Babyzen Yoyo is the most well-known travel stroller out there. It fits in the cabin, it folds easily and all airports know it, so there are no questions asked. I’ve been wanting to get this stroller from the very beginning because we travel a lot, but my husband kept saying ‘we already have a stroller you can just gate check’ and the hefty price tag was also scaring me off.
But, fast forward 2 months later after our Uppababy Vista getting broken twice by the airlines and waiting 45min at the gate for the stroller collection at Amsterdam airport because our Cybex Eezy S Twist wouldn’t fit in the cabin I decided I needed a lightweight stroller for travel that fits in the cabin of ALL airlines and aircrafts.
I ended up buying a cheaper Cybex Eezy S Twist and while it’s been a great stroller for a newborn we did have issues taking it to the cabin (because unlike many will tell you on Instagram or TikTok it doesn’t fit on ALL planes and the same thing applies to Uppababy Minu), and my own husband purchased Babyzen Yoyo after seeing how great it was for families at the airport.
We’ve been using it ever since, but like all other strollers, it’s not flawless. Babyzen Yoyo traveled with us around Italy, Poland, France, Switzerland, Slovenia, Malta, USA, French Polynesia, and Spain.
Full disclosure: I bought this stroller myself. I wasn’t paid or given a sample, so this review is as objective as can be. Feel free to ask any questions in the comments.
Features of Babyzen Yoyo Stroller: Why Is the Babyzen Yoyo Popular?
Age Range – newborn (with insert) to 48.5 pounds (22kg)
Stroller Weight – 14.5 pounds (6.6 kg)
Folded Size – 20.5 x 17.3 x 7.1 inches (52 x 44 x 18cm)
Parents love baby strollers that provide maximum convenience and are lightweight, compact, and foldable. Yoyo+ became an instant success after its launch in 2012 because parents loved its features.
Babyzen Yoyo+ attachable car seat (with adapters) also makes it a more versatile option for travel, but we never used it. We used a travel system once and realized how sweaty and uncomfortable the baby was when stuck in a car seat all day. Not to mention the fact that no one sane outside of the US would keep infants in car seats instead of bassinets when strolling around.
Pros & Cons of Babyzen Yoyo Stroller
Let’s look at some of the features of this lightweight travel stroller:
Maneuverability
Yoyo+ is a four-wheel stroller with a suspension system that allows movement on rough terrains. The wheels do seem small but after 3 years of using it pretty much full-time on often cobblestones in Italy and rough trails they still haven’t worn out (they do offer an option of getting just an extra set of wheels, but so far we haven’t needed it and both myself and my husband laugh that we’re seriously beating this stroller up).
Compared to other travel strollers like Bugaboo Ant or GB Pockit for example, even my husband says that these wheels are the winner. The stroller is also more stable than other compact strollers and doesn’t wobble.
My firstborn always slept and chilled comfortably in the stroller, and it wasn’t bumpy for him. Also, you can roll it around like a suitcase, which makes rolling even more seamless. Generally, I love how easy it was to move the baby stroller with one hand.
The brake system is super responsive, months and years (!) later it never got stuck. Overall, I must say this is very impressive.
Weight
At 14.5 pounds or 6.6 kg, Babyzen Yoyo2 is one of the lightest strollers out there apart from models like Cybex Libelle which doesn’t offer that many options. Although it’s a featherweight product, it has a reinforced frame. That makes it possible to accommodate a baby’s weight and other items up to 48 pounds (22 kg). Isn’t that incredible?
I carried it on my shoulder various times up and down the stairs (like in Santorini or French Riviera) when we wanted to have a stroller for meals and on flatter streets.
Another thing that I think it’s worth mentioning is that while lightweight, it’s sturdy. Before I owned other travel strollers I thought it was a norm that the stroller wouldn’t tip over with a diaper bag attached to a handle, but I was wrong. Every other stroller tips over (yes, including Joolz Aer and Bugaboo Butterfly) but not Yoyo. It’s honestly incredible!
