Top 9 Best Travel strollers of 2022

With their City Tour 2, Baby Jogger have succeeded amazingly well at implementing all the updates customers requested for its predecessor, the City Tour. The seat unit is more spacious, the handle is higher and a bit more sturdy and the adjustable footrest too – and what’s virtually a full lying position means your child can sleep much more comfortably as well.

The City Tour 2 has four wheels, of which the two front are swivel wheels which can be locked. The stroller now has PE wheels, which means that they are clad with a more durable material that gravel doesn’t get stuck in. The maximum weight of the seat unit is high in relation to the stroller size and the seat unit is spacious. The fact that the seat depth has also increased means that older and larger children are more comfortable. It’s also more suitable for the smallest children to because the back support can now be fully reclined to a lying position.

The footrest can be folded down for children with longer legs. When the child needs to sleep, or for babies who need more support, the footrest can easily be set upright. This means the City Tour 2 works really well from six months up to at least 4-5 years of age.

The hood has a combined peephole and ventilation hatch, together with an extending sunshade. Fully extended, this gives the child good shade in the stroller. The handle isn’t height adjustable, but it seems to work well for parents of most heights. The City Tour 2 has an easily accessible basket that is particularly large but which can hold the most important things without problems. If you want a safety bar for the travel stroller, this is available separately.

The City Tour 2 easily folds up using just one hand on the handle. After this, you lift the stroller from the folding straps on the seat and it forms a compact package that’s easy to pop in the car. The folding process is so easy that anyone can do it, and you don’t need to be strong to lift the stroller. The City Tour 2 includes a storage bag. The stroller starts off a little too big to travel as hand baggage, but once you unclick the wheels it fits.

The primary disadvantage of the stroller is that the foot brake is a bit too stiff. This is a problem if you're wearing sandals. Otherwise the Baby Jogger City Tour 2 is stable, easy to push, easy to turn and copes with some uneven terrain – even if it’s better on smooth surfaces. Children of all ages can sit or sleep comfortably, and the new functions mean the stroller grows with the child. If you’ve chosen a Baby Jogger City Tour 2, you’ll probably want to push it for many years to come.

Butterfly is Bugaboo’s first classic travel stroller, with a fixed forward-facing seat and compact one-step folding capability. The brand has had many years to study its competitors. And you can tell. Partly because Butterfly creates a strong feeling of déjà vu, as both the design and functions are recognisable. And partly because Bugaboo has clearly identified the one area in which travel strollers often receive criticism – and have successfully aimed for Butterfly to be the best in this area.

So Butterfly stands out with its extraordinarily spacious seat. The maximum weight of 22 kg, paired with the 56 cm high backrest, enables a five-year-old to sit comfortably, and even have space left to grow for at least another year. For smaller children, there is an adjustable backrest that can be folded down to rest position, and a shorter footrest that can be angled in several different positions. However, the slight disadvantage is that the footrest requires two hands to be adjusted and is still rather sluggish.

Fast folding capability that you will always succeed in using

Bugaboo Butterfly has a fixed handle that measures approximately 100 cm from the ground. The comfortable handle is covered in imitation leather. At the centre it has a button together with a latch. When you press both, the stroller can be folded. Folding the stroller together is super easy, fast, and impossible to not manage successfully. The only thing required is a little extra pressure at the end of the folding process, so that the chassis is pressed together as compactly as possible and locks in that position.

To unfolding the Butterfly, press the buttons on the handle in the same way and just pull up the stroller. With a little force in your motion, Butterfly pops out in a second and is ready to start rolling. The padded carrying strap makes it easy to carry in a folded position. Bugaboo Butterfly is small enough to carry on the plane as hand luggage when flying with many airlines. This is a coveted feature for travel strollers, and it makes the seat’s spaciousness even more impressive.

Easy-roll travel stroller with a spacious storage basket

Pushing the Bugaboo Butterfly feels good. It may not roll as easily as the brand’s larger strollers, but in terms of the size of the wheels, you will have to be satisfied. Butterfly is smooth to turn and doesn't feel heavy to push, but it’s not a cobblestone or off-road travel stroller. The leverage in the handle is okay. With older children, you will need to press down a bit more to raise the front wheels. The storage basket is easily accessible and can handle as much as 8 kg.

