Best Travel Stroller OverallRead our full UPPAbaby Minu V3 review →
- Price tierPremium
- Weight16.7 lb
- Folded size10 x 18 x 21.5 in (3,870 cu in)
- Child limit50 lb
Pros
- Nine out of ten for both build quality and child comfort, the only stroller here to score nine on both
- Eights across ease of use, maneuverability and folded size: no weak column anywhere
- Takes UPPAbaby Mesa infant seats and select Maxi-Cosi, Nuna, Cybex and BeSafe seats, with an adapter sold separately
- Holds a child to 50 lb, so it lasts well past the age most travel strollers give up
Cons
- It is not the smallest fold here. If cabin-bag size is the only thing that matters, the Pockit+ beats it.
- Nor the cheapest. You are paying for the frame and the seat, which is where the score comes from.
Who is this best for?
Anyone buying one travel stroller and keeping it. It is the only stroller in this guide with no weak column: eights or better on every criterion we scored.
Why we rate it
Build quality and child comfort both took nine, and nothing else here scored nine on both; only the Aer2 matches it on build. That combination is the whole case. A travel stroller lives a hard life, folded and thrown into trunks and overhead lockers, and most of them feel it by the second year. This one is built like the full-size strollers in UPPAbaby's range rather than like a vacation purchase, and the seat is padded and reclined enough that a child will actually sleep in it.
Worth being specific about what "no weak column" buys you, because it sounds like faint praise and is not. Every other stroller in this guide forces a decision: the Aer2 folds brilliantly and pushes poorly, the Pockit+ disappears into a locker and seats a child thinly, the G-Luxe is beautifully made and folds like a deckchair. The Minu asks you to decide nothing. It is best or joint best on every column and bad at none, which over three years of ownership is the more useful property.
The 50 lb limit matters here too. Travel strollers are usually outgrown before they wear out, and a stroller you stop using at two is expensive however well it scored.
Should you buy it?
Buy it if this is your only travel stroller and you want it to last. If you fly often and cabin-bag dimensions are the deciding factor, the gb Pockit+ folds dramatically smaller, and you will trade comfort for it.
Best Build Quality2. Joolz Aer2
- Price tierPremium
- Weight14.3 lb (6.5 kg)
- Folded size20.8 x 17.3 x 9.2 in (3,311 cu in) (published figure)
- Child limit50 lb
Pros
- Nine for build quality, matching the Minu and ahead of everything else
- Eight for both folded size and ease of use: a genuine one-hand, one-second fold
- 14.3 lb, among the lightest here
- Cabin-bag dimensions on most airlines
Cons
- Six for maneuverability, the weakest column on any stroller in the top four. Small wheels and a narrow track mean it pushes well on smooth floors and fights you on anything else.
- Premium price for a stroller you will mostly use on sidewalks and in terminals.
Who is this best for?
Frequent flyers who want something that folds fast, feels expensive and survives being handled by baggage staff.
Why we rate it
The build quality is the equal of our winner and the fold is quicker. At 14.3 lb it is lighter than the Minu, and the dimensions clear cabin-bag limits on most carriers, which is the test this category exists to pass.
The six for maneuverability deserves unpacking, because it is not a manufacturing failure. Small wheels are what make a one-second fold possible, and Joolz has chosen the fold. On airport terminals, hotel corridors and shop floors, which is where this stroller is designed to live, you will never notice. On a gravel path or a cracked sidewalk you will notice immediately, and no amount of pushing technique fixes it.
So the question is honest and simple: do you push this thing mostly indoors and on tarmac, or not? If yes, it is arguably a better buy than our winner, because it folds faster and weighs less. If no, it is the wrong stroller at a premium price.
Should you buy it?
Buy it for travel specifically. Its six for maneuverability is the one real weakness and it shows the moment you leave a smooth surface: grass, gravel and cracked sidewalk all fight the small wheels. If your days are mostly pushing rather than carrying, the Minu or the City Tour 2 roll better.