Handlebar
Yoyo+ stroller’s handlebar requires some improvement because it doesn’t extend, but on the other hand, it makes the stroller less flimsy.
I didn’t find pushing the stroller any problematic though, and neither did my husband that’s 6’1. It’s actually higher than on most other compact strollers
Cons: very tall parents might prefer an extendable handlebar while shorter parents might feel like it’s too high.
It’s been previously made of foam before the update arrived and some people might find it odd, but honestly, I never had issues and we’ve been through the rainy and snowy weather with it.
Folding & Unfolding
Babyzen Yoyo2 stroller has been the easiest stroller to fold. Folding it isn’t complicated. Once you get used to the mechanism, you can fold it with one hand on the second step!
The only step that requires two hands is folding the canopy, but you can do it when the baby is still sitting in the stroller.
Many people get sold on other strollers instead because they fold fully with one hand vs with Yoyo you do need to grab it underneath. But, if you think about it, once any other stroller is folded you still need to grab it from the ground, so in the end you still bend down.
After trying the competitors I will say this: unfolding Babyzen Yoyo is a breeze and no matter how much you extend your arm up it always clicks correctly. No need to give it a push with another arm, or pull an arm higher – it just does it on its own.
Babyzen Yoyo stroller is small and portable when folded; it makes transportation easier. It also folds with a footmuff on! If you live in colder climates you will love this function.
It will fit easily into your car trunk and in the overhead bins of airplanes.
Speaking of airplanes – it’s one of a few strollers that honestly always fits on airlines (others are Cybex Libelle and GB Pockit). I’m saying always because while many others might fit in the overhead bins (like Uppababy Minu, Cybex Eezy S Twist, Bugaboo Butterfly, Joolz Aer) it’s not guaranteed despite some being IATA certified – trust me.
I’ve been on numerous planes where the 1″ of thickness made the stroller not fit which means you might have to gate-check it. Airport staff also mostly knows about Yoyo, so once you tell them it’s a Yoyo you just roll onto the airplane.
Seat Compartment
The seat is super comfy and well-padded, which I find very satisfying. The seat actually has side protection made of a material, which can be detrimental to the baby’s arms’ safety, especially in tight spots.
The seat isn’t reversible, but in my case, we only needed a reversible seat for the first 3 months and the bassinet is naturally parent-facing. We never had the bassinet though (more on this further down).
Cons:
The seat is angled – like all other compact strollers, which is great for relaxing but can make the child slouch unless you buy an extra belly bar / bumper bar. Babyzen doesn’t officially sell those, so you need to purchase them from Amazon.
I have this one and it works great and the stroller CAN FOLD with it just fine, but it’s just an extra you want to add – for us it’s a must! I cannot imagine life without it, because with my older son, we don’t strap him as he goes in and out all the time and the bar is crucial.
Many other strollers won’t fold with a bumper bar and while I thought it was not a big deal at first, it is a big deal if they don’t because what are you supposed to do with a bumper bar detached from a stroller?
Seat Recline
One thing I love about the Babyzen Yoyo stroller is its multiple recline seat positions as it works with an adjustable strap. It doesn’t wholly recline 100% flat (neither do most big strollers actually), but it reclines to an angle convenient for any baby to sleep.
My first child has actually been in Yoyo since he was 4 months old, because he refused the bassinet at that age. That said, I’ve never got to experience the bassinet as we simply didn’t need it. My second son was using Cybex Cloud Q car seat in a double stroller and Zoe Twin, so when he swapped to a Yoyo he was old enough to sit in a chair.
Cons:
Adjusting the seat is also super easy, but it could be improved. All you have to do is hold the buckle and push the backrest to the front. It’s a bit more difficult if a baby is sitting in the stroller, but not a major issue.
Harness System
Babyzen Yoyo has a five-point seat belt strong enough to secure your little one from falling off. If you buy this stroller in Europe you will have to push one button to release the straps.
