Ventures.)

If that's not possible, call the airline. Even if you get sent to an automated system, it may have a call-back function. You can still call if you're already at the airport. Do it while you're in line to talk to an agent and take whichever option is available first.

What does the airline owe you if your flight is canceled?

While some airlines are able to get you booked on a different carrier if your flight is canceled, not all can.

Dmitry Marchenko/Getty Images

In the US, if a flight is canceled because of something that is the airline's fault -- a mechanical issue or a staffing shortage -- the carrier is required to refund your ticket.

"If you get canceled for any reason -- you don't take your flight -- they have to offer you a cash refund," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told NPR. "If you'd rather take miles or a different flight, fine. But that's up to you, not them. They've got to give you a refund. That's a basic rule,"  

The Department of Transportation website mandates airlines must also refund the cost of your ticket after a schedule change or significant delay, but the agency hasn't defined what constitutes a "significant delay."

"Whether you are entitled to a refund depends on many factors -- including the length of the delay, the length of the flight and your particular circumstances," according to the DOT website. Whether a refund following a significant delay is warranted is determined "on a case-by-case basis." 

If you don't request a refund, the airline is still responsible for getting you to your destination. But it could be much later than your original flight. Under most circumstances, carriers should provide vouchers for meals and hotels.

Make your plans quickly, though: Airport hotels fill up quickly amid widespread delays and cancellations.

Some airlines will work to get you on another flight with a different airline, Slotnick said, but not every airline has relationships with other carriers. 

What are airlines doing to address delays and cancellations?

Hiring more employees. "All the airlines are doing major hiring initiatives," Slotnick said. "They're rushing to hire pilots and deploy them." They're also trying to improve work conditions for existing workers: In April, Delta announced it would start paying flight attendants during boarding, rather than just once the plane door closes.

The move, a first for a major US airline, is seen as a countermeasure to a unionization push among workers.

Scheduling more flights. Someairlines are boosting service in popular corridors when they can. "They're trying to strike the right balance between adding flights and creating some slack in the system," Slotnick said.

For example, United Airlines recently launched or resumed 30 flights between the US and Europe, its largest expansion ever. Regular flights from Denver to Munich, Chicago to Zurich and New York to Bergen, Norway, are underway, as well as daily service between Boston and London.

When fully operational, United's transatlantic route network will be more than 25% larger than it was in 2019, before COVID-19 cratered air travel.

Some airlines have ramped up their roster of scheduled flights, while others have pared down to avoid having to cancel them later.

James Martin/CNET

Scheduling fewer flights. Otherairlines are going in the opposite direction, reducing their capacity rather than risk being forced to cancel a scheduled flight. JetBlue has already reduced its May routes by almost 10%, Conde Nast Traveler reported, and will likely make similar cuts throughout the summer.

"By reducing our flight schedule for the summer and continuing to hire new crewmembers, we hope to have more breathing room in the system to help ease some of the recent delays and cancellations that we've seen in the industry," a JetBlue spokesperson told the outlet. 

Southwest Airlines, the world's largest low-cost carrier, cut more than 8,000 domestic flights in June "to adjust to capacity," the company told The Business Journals. 

Delta  "temporarily cut" some Labor Day weekend flights from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and New York's LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy airports to deal with a large number of airline crew members and air traffic controllers who have already called in sick, The Washington Times reported.

Giving passengers more notice. All the airlines are making a concerted effort to give passengers as much information as possible, Slotnick said, through text updates and other notifications.

"Even a year before the pandemic, airlines were trying to be proactive about informing passengers, even 24 or 48 hours in advance of a possible cancellation," he said.

Offering waivers
United, Delta and other carriers are offering travel waivers to passengers to encourage them to move their flights out of busy time periods. All waiving the usual flight-change fees and some are even foregoing the usual fare difference.

The Department of Transportation has stepped in to hold airlines accountable

On Sept. 1, the U.S. Department of Transportation launched a new website that lets fliers know what they're entitled to when their flight is significantly delayed or canceled. The Aviation Consumer Protection site has a dashboard that compares what policies are regarding rebooking, meal and hotel vouchers and complimentary ground transportation for carriers including Alaska, Allegiant, American, Delta, Frontier, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit and United.

The Transportation Department's Air Consumer Dashboard compares offerings from major carriers.

Department of Transportation

"Passengers deserve transparency and clarity on what to expect from an airline when there is a cancelation or disruption," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. "This dashboard collects that information in one place so travelers can easily understand their rights, compare airline practices, and make informed decisions."

Buttigieg said the goal was to get the airlines to "raise the bar."

"Look, Americans have had experiences with cancellations, delays and poor customer service that just aren't at an acceptable level," he told NPR. "A lot of the airlines are not quite transparent about how and when they'll take care of passengers. "So we're going to put that information out ourselves."

Just knowing that information is out there for air travelers to see has spurred carriers to improve their offerings, Buttigieg added. 

The Department is also collecting comments on a proposed rule requiring airlines to proactively inform passengers about their right to a refund. It would also provide a clearer definition of a "significant change" to a scheduled flight and require airlines to provide non-expiring vouchers to passengers unable to fly because they contracted COVID-19 or other communicable diseases.

The proposal would also mandate carriers that receive pandemic assistance issue those passengers refunds instead of vouchers.

Are any airlines better or worse in terms of cancellations?

In 2021, Delta had the fewest cancellations of any major US airline.

Boarding1Now

Without naming names, Slotnick says that, broadly speaking, low-cost airlines have tighter margins with less slack, so theoretically you're more likely to face a cancellation.

But booking with a big carrier doesn't mean you're immune.

"The regionals have parked a lot of planes because they don't have enough staff," Bangs said. "And a lot of people who book on a major airline don't realize they're actually flying with a smaller carrier."

SkyWest, a smaller airline out of St. George, Utah, subcontracts for Delta, United, American and Alaska Airlines. So does Indiana-based Republic Airways.

Sometimes, bigger is indeed better: Last year, Delta had the best record in cancellation rates, according to The Wall Street Journal's annual airline rankings. The Atlanta-based airline scrubbed 0.6% of its scheduled departures in 2021, a third of the industry average of 1.8%.

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2019 honda accord review the driving enthusiast suffix 2019 honda accord review the driving enthusiastic meaning 2019 honda accord review the driving enthusiast crossword 2019 honda accord review the driving enthusiastic definition 2019 honda accord review the driving enthusiast apparel 2019 honda accord review the driving force 2019 honda accord review the lincoln 2019 honda odyssey for sale 2019 honda accord sport

2019 Honda Accord review: The driving enthusiast's family sedan

2019 Honda Accord review: The driving enthusiast's family sedan

It's a bit of a surprise to see a brand-new midsize sedan arrive with three pedals and a six-speed manual transmission, and even more so when those pieces are attached to a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine with a not-insignificant 252 horsepower. But this unusual and unusually sporting version of the 2019 Honda Accord is an absolute delight to drive, one that'll satisfy your need for speed even if your life circumstances have moved you away from sport compacts and into midsize sedans.

Powertrain aside, the 2019 Honda Accord is a wonderful car in which to spend time. It nails the mission brief of a midsize sedan, delivering easy everyday livability that makes this car our top pick in its class.

About that engine

Of course, with "2.0T" right in the name, there's no way to avoid discussing the brisk acceleration enabled by that engine. A cousin to the 2.0-liter in the Civic Type R, the turbo mill endows the Accord with 252 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque, the latter offered all the way from 1,500 through 4,000 rpm. That's quite a bit more verve than the 1.5-liter turbo engine in other Accords, which serves up a perfectly adequate 192 hp and 192 lb-ft and mates either to a manual or a continuously variable transmission.

