Honorary mention
There is one a lot of The stroller there. I also like it here, but for some reason or another, it is not my best advice.
Baby Jogging City Mini GT2 costs $400: This is another urban stroller like Thule Shine, but its almost flat folds remind me of a station wagon. It comes with a car seat attachment that works with many popular car seat manufacturers, so if you want to use it immediately with a car seat and still have a great lightweight fold, this is a great option. It has a fantastic wheel suspension, similar to a jogging stroller, but with smaller wheels.
$439 Bugaboo Butterfly: This is a great stroller that reminds me of the Nuna Trvl, which is easy to fold and lightweight. It has a nice color and has a large canopy, which is almost the exact size to carry around. I just wish the frame was a bit sturdy to the price and had a bumper.
Colugo is $249: This is a great stroller, but at the price, I would rather pay some extra for one of the top choices in this guide, you can save money and get better discounts with our budget choices.
Ergobaby Metro+ for $299: This stroller reminds me of a lot of Delta children’s idols, but it has adjustable handlebars, so it’s a better option for tall parents. (Adjust adjustable handlebars are found on travel strollers!) It is also a compatible car seat, so it’s better if you want to use it earlier, and the seats are a little bigger, so your child may be longer than other affordable strollers. Although it has a stronger frame than an icon, it is not as easy to fold or fold as an icon or other choice, and is not as easy to carry. But if you are really high, you may be happy to deal with these issues to be easier to reach.
Joie Tansy costs $100: This umbrella stroller embodies the classic compact stroller shape, but when folded it is harder to place in a car or airplane than our other options.
Joovy Kooper $299: This stroller is one of the cheapest strollers I’ve ever tested and I love that it comes with a full snack tray that is not found in almost any other travel stroller. It folds flat instead of upright.
Munchkin Night Owl Station Wagon, priced at $254: This has a similar compact fold to the Cybex Libelle 2, but the light is small on the front stroller wheels. If you travel somewhere will include a lot of night walks, this is a great option.
Silver Cross Jet 5 costs $439: This is a previous choice for this guide, but after hearing that others struggle as much as I do, I no longer recommend it as a top choice.
Smartrike Travel Proller for $350: The Trike Combo for this travel cart is cool, but I would rather buy the Doona Liki Trike (7/10, wired suggestion) as it’s much smaller in compact form.
Thule Spring costs $319: This stroller reminds me of the baby jogger’s three-wheel design and good suspension, but it folds a lot higher. It does stand on its own if you put the handle at the middle height, which is great. For some reason it is touted as a compact stroller – it is not as lightweight or travel-friendly as our other options. However, if you want a more compact day-to-day use, it’s still in a good size.
The Wonderfold X2 stroller costs $389: This van is almost as compact as a travel stroller. Impressive. This is comfortable for two kids, with a tree canopy and a small built-in storage bin on the back and can be pushed and pulled. It no longer has stock, but if you see it, grab it. My friend has successfully inspected this stroller on the plane.
The Zoe Tour V2 costs $259: This is my previous budget choice. It’s still a nice stroller with many accessories, but the seat fabric and manufacturing quality aren’t as cheaper or similar models as other models I’ve tested. But this does come with the best accessories you find on a wagon.
FAQ
What does a station wagon need?
Buying a stroller can be very nervous. They are not a small investment, you want them to last until your child grows up from it (usually once it reaches 50 to 55 pounds). If you want to pick a wagon in a pinch or feel overwhelmed by the options, here are some guidelines to help.
- Are there five seat belts? The five-point wire harness is the standard for securing the baby in a stroller through a belt. There is one for each of the options we recommend above. This is the feature you want and should be included.
- Do you need car seat compatibility? If you are traveling with your baby, you need the cradle mode and the ability to connect the car seat to the stroller as well. You can travel the system by pairing any stroller with a compatible car seat. We recommend that many strollers use car seat accessories, which you can buy using popular brands, but some are not that flexible. (Uppababy’s car seats are only used with strollers.)
- Do you want a travel stroller? A travel stroller or cradle is a flat pattern for lying down that allows newborns to lie on their backs as you walk. Always in the car seat, it’s a good mix, especially since babies can’t stay in the car seat for more than two hours at a time. I don’t like most of the cradle modes I’ve tried on travel strollers because they feel a little fragile and aren’t as safe as I would like the baby to be, but we’re testing it faster and will give more suggestions.
- Are these umbrella strollers? Sometimes, sometimes called the stroller hybrid category of lightweight, travel or even umbrella stroller. Umbrella strollers are less popular and are known for their round umbrella-shaped handles. This guide focuses on more general travel strollers, but we plan to test some of them.
- Do you need a double stroller? If you have two kids, you might be wondering if you’ve been screwed up. You don’t! If I have two kids, I get a stroller and I can add a rider board to the Thule Shine (if one of my kids is old enough to ride it). If not, the Zoe Twin V2 ($529) is a two-stroller version of the Tour V2, which is a good price for two kids (and still gets access to Zoe’s baby car seat accessories).
Can a station wagon get on the plane?
The big reason you may be looking for a wagon is because you want to bring it to the plane.
Many major airlines, such as American Airlines and British Airlines, require you to board the plane, which means you can still use them at the airport, but you can’t put them in an overhead space. Some airlines can also let you board the plane to check out compact vans, such as the Wonderfold X2. As long as the size requirements of carry-on luggage are met, some airlines like Manchester United, the UAE and Virgin Atlantic allow traveling strollers (often called “foldable strollers”), usually around 8 x 14 x 22 inches.
Technically, none of the travel strollers I’ve tested fit into these size limitations. However, when folded, the Bugaboo Butterfly and Silver Cross 5 are more sized than most (as long as you remove the handle of the Jet 5). There is also something called IATA certification (abbreviation of the International Air Transport Association). Doing this should mean that overhead can be popped up safely, but I still recommend that you check the airline’s specific rules. The two strollers in this guide are IATA certified, Silver Cross Jet 5 and Bugaboo Butterfly, and I’ll be testing Babyzen Yoyo soon, which is also certified.
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