In the US, Yoyo harness requires a different release button, but you can remove the top strap and make it a 3-point harness, which is what we mostly use when the kids are small.
Bumper Bar for Babyzen Yoyo
Babyzen doesn’t have a bumper bar as an official accessory and for me, that was a downside as my kids love pulling on it. As you can see we have a bumper bar and lots of people wonder how it works and where did we get it from.
It’s Amazon (link here) and while not original it’s been working great for 3+ years. The stroller folds with it just fine.
Canopy
Canopies can become a complicated feature in compact strollers, but with the Babyzen Yoyo+, this is different. The canopy is sufficient for a baby. While it doesn’t extend like on full-size strollers, we’ve had no issues with it at all, but we like to fold up the bottom part with the second child because he likes to stick his face out.
My older son has used the Yoyo here and there and he still fits under the canopy just fine at 41.5 inches tall (105cm), so while the seat isn’t as tall as on some other strollers it doesn’t matter.
Cons:
The peek-a-boo window on the canopy seemed useful, but it’s made of transparent soft plastic. You cannot open or close it, so on a sunny day we usually put a rag over it, because the sun gets through it so we often put a cloth on top of the stroller on very sunny days.
Another con of the canopy is that I feel like it could be more extended. We often feel the need to fold up the last bit of the canopy so the child can peak out (as pictured below). While I understand that if the canopy was extended the stroller could be so small, it’s something to consider if the canopy is the most important part of the stroller for you.
Storage Spaces
The big basket underneath the stroller is a plus and one of the things I particularly enjoyed. The basket can hold items weighing up to 15 pounds.
I can easily put several items in it without worrying about carrying enough for my baby’s needs. Also, I can access the storage basket from the stroller’s front, which is fantastic.
I was also able to hang my own handbag on the handlebar when the kid was sitting in it and even when they were not. We can hang a diaper bag off it and it never failed when the baby is sitting in it, it’s 100% safe.
The biggest advantage of Yoyo is the zippable pocket on the other side of the canopy. I didn’t realize how much it’s a feature that’s crucial until I tried strollers without it. If I want to run out of the house or car and just store my keys and phone – bam, that’s the place! No need for parents to console or be worried that your personal belongings might fall out of the basket.
Additional Accessories for Babyzen Yoyo
One useful, but costly feature of the Babyzen Yoyo is the need for accessories. When you purchase the stroller it comes with just a rain cover.
Everything else like a bug net, cup holder, or infant bassinet and car seat adapters (compatible with Maxi Cosi infant car seats, Cybex, and Nuna Pipa Lx) have to be purchased extra.
However, here’s the most important part: Yoyo accessories don’t change! One of the most annoying featuring of basically ALL strollers but Babyzen is that when a new, often only slightly upgraded model comes out (which happens every two years basically) the old accessories don’t fit anywhere. Imagine spending a ton of money on accessories, then wanting to upgrade the stroller, and bam – bumper bar or buggy board suddenly doesn’t fit.
This was the case with Bugaboo strollers for example, because many people jumped on Butterfly hoping the buggy board they used for their full-size Bugaboo stroller would fit only to find out that now the brand released a new buggy board only compatible with the Butterfly. The same story happened with the upgraded Joolz Aer and the bumper bar.
I ended up buying a bug net and footmuff, as well as a cup holder. In my opinion, skip the cupholder (it keeps falling off). The bug net was great and the sleeping bag worked fantastically and it was needed for the correct folding possibility.
If you’re thinking of getting a cheaper footmuff from another company – my honest advice is don’t do it. The stroller will not fold if you put a different one on and removing it every time you need it would be a pain. Babyzen footmuff fit in Uppababy Vista and now on Cybex Gazelle as well.
Babyzen Yoyo Buggy Board
As the family expanded we also ordered the buggy board with a seat and Dylan is comfortable on it. When he walks you can fold it up so it doesn’t bug you when walking. That way we avoid having to bring two strollers on shorter trips.
