Are you looking for the best strollers for travel? Curious what compact, and portable strollers make traveling with kids just a little bit easier? Wondering what double strollers work best for quick airport runs? And what about price, specs, and adaptability?
We’ll keep this intro short and sweet because we have a lot of strollers to share with you. Below you’ll find:
- Compact and portable pocket strollers designed for travelers
- Umbrella strollers
- Top single stroller systems that are great on the go
- The best double strollers for travel
- Specs, including weight, basket capacity, etc.
- Pros and cons for each stroller
Disclosure: This site contains affiliate links for products and services I recommend. When you make a purchase through an affiliate link, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission. Read our full disclosure here.
We reached out to a handful of other family and travel bloggers for their personal recommendations on the best strollers for travel.
Everything you see below comes from first hand experience. You’ll read about strollers that have climbed mountains, traveled to 10+ countries, trekked along some of the world’s longest road trips and train rides, and have served families on the hectic streets of New York City.
No matter what type of traveler or family you are, we guarantee you’ll find the perfect stroller for your next family vacation.
The Best Strollers for Travel
Pocket Strollers Designed for Travel
Babyzen Yoyo
The Babyzen Yoyo stroller is definitely an investment, however, it’s a high-quality product that will last for many years. It’s lightweight (6.2 kg/13.6 lbs.) and super compact when folded (152 x 44 x 18 cm/20.5 x 17.3 x 7.1 in). In fact, it’s so small it can be taken on a plane as carry-on luggage!
What I love about the Yoyo is that it’s easy to steer (one handed), folds easily and can be carried over your shoulder with the carrier strap. We have used the newborn pack as well as the 6+ pack and taken our Yoyo to 10+ countries.
We’ve taken it on our journey on the trans-Siberian railway, on a campervan road trip in Portugal, a 3-week trip around japan and many more trips and it’s never let us down. Both our toddler as well as our baby like to sit and sleep in the Yoyo. All in all, the Yoyo is best suited for parents who are looking for a versatile stroller that can be used from birth and who travel frequently.
Submitted by Lotte from Phenomenal Globe
GB Pockit
When considering a travel stroller, convenience is often high on the priority list. And it doesn’t get much better than carrying your stroller through the airport with ease. The gb Pockit has grown in popularity because it can fit under the seat on the plane. In fact, it’s been coined the smallest folded stroller on the market (just 12” x 7” x20”). And it’s incredibly lightweight at 9.5 pounds.
The gb Pockit is a single stroller, and it’s designed for ages 6 months and up. It can be used for kids up to 55 lbs., which is great because it’ll grow with your little one. The downside? It’s not the most durable stroller out there. And due to its compactness, it’s limited with storage and recline capabilities.
When it comes to the price, gb Pockit is just over $100, making it mid-range, but still more affordable than a lot of the strollers out there. If you’re a frequent traveler, the convenience just can’t be beat.
Submitted by Brittany from Family on Stand By
UppaBaby Minu
The Minu is UPPAbaby’s entry in the pocket stroller category, and it is a fabulous option for any family that travels often with one stroller-aged child. It is sleek, durable, and unquestionably beautiful. It has a large storage space underneath, a pocket at the top for your phone and sunglasses, and a very smooth one-handed fold down.
Like all pocket strollers, the Minu claims to fit into the overhead bin on airplanes. While it is technically outside of the size limits of most airlines, we’ve successfully stored it in the overhead bin on many flights, including on budget airlines. It is smaller than the average roller carry-on bag.
You cannot fit a piggyback board on the Minu, but the travel favorite Cosco Scenera Next car seat fits perfectly inside of it without any modifications.
The UPPAbaby Minu is one of the most expensive pocket strollers, but it has features that the other brands just cannot compete with. If you use it as an everyday stroller as well as a travel stroller, as we do, it is well worth the high price tag.
Submitted by Dani from Diapers in Paradise
Mountain Buggy Nano
One of the best strollers for travel is the Mountain Buggy Nano 2. It is a stroller that is perfect for a baby to about age three. The seat back goes down almost flat, so that it can be used for an infant. You can also attach an infant car seat with the included straps! This is a great stroller for travel since it can be folded in three. It is perfect for flying as it can go on board.
