Make leaving home with baby just a little easier! For people with active lifestyles that often find themselves on-the-go, lightweight travel strollers are an excellent solution. Don’t let your little one slow you down! These portable strollers and travel systems help transition from house to car and back again much easier. In this curated roundup, we check out some of the best travel strollers on the market.
What Makes a Stroller Important?
If you want to run some quick errands these help you get such tasks done efficiently and let your little love bug enjoy some time out of the house. Furthermore, vacations and weekend trips are much easier when you use a travel stroller than can be easily folded and carried over the shoulder when the path gets too rough. Travel strollers are a lifesaver (and back saver) that are useful in many situations.
We’re going to be discussing the differences of a travel stroller from a standard stroller, and why many parents have chosen to ditch the heavier full-size strollers for lighter weight ones. Then, we provide our readers with an overview of the types of travel strollers available. Following the overview, we have a selection guide that notes a few of the top things to look for before making a final stroller selection.
Our first stop is the review section, where we take an in-depth look at the best safety strollers of this year.
8 Best Travel Strollers
Welcome to our review section. Come take a closer look at the best travel strollers of this year.
1. UPPAbaby G-Luxe Stroller
- Weight: 15 pounds
- Type: Deluxe Travel Stroller
- Safety Harness: 5-Point
- Age Range: 3 Months to 55lbs
- Color Styles: 6
Many parents would argue this is the best all around baby stroller. The only thing it isn’t good for is jogging. The G-Luxe maintains a light weight without sacrificing much functionality. The sunshade is extendable, the handle bars are ergonomic and tall, a cupholder is located on the right side, and pretty much all the fabric including the seat pad is removable and machine washable allowing you to keep it looking like new for a long time. One of the things we like best about this stroller is that once it is folded, it can stand on its own.
If you’re looking for something even lighter and like what you see here, UPPAbaby has the G-Lite that weighs a surprising 10 pounds.
2. Summer Infant 2015 3D Lite Convenience Stroller
- Weight: 12 pounds
- Type: Basic Travel Stroller
- Safety Harness: 5-Point
- Age Range: Birth to 50 Pounds
- Color Styles: 6
Summer Infant’s 2015 model is one of the most affordable travel strollers out there. You get a great value with this one. It weighs in at 12 pounds, has a 5 point safety harness, 4 recline positions, and a fairly large seat area. The large 6 inch wheels are shock absorbent and the back wheels are lockable for parking purposes. Once you fold it down, it auto locks into folded mode, and it features a handy carry strap to make it extra portable.
3. Safety 1st Smooth Ride LX Travel System
- Weight: 37 pounds
- Type: Stroller Carseat Combo
- Safety Harness: 5-Point
- Age Range: Birth to 50 pounds
- Color Styles: 2
This is one of the lightest travel strollers available. It costs a pretty penny though. However, it is worth the cost, it is arguably the best stroller carseat combo on the market right now. Super compact, you can fold and unfold it with one hand. The aluminum frame makes it very lightweight for a baby travel system. It will be difficult to find anything under 37 pounds that does everything the AeroLite can do. Safety 1st offers about 17% more leg room then comparable stroller carseat combination models. It has a child snack tray that comes in handy during chow time.
4. Maclaren Triumph Stroller
- Weight: 13 pounds
- Type: Deluxe Travel Stroller
- Safety Harness: 5-Point
- Age Range: 6 months to 55 Pounds
- Color Styles: 4
If you’re looking for the best travel stroller, the Maclaren fits the bill. The lightweight frame is constructed with “aircraft” grade aluminum alloy. It is built to last and is backed by Maclaren Sovereign Lifetime Warranty for peace of mind. The stroller is sleek looking and comes in four sharp color styles. It is an umbrella type stroller with multiple recline settings. The rain cover is waterproof and can easily be removed when it need of a cleaning (it is machine washable too).
This model folds up very nicely and becomes compact enough to store away just about anywhere. An over sized storage basket rounds out this travel stroller nicely. So what are you waiting for? It is time to race around town with the Maclaren Triumph.
5. Joovy Groove Ultralight
- Weight: 14 pounds
- Type: Deluxe Travel Stroller
- Safety Harness: 5-Point
- Age Range: Newborn to 55lbs
- Color Styles: 4
With a UPF 50 Canopy, the JOOVY New Groover travel stroller is perfect for both sunny and rainy adventures. It’s a simple design, that’s easy to store but doesn’t sacrifice durability. The lightweight aluminum frame gives it the extra boost of features needed to make our list.
6. Quinny Zapp Xtra Stroller
- Weight: 18 pounds
- Type: Car Seat Convertible Travel Stroller
- Safety Harness: 3-Point
- Age Range: 10-40lbs
- Color Styles: 3
Quinney is a popular manufacturer of quality baby gear. Quinny has a few other popular stroller models such as the Yezz, Moodd, and Buzz but their Zapp is probably the best deal. If you’re looking for a three in one stroller the Quinny Moodd is expensive but extremely high quality.
Notable Mentions for Best Travel Strollers
Here are some other popular options if the others didn’t strike your fancy.
7. Chicco Liteway Travel Stroller
- Weight: 18 pounds
- Type: Basic Travel Stroller
- Safety Harness: 3-Point
- Age Range: 10-40lbs
- Color Styles: 3
8. Graco DuoGlider
- Weight: 27 pounds
- Type: Deluxe Double Travel Stroller
- Safety Harness: 3-Point
- Age Range: Newborn to 40lbs per child
- Color Styles: 1
Travel Strollers: What Makes a Stroller Ideal for Traveling?