On boost, the engine whips the Goodyear Eagle Touring tires into a frenzy and pulls swiftly through the manual transmission's lower gears. It's quite exciting for what is, ultimately, an ordinary family sedan.

Fortunately the engine is not all about big boost, and operates smoothly and quietly in more quotidian driving situations. There's ample torque right off idle for spurting through city traffic and enough midrange punch you don't even need to worry if you forget to downshift before merging.

The optional 2.0-liter turbo engine is a real powerhouse.

Jake Holmes/Roadshow

Big credit also must go to the car's six-speed manual, which has to be among the loveliest gearshifts you can find in a new car today. Light enough to use with two fingers, direct enough that you never mistake one gate for another and paired with a just-right clutch pedal, it's the sort of stick-shift arrangement that takes no effort at all to drive -- even in stop-and-go city traffic. But I wouldn't fault anyone for buying this car with the optional 10-speed automatic transmission instead.

Daily driver extraordinaire

There's quite a lot of joy in the way the 2019 Honda Accord handles all aspects of driving, actually. With a great, commanding driving position and panopticon visibility in every direction, busy city streets are no chore at all. The Accord's steering is light but not without some sense of what the front tires are doing, the brake pedal reassuringly firm but not overly so. It's a car that feels like it was engineered by people who enjoy driving, and as a result, it's a car that is enjoyable to drive.

On the freeway, the Accord keeps wind and road noise remarkably hushed, while displaying well-mannered damping that keeps head-bobbing over dips and bumps to a minimum. However, those 19-inch wheels and low-profile (235/40 aspect ratio) tires struggle with cracked and brittle pavement. Impacts are both felt and heard in the cabin; other Accords ride more softly on 17-inch wheels with more tire sidewall, and that would be my preferred setup for daily-driving duty.

The Accord's interior is functional and well laid out.

Jake Holmes/Roadshow

This Accord Sport model does benefit in terms of handling from a quicker steering ratio, upgraded anti-roll bars and wider tires than, say, the more common EX trim. But experience in other models suggests all Accords are equally as satisfying to drive as this sporty-ish model.

Business casual design

There's a lot to look about the stylish, modern design of the 2019 Honda Accord, which manages to be a whole lot less bland than the last-generation model. With a low nose and a curving roofline, the sedan has quite a sporty profile. I could do without the big chrome strip along the top of the windowline, but otherwise the Accord's jewelry, specifically the LED head- and taillights, nicely breaks up its big surfaces. Large 19-inch wheels, chromed dual exhausts and a trunklid spoiler are appreciated touches on this Sport model.

Functional interior

The cabin is equally pleasing to the eye, finished with high-quality materials that, despite the black-on-black color scheme, do not look in the least bit dour. Everything you touch, from plastics to switches to the teensy shift knob, feels nice, too. The two center cupholders are set deep into the console, so you can use taller coffee mugs or water bottles. The center console cubby itself is not enormous, though offers a USB and 12-volt power outlet to power gadgets. A cubby ahead of the shifter is home to another pair of outlets and can conceal a charging phone or iPod.

Honda's infotainment system works well and supports both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Jake Holmes/Roadshow

In true Honda fashion, the interior is extremely functional, with big knobs for the climate control, easy-to-find flaps covering the USB ports, big switches on the steering wheel and a superlegible, semidigital instrument cluster. While the right-hand side of the cluster is an old-school analog speedometer, the left-hand side can serve as a virtual tachometer or a trip computer, or can offer up any number of data pages for things like vehicle status, safety-system operation, music and phone calling info and even service schedules.

A big range of adjustment for the front seats and steering wheel makes finding a comfortable driving position a cinch, and there's head- and legroom to spare for average-size adults. The same is true of the second row, where you won't believe how much space passengers have. Even with the roof's sloping profile, back-seat headroom is generous.

Nor will you believe how much stuff you can fit in the trunk, which has a low liftover height, a wide opening and the ability to swallow a class-leading 16.7 cubic feet of your belongings. The back seats fold down easily, too, for transporting larger items if necessary.

The trunk is enormous, storage 16.7 cubic feet of luggage.

Jake Holmes/Roadshow

Plentiful technology

All Accords save the base LX and the Hybrid use an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment that supports Bluetooth, satellite radio, HD Radio, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Built-in navigation, a Wi-Fi hotspot and wireless phone charging are available on some models. It would be nice to have some USB ports in the back to keep the kids' tablets charged, too, though.

The touchscreen crams a lot of information onto its display, but its menu structure is simple to navigate and responses to inputs are near-instant. Redundant physical buttons surround the screen, making it easier to jump between options or to adjust settings by feel while driving.

Safety technology is in abundance and, best of all, most of it comes standard across all trim levels -- something that can't be said of all rivals. Standard equipment includes forward-collision warning automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning and lane-keep assist, traffic-sign recognition, automatic headlights and adaptive cruise control. That ACC is offered even on a manual-transmission car is a rarity. Blind-spot monitoring is also offered on most trim levels.

These wheels look great but don't do ride quality any favors.

Jake Holmes/Roadshow

Economy and pricing

One downside to electing the 2.0-liter engine is that fuel economy falls to 22 miles per gallon city and 32 mpg highway in this Sport model. While that's comparable to other high-powered midsize sedans -- the Toyota Camry XSE V6 also scores 22/32 mpg, for instance -- it's not too impressive by the standards of the class. Most shoppers will be more compelled by Accords equipped with the car's 1.5-liter turbo engine, which return up to 30/38 mpg in EPA testing. The Accord Hybrid, meanwhile, is rated for 47/47 mpg.

In terms of pricing, however, this Sport 2.0T falls right in the middle of the 2019 Accord range, at $31,630 as tested. The sedan's pricing structure largely mirrors its competition, with models powered by the base 1.5-liter engine running from $24,640 for an LX up to $31,040 for an EX-L. Opt for the 2.0-liter mill and you'll pay between $31,630 and $36,870.

This Accord Sport 2.0T is definitely the driving enthusiast's choice, what with its power and six-speed manual transmission. Yet spending a week behind the wheel of the Accord really just underlines how well-sorted the entire car is for whatever type of driving you like: City, suburb, or highway, the Accord handles it well. Plus, it's affordable, efficient, incredibly spacious and filled with technology that just plain works. With all that in mind, there's no midsize car we'd recommend more readily than the Honda Accord.

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Bezel-less Oppo R7 leaks on Chinese social media

Bezel-less Oppo R7 leaks on Chinese social media

Caught on video: Oppo's upcoming bezel-less R7. Screenshot by Aloysius Low/CNET

Chinese smartphone maker Oppo appears to be doing some magic with the design of its upcoming Oppo R7 phone, if this leaked video appears to be true.

The Android-powered handset alleged comes with almost non-existent bezels, with the large screen taking up the entire sides of the device, as you can see from the screen capture above.

The magic apparently lies in some visual trickery (which Oppo has filed a patent for) where the sides of the screen diffract the light to make it seem that the display extends all the way to the edge.

While the Sharp Aquos Crystal turned heads with its edge-to-edge display, Oppo's R7 looks even more convincing, since the Crystal still has a bit of an edge, while the R7 looks like it doesn't.