The fact that Yoyo buggy board has a seat is crucial for us, we couldn’t do it if it was just a standing one (we tried on Cybex and it was a big fail).
I’ve spent so much time testing travel strollers (over 30 different ones and still going!), and I say that compared to other baby strollers, Babyzen Yoyo+ is a fantastic option. It’s not ideal, but there’s no better alternative if you fly a lot. I can take my bub or even two bubs anywhere with Yoyo+ because it’s compact, maneuverable, and easy to navigate in tight corners. More importantly, its accessories are readily available.
If you’re looking for a stroller for only occasional trips and don’t want to spend that much – I get it. While I’m yet to find a stroller that’s better than Yoyo there are some passable strollers that do their job:
Strollers Similar to Babyzen Yoyo That Fit in Overhead Compartments
These Babyzen YOYO+ alternatives will usually also fit in overhead compartments:
Strollers that fit on some planes, but might not always fit on smaller planes:
- Cybex Eezy S Twist
- Baby Jogger City Tour 2
- Uppababy Minu
Have you tried the Joolz Aer stroller? x
Not yet, as it’s not yet available in the US. It looks like a good stroller (even though I tried full-size Joolz strollers and they’re not great – especially for two kids), but what I didn’t like in Cybex Eezy S Twist and this one has it too is the button to fold in the middle of the handlebar. It’s not a big deal on full-size strollers but on small travel ones if you want to maneuver it with one hand it’s not very comfy.
Will this stroller serve its purpose as the only stroller? Or would you recommend it as additional – travel stroller?
It did for me. When I had just my first child (before his sibling arrived) we used Yoyo exclusively after I sold my Uppababy Vista. Sure, you cannot load Yoyo with multiple giant bags of groceries, but it was always enough for full days of running around the city 🙂
The only time you wouldn’t be able to use it would be hiking trails – we ended up getting a second-hand stroller with giant wheels for mountainous trails of Utah (I believe we got BOB), but for flat trails Yoyo was just fine as well. I actually cannot wait until my first child outgrows the stroller altogether so I can ditch the double and go back to using just Yoyo again 😀
Have you tried the Zoe Tour? I know it’s cheaper, but wondering if it fits 80 percent of the bill (we only travel occasionally, and have a Vista as our everyday stroller).
I had Zoe twin for a while, so I can speak for the quality. It will feel more flimsy than Yoyo and Vista for sure and the seat is more “mushy”, but my kids never complained and we didn’t have an issue with it. The stroller served its purpose just fine. If you want to make sure that the stroller fits for sure on small planes I’d consider the Trip instead of the Tour, but Tour is slightly sturdier and slicker looking.
Hi Anna, thank you for your blog it is super informative. I live in NYC so will need to use taxis and I am European so will be traveling to Europe a few times. I see you recommend a the yo-yo as a travel stroller, however I also had my eyes on the Doona for the practicality in taxis etc. What do you think of it? Thanks
Influencers/bloggers love Doona because the company keeps working with many of us. I considered it for a while because everyone in the US keeps talking about and it’s so trendy at the moment. Upon further research and tests I think this is one of the worst options and way too overpriced. I’ll be writing a full article about it soon, but in short:
– If you live in NYC I assume you want to get groceries with your stroller and walk around without having a place to store your stuff as you would in a car – Doona wouldn’t work for that. It can’t hold anything because it’s a car seat and the extra storage you can buy extra can hold a few diapers and max a bottle, plus you have to remove it before getting into the car. Also, very few taxis will give you time to install it in a taxi, because they have to go (their marketing video is so stupid because the lady doesn’t install the car seat at all, just dumps it inside so there’s no official requirement for car seats in the city. Obviously, you want to keep your little one safe, but Doona is not the quickest to install with a seatbelt or LATCH if you don’t have a base – in actual tests, it’s actually one of the worst-performing car seats to install quickly without the base (and naturally you won’t be rolling around NYC with a base).