Just the logistics of getting around with your infant or toddler can get pretty complicated sometimes. Air plane traveling becomes even more complex than car trips. Some parents end up surrendering many of the things they like to do because of the hassle involved in getting from place to place.
Of course, some sacrifices must be made for the little ones, but you don’t need to give everything up. You can stay out for longer and spend more time walking when your baby or young child has a place to sit. There are ways to travel safely and relatively comfortably with your infant or toddler.
Fortunately, manufacturers have come up with some pretty clever designs to help parents maintain their active lifestyle or take a much needed vacation from time-to-time.
The wonderful thing about travel strollers is that it enables you to take your child along and create some awesome memories with them.
Features and Benefits of Travel Strollers
The universal feature of travel strollers is that they are lighter weight than fully featured strollers. Most travel strollers are under 20 pounds and some are even around 10 pounds. These lighter weight strollers are invaluable when you visit places like the zoo, theme parks, or wherever footpaths are not suitable for strollers.
The ease of folding the travel stroller up and carrying it is very helpful in such situations. Some models with umbrellas fall in this price range too. Some travel strollers are more like travel “systems” that may double as a carseat. These are a wonderful option for folks that do a lot of driving. Keep in mind that these travel system strollers are usually quite a bit heavier than standalone travel strollers. Of course, they are usually more expensive as well because of their versatility. There are travel strollers in both categories that made our best travel strollers list in our review section.
Is The Investment Worth It?
Do you really need to buy a stroller for traveling? Really, it depends on what your intentions are. Some people will be okay with using a fully featured, big stroller for most occasions. If your not having to lift that 30+ pound stroller very often, you will probably be fine. However, if you are planning to use public transport, flying, quick trips around the city, or just do a lot of traveling in general it may make sense to shop for one.
That 30 pounds becomes a little more bothersome if you have to keep carrying up and down stairs, into the car, or trying to store it in a hotel room for example.
Four General Categories of Travel Strollers
At first blush, most of these strollers appear pretty similar. However, there are some key differences and subtle nuances that define each type of travel stroller. It is a good idea to know the differences when selecting the best lightweight travel stroller for you.
Basic Travel Strollers
These are the slim and trim models that keep extras to a minimum. Some of these strollers somehow weigh in under 10 pounds. Talk about featherweights.
Deluxe Travel Strollers
If you’re looking for something fancy but still travels well, this is probably the category for you. Something that has all the bells and whistles is going to weigh more than a minimalist model, though manufactures have found ways to cut weight such as using special lightweight materials.
Stroller Carseat Combo
One of the more recent additions to the stroller family of products is the stroller carseat combo. These are great for quick trips around the city and running errands.
Three-in-One Carseat
The transformers of the baby stroller world, these three-in-one models are pretty awesome. You get a stroller, carseat, and carrier all in one unit. The downside is that these models are usually heavier than the other three categories.
Safety Concerns with Travel Strollers
Based on data from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the most prevalent safety issue related to the use of strollers are falling injuries. Tipping related injuries are the second most prevalent stroller related risk. Many experts share the opinion that properly adjusted safety harnesses could have prevented the majority of these injuries. Travel strollers are lighter weight than standard strollers, so the risk of tipping becomes greater. This makes it even more important to make sure you adjust the safety harness for a snug fit. It may be a hassle, but you won’t have to readjust it too often unless your baby is growing faster than a weed. Always buckle your little one in even if you aren’t planning on going very far.
One of the best things you can do is to identify travel strollers with 5-point harnesses. The extra two points that are strapped around the shoulders help prevent children from slipping out (or falling out if the stroller was to tip over). Most of the best strollers for travel feature this type of safety harness.
Things to Look for when Shopping for a Travel Stroller
What separates the best travel strollers from the rest? Here are a few things to keep an eye on as you compare models.
- Size. A lighter weight stroller will save your back and arms when your on the go or even doing something like going up a set of stairs. All traveling strollers will be lightweight, though some combination units tend to be on the heavier side. Also, strollers that feature a recline setting are typically bulkier as well.
- Easy to Fold. Just like foldable chairs, some strollers are easier to fold than others. As a general rule of thumb, most travel strollers are much easier to fold up than traditional strollers.
- Easy to Carry. This goes hand in hand with the foldable characteristic of strollers. However, some travel strollers also have carrying handles built into them for ultimate portability.
- Storage. Storage options can be pretty nice, especially when traveling with newborns and very young babies. Pockets and storage baskets are two features to look out for. Diapers, cleanup supplies, and all those little odds and ends that are convenient to have with you can be stowed away for quick access.
- Easy to Adjust. Some safety harnesses and seat belts are just a pain in the you know what to buckle and get fitted just right. Furthermore, experts note that most stroller accidents could have been avoided with a properly adjusted safety harness.
- 5 Point Harness. There are two main categories of safety harnesses on strollers: five point and three point. If you’re going to dish out for a quality travel stroller, you may as well opt for one with a 5 point design for the added safety.
- Extras. Some manufacturers have packed everything you could imagine into their strollers. Cupholders, parking brakes, one handed operation and folding, peek-a-boo windows, and washable seat pads are just a handful of the extra goodies.