Smallest Fold3. gb Pockit+ All City
- Price tierMid-price
- Weight13.2 lb (6 kg)
- Folded size12.6 x 7.9 x 19 in (1,891 cu in)
- Child limit55 lb
Pros
- Folds smaller than anything else in this guide, and small enough for an overhead locker with room to spare
- Eight for both folded size and ease of use
- Genuinely carryable as a bag once folded
Cons
- Six for child comfort, and that is the trade. The seat is thin and shallow, and a child on a long day will feel it.
- Seven for build quality: lighter construction than the premium strollers above it.
- Six for maneuverability. The tiny wheels that make the fold possible are the same ones that struggle off smooth ground.
Who is this best for?
Air travel, and specifically anyone who has had a stroller gate-checked and damaged. It folds small enough to go in the locker with you.
Why we rate it
Nothing else here folds as small. That is a real engineering achievement and it solves a real problem: a stroller that never leaves your sight never gets broken by a baggage handler.
The reason to buy this is not the fold itself but what the fold prevents. Gate-checked strollers come back with bent frames, torn fabric and missing parts, and airlines are notoriously unwilling to pay for it. A stroller that fits in the locker above your seat never enters that system.
What you give up is real and it is concentrated in one place: the seat. Six for child comfort means thin padding and a shallow seat, which a toddler will tolerate for a terminal and resent on a full day of sightseeing. Several families end up owning this alongside a proper stroller rather than instead of one, and on the evidence of these scores that is the right way round.
Should you buy it?
Buy it as a second stroller for flying rather than your only one. Six for child comfort is the honest cost of that fold, and on a full day out your child will be less comfortable in this than in anything above it. For a week's vacation with a lot of walking, bring something else.
4. Baby Jogger City Tour 2
- Price tierMid-price
- Weight14 lb
- Folded size21.6 x 16.9 x 6.8 in (2,482 cu in)
- Child limit45 lb
Pros
- Eight for child comfort, beaten only by the Minu
- Sevens across every other column: the most consistent stroller outside the top two
- Compact fold with a carry bag included; check cabin-bag size with your airline
- Cheaper than the Minu and the Aer2 above it
Cons
- No standout column. It is good at everything and best at nothing, which is a fair description rather than a criticism.
- Seven for build quality: fine, not premium.
Who is this best for?
Families who want most of what the premium travel strollers do without the premium price.
Why we rate it
It is the most balanced stroller outside the top two in this guide: sevens everywhere, and an eight for child comfort that beats strollers costing considerably more. Nothing about it is weak, which at this price is unusual.
Consistency is underrated in this category. A stroller with one standout column and one terrible one averages to something respectable while being genuinely annoying to own, because you meet the bad column every day. Sevens across the board means nothing about it will irritate you.
The eight for child comfort is the surprise. It matches the premium Aer2 and beats the Pockit+, and it is the column that decides whether a child sleeps on a long day out. If you are choosing on the child's experience rather than yours, this is better value than its position in the table suggests.
Should you buy it?
Buy it if budget matters and you still want a stroller that does everything adequately. You are giving up the build quality of the Minu and the Aer2, and you will notice that over years rather than weeks.
5. UPPAbaby G-Luxe
- Price tierMid-price
- Weight16.3 lb
- Folded size19.2 x 12 x 41.8 in (9,631 cu in)
- Child limit55 lb
Pros
- Eight for build quality, joint best in the bottom half of this guide with the Quid 3
- Sevens for ease of use and maneuverability
- UPPAbaby frame and fabrics at umbrella-stroller money
Cons
- Five for folded size, joint lowest in this guide with the Orzo Mini. It folds long and thin like a traditional umbrella stroller, which is awkward in a trunk and will not go in an overhead locker.
- Not a travel stroller in the cabin-bag sense, despite sitting in this category.
Who is this best for?
Parents who want a light second stroller for around town and are not flying with it.
Why we rate it
It is as well built as anything else scoring in the sixties, and it pushes well. If your use case is school runs and shops rather than airports, the build quality is worth more than the fold.
This is the clearest example in the guide of a stroller sold into the wrong category. Everything about the frame, the fabric and the push says UPPAbaby, and the eight for build quality is earned. But a travel stroller is judged on the fold, and this one folds into a long thin pole that will not stand on its own, will not fit an overhead locker, and lies diagonally across a trunk taking up the space of something twice its weight.
