Compare Evenflo Shyft DualRide vs Doona Car Seat Stroller

Will the Evenflo Shyft DualRide live up to the Doona car seat stroller? Can it possibly be better? Evenflo Shyft DualRide vs Doona, which is better?

When I heard about the Evenflo DualRide, I had to buy one and do a comparison review. Which one really is the best travel infant car seat?

Is it safe for newborn babies? Would the ease of use be better? How is the stroller’s maneuverability? What are the safety features? Is there storage? What are all the stroller features?

If you have read my Doona review, you know I love it and recommend it to everyone as the best infant car seat—way better than other infant car seats with travel systems.

The initial ratings for the Evenflo Shyft DualRide are good. Will I agree?

I own both infant car seat stroller combos and will compare the Doona vs. Evenflo Shyft DualRide side by side and see how they stack up against each other.

Make sure to read my full Evenflo Shyft DualRide car seat review here for everything you need and want to know.

---

Who Am I?

Hi, I am Hannah! I am a real mom of two, and I have a slight addiction to strollers, breast pumps, and baby items that make everyday life and traveling with a baby and toddlers easier.

I started using the Doona infant car seat when my son was three months old on a five-week trip to Mexico after searching for the best infant travel car seat. After that trip, I realized it wasn’t just for travel. It was for everyday life, too.

I started using the Doona exclusively from three months old until my son reached the height limit at 17 months old. I brought my newborn baby girl Isla home from the hospital in the Doona.

Being a mom is a tough job the way it is, so why make it harder by struggling with an infant car seat and stroller travel systems?

---

Evenflo Shyft DualRide vs. Doona Car Seat Stroller

When compared side by side, both strollers look very alike, and both function like a car seat stroller combo. They fold in similar ways, both make your life easier, etc.

However, there are some differences between Doona and Evenflo Shyft DualRide that you should know to determine which is a better fit for you.

What is the Biggest Difference?

The biggest difference is the DualRide car seat offers a removable stroller mode and can be in carrier mode only.

This basically means it can be carried like a traditional infant car seat. The wheels and stroller frame stay attached to the car seat base when in carrier mode.

The Doona can never detach from its wheels. They are always attached.

I don’t see when or why you would ever need this option. So, to me, this is not a function I would value when deciding which is the better option.

---

Price

With convenience comes a price tag. I am sure you were hoping the Evenflo was much cheaper than the standard Doona stroller, and it is technically cheaper but only $50.01.

That is if you buy this base model direct from the manufacturer and it doesn’t come with any accessories.

• Doona $550
• Evenflo Shyft DualRide $549.99 with Storage bag & Cupholder
• DualRide Base Model $499.99, no accessories

There are sometimes sales on Evenflo strollers if you buy direct here. At the time of writing this review, Ergobaby was running a 25% off sitewide sale that was good on the Shyft.

Neither are budget friendly infant car seats, but the convenience is worth it.

Ease of Folding

To make the car seat go from stroller mode down to just a car seat is essentially the same on both. It is one button and then folding it down. You will find yourself doing it without even thinking. It is that easy.

I find folding the Doona is EASIER because it only has one button. It is the same button to unfold from a car seat to a stroller.

BUT, the DualRide infant car seat has two buttons: one is for folding down, and the other button is used for unfolding. I often found myself pushing the wrong button a few times before getting frustrated.

Weight

The Doona weighs less by 3.5 pounds, which may not seem like much, but it is, trust me. Neither of these is a lightweight infant car seat. The lightest infant car seat on the market is the Nuna Pipa Lite RX, which weighs only 6.9 lbs.

Airplane Use

Both are FAA approved car seats and are allowed on the airplane.

Both claim to fit down the aisle if you plan on pushing the stroller to your seat, but I would say over half of the planes I have been on it didn’t fit, or it was too much of a pain with people hanging into the aisle, etc.

I have flown with the Doona 30+ times, mainly paying for a seat for my child and having them sit in the Doona on the plane. I have also gate-checked it as well and had no issues.

Make sure to use a padded travel bag, that is the big black bag in the picture above.

If you travel often and plan on flying with the Shyft DualRide car seat and will check or gatecheck it, we highly recommend purchasing this padded travel bag. Also, make sure to keep your receipts just in case you need to make a claim with the airline or your travel insurance.

Headrest

The headrest on the Evenflo adjusts if you just pull it up and can be extended over the top of the car seat frame and canopy. This should give you more time to use the car seat as you won’t max out the height as fast.