Butterfly has an extendable canopy, but the entire extended section is just mesh. When it is extended, it becomes airy, but also bright inside the stroller. Bugaboo’s harness is one of the best on the market, and is easy to fasten and adapt. The price of Butterfly is almost as high as the impressive back support of the stroller. Although Bugaboo has always been a premium brand, Butterfly doesn't offer much that sets this travel stroller apart from other brands. But if you like Bugaboo’s aesthetics, want a super-easy folding capability and, above all, want a hand luggage-sized travel stroller that also works for tall children – then you should definitely choose to fly with a Butterfly.

Being able to take a travel stroller as carry-on baggage on a plane is a function that many parents find very important. In particular, if you’re going to be making a stopover, it can be useful to have a mobile resting place for your child. However, many strollers are too big for airlines to accept them onboard. The Cybex Libelle is one of the few exceptions.

A stroller really can’t be smaller when folded than the Libelle, which more than fits IATA’s recommended maximum dimensions for hand luggage (56 x 45 x 25 cm). It’s also very easy to fold. Press the white buttons on the handles and squeeze the stroller downwards and forwards. Once it’s folded, you fold the wheels inwards, and suddenly the Libelle is small enough to fit into a bicycle basket.

Travel stroller with reclining position and adjustable footrest

The small and compact size of the Libelle means that Cybex have had to compromise on other functions. With a clip around two straps, the seat unit’s backrest can be folded down to a reclining position. There isn’t a lying position, but the angle is good enough for a child to be able to sleep without their head tipping forward. The stroller has an adjustable footrest, but it is short and only extends the sleeping area by 10 cm or so. There’s also a built-in footrest on the front of the chassis.

The shopping basket is quite spacious, given the size of the Libelle, and can hold a smaller changing bag. Cybex should be commended for the positioning of the foot brake, which is level with the top edge of the basket. This design leaves a good amount of room for the person pushing the stroller, without the risk of the brake being accidentally applied. The Libelle has two separate handles and requires both hands to make it comfortable to push. But you can also push it with one hand on the bar between the handles.

Shortcomings offset by the compactness of the stroller

It goes without saying that the Cybex Libelle has small wheels. This stroller works really well in shops and inside the airport. Of course, you can use it outside too, as long as the surface is paved or asphalt. However, the surface of the wheels isn’t very good quality and stones stick to the material, leaving holes in the wheels, as soon as you push the stroller over gravel. And although the stroller is approved for up to 22 kg, it seems to work best for children up to 3-4 years of age, at most.

If you take the Cybex Libelle on your summer holiday, you’re going to want to supplement the short hood with another sunshade, so your child is properly shaded while they’re in the stroller. But with this type of stroller, it’s hard be irritated with this type of shortcoming. It’s clear that the top design priority is the size and weight of the stroller, and that’s where the Cybex Libelle gets the top score.

The small, light Aer travel stroller completes the Joolz range of stroller models. The Joolz Aer is a fixed, forward-facing stroller. The seat unit has no adjustable footrest, but you can buy one separately. However, it does have a built-in footrest on the front of the chassis.

The Joolz Aer has small but tough wheels. Accessibility is best on smooth surfaces such as tarmac or city pavements. But rather unexpectedly, the Aer can also cope with some gravel paths and grass, even though that’s not really what it’s intended for. The handle isn’t height adjustable and is about 105 cm above ground level. The basket on the Aer is big enough for the essentials and can be accessed easily from different directions.

Unusually high backrest

The Joolz Aer has an unusually high backrest, which provides stable support for the child’s back and head. Even a normal height six-year-old easily fits under the hood and gets good neck support. The seat unit is spacious widthways too. You incline the backrest by opening a zip on the back of the stroller. You can then adjust the exact angle using a strap. At the greatest angle, the Joolz Aer provides back support for a reclining position.

Inclining the backrest feels unnecessarily complicated. Fiddling with a strap on the side of the backrest or holding up the backplate while you try to close a zip isn’t particularly convenient. The harness in the Joolz Aer seat unit is easy to adjust for length and can be divided into five separate strips. The hood on the Joolz Aer can be extended, and opened up using a zip. However, it’s quite short even in fully extended position. In the extending section there is mesh fabric, which creates better ventilation and can act as a peephole.

Very easy and convenient to fold

One important function in a travel stroller is the folding mechanism, and here the Joolz Aer performs very well. The stroller is extremely easy to fold with one hand and becomes very compact. The chassis locks automatically, and by pressing in the same buttons on the handle as you use for folding it, you can quickly unfold the Aer again. The Joolz Aer includes a transport bag.

The short hood together with the fact that there’s no lying position or adjustable footrest means that the Joolz Aer can’t really compete with the most popular travel strollers. But the high, stable backrest on the Joolz Aer is a very nice detail and may perhaps make the difference for parents of tall children.