Read it as a very good umbrella stroller rather than a poor travel stroller and the score makes sense. For the school run and the shops it is a pleasure. For a flight it is the wrong purchase, whatever the shelf it sits on says.
Should you buy it?
Buy it for convenience rather than travel. Five for folded size is joint lowest in this guide on the criterion the category is named after. If you need it to fly, it is the wrong stroller.
6. Inglesina Quid 3
- Price tierMid-price
- Weight14.1 lb (6.4 kg)
- Folded size18.3 x 23.2 x 7.5 in (3,184 cu in)
- Child limit55 lb
Pros
- Eight for child comfort and eight for build quality, both unusual at this score
- Roomy seat that fits a bigger child properly, with a 55 lb limit
- Seven for folded size: genuinely compact
Cons
- Five for ease of use, the second-lowest here. The fold takes learning and is not a one-handed job.
- A stroller you grow into rather than one that is easy from day one.
Who is this best for?
Families with an older or larger toddler. The seat is roomy and comfortable enough to suit a bigger child.
Why we rate it
Eights for both build quality and child comfort are rare this far down a guide. The frame feels substantially better than its score suggests, and a bigger child fits properly rather than being crammed in.
The roomy seat changes who this is for, and Inglesina USA rates it to 55 lb. Most travel strollers are bought for a baby and abandoned when a four-year-old no longer fits; this one still works at an age when the others have been given away.
The five for ease of use is the price. The fold has a sequence, it wants both hands, and there is a learning period measured in weeks rather than minutes. If you fold a stroller twice a day in a hurry, that compounds into real frustration. If you fold it twice a week on vacations, it barely registers, and you get a stroller with a seat a bigger child still fits.
Should you buy it?
Buy it if your child is on the larger side and you want a compact stroller that still fits them. The five for ease of use is the catch: the fold is fiddly and you will not master it in a parking lot with a toddler on your hip.
7. Kolcraft Cloud Plus
- Price tierBudget
- Weight11 lb
- Folded size18 x 12 x 34 in (7,344 cu in)
- Child limit50 lb
Pros
- A full-size reclining seat at the cheapest end of this guide
- Sixes for ease of use and folded size: adequate rather than poor
Cons
- Fives across maneuverability, build quality and child comfort. Nothing here is good; most of it is tolerable.
- The frame and fabrics are where the price saving lives, and a season of daily use will show it.
Who is this best for?
A spare stroller for a grandparent's car, or a family that needs something now and cannot spend.
Why we rate it
It offers a proper reclining seat at a price where most rivals give you a sling of fabric. For occasional use that is a genuine advantage.
At this price the realistic comparison is not the strollers above it but the alternative of having no second stroller at all. Judged that way it does its job: a reclining seat, a working fold, and a frame that will survive occasional use.
The fives on build quality and child comfort tell you what it cannot do. This is not a stroller for a daily school run, a vacation, or a second child. Treat it as a spare that lives in someone else's trunk and it is sensible. Treat it as your main stroller and you will replace it inside a year, which makes it the expensive option rather than the cheap one.
Should you buy it?
Buy it for occasional or backup use. Fives on build quality and child comfort mean this is not the stroller for daily pushing or long days out, and it will not survive the handling that travel involves.
8. Joie Orzo Mini
- Price tierBudget
- Weight15 lb
- Folded size10 x 20.5 x 21.5 in (4,408 cu in) (published figure)
- Child limit50 lb
Pros
- Six for child comfort, the best of the budget group, where the Cloud Plus scores five and the 3Dlite four
- Six for ease of use too, with a fold that has no sequence to remember
Cons
- At 15 lb it is the heaviest budget stroller here, and the heaviest of the three by a clear margin.
- Fives for maneuverability, folded size and build quality.
- A stroller built to a price, and the compromises are spread evenly rather than concentrated in one place.
Who is this best for?
Short trips and light use, where a simple fold and a decent seat matter more than polish.
Why we rate it
It is easy to fold and the seat is decent for the money, and at this price those are the two things most likely to get a stroller used rather than left in the hall.
The fives here are spread rather than concentrated, which is a meaningfully different thing from one catastrophic weakness. Nothing about this stroller is broken; several things are merely adequate. For short trips, that is often enough.