The Doona cannot do this. So, once your child’s head is one inch from the top of the car seat shell, you can no longer use this car seat.

How Long Can a Baby Use the Car Seat?

For both car seats, your child can use the car seat until they reach the height or weight limit, whatever comes first. For most moms, their baby reaches the max height first and needs to move to a convertible car seat.

I personally had my son in the Doona car seat until he was 17 months old when he reached the max height. My son didn’t reach 35 lbs (max weight) until he was 3.5 years old. In the above photo, he is 10.5 months old.

Doona vs. Evenflo Shyft DualRide Wheels

Both stroller wheels were not designed to be all terrain wheels. They are both designed to be a city stroller, used mainly on the pavement. There is no fancy suspension system or huge monster wheels.

The Doona wheels are bigger and perform slightly better. When you see the black and yellow wheels, you know it is a Doona stroller, and we like the overall design of the wheel better.

We traveled with the Doona to Mexico and used on the beaches and week on Isla Holbox, which has no paved roads. It is all sand, and it worked fine for us. We also brought it to Portugal on the cobblestone streets; it was a bumpy ride, but all strollers would be a rough ride.

Handlebar Height

The Shyft DualRide handlebar is 3.5 inches taller than the Doona handlebar, which is a noticeable and sizeable difference.

One of the biggest questions and complaints about the Doona is that the handlebar is too short for tall parents. I am going to start off by saying that I am 5’10, and my husband is 6’5. So, we are a well above-average height couple, and we have no problem with the handlebar.

Canopy

The DualRide’s canopy is much larger than the Doona’s. However, I often found that I wasn’t grabbing the right part of the canopy to fully extend it. It sounds funny, but the way it lays when shut makes it hard to easily grab the part you need to fully extend the canopy.

I used this 360 Doona sunshade when I wanted more coverage or to create more of a blackout environment.

Also, these cheap breastfeeding covers work great. I have this one that is in the picture above.

Harness

The DualRide is better for a smaller baby. The lowest harness height is 4.5″, which is really low and can fit a 3-pound baby. There are eight harness positions on the DualRide.

Whereas the Doona at its lowest harness setting is for a 4-pound baby, and even at the weight, the harness is questionably high. This harness height is too high for a smaller or premature baby.

Adjusting the harness is so much easier on the DualRide vs Doona. For the Doona, you have to rethread the harness, whereas you don’t have to rethread with the DualRide.

Brake

I like the brake on the Doona way better. There is only one brake to push, and it stops both back wheels.

On the DualRide, there is a brake on both back wheels. If you only lock one brake, then the stroller can still slightly move and do a 360. You have to push both brakes.

You then have to push both brakes to release the brakes. I will say that you can easily do this barefoot or with sandals. Some stroller brakes are hard to do in sandals.

Car Seat Installation

Both attach and detach from the car seat base really easily with one click of a button. The initial infant car seat installation of the base is easy on both.

European Belt Path Routing

Both car seats can be installed without the car seat base, which is often referred to as the European belt path routing. This is great if you travel often and don’t want to bring the car seat base with you. In the above photo, we have the car seat installed without a base and just the seat belt.

We have done this when we travel with very little car use. For example, our trip to Beaches Turks & Caicos was only the transport to and from the airport, and our Alaska cruise was only to and from the airport to the cruise port, etc., so we just used the seat belt.

If you have been looking at travel car seats and the thought of what travel will look like makes you not want to travel anymore, you are not alone. Thankfully, both of these car seats can be installed without the base, and you won’t have a travel system or a separate travel stroller.

Included Accessories

Included for free with Evenflo are a removable parent cup holder and a carryall storage bag. Both of these are Doona accessories you have to purchase separately.

However, Doona includes a vehicle seat protector, and Evenflo doesn’t. I like this car seat protector. If you buy the base model here, it does not come with any additional accessories. You will have to purchase the DualRide storage bag here separately.

Anti-Rebound Bar

Both car seats have an anti-rebound bar. It is in the handle on the Doona and on the car seat base back panel on the Evenflo. This helps reduce the bounce back that happens after a crash and reduces how much the car seat moves.

Storage

Neither has built-in storage. Both you have to remove the storage bag in order to fold down the car seat. I like the storage on the Doona better.

The carryall storage bag from Evenflo is located on the front of the stroller and attaches to the car seat. You just loop it on.