The Chicco Liteway is a classic umbrella stroller that’s a common sight on the streets as it’s become more popular in recent years. The stroller isn’t particularly different from other very similar strollers, but it has a few features that are probably the reason why many people looking for a travel stroller pick a Liteway. Above all, the stroller’s single front wheels. It’s common for umbrella strollers to have double front wheels, which in theory should improve the stroller’s stability. But it also makes the stroller more difficult and less fun to steer, and can also make it a bit rattly. With its single front wheels, the Chicco Liteway is very easy both to push and turn and doesn’t rattle – although of course it’s at its best on a smooth surface.

The Chicco Liteway has a fixed forward-facing seat unit. You can incline the backrest down to full lying position using just one hand. The hood is normal length and has a small peephole. The material isn’t the best quality, but it fulfils its function. The Liteway has a split handle that can’t be height adjusted. It’s best to push it with two hands, but as it’s so easy to steer it works quite well even when you have to temporarily steer it with just one hand. The basket is also for an umbrella stroller and can be accessed from several directions. The seat unit is spacious and has an adjustable footrest, together with a five-point harness. A one year old will be comfortable in the stroller, but it works for a normal sized three year old too. The Liteway folds up just like other umbrella strollers in that you press one catch up, another down and then fold the stroller forwards. When folded it’s long but narrow. The chassis locks automatically. The stroller weighs just under 7 kg and is easy to carry, but oddly lacks a handle to carry it with when it’s folded. The Chicco Liteway is a conveniently designed umbrella stroller that works well to carry in the car or to have with you as an extra stroller, and the seat unit can be used both for a small, sleeping child or a slightly larger child who just needs to sit down from time to time.

The Quinny Yezz is an exceptionally light travel stroller that’s also very small and compact when folded up. The Yezz has an unusual appearance and is constructed in a totally different way to most other travel strollers. Instead of two parallel rear struts, the Yezz chassis has a zigzag form. The chassis is manufactured from a special kind of lightweight plastic, with the cover hung directly on it, which means the total weight is only 5 kg. The Yezz has three small in-line wheels – a type of wheel that is very tough but also very easy to roll. You can easily fold the stroller with just one hand and the chassis locks automatically. The stroller will also stand up vertically on its own. The Yezz takes up hardly any space at all in the car boot, and you can easily carry it with you as it has a comfortable, elastic carrying strap that goes over your shoulder.

The fact that the stroller is light and folds up small is at the expense of other functions. Or at least it’s true to say the Quinny Yezz doesn’t have many functions. The seat unit is fixed forward-facing and the backrest can’t be inclined at all. Nor does the stroller have a basket. Instead there's a storage pocket on the back of the backrest. The hood is short but has a small sun visor. The footrest is fixed and the stroller handle can’t be height adjusted either. But the seat unit is spacious and even a normal sized 4-5 year old can travel comfortably in the Quinny Yezz. This makes the stroller ideal as an extra, mobile resting place for the child who doesn’t need a reclining position to sleep or perhaps doesn’t sleep in the stroller at all any more. Regardless of the child’s size, the Quinny Yezz is very easy to push and carry with you. The handle takes the form of a downward arch, which may not be suitable for all hands, but the inline wheels mean the Yezz is so easy to push you can do so with just one hand.

The Leclerc Magic Fold Plus is a fixed forward-facing travel stroller that’s only a few centimetres too wide to meet IATA’s recommended maximum dimensions for cabin baggage, which are 56 x 45 x 25 cm. The model is often also known as the Leclerc MF Plus. The words magic fold in the product name relate to the very easy folding of the stroller.

The travel stroller can be used from the baby’s first few months. You can buy both a carrycot and adapters to attach the baby car seat to the chassis. A larger baby can be placed directly in the seat unit, provided you’re happy with your child facing forward. The seat unit’s backrest can be adjusted to several different angles, of which the lying position is completely flat. The seat position isn’t completely upright, but is tilted backwards a little. The angle of the backrest is adjusted using a catch on the back of the backrest.

Travel stroller that works best for small children

The seat is approved for 22 kg but it feels like the child has grown out of it before reaching that weight. A normal 3.5-year-old 100 cm tall has half of their head above the backrest. The harness is also a bit fiddly for larger children. The harness pads constantly slide down from the shoulders, the harness straps slip out of each other before they are locked together with the buckle and the harness can’t be attached just over the hips.

