We have found that one of the most daunting tasks to do when ‘baby’ shopping was finding the perfect stroller- really because you’re buying it for yourself- your comfort and ease is as important as your child’s comfort. Even more frustrating is selecting an umbrella stroller fit for travel. Have a trip coming up soon but can’t be bothered to drag your regular stroller? We’ve got the lightest and easy to manage strollers for you! Here’s our guide for 4 of our top travel buggies that have been tried and tested by jet-setting parents in Chicago.
Uppababy G-Luxe
Uppababy is one of the leading companies for children’s travel gear, specifically strollers. Fans of the Vista and Cruz, rejoice! Here’s what we found fab about this mighty stroller:
- This is a trusty, sturdy umbrella stroller
- Excellent wheels and structure; the G-Luxe is one travel stroller that will never let you down.
- This stroller is our favorites because it focuses on the child’s comfort first and foremost – plush seating, excellent recline and a generous canopy.
- Footrest can be folded for additional comfort for your child
- Recline is excellent for snoozing
- Basket larger than most out there, yet discrete
- Cons: Not the lightest of the lot but once it goes into luggage, you forget about weight of the stroller
Chicago dad Ben Cullen’s review:
We took the G-Luxe to Europe with us this summer and went over cobble stone streets pretty much throughout our 10 day vacation. It still feels as good as new, I find it a very strong travel stroller suitable for rough ground and environment. We also like that the foot rest folds so my son can easily dangle his legs at knee level with comfort. The recline is quite good for when he’s sleeping and seems very comfortable for him.
GB Pockit
This is the world’s most compact and lightest travel stroller you will find in the market… literally. With a Guinness Book record for smallest stroller in the world, you’re guaranteed size and weight, with double wheels! Here’s what we think are this baby’s selling points:
- Designed for modern day jet setting parents, with one click the whole stroller unravels into a tiny folded up stroller that you can easily fit into a shopping bag and into the overhead luggage compartment.
- Ultra light!
- Very comfortable for your child, it is made with a strong fabric that acts like a hammock, wrapping itself comfortably around your child’s back with a typical umbrella stroller recline.
- It’s narrow so easy to push in and out of shops, cafes, alleys, etc. with ease
- It has a decent sized basket that can hold up a few personal items.
- Cons: Insufficient canopy size but there are attachment canopies available online that can be added with ease.
Chicago dad Sam Guerrero says:
My wife and I have struggled to find a travel stroller that can fit in our overhead luggage because we travel quite light. We’ve tried other umbrella strollers but the weight and size were cumbersome for a family that travels a lot like us. We really like the ease of opening and closing this stroller in less than 5 seconds. It has been a savior around airports especially with a curious child that wont stay still. Our daughter seems to feel comfortable in it and she’s also napped in it with no problems.
BabyZen YO-YO
This company has mastered the art of travel strollers. Not only is it stylish and modern, it certainly is a pioneer in the lightweight and compact stroller field. Here’s what we love about this stroller:
- Very Stylish for aesthetically inspired parents with several bold color options
- Compact, lightweight with a shoulder handle for ease of carrying between strolls
- Easily collapsable and fits perfectly in overhead bins
- Comes with travel bag
- Bonus that its car seat compatiable!
- Wheels are excellent and chassis can go over cobblestones for miles
- Good recline for when child needs to rest
- Comes with an easy to roll rain shield which is quite handy
- Cons: The strap length is a bit short to accommodate heavier winter clothing
Chicago Mama, Tiana Valdes’s review:
This is a compact and lightweight stroller that is perfect for travel. We travel quite often between continents and this stroller as gone with us at literally every edge of the globe! I love that it’s light enough to lift with a sleeping toddler inside it. It folds and opens quite easily. Typical travel stroller recline and my toddler seems happy with that. The ride is quite smooth and has also managed to go 2 miles on gravel! The carseat adaptors are God-sent! Lastly, I always receive comments on how cool it looks when we’re out and about.
Mountain Buggy Nano
Similar to most travel buggies, this stroller is quite smooth to the ride and intentionally light for travel. Mountain Buggy, the company, is known for it’s excellent wheels and ride, popular for it’s joggers. Here’s this stroller’s review:
- Smooth ride
- Perfect recline for napping
- Sufficient canopy
- Comes with a travel bag
- Easy open and close
- Light stroller, easy for travel
- Compact enough but not small enough to place in overhead compartment
- Stylish with several colors and patterns available
- Car Seat compatible
- Very well priced
- Cons: Small basket
Chicago mom and our Food Editor Priya Sawlani’s reviews:
The mountain buggy nano is a great travel stroller. It’s comfortable and spacious with its recline & cushioned seat when opened and compact when closed making it very convenient to store. I love that it’s lightweight and compact and car seat compatible. It’s been a saving grace in between airports and cities, you hand it over at the departure gates and receive it once you arrive!
City Tour LUX by Baby Jogger
This travel stroller recently got an update and it’s one of the best looking yet sturdiest in travel strollers out there. It reminds us a bit of the Yoyo in design but surely has additional features that’s hard to compare with any other. Firstly, the City tour LUX is a stroller that you can use from birth with options to add car seats and bassinets on it’s slimmer and easily transportable body. Sure, no stroller is perfect but this stroller has managed to fulfill all requirements needed by frazzled, traveling parents. An excellent, smooth ride, a huge basket in comparison to all other travel strollers and the wheels sit really well on the ground. The seat itself is also reversible- to a front facing and a forward facing option, something you don’t find in any other travel strollers. The canopy is quite big and covers napping babies (or kids) perfectly well. The fabric used for this stroller is also super smooth, soft superb and the child sits with utmost comfort. Lastly- the seat is designed to look and feel like a ‘seat’, so the child is not hugely contained which for some parents might be a con, for us, it’s a pro. Here’s our review:
- Good looking with nice neutral color options
- Smooth ride
- Perfect recline for napping
- Forward and Front Facing option
- Option to add – Glider Board, Bassinet or Car seat
- Superb canopy with a peek mesh
- Soft Fabric for comfort
- Easy open and close
- Light stroller
- Great Handle Height
- Huge basket
- Great spacious seat for the child
- Best priced priced from the lot
- Cons: The back of the stroller looks ‘incomplete’ without a fabric covering the seat or a pocket, however, does not affect the over all value
Chicago mom Gemma Carew reviews:
This stroller is spot on, extremely affordable and fulfills my every need. I’ve taken it around for long walks on several surfaces including grass and still managed to keep my child asleep. I LOVE the reversible seat option and how soft the fabric is. I can also shop and drop things into the basket which is a game changer for a travel stroller. My child seems quite comfortable facing me or facing the world and the canopy is amazing! I also like the rubberized handle for one hand grip and the space below the handle for an additional sibling to stand on the glider.