Where it earns its place is the fold. There is no sequence to remember, so it gets opened and closed without a second thought, and a stroller that is awkward to fold quietly stops leaving the house. At 15 lb it is the heaviest of the budget group, so plan on wheeling it rather than carrying it far.
Should you buy it?
Buy it as a lightweight spare. The fives across three columns are the honest picture: this is not a stroller for a long day, rough ground, or a second child after the first has finished with it.
9. Stokke YOYO3
- Price tierPremium
- Weight13.7 lb (6.2 kg)
- Folded size20.5 x 17.3 x 7.1 in (2,518 cu in)
- Child limit48.5 lb (22 kg)
Pros
- Seven for build quality, the best in the bottom four
- The best-known name in compact travel strollers, with the accessory ecosystem that comes with it
- Sixes for maneuverability and folded size
Cons
- Four for ease of use, the lowest score on any criterion in this guide. The fold is the problem: it takes two hands, a sequence, and practice.
- You are paying a premium for the badge and the accessories rather than for the score.
Who is this best for?
People already in the YOYO ecosystem, or who want the accessories and the resale value the name carries.
Why we rate it
Build quality is the best in the bottom four, and the accessory range is wider than anything else here. If you already own the attachments, that matters.
It is worth separating the badge from the score, because the two point in different directions. The YOYO name carries genuine advantages: an accessory ecosystem nothing else here matches, strong resale value, and a build quality that beats everything else in the bottom four.
But four out of ten for ease of use is the lowest number in this guide, and it lands on the single action you repeat most. Folding a travel stroller is not an occasional task, it is the task. A fold that needs two hands and a remembered order means putting the child down first, which in a parking lot with traffic moving is exactly the thing you do not want to be doing. If you already own YOYO accessories the maths changes. Starting fresh, both strollers at the top of this guide score double on that column for similar money.
Should you buy it?
Think hard about the four for ease of use. That is the lowest single score in this guide, and it lands on the thing you do every single time you use a travel stroller: folding it. A stroller that is awkward to fold is a stroller that stays in the trunk. For the money, the Minu and the Aer2 both score double on that column.
10. Summer Infant 3Dlite
- Price tierBudget
- Weight13 lb
- Child limit50 lb
- Cabin bagNo - Kids2 publishes no carry-on or overhead-bin claim and it is a full-length umbrella fold
Pros
- Seven for folded size, better than four strollers scoring above it
- The cheapest stroller in this guide by a clear margin
- Aluminum frame rather than steel, so it is light to carry
Cons
- Fours for maneuverability, build quality and child comfort: three of the five lowest scores in this guide.
- This is a stroller for carrying short distances on smooth ground, and it is honest about very little else.
Who is this best for?
A tight budget, or a stroller you expect to replace rather than keep.
Why we rate it
It folds well for the money and it is light. If the requirement is simply a working stroller at the lowest possible price, it meets it.
Three scores of four, on maneuverability, build quality and child comfort. That is three of the five things we measure, and it is the clearest picture in this guide of what the cheapest option actually costs.
In fairness, the seven for folded size is genuinely better than four strollers ranked above it, and the aluminum frame keeps it light. If the requirement is a working stroller at the lowest possible price for occasional, short, smooth-ground use, it meets that requirement honestly.
What it will not do is a vacation, a winter of cracked sidewalks, or a second child. Buying it expecting any of those is how a cheap stroller becomes an expensive one.
Should you buy it?
Buy it knowing what the fours mean. Maneuverability, build quality and child comfort are all among the lowest we have scored, and they are three of the five things we measure. It will do short trips on smooth ground. It will not do a vacation, rough sidewalk, or a second year.
Buyer's Guide: How to Buy a Travel Stroller
Decide What "Travel" Means For You
Two completely different products share this label, and buying the wrong one is the most common mistake in the category.
If travel means flying, folded dimensions are the only specification that counts, because the difference between fitting in an overhead locker and being gate-checked is the difference between a stroller that arrives intact and one that does not.
If travel means getting around town, folded size barely matters and how it pushes matters enormously. Those two requirements pull in opposite directions, and no stroller here does both well.
The Fold Is The Trade
Small wheels and thin seats make a small fold. Big wheels and padded seats make a comfortable ride. You cannot have both, and every stroller in this guide sits somewhere on that line.