For smaller children, the MF Plus works better, however. The seat’s swing away belly bar makes it easy for your child to climb in and out. The adjustable footrest helps to create a good lying position. The hood can be extended, but is positioned right up on the top of the stroller, where it provides limited sun protection. If you are going to take the MF Plus on a summer holiday, you’ll want to add a sun curtain or a stroller parasol.

Folds itself The travel stroller’s handle can't be adjusted in height. It’s also a bit annoying that the hood lies against the handle, and therefore against the hands of the person pushing the stroller. The MF Plus is nice to push in an urban environment, but the stroller is heavy to lift up over kerbs, and if you have long legs it’s too easy to catch the brake as you walk, bringing the stroller to a sudden stop. The basket is spacious, but the soft bottom means it’s easy to push the basket forward so it rubs against the front wheels.

The biggest strength of the MF Plus is the folding. Once you’ve started the process, the stroller will take care of the rest itself. The lightweight and compact dimensions of the stroller once folded make it easy to load into the car or to take on a journey. There is room for improvement in the Leclerc Magic Fold Plus. But if you’re looking for a stylish travel stroller with ridiculously simple folding, the MF Plus is a good choice.

There are many travel strollers and sometimes it can be difficult to distinguish between different models. But the Diono Traverze stands out even on first impression, with a chassis shaped rather like a lightning flash, part of which forms a built-in armrest.

Built-in handle so the Traverze can be pulled like a suitcase

But the stroller also has unexpected functions. You fold the Diono Traverze with one hand on the handle, in an extremely convenient and easy movement. You can easily fold the Traverze while holding your child on your other arm. Once folded the chassis locks itself.

If you then lift the cover at the footrest, you’ll find a pull-out handle beneath. With this you can pull the Diono Traverze behind you, just like a suitcase. The stroller also comes with a transport bag, which has useful holes for the wheels. This way you can pull the Traverze behind you through the airport with the bag on.

Clever basket that can be expanded with fold-out edges

The Traverze seat unit is forward-facing, with a backrest that can be folded down into a deep reclining position. There’s no lying position. The depth in the Traverze seat is good, but the backrest is rather sloping, even in sitting position. The harness has good padding and the cover also feels soft and comfortable. Children up to 2-3 years of age can travel comfortably in the stroller. The stroller handle isn’t adjustable in terms of height or angle, but it’s at a reasonable height to suit parents of different heights.

The basket on the Diono Traverze has a practical rear edge that can be folded out to create more space under the stroller if necessary. When the backrest is flat, you can access a small storage pocket with a zip on the back of the stroller. The hood is good in sitting position, but too short in reclined position – as it has no extension or fold-out sun visor. The Traverze has small plastic wheels that the odd stone gets stuck in. It feels like a standard travel stroller when you push it. And it’s on your travels that the Diono Traverze will be most useful.

Unlike the majority of other travel strollers that offer both forward and backward-facing travel, it’s not the actual seat unit you reverse on the Joie Mirus. Instead it’s the handle, which you can release and move over to the other end of the stroller. Changing the handle is easy to do and this could be a good solution to get around the problem of reversible strollers requiring a chassis that’s more advanced – and thus often both heavier and larger. With the Mirus seat unit facing forwards, the front wheels swivel and the back ones are fixed, but if you turn the handle around the front wheels are fixed. You can push the stroller with swivel back wheels but it’s difficult to steer like that, so when the stroller is in rear-facing mode it’s best to lock all four wheels into fixed position. Otherwise the stroller rolls well and has a bit of bounce in the chassis. It’s easy to fold the stroller up, and it becomes a small and compact package. You can fold it regardless of the direction of the handle. The basket on the Mirus is large and easy to access and the hood gives good shade in the fully extended position.

The seat unit on the Mirus has sitting, reclining and lying positions, and can be used from birth together with a soft carrycot as the lying position is completely flat. You can fold down the backrest with just one hand. The stroller has a safety bar that is very low, but is of swing-away type so it’s still easy to put the child into or remove them from the stroller. The seat unit is most suitable for slightly smaller children. When the child is around 1 m tall, they’ll have outgrown the backrest. Overall this stroller is most suitable for children up to one year of age. It’s an advantage that the stroller is small if you’re going to use it while travelling, but the small dimensions also mean that it’s difficult to push for an adult who's average height or above. The handle is short and it’s difficult to walk behind the stroller as you’d want. For smaller children and shorter parents, the Joie Mirus can work well but there are a number of changes that need to be made before the stroller is an option for most parents.