Other leaked specs of the R7 include a octa-core MediaTek processor, 4G support and a 20.7-megapixel rear camera. The phone's also rumored to be as slim as the Oppo R5 at just 4.85mm thick.

CNET has reached out to Oppo for more information. In the meantime, check out the video below. Note that it may not play for you as the video is hosted on a Chinese site that appears to have region locks for some countries.

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TikTok Parents Are Taking Advantage of Their Kids. It Needs to Stop

TikTok Parents Are Taking Advantage of Their Kids. It Needs to Stop

Rachel Barkman's son started accurately identifying different species of mushroom at the age of 2. Together they'd go out into the mossy woods near her home in Vancouver and forage. When it came to occasionally sharing in her TikTok videos her son's enthusiasm and skill for picking mushrooms, she didn't think twice about it -- they captured a few cute moments, and many of her 350,000-plus followers seemed to like it.

That was until last winter, when a female stranger approached them in the forest, bent down and addressed her son, then 3, by name and asked if he could show her some mushrooms. 

"I immediately went cold at the realization that I had equipped complete strangers with knowledge of my son that puts him at risk," Barkman said in an interview this past June. 

This incident, combined with research into the dangers of sharing too much, made her reevaluate her son's presence online. Starting at the beginning of this year, she vowed not to feature his face in future content. 

"My decision was fueled by a desire to protect my son, but also to protect and respect his identity and privacy, because he has a right to choose the way he is shown to the world," she said.

These kinds of dangers have cropped up alongside the rise in child influencers, such as 10-year-old Ryan Kaji of Ryan's World, who has almost 33 million subscribers, with various estimates putting his net worth in the multiple tens of millions of dollars. Increasingly, brands are looking to use smaller, more niche, micro- and nano-influencers, developing popular accounts on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube to reach their audiences. And amid this influencer gold rush there's a strong incentive for parents, many of whom are sharing photos and videos of their kids online anyway, to get in on the action. 

The increase in the number of parents who manage accounts for their kids -- child influencers' parents are often referred to as "sharents" -- opens the door to exploitation or other dangers. With almost no industry guardrails in place, these parents find themselves in an unregulated wild west. They're the only arbiters of how much exposure their children get, how much work their kids do, and what happens to money earned through any content they feature in.

"Once public engagement happens, it is very hard, if not impossible, to really put meaningful boundaries around it."

Leah Plunkett, author, Sharenthood

Instagram didn't respond to multiple requests for comment about whether it takes any steps to safeguard child influencers. A representative for TikTok said the company has a zero-tolerance approach to sexual exploitation and pointed to policies to protect accounts of users under the age of 16. But these policies don't apply to parents posting with or on behalf of their children. YouTube didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

"When parents share about their children online, they act as both the gatekeeper -- the one tasked with protecting a child's personal information -- and as the gate opener," said Stacey Steinberg, a professor of law at the University of Florida and author of the book Growing Up Shared. As the gate opener, "they benefit, gaining both social and possibly financial capital by their online disclosures."

The reality is that some parents neglect the gatekeeping and leave the gate wide open for any internet stranger to walk through unchecked. And walk through they do.

Meet the sharents

Mollie is an aspiring dancer and model with an Instagram following of 122,000 people. Her age is ambiguous but she could be anywhere from 11-13, meaning it's unlikely she's old enough to meet the social media platform's minimum age requirement. Her account is managed by her father, Chris, whose own account is linked in her bio, bringing things in line with Instagram's policy. (Chris didn't respond to a request for comment.)

You don't have to travel far on Instagram to discover accounts such as Mollie's, where grown men openly leer at preteen girls. Public-facing, parent-run accounts dedicated to dancers and gymnasts -- who are under the age of 13 and too young to have accounts of their own -- number in the thousands. (To protect privacy, we've chosen not to identify Mollie, which isn't her real name, or any other minors who haven't already appeared in the media.)

Parents use these accounts, which can have tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of followers, to raise their daughters' profiles by posting photos of them posing and demonstrating their flexibility in bikinis and leotards. The comment sections are often flooded with sexualized remarks. A single, ugly word appeared under one group shot of several young girls in bikinis: "orgy."

Some parents try to contain the damage by limiting comments on posts that attract too much attention. The parent running one dancer account took a break from regular scheduling to post a pastel-hued graphic reminding other parents to review their followers regularly. "After seeing multiple stories and posts from dance photographers we admire about cleaning up followers, I decided to spend time cleaning," read the caption. "I was shocked at how many creeps got through as followers."

But "cleaning up" means engaging in a never-ending game of whack-a-mole to keep unwanted followers at bay, and it ignores the fact that you don't need to be following a public account to view the posts. Photos of children are regularly reposted on fan or aggregator accounts, over which parents have no control, and they can also be served up through hashtags or through Instagram's discovery algorithms.

The simple truth is that publicly posted content is anyone's for the taking. "Once public engagement happens, it is very hard, if not impossible, to really put meaningful boundaries around it," said Leah Plunkett, author of the book Sharenthood and a member of the faculty at Harvard Law School.

This concern is at the heart of the current drama concerning the TikTok account @wren.eleanor. Wren is an adorable blonde 3-year-old girl, and the account, which has 17.3 million followers, is managed by her mother, Jacquelyn, who posts videos almost exclusively of her child. 

"As kids get older, they naturally want to define themselves on their own terms, and if parents have overshared about them in public spaces, that can be difficult."

Stacey Steinberg, author, Growing Up Shared

Concerned onlookers have pointed Jacquelyn toward comments that appear to be predatory, and have warned her that videos in which Wren is in a bathing suit, pretending to insert a tampon, or eating various foodstuffs have more watches, likes and saves than other content. They claim her reluctance to stop posting in spite of their warnings demonstrates she's prioritizing the income from her account over Wren's safety. Jacquelyn didn't respond to several requests for comment.

Last year, the FBI ran a campaign in which it estimated that there were 500,000 predators online every day -- and that's just in the US. Right now, across social platforms, we're seeing the growth of digital marketplaces that hinge on child exploitation, said Plunkett. She doesn't want to tell other parents what to do, she added, but she wants them to be aware that there's "a very real, very pressing threat that even innocent content that they put up about their children is very likely to be repurposed and find its way into those marketplaces."

Naivete vs. exploitation

When parent influencers started out in the world of blogging over a decade ago, the industry wasn't exploitative in the same way it is today, said Crystal Abidin, an academic from Curtin University who specializes in internet cultures. When you trace the child influencer industry back to its roots, what you find is parents, usually mothers, reaching out to one another to connect. "It first came from a place of care among these parent influencers," she said.

Over time, the industry shifted, centering on children more and more as advertising dollars flowed in and new marketplaces formed. 

Education about the risks hasn't caught up, which is why people like Sarah Adams, a Vancouver mom who runs the TikTok account @mom.uncharted, have taken it upon themselves to raise the flag on those risks. "My ultimate goal is just have parents pause and reflect on the state of sharenting right now," she said. 

But as Mom Uncharted, Adams is also part of a wider unofficial and informal watchdog group of internet moms and child safety experts shedding light on the often disturbing way in which some parents are, sometimes knowingly, exploiting their children online.

The troubling behavior uncovered by Adams and others suggests there's more than naivete at play -- specifically when parents sign up for and advertise services that let people buy "exclusive" or "VIP" access to content featuring their children.

Some parent-run social media accounts that Adams has found linked out to a site called SelectSets, which lets the parents sell photo sets of their children. One account offered sets with titles such as "2 little princesses." SelectSets has described the service as "a classy and professional" option for influencers to monetize content, allowing them to "avoid the stigma often associated with other platforms."