– Doona in the winter or rain is what nightmares are made of. You’re basically loading wheels full of snow and mud inside your car, not your trunk – it makes the car super gross. With a stroller only your trunk gets dirty.
– How tall are you? If you or your partner are on the tall it’s extremely uncomfortable. Even if you’re 5’7 it’s already short and you’ll be slouching.
– It’s super heavy. Sure, it has wheels but you still need to lift it and if you need to get it up the stairs it’s 16.5 lbs to carry on top of the child. It’s more than the double weight of a regular car seat.
– In Europe most people hate Doona. My friend was getting yelled at left and right at the grocery store for rolling with her baby in Doona, because it’s not healthy to keep an infant in a car seat for extended periods of time. It’s a common practice in the US, but not anywhere else really. It’s not only bad for them but also gets super hot inside the car seat in the summer.
Also, if you’ll be traveling to Europe often keep in mind that American car seat are illegal in Europe. So if you get it in the US it’s illegal to use in Europe because of the straps. Many people do it anyway, but if you get into a crash the insurance has a right to reject your claims completely if they see you used a US car seat, so it’s a risk. If you know you’ll be visiting Europe often I recommend getting a lightweight European car seat – they can be actually only 5 lbs like Avionaut Pixel!)
– It takes a ton of space in the car. Especially in Europe if you rent a smaller vehicle you will have issues putting the passenger’s seat in a comfortable position if you put Doona behind it.
– For this amount of money it’s a very short-lived baby item. If you have a petite baby they might fit up to 16 months max, but if your baby is tall like mine was then he was basically not fitting in it past 10 months (although looked pretty uncomfortable around 8 months already and the angle is ridiculous – if your kid wants to sit and play, have their sippy cup or snacks it’s impossible in a Doona).
– Now, probably the most important part: because of its construction, cushioning and different angle of the seat Doona performs pretty badly in crash tests. While it meets the Federal minimum requirements which makes it approved, but in fact, it’s the WORST performing car seats in the US market when it comes to crash tests. Also, Canada for example doesn’t approve of it at all because of the angle and this is why there’s no Canadian version of it.
Oh thank you so much! Would you say then that buying a car seat for the yo-yo and using that would be the best option for taxis in NY and for traveling in the US (given I imagine you need a car seat for taxi rides also in other US cities)? I understand neither the vista. Or the cyber gazelle s fit well in the back of a taxi trunk and are a nightmare for flying as they have to be checked in. Thanks!
Most US cities will require a car seat, correct. However, for everyday use in the city I would just use the bassinet part or reclined seat because babies shouldn’t be rolling in car seats all the time because it’s bad for their spine. In the US it’s a norm, because people just follow the trend, but it’s a big no-no everywhere else.
I think what I love about yoyo the most is that I don’t need to worry about broken strollers, wait at gates, just pop it open and go. It’s not a perfect stroller, but haven’t found anything better that would tick all the boxes. Uppababy Minu could also work for NYC as it’s smaller than Cruz and Vista but bigger than Yoyo – on bigger planes in the US it will fit in the overhead, but not on European planes so that’s the small issue with it.
Truth to be told most people will tell you to get two strollers – one for travel and one for everyday. If you pack light and don’t want to bring a million blankets and other random things it can be easily done with Yoyo, but 90% people would tell you they need half of their house in the stroller so possibly I’m the most compact packer 😉
Thank you! From what age did you use exclusively yo-yo with your firstborn? Do you feel the smaller yo-yo wheels still hold well on the uneven NYC streets? I am thinking to get the yo-yo as only stroller and am not worried about the storage but the smaller wheels/worst suspension compared to vista concern me. Thank you!