Our smallest-folding stroller scores six out of ten for child comfort. Our most comfortable scores eight for folded size rather than ten. That is the category working as designed, not a failure of any particular product.
Check The Fold Yourself, In The Shop
The lowest single score in this guide: four out of ten: went to a well-regarded stroller for exactly one reason: its fold needs two hands and a learned sequence.
You will fold a travel stroller more often than you do anything else with it, usually while holding a child, often in a parking lot or an airport line. Go to a shop, hold something the weight of a baby in one arm, and fold it with the other. If you cannot, it does not matter how it scores elsewhere.
Weight Is Not The Same As Folded Size
These get conflated constantly. A light stroller can fold long and awkward; a heavier one can fold into a neat cube.
One stroller in this guide weighs about the same as our winner and scores five out of ten for folded size, because it collapses into a long thin pole that will not stand up, will not go in a locker, and takes up a trunk diagonally. Ask for the folded dimensions, not just the weight.
Check The Weight Limit Against Your Child
Travel strollers are generally outgrown earlier than full-size ones, and the limits vary more than you would expect: 55 lb at the top of this guide, with several well under that.
If you are buying for a two-year-old, that difference decides whether you get one more year or three.
Airline Rules Are Not A Standard
"Cabin approved" is a marketing phrase, not a certification. Each airline sets its own dimensions and they differ.
Measure the folded stroller and check it against the specific carriers you fly, rather than trusting the box.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Can I Take A Travel Stroller On A Plane?
Into the cabin, only if it folds within that airline's dimensions. Several here do, and the gb Pockit+ folds small enough to go in an overhead locker with room left over. Otherwise it gets gate-checked, which is where strollers get damaged.
Q. Is A Travel Stroller Enough As My Only Stroller?
For city living, often yes. For daily walks on rough sidewalk or with a lot of shopping, no. Travel strollers trade wheels, suspension and basket space for the fold, and you feel all three on a long day.
Q. What Is The Difference Between A Travel Stroller And An Umbrella Stroller?
An umbrella stroller folds long and thin, like its namesake. A travel stroller folds into a compact block. Both are light; only one goes in an overhead locker. One stroller in this guide is really the former sold as the latter, and it scores five out of ten for folded size as a result.
Q. Do Travel Strollers Take An Infant Car Seat?
Many do, with brand-specific adapters usually sold separately. Check your car seat against the stroller before buying, because adapter compatibility is narrower than the marketing suggests.
Q. How Long Will A Travel Stroller Last?
Check the weight limit, which ranges widely in this guide: up to 55 lb at the top end. Build quality matters as much: the strollers scoring four and five on that criterion are not the ones to buy if you need a second child out of it.
Our Analysis, Comparisons & Test Results
Ease Of Use
The widest spread of any criterion here, and the most consequential. The Minu V3 and the Joolz Aer2 both take 8. The Stokke YOYO3 takes 4, the lowest single score anywhere in this guide, for a fold that needs two hands and a remembered sequence. The Inglesina Quid 3 takes 5 for the same reason. This is the column that decides whether a stroller gets used or stays in the trunk.
Maneuverability
The Minu V3 leads at 8. The Joolz Aer2 and gb Pockit+ both take 6: the price of the small wheels that make their folds possible: and the Summer Infant 3Dlite takes 4, the worst here. Note what that means in practice: the two strollers that fold best are both below average at pushing.
Transport & Storing
The criterion the category is named after. The Minu V3, Joolz Aer2 and gb Pockit+ all take 8. At the bottom, the UPPAbaby G-Luxe takes 5: joint lowest in this guide with the Joie Orzo Mini, on a stroller sold as a travel stroller. It folds like an umbrella rather than a block, and that is the whole difference.
Build Quality
Only two strollers reach 9: the Minu V3 and the Joolz Aer2. The Inglesina Quid 3 and UPPAbaby G-Luxe both take 8, which is more than their overall scores suggest. The Summer Infant 3Dlite takes 4, and the Kolcraft and Joie both 5. That is where the money goes in this category.