Over the last few weeks, SelectSets has gone offline and no owner could be traced for comment.

In addition to selling photos, many parent-run dancer accounts, Mollie's included, allow strangers to send the dancers swimwear and underwear from the dancers' Amazon wish lists, or money to "sponsor" them to "realize their dream" or support them on their "journeys."

While there's nothing technically illegal about anything these parents are doing, they're placing their children in a gray area that's not explicitly sexual but that many people would consider to be sexualized. The business model of using an Amazon wish list is one commonly embraced by online sugar babies who accept money and gifts from older men.

"Our Conditions of Use and Sale make clear that users of Amazon Services must be 18 or older or accompanied by a parent or guardian," said an Amazon spokesperson in a statement. "In rare cases where we are made aware that an account has been opened by a minor without permission, we close the account."

Adams says it's unlikely to be other 11-year-olds sending their pocket money to these girls so they attend their next bikini modeling shoot. "Who the fuck do you think is tipping these kids?" she said. "It's predators who are liking the way you exploit your child and giving them all the content they need."

Turning points

Plunkett distinguishes between parents who are casually sharing content that features their kids and parents who are sharing for profit, an activity she describes as "commercial sharenting." 

"You are taking your child, or in some cases, your broader family's private or intimate moments, and sharing them digitally, in the hope of having some kind of current or future financial benefit," she said.

No matter the parent's hopes or intentions, any time children appear in public-facing social media content, that content has the potential to go viral, and when it does, parents have a choice to either lean in and monetize it or try to rein it in.

During Abidin's research -- in which she follows the changing activities of the same influencers over time -- she's found that many influencer parents reach a turning point. It can be triggered by something as simple as other children at school being aware of their child's celebrity or their child not enjoying it anymore, or as serious as being involved in a car chase while trying to escape fans (an occurrence recounted to Abidin by one of her research subjects). 

"Frankly, this is all just a large social experiment."

Sarah Adams, who runs the TikTok account @mom.uncharted

One influencer, Katy Rose Pritchard, who has almost 92,000 Instagram followers, decided to stop showing her children's faces on social media this year after she discovered they were being used to create role-playing accounts. People had taken photos of her children that she'd posted and used them to create fictional profiles of children for personal gratification, which she said in a post made her feel "violated."

All these examples highlight the different kinds of threats sharents are exposing their children to. Plunkett describes three "buckets" of risk tied to publicly sharing content online. The first and perhaps most obvious are risks involving criminal and/or dangerous behavior, posing a direct threat to the child. 

The second are indirect risks, where content posted featuring children can be taken, reused, analyzed or repurposed by people with nefarious motives. Consequences include anything from bullying to harming future job prospects to millions of people having access to children's medical information -- a common trope on YouTube is a video with a melodramatic title and thumbnail involving a child's trip to the hospital, in which influencer parents with sick kids will document their health journeys in blow-by-blow detail.

The third set of risks are probably the least talked about, but they involve potential harm to a child's sense of self. If you're a child influencer, how you see yourself as a person and your ability to develop into an adult is "going to be shaped and in some instances impeded by the fact that your parents are creating this public performance persona for you," said Plunkett.

Often children won't be aware of what this public persona looks like to the audience and how it's being interpreted. They may not even be aware it exists. But at some point, as happened with Barkman, the private world in which content is created and the public world in which it's consumed will inevitably collide. At that point, the child will be thrust into the position of confronting the persona that's been created for them.

"As kids get older, they naturally want to define themselves on their own terms, and if parents have overshared about them in public spaces, that can be difficult, as many will already have notions about who that child is or what that child may like," said Steinberg. "These notions, of course, may be incorrect. And some children may value privacy and wish their life stories were theirs -- not their parents -- to tell."

Savannah and Cole LaBrant have documented nearly everything about their children's lives.

Jim Spellman/WireImage

This aspect of having their real-life stories made public is a key factor distinguishing children working in social media from children working in the professional entertainment industry, who usually play fictional roles. Many children who will become teens and adults in the next couple of decades will have to reckon with the fact that their parents put their most vulnerable moments on the internet for the world to see -- their meltdowns, their humiliation, their most personal moments. 

One influencer family, the LaBrants, were forced to issue a public apology in 2019 after they played an April Fools' Day Joke on their 6-year-old daughter Everleigh. The family pretended they were giving her dog away, eliciting tears throughout the video. As a result, many viewers felt that her parents, Sav and Cole, had inflicted unnecessary distress on her.

In the past few months, parents who film their children during meltdowns to demonstrate how to calm them down have found themselves the subject of ire on parenting Subreddits. Their critics argue that it's unfair to post content of children when they're at their most vulnerable, as it shows a lack of respect for a child's right to privacy.

Privacy-centric parenting

Even the staunchest advocates of child privacy know and understand the parental instinct of wanting to share their children's cuteness and talent with the world. "Our kids are the things usually we're the most proud of, the most excited about," said Adams. "It is normal to want to show them off and be proud of them."

When Adams started her account two years ago, she said her views were seen as more polarizing. But increasingly people seem to relate and share her concerns. Most of these are "average parents," naive to the risks they're exposing their kids to, but some are "commercial sharents" too.

Even though they don't always see eye to eye, the private conversations she's had with parents of children (she doesn't publicly call out anyone) with massive social media presences have been civil and productive. "I hope it opens more parents' eyes to the reality of the situation, because frankly this is all just a large social experiment," she said. "And it's being done on our kids. And that just doesn't seem like a good idea."

For Barkman, it's been "surprisingly easy, and hugely beneficial" to stop sharing content about her son. She's more present, and focuses only on capturing memories she wants to keep for herself.

"When motherhood is all consuming, it sometimes feels like that's all you have to offer, so I completely understand how we have slid into oversharing our children," she said. "It's a huge chunk of our identity and our hearts."

But Barkman recognizes the reality of the situation, which is that she doesn't know who's viewing her content and that she can't rely on tech platforms to protect her son. "We are raising a generation of children who have their entire lives broadcast online, and the newness of social media means we don't have much data on the impacts of that reality on children," she said. "I feel better acting with caution and letting my son have his privacy so that he can decide how he wants to be perceived by the world when he's ready and able."

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Wordle: Your Best Starter Words, Strategies, Tips and Tricks To Win

Wordle: Your Best Starter Words, Strategies, Tips and Tricks To Win

Recently, I shared my new easy winning strategy for playing Wordle, the hit online game invented by Josh Wardle that's now running daily on The New York Times' site. Essentially, I begin with TRAIN and CLOSE, then look at any correct letters and try a word that uses them in numerous spots. When I need to picture possible winning words, I utilize Xs to spell out the correct letters I know so far.

So far, the strategy is still working. While my streak of 38 wins is nothing to some people, it's my best ever. And I laughed to discover that right after I published the strategy, the answer to one day's Wordle was CLING, which nabbed me two letters from TRAIN and then two in the first two positions from CLOSE. It was kind of my Wordle lucky day. 

But as with any strategy, sometimes I get tired of proceeding down the same path or I feel stuck after four guesses and need to shake it up.

So I asked readers and friends to share their Wordle strategies these days. Hope you'll find some tips to freshen up your game play here.

