I spent six hours researching folding wagons (sometimes called utility wagons), first identifying popular models and looking at the technology involved. To find out which features people value most in wagons, I surveyed half a dozen individuals who regularly pull or push loads of stuff—from groceries to gardening supplies to toddlers. I also visited a handful of outdoor-gear stores to see what models they recommend.

Personally, I’m a science writer with more than a decade of experience interviewing experts in countless fields, including parenting, environmental science, and child development. I’m also the mom of two small guys whose stuff I have been hauling around in wagons since I began working on this guide three years ago (they’ve occasionally hopped in for a ride, too). I live in coastal California, where wagons are often the default way to move kids, beach gear, and even school equipment around the neighborhood.

Wagons can be helpful for all kinds of jaunts, including trips to the beach and the farmers market. They are handy for lugging a load of groceries home from the store, hauling equipment to playing fields, setting up a fully stocked picnic or birthday party in the park, and even for ferrying heavy stuff from truck to door during a move.

The combination of their light weight and a fold-down frame makes folding wagons especially handy for everyday use, including getting in and out of a car or on and off public transportation. We’ve seen people using these wagons around the neighborhood and at the beach, as well as for gardening, outdoor concerts and movies, and sporting events. I even ran into a PTA parent who was using a wagon to schlep a used printer to school.

Though it’s common for people to haul kids in these wagons—and we occasionally put our own kids in them during testing—they’re not rated for toting kids. So we can’t safely recommend it.

We approached this guide with the aim of identifying wagons that are ideal for general use—like lugging groceries or going to the beach. Based on our research, we determined that a good wagon should:

Have decent storage capacity: You want a wagon to haul things. We looked for models with a large capacity, enough to tote several bags of groceries or beach gear. Extra storage on the outside, like pockets, cupholders, and snack carriers, were considered a bonus.

Be comfortable and convenient to operate: We tested the wagons’ turning radiuses on sand, dirt, and concrete to see how easy it was to navigate cones when a wagon was filled with gear. In addition, we evaluated the ease of pushing or pulling the wagons in different situations. We looked at the materials of the frame and the sides, which affect the overall sturdiness and smoothness of the ride. And we also considered the length and angle of the handle, which adults of different sizes would have to push or pull.

Store without too much hassle: We assessed the wagons on their ease of folding, as well as their overall collapsed size once folded.

Our initial research left us with a list of 10 contenders. We ultimately settled on a testing pool of six models that were recommended by experts and well reviewed, and that included the features testers told us they wanted.

We then spent 15 hours testing finalists. To start, we assessed the initial assembly of each wagon, noting any particular frustrations, as well as any extra tools that were required. (Because none of the wagons were especially difficult to put together, we did not make this a major criterion.) We also looked at how easy each wagon was to fold and pick up, and to store in a small space.

We evaluated the wagons in several scenarios and conditions. For the first round of testing in 2019, I used each wagon on trips to my son’s elementary school, traveling about half a mile each way over sidewalks and city streets during the course of two months. I also took them to the beach, rolling them down the beach path and testing them on the sand. Additionally, I tested each wagon (filled with soccer equipment) on grass and bumpy, broken concrete surfaces, paying attention to how the suspension and wheels performed under different conditions. In spring 2021, I tested four additional beach-friendly wagons during several trips from my home in Santa Monica to the beach (10 blocks away) and back. I hauled both of my sons along with beach gear like boogie boards, coolers, chairs, and endless amounts of sand toys.

The sturdy yet simple Mac Sports Collapsible Folding Outdoor Utility Wagon is what most people are probably looking for in a folding wagon—a versatile, easy-to-use, lighter wagon at a reasonable price. The Mac Sports Wagon weighs 22½ pounds and can hold up to 150 pounds of gear. Based on its listed interior dimensions, we calculated the storage to be about 3½ cubic feet. It has a solid frame, which remained durable throughout a battery of tests, including rolling the wagon down a hill while it was filled with equipment.

