There are many factors that contribute to finding your perfect travel stroller. Family size obviously plays a huge role. Do you need a double or a single? Your travel style also requires consideration. Are you traveling in a large car with plenty of space or are you going to be on and off of public transportation? The baby’s personality also seems to be a factor. If you have a kid who naps on the go, you want full recline, while moms of bolters are much more interested in the type of harness the stroller has. While opinions and requirements vary greatly, a few strollers seem to have a big following among our members and in-house bloggers.
In the ‘folds so small, it can easily come with you’ category there are a few options. Our members love that these strollers fit in lockers and overhead bins. They store easily in small hotel rooms or on cruise ships. They also can be folded and unfolded with one hand which anyone with a baby knows is key. You never seem to have enough hands!
The big difference in this category comes with the extras the stroller offers.
My family of five have been through several rounds of travel strollers but have finally settled on a favorite: the Mountain Buggy Nano ($250).
Sure, it only holds one of our kids, but we do a combo of baby wearing and a stroller that really works for us. My favorite feature though is that the Mountain Buggy Nano folds small without losing any other features. It fits in overhead bins and under tables in restaurants while at the same time having enough storage space in the basket, a five point harness, good recline and can handle the infant car seat without a separate attachment. This is likely why the Mountain Buggy Nano comes recommended by our followers as one of the best strollers for air travel on the Bebe Voyage Facebook group.
The YoYo by BabyZen ($495) is another folding option that members are using and loving. Cristina, from Mothers Abroad, told us she likes the YoYo “because it’s very light, you can fold it and build it with only one hand and it’s the only stroller I know that fits in the luggage compartment in the cabin. Unfortunately this stroller is widely copied and there are many fake brands like yuyu, yuya and other hilarious fake names. We saw some of them when we lived in China.”
Daniella, from A Baby Abroad, also travels with the Babyzen Yoyo and says that “if the destination is stroller friendly, without a doubt, this is our top one choice. Extremely lightweight, easy to fold up, will fit through even the narrowest corridor, and best of all, has a strap you can use to hang it from your shoulder. If you HAVE to use a stroller, this is what you want to be using”
The GB Pockit ($169) and Baby Jogger City Mini GT ($360) are two other shining stars in the ‘folds small’ travel stroller world.
The GB Pockit is the smallest, folding small enough to fit into a bookbag. With the capacity to fold small, it leaves most of the extras behind. It is your go-to stroller if you are planning a backpacking, biking or other adventure travel with babies and need a stroller. The Baby Jogger City Mini GT is the newest to the hit the market, but our members love the Baby Jogger brand and are excited to give it a try.
There are a few options in the double travel stroller category. Here you are going to lose some of the compactness of a single stroller, but you certainly gain space.
Ashley, from Ashley Daley Photography, travels with the City Select Double Stroller ($700). She says “If you only want one stroller, this is a great all-purpose single or double stroller. It can be a bit big to travel with at times, but it handles the European cobblestone well and has great storage space. I also love how versatile it is – not only can it easily switch from a single to a double, but the seats can also face multiple directions and both can easily recline for nap time on the go.”
We personally use the City Select Double Stroller for moving the kids around town, running and any outing where we’ve taken the car. I love how it can be single one moment and hold a bassinet and kick board the next. I asked Ashley how she gets the stroller on the plane, since we’ve never tried to take ours with us. She simply takes it apart and leaves it at the gate and reassembles it on the other end. They’ve never had any trouble doing this.
The Joovy Caboose Ultralight Stroller ($200) is a popular double travel stroller that members often recommend. It’s the shortest (length wise) of the two-seater options. It offers a full seat in front with recline and foot support and a seat/kickboard for the rear passenger. The rear seat can be hard to use when the front is fully reclined though. This seems ideal for a family that has one that can walk, but may occasionally need a rest.
There are several side-by-side travel options that fold small. The McClaren Twin Triumph Stroller ($290) is a group favorite in this category. These side-by-sides fold like umbrella strollers but offer two seats when unfolded.
My personal hesitation with the side-by-side double is that they will cause you trouble in Europe. They do not fit into most stores, restaurants and even public transportation doors. We’ve rented side-by-side strollers in the past, like the Baby Jogger City Mini Double at Disney World. We loved the room they offered for the kids and our stuff. When there is plenty of space, these side-by-sides are a wonderful option.
Another popular option for accommodating multiple kids is to attach a glider board to the stroller. This allows one child to stand while the other kid (or kids) ride. Some, like the Englacha 2-in-1 Cozy X rider ($114), even have a seat that attaches to them. You’ll need to check which are compatible with your stroller brand for this to work.
There is one other option that continues to be popular on the board. The cheap brandless umbrella stroller. These are typically found at large baby stores.
Hannah, from the Out of Town Blog told us that “When we travel, we love to bring a cheap $20 umbrella stroller. We’ve found that they’re lightweight and easy to carry when lugging luggage all over a new city. They do surprisingly well on bumpy roads and even cobblestone streets. There are no tears shed if it is damaged in transit. Being budget travelers we’ve chosen to pick and choose where we invest our money. For us that’s been in higher-end baby carriers and travel cribs. The stroller in the end wasn’t something we’ve felt we needed to spend big bucks on and we haven’t been disappointed!”
No matter how you want to travel there is an option out there for you. It is just a matter of figuring out what fits your family and traveling personality!