Be a CHAMP

"I used to use TRAIN as my first guess; now my first two words are always NOISE and TRULY. If the word isn't apparent, I next use CHAMP. Those three words give me 15 letters that are most common, including all 6 vowels. If I'm still totally lost, I go with DEBUG, giving me three more consonants."  --Dan Hughes

Use yesterday's winner

"I always start with the previous day's winning word. Continuity!"  --Marc Hirsh

The random method

"For a long time I used two starter words that gave a lot of vowels and common letters, which always made me a solid four-line winner and sometimes three. But then I branched out and just tossed in random words. Still made me a solid four line winner, sometimes three and a couple of twos."  --Susan C. Young

Another vote for random

"I have almost no strategy. My wordle (and quordle) play is a random free for all. I get wordle in 4 guesses almost every time. I use whatever starter word pops into my head. I will use a second, random word to try to get more hits."  --Debe Ashe Hoover

Importance of A and R

"I also always type out what I have correct with 'X' in the unknown spot(s). Often times a visual person like me can then see the correct answer right away. Also, if I have an 'a' and an 'r' in the wrong place, I almost always move them to the 3rd and 4th spots, so it (could spell) 'are' or 'ard,' etc. That's where they belong a large percentage of the time, if I don't already have it correct."  --Christine Eberhard Minor

Get those vowels

"My strategy is starting with AUDIO to target four vowels."  --Vanessa Bloy

Did we mention vowels?

"ALOUD or OCEAN are my usual."  --Juli Jansen Pelletier

'Stare' at the puzzle

"I stopped playing — but my starter word was always STARE."  --Scott Lerman

Use a 'straw'

"(My starter word) is STRAW…". --Stefan Myslicki

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Coffee grind size: Why it matters and what you should be using

Coffee grind size: Why it matters and what you should be using

Making better coffee at home is spending a little extra time on a few, simple steps, such as using the correct temperature water, weighing coffee instead measuring by volume, and grinding your own beans on the spot.

Of everything you might encounter when brewing at home, grinding coffee is arguably one of the most crucial steps, as grind size alone can dramatically change the taste of your cup. Grind size and consistency can be the difference between one of the best cups you've ever had and a bitter, undrinkable mess.

Discover how grind size affects your cup and which is right for your brew method of choice.

Why grind size matters

When it comes to grind size, there are three factors which make the biggest difference: contact time,extraction rate and flow rate. To put it simply:

• The extraction rate of coffee grounds increases with a larger surface area.
• To increase surface area, grind the coffee finer.
• The higher the extraction rate, the less contact time is needed.
• A finer grind can reduce the flow rate of water, increasing the contact time.

Knowing this, if you have a brew method with a short contact time, the grind should be finer. In an immersion brewer, which steeps coffee grounds in water for several minutes, the contact time is much higher and, thus, requires a more coarse grind than most other brew methods.

If the contact time is too high or the grind is too fine, it will result in an over-extracted brew which can be bitter. If the grind is too coarse or the contact time is too short, the coffee will turn out weak.

Finding the proper balance between the two will help in producing the best cup of coffee possible.

Different types of filters, pressure and temperature can also play a part in determining grind size, but most brewing methods operate between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit (90.6 and 96.1 degrees Celsius) with little to no added pressure.

Which grind size should you use?

With an array of different brewing methods, knowing which grind size to use is crucial to getting the best possible cup.

Taylor Martin/CNET

• Turkish coffee calls for an extra fine grind size, similar to that of powdered sugar.
• Espresso is a brewed through using pressure (approximately 9 bar) to force water through compacted coffee grounds. The contact time is very short, requiring an extra fine grind size.
• The AeroPress is a popular single-cup manual coffee maker. It's similar to a French press in design and use, though users have come up with a laundry list of ways to brew. Recommended grind size is between medium and fine, depending on steep time.
• Siphon brewers use pressure to force water into a chamber holding the coffee grounds. Once the steep has finished, heat is removed, which creates a vacuum in the lower chamber and pulls the water through a filter. This method calls for a medium-fine grind size.
• Pour-over brewers come in an array of different sizes and shapes. While different brewers require varying grind sizes to control the flow rate of water, most pour over methods call for a medium to medium-fine grind.
• A stovetop espresso maker or Moka pot is a coffee maker which uses steam pressure to force water upwards through a filter basket full of coffee grounds. The contact time is quite short, but the pressure (approximately 1.5 bar) is a bit higher than your typical manual brewer. It calls for a medium grind size.
• A single-cup coffee maker, such as a Keurig or Verismo machine, is a drip brewer method, similar to the commercial drip brewers found in cafes. The contact time is fairly low, meaning it calls for a medium to medium-fine grind size, comparable to that of table salt.
• Drip coffee is what you typically get from a cafe or coffee shop. It's made in large batches and contact time is dictated by a small hole in the bottom of the brewing basket, so recommended grind size varies between medium-coarse to medium.
• The French press is an immersion brewer. Water is added to coffee grounds and allowed to steep for several minutes before straining out the grounds. This method calls for a coarse grind setting.
• Cold Brew, unlike other brewing methods, is done at or below room temperature and takes between 12 and 72 hours. Due to the low temperature, the extraction rate is low, regardless of grind size. A coarse or extra coarse grind size is recommended, as it's easier to filter. A finer grind size will work just as well (with a slightly shorter steep time), but can cause the final product to appear a bit cloudy.

Of course, all the above recommendations are just that -- recommendations. They are subject to change based on preferences and slight differences in brewers. Getting the grind size exactly right requires some testing and tweaking.

If you feel your cup of coffee is a tad weak, try a slightly finer grind size next time. Or if the coffee tastes too strong or slightly bitter, test with a slightly larger grind size to see if it solves the problem.

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Walmart Black Friday deals: Save big on AirPods Pro, TVs, smart home tech, fitness trackers and more

Walmart Black Friday deals: Save big on AirPods Pro, TVs, smart home tech, fitness trackers and more

This story is part of Gift Guide, our year-round collection of the best gift ideas.

We've been waiting for a while for Walmart's Black Friday deals to officially kick off, and the time is now here. Walmart officially began its Black Friday deals on Monday, Nov. 22 and will be running hundreds of Black Friday sales through the end of the week. The big box retailer kicked things off with a restock on both the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, but as you'd imagine they sold out rather quickly. As it stands now, it's unclear whether or not we will see another restock ahead of Black Friday.

In addition to the restocks, we've seen some incredible Walmart Black Friday deals on Apple's AirPods and AirPods Pro, as well as some cheap 4K TVs, discounted robot vacuums and so much more. Our team is looking for Walmart Black Friday deals and updating this story often as we come across new ones.

You could spend your time looking through the ad yourself, or you could scroll down for an overview of all the best deals. There's a chance that we do see other retailers like Amazon, Target and maybe Best Buy matching these offers. 

Walmart Black Friday deals at a glance

Here are all of our favorite Walmart Black Friday deals that you can take advantage of right now.

Today's best Walmart Black Friday deals

Walmart

If you don't already have an air fryer, Black Friday is a great time to pick one up. This Chefman 8-quart air fryer has a large capacity, multiple cooking presets and more. It's easy to clean and cooks great food, so what are you waiting for?

Instant Pot

This versatile multicooker features seven different cooking functions: pressure cook, rice cook, slow cook, yogurt, steam, sauté and keep warm. It also allows up to 13 customizable programs for quick, one-touch meals, so that you don't have to think about it. The fact that the lid is also dishwasher-safe makes cleanup just as easy.

iRobot

The Roomba i1 Plus empties itself into another container, meaning you don't have to think about it as often. Once you set it up the programming will do the rest, and it can even clean while you're away. The sensors can distinguish between carpet and hardwood, and can even detect the dirtiest part of your home, so it knows where to concentrate its efforts.