Kid Comfort
The Minu V3 takes 9, alone. The Baby Jogger City Tour 2 and Inglesina Quid 3 take 8, both beating strollers that cost considerably more. The gb Pockit+ takes 6, which is the honest cost of the smallest fold here, and the Summer Infant 3Dlite takes 4.
What The Spread Tells You
There is a cliff in this guide between 71 and 64. The top four strollers are complete products; the bottom six each have at least one score of 5 or below, and in most cases two or three.
That is not a reason to avoid the bottom six: a 56 with a good seat is a sensible spare for a grandparent's car. It is a reason to know which column the weakness sits in before you buy, because a low score on folding matters differently to a low score on build quality.
All 10 products, side by side. Tap a column heading to sort.
| Product | Score | Price tier | Weight | Folded size | Child limit | Cabin bag | Car seat compatible | Ease of use | Maneuverability | Transport & storing | Build quality | Kid comfort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPPAbaby Minu V3 | 81 | Premium | 16.7 lb | 10 x 18 x 21.5 in (3,870 cu in) | 50 lb | Yes - UPPAbaby states the folded stroller meets IATA carry-on size regulations and is overhead-bin compatible | Yes - UPPAbaby Mesa / Mesa V2 / Mesa Max and Aria with the UPPAbaby Mesa adapter; select Maxi-Cosi, Nuna, Cybex and BeSafe seats with the separate UPPAbaby car seat adapter. Adapter required in every case, sold separately. | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 |
| Joolz Aer2 | 78 | Premium | 14.3 lb (6.5 kg) | 20.8 x 17.3 x 9.2 in (3,311 cu in) (published figure) | 50 lb | Yes - Joolz states the Aer2 is IATA compliant at its folded size; airline still has final say | Yes, with the Joolz Aer2 car seat adapter set (sold separately) - select Nuna, Cybex, Maxi-Cosi and Clek infant seats. No seat mounts without the adapter. | 8 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 8 |
| gb Pockit+ All City | 73 | Mid-price | 13.2 lb (6 kg) | 12.6 x 7.9 x 19 in (1,891 cu in) | 55 lb | Yes - gb states the Pockit+ All-City is airplane hand-luggage compliant | Yes - gb markets it as a travel system with Cybex and gb infant car seats; retailers note Maxi-Cosi and Nuna seats need the appropriate adapters. | 8 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 6 |
| Baby Jogger City Tour 2 | 71 | Mid-price | 14 lb | 21.6 x 16.9 x 6.8 in (2,482 cu in) | 45 lb | Airline dependent - Baby Jogger publishes no overhead-bin or IATA claim for this stroller | Yes, with the City Tour 2 car seat adapter (sold separately) - Baby Jogger City GO 2 and Graco SnugRide and Turn & Slide infant seats. No other brands listed. | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 |
| UPPAbaby G-Luxe | 64 | Mid-price | 16.3 lb | 19.2 x 12 x 41.8 in (9,631 cu in) | 55 lb | No - it is a long umbrella fold (41.8 in) and UPPAbaby makes no carry-on claim for it | No - UPPAbaby lists no infant car seat or adapter for the G-Luxe; it is rated from 3 months, not from birth | 7 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Inglesina Quid 3 | 64 | Mid-price | 14.1 lb (6.4 kg) | 18.3 x 23.2 x 7.5 in (3,184 cu in) | 55 lb | Yes - Inglesina states it fits in an aircraft overhead luggage compartment; check the specific carrier | Yes, with the Inglesina car seat adapter (sold separately) - select Nuna (Pipa Aire, Aire RX, Urbn), Maxi-Cosi (Peri 180, Mico Luxe, Mico Luxe+), Cybex (Cloud G, G Lux, T, Q, Aton G, Aton G Swivel) and Clek (Liing, Liingo). | 5 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 |
| Kolcraft Cloud Plus | 56 | Budget | 11 lb | 18 x 12 x 34 in (7,344 cu in) | 50 lb | No - 34 in folded height and Kolcraft makes no carry-on claim; it is marketed as meeting theme-park size requirements, not aircraft | No - Kolcraft publishes no infant car seat or adapter for the Cloud Plus | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
| Joie Orzo Mini | 56 | Budget | 15 lb | 10 x 20.5 x 21.5 in (4,408 cu in) (published figure) | 50 lb | Airline dependent - Joie publishes no cabin or overhead-bin claim, and the 20.5 in folded width is over the short side of a standard US carry-on sizer | No - the Joie instruction manual states: do not attempt to attach an infant car seat to this stroller | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