3 months. He refused bassinet at this age as well, so it worked. We used it in Italy for the first year daily and NYC compared to European old downs with cobblestones are the smoothest ever so I’d say it will be fine. Wheels are good but I don’t think it would be a fair comparison to compare any travel stroller to a full-size stroller with gigantic wheels. It will feel differently.
Thank you so much!!! This was the best review article I found after days of researching! I was thinking to buy either minu or yoyo2 and I believe yoyo2 is a winner because it fits more airline overhead compartments than minu. We don’t travel much but we do have family overseas so at some point we will be making trips there so knowing that yoyo2 will make the cut is re-assuring.
I was thinking of bypassing a traditional bulky stroller and just get yoyo2 instead. You mention that you find this stroller good everyday use too right? We don’t plan on going on dirt roads or off the beaten paths or anything like that. Mainly streets and parks and shopping centers. I just don’t want to have 2 strollers unless I really need to. We plan on using a car seat and a bjorn baby carrier for the first few months (it will be cold nyc winter anyway so I don’t plan on going out too much) and then just using yoyo2 when the baby is 5 months or so (it will be spring by then). Please let me know your thoughts.
I think we enjoyed having two strollers, but also because we were bringing it on dirt roads or used for grocery shopping for a whole family, but quite frankly later on we just got a used BOB jogging stroller for those ventures for like $35 on Mercari 😉 For regular daily use, Central park or restaurants Yoyo is definitely enough.
Thanks! I guess we could get a used jogger stroller later on if we need to and for daily use we can use this yoyo2.
I am deciding between the peppermint color (the one you have) and aqua. Did you ever see the aqua color in person? My husband likes the aqua color and I like the peppermint one.
Also I watched your video from this post – Traveling with a baby – how old is Dylan (is that your baby’s name? Btw he is absolutely adorable) in the video? Did the airline not reserve a bassinet seat for him (the row right behind business class)? I did not know you can fly with a baby on your lap like that – I thought airlines always reserve a bassinet.
Do you live in nyc too?
Thanks!
That’s actually so funny, because I was debating between those and got peppermint first, but then I bought an additional color pack in aqua recently because I like to change it up, so there’s an option for you (wish I got aqua first and then peppermint color pack because aqua is harder to find while peppermint is at buybuybaby).
Here’s another post of mine on my travel blog explaining everything about flying with a baby: https://annaeverywhere.com/flying-with-a-baby/ but about bassinets. Dylan was I believe 3.5 months in this video? Maybe a bit older – not exactly sure since we used to fly with him a few times a month for doctor’s appointments haha (you’ll find this story on my travel blog too).
Bassinets only are on international flights and only on big planes (so for example, if you’re coming from the US to Mexico there are no bassinets). Booking them is not automatic at all and the way you book it depends on the airline – with some you can reserve in advance online, others only do it at the gate, others you need to call for and request (never guaranteed). Either way, it’s always first come first serve so if there are 40+ babies like on Italy-USA flights only 4 people get them. Realistically speaking babies always fly on your lap and must be on your lap for take-off and landing and turbulences. You can pay for a seat for your baby (then you pay full price instead of the 10% fee) but you need to bring an airline approve car seat for that and you can only put it by the window.
Bassinets are not always behind business class, some planes didn’t have it in comfort class so it was behind the toilet, but they’re always below giant screens flashing flight maps and next to other babies that might cry and keep waking each other up, so in my opinion, they are pretty uncomfortable. I usually opt-out unless the baby is younger than 4 months. Especially after this one time when we got the bassinet and he didn’t want to be in it at first because it was tiny, then turbulences prevented us from putting him there and those seats don’t have an adjustable handrest so he couldn’t lie down, and I had to crawl under the bassinet and a fellow passenger to get to the toilet because it was a tight fit. Never again haha!
I’m based in Utah at the moment but used to live in NYC and million other places around the world 🙂
Thanks!
I decided to go with the aqua color.
Hi Anna,
Can the Nuna Pipa car seat be legally used in Europe? Thank you!!!