Beats

Featuring the Apple H1 chip (which offers fast pairing, Hey Siri support and more), these Beats headphones offer active noise canceling and last up to 22 hours between charges. They are also the first Beats to have an auto on/off feature connected to folding and unfolding the headphones, which makes using and storing them quick and painless, with no unforeseen drain on your battery.

Chris Monroe/CNET

Google's 2nd-gen Nest Hub smart display offers a 7-inch display that you can watch videos on, read recipes, host video chats and so much more. You can ask Google Assistant to help with math problems and conversions, to tell you the weather each day and even to help with controlling your smart home gear. At this price, you may want to just grab two of them since you're going to want them around the house.

Gateway

This 15" laptop is ultrathin and portable. It runs on Windows 10, which is being replaced by Windows 11, but it includes a free upgrade when available and a Microsoft 365 subscription is included for a year.

Walmart

The Instax Mini 7 Plus bundle is available in green, light blue, pink and purple, with the bundled items matching the color of the camera you pick. It comes with a few frames and photo holders for a little less than you can buy just the camera for right now.

Walmart

This cordless vacuum has all the standard capabilities you'd look for in a powerful machine while having the flexibility to transform into a portable machine for use on the go. Now, you can finally get those pesky spots in your car clean without much fuss.

Amazon

It's a robot vacuum cleaner that can suck up any debris in its path, which is a good thing because no one wants a vacuum that leaves crumbs behind. This vacuum can fit right in the tightest spots of your home, and clean both hardwood floors and carpet while you kick back and relax.

Walmart

If you're in the market for a new hard drive and you want one with a lot of storage, look no further than this hard drive from Toshiba. It features a 1TB storage capacity and stores all of your most important data in one location. You just need to plug it in and you're good to go.

More great Walmart Black Friday deals

In addition to all of the deals above, we've curated a list of more deals that are worth checking out as well. 

Expired deals

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The Best Strollers of 2022: Cost, Convenience and Best Features

The Best Strollers of 2022: Cost, Convenience and Best Features

A stroller can be one of the most expensive purchases you make as a new parent. We say "can" because the stroller market is so vast and varied that your choices range from sub-$100 umbrella strollers to premium models that ask $1,000 and up. With so many different options for wheeling around your bundle of joy, it's easy to become overwhelmed. 

In many ways, shopping for a stroller is like shopping for a car. Just as you'd do for that similarly daunting process, you must first identify your needs. Do you want a small stroller you can take anywhere and deploy and break down quickly, or do you want a large stroller that's more comfortable and can carry more stuff? How many seats do you need? Do you want to be able to swap in a car seat? And how much are you willing to spend? Once you have a better idea of what you want, you can narrow down your options. 

To help you in your search, we tested nine strollers across several different categories. Keep reading to find out which ones deserve your attention.

Read more: How To Choose the Right Baby Stroller for You

Screenshot by Nasha Addarich Martínez/CNET

It's a great idea to buy a convertible stroller for your first baby if you're considering having a second. It gives you the flexibility to add another seat and convert it into a double later on down the line. But while a convertible stroller will work well enough, a dedicated double stroller might better suit your needs. The Baby Jogger City Mini GT2 Double is an all-terrain side-by-side double stroller with several advantages over a convertible double stroller. For one, its maneuverability doesn't change with the number and size of the kids it's carrying. A convertible double stroller has its seats arranged in a tandem configuration. If you have an older toddler in the front seat, the added weight over the front wheels will affect your steering effort. A side-by-side doesn't have that problem if you don't exceed the stroller's weight limits.

Another benefit of the side-by-side layout is the ease of getting your child into the seat. Since there's nothing in front, lifting them into the seat is a breeze. My 3-year-old liked to climb into his seat himself, though this was a double-edged sword as he could just as easily climb out if he wasn't buckled in. Buckling him in was easy when I just used the waist belt, but the shoulder straps' interlocking harness system was tricky. The harness parts all go together a certain way, and getting them to stay that way while your child is squirming can be challenging. Another shortcoming is the small under-seat storage basket. It's a relatively small space for such a large stroller, though it will fit a backpack-style diaper bag, provided you can squeeze it past the crossbar right over the basket. There are also no cup holders, so if you want a place to dock your latte, you'll need to buy one separately from Baby Jogger.

Being an all-terrain stroller, the GT2 Double has larger wheels and a fantastic suspension that provide a smooth ride on pavement and more off-road capability for outdoor excursions. To set the brake, simply pull the lever on the right rail. 

One drawback of side-by-side double strollers is that they're wide. The GT2 Double will fit through standard-size doorways, though sometimes just barely. You need to be aware of the placement of the back wheels when pushing through a door to avoid snagging them. The stroller's extra width makes it less ideal for cruising narrow store aisles. It's best suited for wide-open spaces, so the GT2 Double has become my go-to theme park stroller. As I already mentioned, it's supremely maneuverable and very easy to get my kids in and out of. Thanks to the individually reclining seatbacks and flip-up footrests, it's also great for taking naps. If one child falls asleep, you can lean them back and pull down the sunshade, which provides generous coverage.  

Folding the GT2 Double is as easy as pulling the straps on the seats. The stroller collapses neatly in half, though you need to be ready for the top to swing down to avoid smacking your shins. Carrying the GT2 Double by those straps is easy enough, but at 36.5 pounds, it's far from being a lightweight stroller. Getting it in and out of your car requires some muscle, especially if you lift it over and into a conventional trunk. Additionally, its substantial width makes it bulky even when folded, so you'll need to clear a good amount of space to make room for it.  

Price: At around $700, the GT2 Double isn't cheap. But it makes life with two young kids a little bit easier, and for that, I say it's worth every penny.

Screenshot by Nasha Addarich Martínez/CNET

Unless you're a stroller enthusiast, you probably won't notice when another parent rolls up next to you with a fancy set of wheels. But everyone will notice the Wonderfold W4 Luxe. This imposing four-seat stroller wagon stands at 4.5 feet tall with the canopy fully extended and is just over 4 feet long. On walks, it will take up most of the sidewalk. Despite its size, the largest Wonderfold model is relatively easy to maneuver, though don't expect it to navigate tight corridors and aisles. You will feel the weight of the wagon (plus your kids) when pushing uphill or for long periods, but the large 12-inch wheels in the rear make that task less laborious.  

The Wonderfold W4 Luxe is kind of like a Pack 'n Play on wheels and, as such, it's spacious. The wagon comes with two bench seats, which accommodate two children each. The shoulder room will be tight with two toddlers on one bench, but it's manageable. We usually install the front-facing bench for our two kids, leaving space for blankets, toys and whatever else they need in the front of the wagon. I like that the walls are tall enough that my 3-year-old can't just jump out whenever he wants, and he likes the secret zipper door in the front that allows him to crawl in and out when opened. The canopy is simple and effective, providing plenty of shade no matter the sun's position. When not needed, the canopy rods slide out and stow neatly in the back of the wagon. Also in the back is a large external cargo basket that can hold your diaper bag and more.

The W4 Luxe's best feature is also its biggest downside: it's massive. The wagon weighs 58 pounds in total, and while folding it does shrink it down substantially, it's still bulky. This isn't a stroller you can fit easily in an average-sized trunk. You need to be able to fold some seats down or have a truck bed to toss it into -- and even then, lifting it in and out won't be easy. With all that said, the Wonderfold W4 Luxe isn't well suited for everyday stroller duties. 