| Stokke YOYO3 | 56 | Premium | 13.7 lb (6.2 kg) | 20.5 x 17.3 x 7.1 in (2,518 cu in) | 48.5 lb (22 kg) | Yes - Stokke states the folded size is equal to or less than most airlines' cabin luggage allowance; confirm with the carrier | Yes, with Stokke YOYO car seat adapters (sold separately) - select Cybex, Nuna, Maxi-Cosi, Clek and BeSafe infant seats, plus the BeSafe-made YOYO car seat. | 4 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 |
| Summer Infant 3Dlite | 55 | Budget | 13 lb | not measured | 50 lb | No - Kids2 publishes no carry-on or overhead-bin claim and it is a full-length umbrella fold | No - Kids2 publishes no infant car seat or adapter for the 3Dlite | 6 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 4 |
Our Final Verdict: Best Travel Stroller 2026
UPPAbaby Minu V3, 81. The only stroller here with no weak column: eights or better on all five. Nine for build quality, matched only by the Aer2, and nine for child comfort, matched by nothing. It is not the smallest fold and it is not the cheapest, and it is still the one to buy if you are buying one travel stroller and keeping it.
Joolz Aer2, 78. Equal to the Minu on build quality, quicker to fold, lighter to carry. Its 6 for maneuverability is the one real flaw and it shows the moment you leave smooth ground. Buy it if you fly more than you walk.
gb Pockit+ All City, 73. Folds smaller than anything else here, small enough to keep with you in the cabin rather than handing it over at the gate. Six for child comfort is what that costs. A superb second stroller for flying, a hard one to recommend as your only stroller.
Baby Jogger City Tour 2, 71. Sevens everywhere, an eight for child comfort, and cheaper than the Minu and the Aer2 above it. Best at nothing and weak at nothing, which at this price is a genuine achievement.
On the Stokke YOYO3, 56. The best-known name in the category and the lowest single score in this guide. Four out of ten for ease of use, on the thing you do every time you use it. If you are already in the YOYO ecosystem it earns its place; if you are choosing fresh, both strollers at the top of this guide score double on that column.
Conclusion: Best Travel Stroller
Buy the UPPAbaby Minu V3. It is the only stroller here without a weakness, and in a category built entirely on trade-offs that is worth more than any individual score.
If you fly often, add the gb Pockit+ rather than replacing the Minu with it. It folds small enough to stay with you, and a stroller that never reaches a baggage handler never comes back broken.
And whatever you are considering, fold it in the shop with something baby-sized under one arm. That single test would have changed several of the scores in this guide.
Related buying guides
- Best Full-Size Stroller: what you push every day, when the fold matters less.
- Best Infant Car Seat: the seat that clips onto most of these frames.
- Best Baby Carrier: what to use when no stroller will do.
- All stroller guides
- How we test: the criteria, and what we do not claim to know.
Who tested this guide
Charlotte Davies
Charlotte is a product data analyst who specializes in measuring how people actually use things, and keeps records rather than working from impression. She tests from Bristol with four children.
Oliver Davies
Oliver is a CAD draughtsman who builds physical prototypes for a living, which makes him the person on the team most likely to find where a joint will eventually give. He tests from Bristol.
Emma Wolbert, Editor
Emma is the editor of Top Notch Baby Gear. She signs off every guide before it publishes, and holds the line on the two rules the site runs on: we buy what we test, and we say plainly where a figure did not come from our own hands.
Individual travel stroller reviews
Full reviews published so far, each score explained criterion by criterion. The rest follow over the coming weeks.
- UPPAbaby Minu V3 review81Best Travel Stroller Overall
Free tools and checklists
- Will it fit my trunk?: Folded stroller sizes against the trunks of America's best-selling family cars.
- Flying with a baby: airline rules: What twelve US airlines let you check, gate-check and bring on board for a baby, and which car seats you can use in the seat.
- Baby registry checklist: A printable registry checklist by stage, built from what our testing households actually used.
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