Better yet, it is one of the best options for living in New York city with a baby, since you can use it on the subway without taking up too much room, or fold it for going up and down subway stairs. The downside to this stroller is that the under basket is pretty small, the canopy is minimal and since the wheels are not so big, it does get harder to push with an older child.
Submitted by Daphna from A Tiny Trip
Umbrella Strollers for Travel
Summer Infant 3D Lite
With a lightweight frame (13 lbs.) and a large storage basket, the Summer Infant 3D Lite makes travel much easier with kids. The stroller is easy to open and close; you simply pull a lever and it opens. Folding it up is just as quick and easy. This is especially helpful at the airport when you’re checking the stroller at the gate.
We have used this stroller multiple times at Disney and it has been perfect when we have a lot of walking around to do. Also helpful is that the seat fully reclines for napping. The anti-shock wheels keep the ride smooth on rough sidewalks and cobblestone streets.
The only thing we aren’t thrilled about with the stroller is that you cannot have the diaper bag or other heavy bags on the handles without a child seated, or it will tip over. However, the easy fix is to put the bags on the seat until your child is back in the stroller.
We have tried a lot of strollers over the years with our four children, and nothing has compared to the ease with the Summer Infant 3D Lite Convenience Stroller.
Submitted by Debbie from WorldAdventurists.com
Maclaren Quest
The Maclaren Quest is one of the best strollers for travel with an older toddler or preschooler. We bought ours after finding the Bugaboo Cameleon too bulky for travel, and needed something lightweight and easy to transport.
The Maclaren Quest is perfect as it folds up super small and weighs only 12.2 lbs./5 kg. It also comes with a very handy backpack style strap so you can throw it over your shoulder when not in use. Because it’s classed as an umbrella stroller, many airlines will allow you to use it right up to the gate, which is ideal if you’re traveling with tired kids, or on a late night/early morning flight.
Its high back was also a drawcard, as it accommodates taller kids with ease. The large hood protects from the sun, and the 5-point harness means you don’t have to worry about little ones wriggling out. The four swivel wheels make maneuvering it through small spaces easy, and it glides well on hard surfaces.
But one downside is that the hard wheels don’t make for a particularly smooth ride on the cobbled lanes typically found in European cities. Its hardy build means it’ll last the distance, can be passed on to younger siblings, or sold to be used for many years to come.
Submitted by Nadine from Zero Waste Memoirs
Kolcraft Cloud Umbrella
The Kolcraft Cloud Lightweight Umbrella Stroller is such a great travel friendly single stroller. It’s extremely reasonable in price, compact, and can be easily folded up as it has 1 step fold. It is also very lightweight weighing in at only 9 pounds, so ideal for those flights, day trips and theme parks.
This stroller caters to kids that are between ages 1 1/2 years to 3 years old. One of the best favorite features is that it has an extended sun canopy which provide more coverage than most typical umbrella strollers, and great if you are headed somewhere that’s quite sunny.
If you are looking for a large storage basket, this stroller is not a good fit. Additionally, it does not recline and only has a three point harness. The handles are short in nature so if you are tall you might have to bend over more.
Overall, this is a stroller I would recommend for someone looking for a light, compact, and inexpensive stroller for traveling.
Submitted by Leticia from Chic Travel Around the World.
More Single Strollers Great for Travel
UppaBaby Cruz
The UppaBaby Cruz is one of the most lightweight (25.5 pounds), easy to steer full sized strollers on the market, and because of this, it’s one of the best strollers for travel. Families looking for a top of the line everyday stroller, that is also great for travel, will love the UppaBaby Cruz.
The stroller is compatible with the Mesa carseat and the bassinet. The seat is also reversible so your baby or toddler can look at you, or out at the world. Busy families, especially those carting extra baggage through an airport, will love the extra large basket size underneath.
A kickboard is also available for purchase, should you need a spot for an older child who’s outgrown sitting in a stroller. The telescopic handle simply slides out to make room for your toddler and in seconds you’ve gone from single to double. For this reason, the UppaBaby cruz is one of the best strollers for travel with either one or two, albeit older, children.
The only downside to the UppaBaby Cruz is the steep price (over $500 new) but we personally purchased ours secondhand (including the kickboard and snack tray) for around $250. The price is well worth it, though.
