Honorable Mentions
There are a lot of strollers out there. Here are a few more I like but aren’t my top recommendations for one reason or another.
Baby Jogger City Mini GT2 for $400: This is another city stroller like the Thule Shine, but its nearly flat fold reminds me of a travel stroller. It comes with a car seat attachment that works with many popular car seat makers, so it’s a great pick if you want something to work with a car seat right away and still has a great, lightweight fold. It has fantastic wheel suspension, similar to a jogging stroller but with much smaller wheels.
Bugaboo Butterfly for $439: This is a great stroller that reminds me of the Nuna TRVL with its easy fold and light weight. It comes in nice colors and has a big canopy, and is almost the exact dimensions for a carry-on. I just wish the frame felt a little sturdier for the price, and that it had a bumper bar.
Colugo the One for $249: This is a fine stroller, but for the price I’d rather pay a little extra to get one of the top picks in this guide, and you can save money and get a better fold with our budget picks.
Ergobaby Metro+ for $299: This stroller reminds me a lot of the Delta Children Icon, but it has an adjustable handlebar, so it’s a better choice for taller parents. (It’s rare to find an adjustable handlebar on travel strollers at all!) It’s also car seat compatible, so it’s better if you want to use it earlier, and the seat is a little larger also so your kid might fit into it longer than other affordable strollers. While it has a sturdier frame than the Icon, it doesn’t fold or unfold as easily as the Icon or my other picks, nor is it as easy to carry. But if you’re really tall, you might be happy to deal with those issues for a much easier reach.
Joie Tansy for $100: This umbrella stroller embodies the classic compact stroller shape, but it’s so tall when folded that it’s more difficult to place in cars or planes than the rest of our picks.
Joovy Kooper for $299: This stroller is one of the cheapest I’ve tested, and I like that it comes with a full snack tray—something you won’t find in almost any other travel stroller. It folds down flat rather than upright.
Munchkin Night Owl Travel Stroller for $254: This has a similar compact fold to the Cybex Libelle 2 but includes little lights for the front stroller wheels. It’s a good option if you’re traveling somewhere that will include a lot of night walks.
Silver Cross Jet 5 for $439: This was a previous pick in this guide, but after hearing that other folks struggled with the fold as much as I did, I don’t recommend it as a top pick any longer.
SmarTrike Travel Stroller for $350: This travel stroller-stroller trike combo is cool, but I’d rather just buy the Doona Liki Trike (7/10, WIRED Recommends) since it compacts so much smaller.
Thule Spring for $319: This stroller reminded me of the Baby Jogger with its three-wheel design and nice suspension, but folds a lot taller and thicker. It does stand up on its own if you put the handle at a middle height, which is nice. It’s touted as a compact stroller for a reason—it’s not lightweight or travel-friendly like our other picks. But it still has a nice size and handling if you want something more compact for everyday use.
Wonderfold X2 Stroller Wagon for $389: This wagon folds down almost as compact as a travel stroller. It’s seriously impressive. It’s comfy for two kids and comes with a canopy and built-in little storage bin on the back, and handles to both push and pull. It’s no longer in stock but if you see it, grab it. Friends of mine have successfully checked this on a plane in place of a stroller.
Zoe Tour v2 for $259: This was my previous budget pick. It’s still a good stroller that comes with lots of accessories, but the seat fabric and build quality isn’t as nice as other cheaper or similarly priced models I’ve tested. But it does come with the best range of accessories you’ll find on a travel stroller.
FAQs
What Does a Travel Stroller Need to Have?
Shopping for a stroller can be intense. They’re not a small investment, and you want them to last until your kid grows out of them (usually once they hit 50 to 55 pounds). If you’re trying to pick a travel stroller in a pinch, or are feeling overwhelmed by the options, here are some guidelines that can help.
- Is there a five-point harness? Five-point harnesses are the standard for securing your baby in the stroller via the straps. Every pick we recommend above has one. This is a feature you want and should be included.
- Do you need car seat compatibility? If you’re traveling with an infant, you’ll either need a bassinet mode or the ability to connect your car seat to the stroller. You can DIY a travel system by pairing any stroller with a compatible car seat. Many strollers we recommend have car seat attachments you can buy that work with popular brands, but some aren’t so flexible. (Uppababy’s car seats only work with its strollers.)
- Do you want a travel pram? A travel pram or bassinet is the lie-down flat mode that allows newborns to lie on their back while you walk. It’s a nice mix-up from always being in a car seat—especially since infants can’t stay in a car seat for more than two hours at a time. I haven’t liked most bassinet modes I’ve tried on travel strollers since they feel a little flimsy and not as secure as I’d want an infant to be, but we’re testing more soon and will update this guide with more recommendations.
- Are these umbrella strollers? There’s a mixed category of strollers sometimes called lightweight, travel, or even umbrella strollers. Umbrella strollers are less popular and are known for their rounded umbrella-like handle. This guide focuses on more general travel strollers, but we plan to test a few of these.
- Do you need a double stroller? If you have two kids, you might be wondering if you’re screwed. You’re not! If I had two kids, I’d get a stroller I can add a rider board to, like the Thule Shine (if one of my kids is old enough to ride it). If not, the Zoe Twin V2 ($529) is a double stroller version of the Tour V2, and is a great price for two kids (and can still use Zoe’s infant car seat attachment).
Can Travel Strollers Go on a Plane?
A big reason you might be looking for a travel stroller is because you want to bring it on a plane.
Many major airlines, like American Airlines and British Airways, require you to gate-check strollers, which means you can still use them at the airport but can’t put them in overhead space. Some airlines will also let you gate-check compact wagons like the Wonderfold X2. Some airlines, like United, Emirates, and Virgin Atlantic, allow a travel stroller (often called a “collapsible stroller”) as carry-on luggage as long as it fits the size requirements of carry-on luggage, which is usually around 8 x 14 x 22 inches.
Technically, none of the travel strollers I’ve tested fit perfectly into these size constraints. But the Bugaboo Butterfly and Silver Cross Jet 5 have a compact size when folded that gets closer than most (as long as you remove the Jet 5’s handle). There’s also a thing called IATA certification (short for the International Air Transport Association). Having that should mean it’s safe to pop into the overhead compartment, but I’d still recommend checking the airline’s specific rules. Two strollers in this guide are IATA certified, the Silver Cross Jet 5 and Bugaboo Butterfly, and I’m testing the Babyzen Yoyo soon, which is also certified.
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