Like the Mac Sports Heavy Duty Collapsible Folding All Terrain Utility Cart (our pick for use on sand), the Mac Sports Outdoor wagon has an easy-to-use, telescoping handle. Of all the folding wagons we tested, this Mac Sports wagon was the most adept at making sharp turns to navigate a small obstacle course on grass or concrete. It does not require any assembly, which is also true of our beach-wagon pick from the same company. Two small mesh pockets at the front can hold drinks or flip-flops, and we found that these pockets were better placed and more useful than similar pockets on other folding wagons.

This Mac Sports wagon folds up to about the same size as the beach-wagon version of the Mac Sports. But because of how tightly this one folds, it seems more compact and easy to carry than any of the other wagons we tested. When folded, the Mac Sports wagon’s dimensions are approximately 29½ by 20 by 8 inches. It comes with a small cover, which squeezes the accordion folds together tightly and makes the wagon easier to lift and carry with the included strap. The material is easy to wipe clean, and during our testing it didn’t grow any mildew when stored damp. Even after over a year of use, the wagon didn’t lose any ability to fold or unfold smoothly. It comes with a one-year warranty.

The Mac Sports wagon’s skinny rubber wheels, compared with larger-wheeled models we tested, sunk into the sand a bit during testing. This wasn’t too problematic when the wagon was carrying an average load (beach chairs, towels, drinks, and snacks). But with a kid or two added to the mix, this wagon’s wheels started to drag deeper. We think the Mac Sports wagon is fine for occasional beach use, especially if your gear is more bulky than heavy and you don’t have to travel too far to your spot. But if you’re looking for a folding wagon to primarily use at the beach, we recommend paying more for the Mac Sports Heavy Duty Collapsible Folding All Terrain Utility Cart.

Like the other basic folding wagons we tested, the Mac Sports lacks locking wheels, so it will roll when left on a hill. The only wagons with locking wheels that we tested were the stroller-type wagons and the Beau Jardin.

With the largest capacity of any wagon we’ve tested, a quick and compact fold, and the best traction on sand we’ve found, the Mac Sports Heavy Duty Collapsible Folding All Terrain Utility Cart is our pick for toting gear to the beach. Although it does cost more than the standard Mac Sports wagon and the Seina (our former beach-friendly pick), the Mac Sports Heavy Duty wagon’s giant plastic wheels made it immune to tipping, even when it was full of beach gear, including two chairs, an umbrella, a boogie board, snacks, and a bag of sand toys. With 6.7 cubic feet of internal volume, this wagon fit more stuff than any of the other beach wagons we tested—while also clocking in at a middle-of-the-road 24.5 pounds.

The Mac Sports Heavy Duty wagon has 9-inch wheels that are 4 inches wide. So this model is easy to roll over large bumps and loose sand. It ranked high on our sand-turn tests, with a quick pivot. Yet it was less likely to tip over than other beach wagons we tested, and it didn’t sink into the sand, even when filled to capacity. We also like that this wagon has small, rivet-sized holes in its four internal corners that help let sand out (this is an unexpected-but-much-appreciated feature we didn’t find in other models). Like the Seina, our former pick for sand, the Mac Sports has a carrying capacity of up to 150 pounds. However, we think the Mac Sport’s much larger internal space—6.7 cubic feet, compared with the Seina’s 3.6 feet—is worth the higher price. Like the regular Mac Sports wagon, the Heavy Duty model comes with a one-year warranty.

The Mac Sports Heavy Duty wagon beat out our former beach-friendly pick, the Seina, in its traction on sand, maneuverability, and capacity, but at a cost: it’s more expensive than our original pick. One other issue is that, compared with the standard Mac Sports wagon’s helicopter handle, the Heavy Duty’s helicopter handle felt flimsy and didn’t click into place while extended. Also, the wagon doesn’t fold down to the same size as the standard Mac Sports, making it a tighter squeeze when folded in a sedan’s trunk. Despite those minor difficulties, we still think it’s by far the best for beachgoers.

We used to include stroller wagons—which are specifically designed to carry both kids and gear—in this review. We’ve seen a lot of growth in this category in the last few years, and have decided to cover stroller wagons in a separate, upcoming review.