Price: This wagon will set you back by $900. But if you have two or more kids and go on regular family adventures, the W4 Luxe is a fantastic option that you'll get years of use out of.

Screenshot by Nasha Addarich Martínez/CNET

After more than 60 years in the baby products game, Chicco has earned a reputation among parents for being a trusted brand. In the competitive stroller market, Chicco's offerings fall right in the middle of the price spectrum, and even though its strollers aren't super high-end, they offer a lot of bang for your buck. The Chicco Corso is a perfect example. 

The Corso is a full-size, single-seat travel system stroller, which means it was designed from the outset to be compatible with a car seat (in this case, the Chicco KeyFit range). Though the Corso's seat is suitable for newborn babies (it reclines fully and comes with an infant insert), it's easier to keep your little one in their car seat, remove it from its base, pop it into your stroller and go. Doing this avoids transferring your baby, which is a game-changer if they're sound asleep and want them to stay asleep.  

The Corso is a midrange stroller, so it feels plain compared to high-end offerings in the same class. Some of its materials are somewhat rough to the touch, and overall the seat lacks the plushness you might expect based on its upscale, modern design. I tested the Corso LE model, which does add a few more premium features, such as a faux leather wrap for the handlebar and bumper bar and a larger cargo basket with cup-holder pouches. It also upgrades the wheels from plastic to a treaded rubber design. These enhancements help raise the Corso's luxury quotient, but if you're expecting Uppababy or Nuna levels of quality, you'll be sorely disappointed.        

What the Corso lacks in luxury, it makes up for with practicality and value. The Corso is handy with a supple ride that's easy on your hands and your baby. The seat has three recline positions and will lay flat. Meanwhile, the canopy provides good coverage thanks to a zip-out extension. I love the one-handed folding mechanism, similar to the Chicco Bravo and it comes in handy when you've got a baby occupying your other hand. Once folded, the stroller stands on its own -- a highly underrated feature.

The Corso is often paired with a KeyFit infant car seat (the standard Corso gets the KeyFit 30 while the Corso LE gets the KeyFit 35). That makes sense since a travel system stroller works best when you have the car seat it's designed to work with. You can, however, buy the Corso separately.

Price: At around $500, the Chicco Corso is a versatile stroller that looks chic and performs well and is a comparable option from Uppababy or Nuna.    

Screenshot by Nasha Addarich Martínez/CNET

It's rare for a stroller to live up to its marketing hype, but the Veer Cruiser does just that with a rugged design that offers capability and utility in spades. The Veer is a versatile stroller wagon that seats two children. The wagon can be pulled or pushed, though pushing requires some getting used to as it steers from the back in this configuration. In keeping with its extreme outdoorsy image, the wagon is designed to be hosed down when it gets dirty. This is a great feature, especially if your kids spill food from the center snack tray. 

The Veer Cruiser's 12-inch rear wheels help it crawl over uneven terrain, while the front wheels with integrated suspension help smooth out the ride. The sides of the wagon are at a good height for a toddler to rest their arms on and they can easily climb in and out. Though the sides, seat backs and handle bar collapse flat, the Veer Cruiser is still bulky when folded due to its large wheels. It's also on the heavy side at 32.5 pounds.

The Veer Cruiser has many useful features out of the box, but some conveniences that come standard on other strollers are only available as optional accessories. For example, if you want shade for your children, you'll have to fork over an additional $60 each for the retractable canopies. If you want more cargo space, the rear cargo basket will set you back at around $80. The advantage of offering everything à la carte is you can customize your Veer Cruiser to your heart's content with unique colors and prints. The Veer Cruiser is undoubtedly a pricey option (especially after accessories), but you'll appreciate this wagon's versatility and robustness if you find yourself outdoors often. 

Price: At $699, the Veer cruiser is pricier than other strollers on this list. But if you enjoy having the option to fully customize your stroller to your ever-changing baby needs, it may be well worth the price.

Screenshot by Nasha Addarich Martínez/CNET

Full disclosure: I've owned an original Minu since 2018, so I've had a lot of time to consider what it does well and where it falls short. With that said, I can say the changes UppaBaby made to the Minu V2 go a long way towards addressing the issues I had with the original. The UppaBaby Minu is the brand's lightweight, compact stroller. Its significantly smaller dimensions make it well-suited for traveling on a plane, but the Minu also works as an everyday stroller.

The Minu V2 builds on the original with small but meaningful improvements. The latch that keeps the stroller together when folded is now hinged and spring-loaded, making it easier to release and unfold. The canopy has been redesigned with a zip-out extension, replacing the previous pull-down shade that got loose and floppy over time. There's also an adjustable leg rest, a welcome addition for naps in the stroller. 

These enhancements only make a great stroller even better. The Minu V2 still boasts exceptional maneuverability and a smooth, comfortable ride for a small stroller. Storage space is limited, but there's enough room in the cargo basket to stow a backpack-style diaper bag. Another reason you'll love it is it fits just about anywhere. There's no need to worry about clearance issues when you're rolling through a densely packed store -- and no matter what other junk you have in your trunk, odds are the Minu V2 will fit. Unfortunately, one feature that hasn't been updated is the two-pedal brake system. Normally, you step on the red pedal to set the brakes on both wheels and step on the green to release them, but in some cases, the pedals stick and fail to lock or unlock both wheels. This is an annoyance but won't affect functionality too much as you can still set the brake manually on each wheel.

Price: The Minu V2 is priced at around $450, which is high for a compact stroller. But its ease of use and overall build quality will ensure that you get plenty of mileage out of it. 

Screenshot by Nasha Addarich Martínez/CNET

If you like the idea of the Veer Cruiser but can't bring yourself to spend that kind of money on a wagon, the Evenflo Pivot Xplore is a compelling alternative that's substantially easier on your wallet. Like the Veer, the Pivot Xplore is an all-terrain stroller wagon with a reversible handlebar that allows you to pull it like a wagon or push it like a stroller. It seats two kids facing each other and comes with a detachable snack tray that snaps in the middle. It also comes with two canopies and an external cargo basket, features that are available only as optional accessories on the Veer.

The Pivot Xplore's large wheels with foam-filled rubber tires perform well on uneven terrain, though not as big as the Veer's. In addition to being competent off-road, the Pivot Xplore rides smoothly on pavement and requires little effort to push or steer when in stroller mode. The seats are spacious, offering plenty of room for your kids to grow thanks to a deep, expandable footwell and wide seat cushions. Drop the wagon's front rim to get in or out, and your kids can come and go as they please. The three-point waist belt is easy to use and holds them securely in place if you need them to stay put. 

Storage is another thing this stroller wagon does well. Each seat has an interior side pocket for storing snacks, sippy cups, toys or whatever your kids pick up on the trails. There are also two exterior pockets that are a good size for storing water bottles. The basket hangs off the back of the wagon and provides a decent amount of space for jackets or a small diaper bag. Do keep in mind that it can get in the way of your legs when pushing in stroller mode. 

It's tough to avoid bulkiness with a wagon, especially an all-terrain wagon with large wheels. The Pivot Xplore weighs 34.7 pounds, but it doesn't feel that heavy loading it into your car when folded. The folding process is straightforward, but it does require some muscle to get the two ends of the stroller to scissor in half and click together in the middle. 

Price: At just under $400, the Pivot Xplore offers a tremendous amount of value for the money. For nearly half the price of the Veer, you get almost as much utility.