I don’t like it in the front of the stroller. It gets in the way of my feet, and it is also very low to the ground.

The Doona Snap-On Storage bag connects to the back of the car seat. It just slides into the holders, not a snap, even though it is called snap-on storage. There are also cheaper storage bag dupes like this one.

Color Options

The Doona has seven color options, while the DualRide only has three. I have the red Doona and the Boone Gray Evenflo.

If you have another baby, I suggest getting a neutral color so that it can be used with either gender. This will increase its resale value and make it easier to sell.

Canada Approved Car Seat

The Evenflo Shyft DualRide is approved in Canada, and the Doona is not approved in Canada.

Technically, Doona is illegal in Canada because it does not meet Canadian standards and does not contain the Canadian National Safety Mark. Apparently, Doona is banned in Canada because the angle of the car seat cannot be adjusted.

If you travel to Canada often, I would choose an infant car seat that has the Canadian National Safety Mark. We did travel to Canada with a Doona car seat and had no issues, but there is that off chance you get pulled over and your car seat gets inspected.

EU Approved Car Seat

The Doona is approved in the EU. There is a US Doona and an EU Doona. You can legally use the US Doona in Europe. Here are the differences between the two:

• The harness is different. There is no chest buckle on the EU version. EU requires a car seat harness to release in a single motion, so it has a 5-point harness. The US Doona also has a 5-point harness but in the form of a chest clip and a crotch buckle.
• The US version has a chest clip, and the EU doesn’t. Chest clips are illegal by EU car seat standards. In the US, chest clips aren’t required. You see them on most of the top infant car seats, which is why they are on the Doona because most parents assume they are needed.
• Different car seat bases (ISOFIX vs. LATCH)
• Where the car seat belt passage attaches Doona to the car

---

Why a Stroller Car Seat Combo All in One is the Best

If you don’t want to carry an infant car seat in and out of the house, always have a stroller in your trunk, and then have to use car seat adapters to finally THEN have your baby in a stroller ready to roll.

The traditional travel system I knew was never for me. There were too many pieces, and I didn’t want to carry my baby in the car seat into the house, the store, the doctor, etc.

Why do that when you can purchase a car seat and stroller combo? Exactly…don’t!

If you are looking for a car seat stroller in one, both the Doona and the Shyft DualRide are great options. They are the only two car seat options on the market that aren’t the typical travel system with separate stroller and car seat adapters.

Related: Best Disney Approved Strollers

Evenflo Shyft Dualride Vs Doona: Which is the Best Choice?

It honestly is a toss-up with me. I like the design, and look better on the Doona. It also folds and unfolds more easily, and there are fewer buttons.

To me, the DualRide looks clunkier and cheaper, but that wouldn’t stop me from necessarily buying it if I got it on sale.

Click here to check if it is on sale now. Often, the sales promo code is on the top of the page.

If you know you are having a smaller baby or if you know you will use the carrier mode option to carry it like a stand portable infant car seat without the stroller wheels (I know I never would). Or if you are a taller parent and like the idea of a taller handler bar.

You can’t go wrong with either of these. They both are so much better than travel systems.

You need to pick the best car seat that fits your needs and wants. If you have read tons of reviews, we hope our review helped make your decision!

---

Ready for a Trike or Stroller Wagon?

If you are looking for an easy-to-travel trike, consider checking out the Doona Liki Trike. It folds down super small, is great for travel, and easily fits in your truck.

If your next big purchase is a wagon, make sure to read my best stroller wagon round up here. I personally love the Veer Cruiser wagon. It, too, breaks down great and is super durable.

---

Do you have any questions that we didn’t answer?

Please leave them below in the comments!

---

So, once you decide which is best for you, make sure to put it on your baby registry list.

Make sure you put some of our other favorite baby items. Here are a few other items we personally own and swear by that you might want to add to your baby registry:

• Joolz Aer – Best Travel Stroller
• Snoo Bassinet – Our daughter slept 11 hours straight at six weeks
• Baby Breeza Formula Pro – Automatic Formula Dispenser makes a perfect warm bottle in seconds
• Bamboo Baby Pajamas – The softest ever and great for babies with sensitive skin or eczema
• Zoe Double – Best Travel Double Stroller
• Slumberpod – Must have for hotel rooms

If you travel often, here are some of our flying with toddler tips. Planning a Disney trip? Make sure you know the Disney stroller rules first!