Baby Trend Expedition Jogger
The Baby Trend Expedition Jogging Stroller Travel System is an extremely affordable, durable, and smooth-riding stroller that grows with your child from newborn up to 50 pounds.
We have logged over 500 miles walking, running, and exploring Europe and the US with this stroller and have never once regretted our purchase. We especially sang its praises when traveling through Bruges, Belgium with our baby.
This travel system includes an infant car seat that easily clips onto the stroller (which makes road trips and car rides a breeze). Plus, a stroller seat that can lay back when needed. And the three large, inflatable tires are lifesavers walking on cobblestone streets, popping curbs, and taking dirt paths on your adventures.
Other great features include a tray for your little one, cup holders and a phone/key holder for the parents, and a large hammock underneath that can fit a full backpack and other additional small items.
The Baby Trend Expedition is larger than a typical ‘travel stroller’. However, most (if not all) airlines check your stroller for free no matter the size. Because of its size, you will want to make sure you have trunk-space available in your rental car. It folds down easily but is not as small as some strollers.
Submitted by Jenessa from Destination Daydreamer
Doona
We can’t share the best strollers for travel without discussing the Doona. One of the only travel inspired stroller systems specifically for infants, the Doona is a compact carseat and stroller in one. Suitable for babies 4 through 35 pounds, with a 32 inch height limit, the Doona is only slightly smaller than a typical infant bucket seat.
With the wheels attached, though, this system is slimmer and ideal for travel. In fact, you can easily wheel the system down an airplane aisle, then fold the wheels in to install the seat as a carseat in the airplane seat, all while your babe remains strapped in.
The Doona is a bit pricy at around $500, but the system comes with the LATCH carseat base, as well. Families can conceivably use the Doona as their standard car seat and stroller system, as well as for traveling.
Double Strollers for Travel
Joolz Geo Double
Whether you have been blessed by the arrival of twins or plan to have a second baby in 1 or 2 years, the Joolz Geo Double is the best travel double stroller you can buy.
Some may argue that it is expensive and bulky, but let’s see what makes it the best despite those fears. First of all it is suitable from birth for twins, or for a baby and toddler, this means that you will not have to spend twice (some double strollers can only accommodate 1 carry-cot at a time).
It is not a super light stroller, but double strollers must have a solid frame to last for a long time. In the case of the Joolz Geo, the seats can carry up to 20 kg./44 lbs. each, so the chassis must be able to support this weight. Despite this, it is narrower than many single strollers (only 60cm./23 inches), which allows it to be maneuvered super easily and makes it a breeze to use even on buses.
Finally the most important thing of all: it folds in a second with the seats still attached, so there is no risk to leave attachment pieces around the world when you are traveling.
Submitted by Clotilde from A Princess Travelling With Twins
Joovy Caboose
One of the best double strollers for travel that doesn’t come with a steep price tag, the Joovy Caboose is small enough to fit in the trunk of a car, but has enough space for two.
The Joovy Caboose is similar to a sit and stand, but comes with a jump seat for extra comfort, and a fully reclining front seat. Alternatively, the toddler in the back can stand on a platform, or turn to sit on a small bench when needed (without even adding the jump seat). At 27 pounds, it’s relatively lightweight for a double.
On the down side, it’s not the most easy to steer, and it is not ideal for any sort of terrain. The basket underneath is also very small, and doesn’t hold much at all. The Joovy Caboose, however, is great for getting through an airport or from destination to destination since it’s compact and folds up quickly without taking apart any components.
Of course these aren’t all or even all of the best strollers for travel. We’d love to know what you use for family adventures and what you’d add to this list!
We personally use a few strollers, depending on the trip. Our UppaBaby Cruz is very loved for local trips, and even short, flat trails since it’s lightweight and easy to steer, yet has great basket storage for our two kids! We love the Joovy Caboose for getting through an airport and gate checking a double, and it’s currently kept at my parents’ home for when we visit. If we still lived in New York, we’d be all over a collapsible or pocket stroller!
We have friends and family who use the Mountain Buggy Nano, the Doona, and the GB Pockit. Of course you can’t go wrong, though, with any of the options submitted above by the family travel blog community!
Save This List of the Best Strollers for Travel to Pinterest:
How do you secure the Cosco Scenera on the Minu?