After a new round of testing in late 2023, the relatively affordable Baby Trend 2-in-1 Stroller Wagon Plus will replace the Evenflo Pivot Xplore All-Terrain Stroller Wagon as our top stroller wagon pick. We’ll continue to recommend the ultra-sturdy Veer Cruiser as a great option for outdoorsy minimalists. And we’ve concluded the Keenz 7S 2.0 Stroller Wagon is the best choice for people looking for an upgraded daily use wagon with extra features and higher-quality materials like a storage cooler, a canopy system with rods that pop into and out of the frame, and leather handlebars.

If you want a beach wagon with brakes: The Beau Jardin Folding Wagon Cart was the only beach wagon we tested with brakes on the front wheels, and with wheels that could be adjusted to be wider or narrower for different surfaces (which was helpful when parking on packed sand sloping down to the water). The Beau Jardin also makes storage easier because it stands while folded, which our beach-friendly pick, the Mac Sports Heavy Duty Collapsible Folding All Terrain Utility Cart, does not.

Overall, we thought this was a useful option for those who might value having brakes more than interior capacity or maneuverability on sand: The Beau Jardin allows for only 4.1 cubic feet of beach gear. At around the same price as our standard Mac Sports pick, it’s a reliable around-town option that could also get to the beach.

If you don't mind a bulkier wagon and you need to lug more weight: The Mac Sports XL Folding Wagon with Cargo Net may be your best choice. This wagon has a top weight limit of 300 pounds, twice as much as the basic Mac Sports. It also comes with a cargo net, which helps contain your gear. The XL also has wider wheels—halfway in between the basic Mac Sports and the beach version. It still folds up tightly and can stand on its own, but it takes up more space in the back of a car.

At 30 pounds, the L.L.Bean Collapsible Wagon was the largest and heaviest of the folding wagons we tested. But even though it had nice wheels and construction, this wagon was a headache to fold and unfold. It took two people—and several minutes—to put the L.L.Bean wagon away after use. We had to wrestle the cover onto the bulky rectangle and tug it down to get it on. One of the wheels came loose when one of our testers was carrying about 100 pounds of gear, which is well under the stated weight capacity.

The bare-bones Uline Utility Wagon was not as highly rated as the Mac Sports wagons. It’s also not as widely available as our picks.

The Timber Ridge Folding Camping Wagon (currently unavailable) looks similar in construction and design to the L.L.Bean wagon, and it gets decent reviews online.

The Sekey Folding Wagon Cart feels like a durable tank, built solid. It scored high marks for having an attractive price point, as well as having fabric that could be easily removed for washing (which the other wagons did not have). But it didn’t turn or pull as smoothly on sand as the Mac Sports beach wagon, and its smaller wheels seemed to sink.

The Oniva Collapsible Adventure Wagon’s major downside was its folding mechanism, similar to that of an umbrella, rather than an accordion, like on the others. It was extremely hard to squeeze inward and still jutted outward if not squeezed into its cover—an impossible ordeal when wrangling two kids in a parking lot. The sand-removal feature, which seemed promising, worked only partially, and many reviewers noted that the wagon’s handle was short.

We started looking for a better option than our original beach-friendly pick, the Seina Folding Utility Beach Wagon, after a nut fell off the wagon at a critical time—when we were on the sand, about a quarter-mile from the parking lot. We were able to fix the problem, but a year of use has also led to scratches on the wheels and the plastic looking pretty shorn. One staffer who also owns the Mac Sports Heavy Duty Collapsible Folding All Terrain Utility Cart has also noticed scratches on the wheels. But the Seina offers just half the internal space, and its 4-inch wheels were more prone to tipping when packed with the same beach gear.

The Ozark Trail Folding Multipurpose Camp Wagon comes at an attractive price, but we found the materials felt cheap and it was hard to fold tightly—instead of an accordion fold, it uses an umbrella fold that meets in the middle (like a Pack N’ Play). We also found that, even when fully open, the wagon bed doesn’t lie flat.