Unfortunately assuming you bought the car seat in the US, it cannot be legally used in Europe. No car seats sold in the US can be, unless you remove the chest clip. European law doesn’t permit chest clips, because in case of an emergency that baby needs to be removed in one move (chest clip adds an extra step). I have another post on traveling with car seats here: https://annaeverywhere.com/traveling-with-car-seat/
Did you purchase a car seat compatible with the Yoyo? And if so, which one?
No, I didn’t, because I never needed it quite frankly.
Hi! Could you name the airlines you were flying and that fit Babyzen Yoyo2 in the overhead compartment? According to their website size of the folded stroller is 52 x 44 x 18 cm which is technically 4 cm too much comparing to the most of airlines restrictions regarding a carry on. We want to make sure it fits regardless. Thank you in advance!
Almost all airlines accept Babyzen Yoyo2 as a carry-on. In fact, it’s the only stroller that’s automatically accepted – it’s like a passcode when they look at the stroller and ask “is this Yoyo?”. All US airlines take it, unless it’s a Fokker plane (then there’s simply no space for any carry-on that’s bigger than a handbag). For Europe and beyond I personally have taken it on those numerous times: Lufthansa, LOT Polish, Alitalia, Air Tahiti Nui, Air France, KLM, Emirates, Qatar, Aeromexico, Volotea, and probably some more but can’t remember at the moment. Ryanair and Wizzair won’t allow it, because they don’t allow any strollers on board ever, even GB Pockit is a no. I had a problem once and had to check it at the airplane steps with Air Tahiti but it’s understandable when it’s a 40-seater plane you walk to 😉
I have a 3 year old he is only 30 pounds would this stroller work for him? I bought a stroller for our travels last summer and it was horribly uncomfortable and my son hated it and the seat part was not padded at all. We are going on holiday again and am looking for a better option travel stroller.
How tall is he? My older son is almost 3 but very skinny (29 lbs) but super tall – about 39 inches now and he still fits in the Yoyo as he borrows it from his little brother sometimes, so it should definitely work for yours 😉
Hi there, thanks so much for all this very helpful information. Just following up on the question of tall toddler (2 year old 95 cm). I would like her to sleep on the pram, but she will definitely need a foot rest. Is there one that can be used?
There’s a footrest that Yoyo sells (https://rstyle.me/+TZl4ie9HUZLuDYUw6gb_SA). My toddler is now 100 cm and he fits just fine, but honestly, his legs are better resting on the bottom footrest unless he turns to the side and goes into a fetal position then footrest will be useful (but then you can’t strap the child, I never do and we just use a bumper bar, but most people do).
Hi Anna,
I was wondering if the handle bar and foot rest helped prevent your child from slouching/slipping down? I read that its a common issue but wanted to know if it helped your little one? My little one is almost 2yo and finding ways to help her sit better in the seat.
Thanks,
D
My firstborn hates any sort of footrests on any stroller – I still remember when he was a baby he’d perpetually ride with his feet spread out to avoid the footrest on our other strollers 😉 Footrest only helped when my firstborn was very little for sleeping, but around 12 months I disconnected the top straps and only used the 3-point harness. My second child, who’s now 1 year exactly and who’s the stroller user has been using a 3 point harness for a few months now and basically always rides holding his hands on the bar (he’s got a FOMO so always wants to see everything) so he’s sitting straight up.
FOMO 😆 thanks for sharing. We’re waiting on the handle bar to arrive so hopefully this will encourage our girl to sit up straight.
Hi, did you use the Babyzen footrest or an unbranded version?
I used unbranded version first (before the branded one existed) and it worked but wasn’t ideal. It worked much better with a branded version 🙂
Your reviews are incredible!
Now we’re going to get a Babyzen –curious outside the accessories you mention, if you think the rolling bag and leg rest is worth getting? We’re traveling from the US to Ireland, Spain, and Portugal with our toddler. Thank you so much!