Screenshot by Nasha Addarich Martínez/CNET

If you're a parent that's constantly on the go, you need a stroller that can keep up with your busy lifestyle. The Ergobaby Metro Plus is a compact stroller that offers a lot of convenience and takes up hardly any space at all when folded. 

Thanks to its compact dimensions, the Metro Plus can fit just about anywhere, whether you're making your way through a crowded store or rolling down the narrow aisle of an airplane. It also folds up small enough that it's approved for stowage in the overhead bins of most airlines, which is great because a stroller comes in handy when boarding or deplaning with a toddler. At just under 17 pounds, the Metro Plus is exceptionally light. Moving it from one car to another is effortless, especially since you don't have to rearrange your trunk to get it to fit. 

The Metro Plus is reasonably spacious for a compact stroller with a well-padded seat. The seatback reclines flat for nap time and has an adjustable leg rest. The canopy is mounted high on the stroller, limiting coverage, and there's no visor extension. Meanwhile, the cargo basket is decent for a small stroller and has a good clearance between the bottom crossbar and the basket. I also appreciate the adjustable handlebar, a feature I wish the Minu had. The Metro Plus rides well on smooth surfaces, but it can get bumpy going over chunky asphalt. The stroller is supposed to fold with only one hand, but I found the folding mechanics awkward and almost always had to use two hands to origami it into the correct position. It could just take some getting used to, however.

I wouldn't recommend the Metro Plus as your only stroller, but it works great as a lightweight second stroller that you can quickly grab and go. 

Price: At right around $300, it's a fair bit cheaper than the Minu. 

Other strollers we've tested

Screenshot by Nasha Addarich Martínez/CNET

Because the stroller market is so competitive, manufacturers need to keep innovating new features to make their products stand out. One such innovation is the self-folding mechanism, a design that allows a stroller to fold itself automatically without operator assistance. If you frequently have your hands full by the time you get to your car, this is huge, as you have one less thing to worry about when you're trying to get your baby back in the car. The Evenflo Gold Otto is a new addition to the niche self-folding stroller segment, and though it's not perfect, there's a lot to like about it. 

For starters, it's true to its name. Just press the button on the handlebar and the Evenflo Otto automatically collapses down. To unfold it again, hit the same button and pull the handlebar up to watch the stroller snap into position. When folded, it's not quite as compact as the other travel strollers I tested, but it's still easy to squeeze into your trunk or the back seat. It could use some improvement in the ride and handling department. The Otto uses small foam wheels and doesn't have much in the way of suspension. As a result, the ride can be bumpy at times. The wheels on my tester squeaked more than I liked. 

Price: The Otto only costs around $200. If you can live with the above issues, the Otto would make a great second stroller for running quick errands. 

Screenshot by Nasha Addarich Martínez/CNET

The Chicco Cortina Together is a dedicated double stroller with seats arranged in tandem or in-line configuration. It has some handy features, but like other strollers in this category, it also has some major downsides. But first, let's go over what it does well. The Cortina Together can accommodate two larger toddlers thanks to spacious seats with high backs. Additionally, the stroller can accept two Chicco infant car seats (KeyFit 30/35 or Fit2) without adaptors. There's also a nifty parent tray with two built-in cup holders and a small storage compartment beneath the handlebar. The storage basket is large, though not as large as it appears since about one-third of it serves as the footwell for the rear seat.   

Now on to the stroller's drawbacks. The Cortina Together is difficult to push and steer when loaded up with two kids. Its small plastic wheels don't roll well on anything but smooth surfaces, and the suspension doesn't do much to dampen the ride over rough pavement. When folded, the Cortina Together is long and unwieldy, and though it might fit in a large, mostly empty trunk, you'll need to clear a good amount of space for it in most cars. It's also fairly heavy at 36.6 pounds. 

Price: At around $320, the Cortina Together isn't too expensive, but there are better double stroller solutions out there. 

How we tested

I began researching the most popular strollers online, looking for models with stand-out individual reviews and high aggregate review scores. After acquiring a sampling of strollers from various categories and price ranges, I tested them over several months. On the many walks around the neighborhood, visits to the park, shopping trips and all-day excursions during that time, I evaluated each stroller based on the following criteria:

Convenience: How easy is it for the parent to use, break down and transport?
Comfort: How do my children like riding in it? Do they get sweaty from the seat material? Are the straps comfortable to wear?
Ride and handling: How smooth is the ride? How easy is it to push and steer?
Value: Do you get your money's worth for the price you pay?

Stroller FAQs

What are the different types of strollers?

It seems like the stroller market invents new niche categories every year, but here are the basic types of strollers available: 

Full-sized: This is the standard stroller size. Full-sized strollers typically feature more robust construction than compacts and have wider seats. Some full-sized strollers, like the Uppababy Vista, are convertible strollers, meaning they can accommodate a second seat if you want to convert it to a double. 

Double: A double stroller has two seats arranged in either an in-line or side-by-side configuration. 

Travel system: This type of stroller lets you swap the seat out for a compatible infant car seat or bassinet. Because it's modular, you can add pieces as you need them. Another handy travel system feature allows you to flip the seat around, so your baby's facing you. 

Compact: Made for parents who are always on the go, compact strollers offer many of the same benefits as their full-sized counterparts but in a smaller package. They're sometimes called travel or lightweight strollers. 

Umbrella: Even smaller and lighter than a compact, umbrella strollers are great for traveling as they're portable when folded. They also tend to be pretty basic, so don't expect to get many features. But because they're so simple, umbrella strollers are affordable choices. 

Jogging: Parents who can't live without their morning run might consider a jogging stroller. These purpose-built buggies have large wheels and beefed-up suspensions to handle rough terrain. They usually also include air-filled tires and a hand-operated brake to help you slow down. 

Stroller wagon: As the name implies, stroller wagons are one part wagon and one part stroller. They're great for when your kids are a little older as they offer more space. They also give you more cargo options than a typical stroller. 

Car seat carriers: Like a travel system stroller, a car seat carrier will snap into an infant car seat. But that's all they're designed to do. They're sometimes called stroller frames, which is apt because that's exactly what they are. Since there's no seat or anything in the way of creature comforts, these tend to be relatively inexpensive. 

Can you use a stroller for a newborn?

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, a baby should be able to hold their head up between their first four and six months. Before that, they lack the muscle strength in their neck to keep their head upright. That means most stroller seats aren't suitable for newborn babies. One exception is if your stroller can recline completely flat. Some companies also make newborn inserts for their stroller seats, which give your baby a little more support in a seat that's frankly too big for them.

But even though you can put your baby in some stroller seats, it's probably best to keep them in a car seat or bassinet. Travel system strollers are great options, as they give you flexibility from birth to toddlerhood. If you don't have a true travel system stroller, you might still be able to get an adapter for it that will allow you to use your car seat.

Do you need more than one stroller?

No, you don't need more than one stroller. But having a second one significantly opens up your options for taking the baby out. That's because you can have two strollers that each specialize in doing one thing rather than having to choose one stroller that's a jack of all trades but master of none. For example, you could pick a full-sized stroller for long outings where you want storage space and ride comfort and pair it with a compact for running quick errands.

If you think you're a one-stroller family, make sure you get something versatile that can meet all your needs. Full-size travel system strollers work well in this role, and if it's going to be your only stroller, you can spend a little more money on one. You might consider upgrading to a premium brand like Uppababy or Nuna.

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.

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