We never bought the rolling bag, just hang a regular diaper bag off the handle and it works fine – AKA doesn’t fall over.
We had a leg rest when the first child was a baby, but he absolutely hated it but he hated all leg rests and would perpetually take his legs off any stroller… if your child likes leg rests then it might be worth it for sleeping.
We just got a board for the second kid and that works great too, I need to post more photos actually 🙂
Hello, I hope you’re still replying on this blog.
We go skiing once a year with our large family. We are looking for a compact stroller that can handle the cold and slight snow exposure. Is the Yoyo capable of handling this (and is it worth the cost) or are we better off with something like the Baby Jogger City Mini GT?
I definitely reply 🙂
For for Babyzen Yoyo for sure and get the ski attachment for it. My good friends live near the ski resort and since kids are different ages she was even able to go down the bunny hill with a baby sleeping in the yoyo watching the toddlers skiing.
I wouldn’t call BabyJogger City Mini GT compact honestly.
This article was really helpful thank you. My baby is 5 months and is only 5.5kg. Does the seat need the babies weight to keep it reclined or does it clip into a reclined position?
It stays in the reclined position, don’t worry 🙂
Fantastic review! My wife and I are homing in on the Yoyo 2. Such thorough, detailed-oriented and honest reviews like yours are an absolute god send. Thank you! On that note, we got a few questions and we’d be grateful for your insight:
Is it a suitable stroller for an infant? Is it an appropriate everyday stroller or best suited as a secondary travel stroller? (While it seemed the latter per your review I just wanted to double check.) Is it safe to say this is your hands-down, best all-around stroller recommendation, especially for people who travel frequently, or would you have another recommendation? While the wheels and suspension sound sturdy, do they hold up well on dirt or trail paths?
Thank you very much!
It can totally be suitable for an infant if you get an infant bassinet. We originally got it as a secondary travel stroller, but then realized that we pretty much used it as an everyday stroller… with a few month exceptions when the second child showed up and we had a double. However, since the baby turned 7 months we pretty much use Yoyo as an everyday stroller and our toddler rides on a buggy board 😉
We travel with it a lot around Europe (in fact, I’m writing this comment from France where we’re now and this is our only stroller here) and it handled uneven terrain, cobblestones, gravel playground terrains, and trails (I tried it before in Greece) but honestly for hiking you want to get a baby carrier.
That said, I had my wheels since 2019 and we’re surely using them in rough places and I still haven’t had to replace them.
I have the Yoyo and one issue I have is when my child is in the upright position she can lean right forward. Has anyone found a way of fixing the seat back so it doesn’t fold so far forward? (hope you get what I mean)
Do you mean that the seat is being pulled with the child forward? I believe that’s what you mean and the solution for that is to add a bumper bar and hide top straps and only use 3-point harness. This problem disappeared basically for me 😉
Hi, can I know does this stroller work on beach?
Yes and no. If you’re thinking of driving on the beach then no, most strollers won’t do that well (the only one that works for that Cybex Priam), but what we did various times was lifting the stroller and bringing it on the sand for the baby to sit in.
Hello, I would really appreciate it if you help me with this question. I just bought the babyzen yoyo and I realize that the handlebar is a bit loose, it has a forward and backward movement, which makes the stroller feel unstable when I lifting the wheels or pushing them. I wonder if Will it be a factory fault or all the strollers has this movement
Definitely talk to their customer service, because it doesn’t seem right. Mine doesn’t do that.
Thanks for the Awesome review! Ive been eyeing the Yoyo, since our current stroller (Baby Jogger City Elite) is too heavy to lug up and down the stairs to our apt. The Babyzen website recommends transitioning to the seat when the baby is around 5-6 months old… was your son already sitting up unassisted at 4 months? Did he sit in the ‘fully’ reclined position in the Yoyo initially? I’d like to keep the baby jogger since we like to go hiking, so Im hoping to avoid getting second bassinet…
Yeah, my firstborn was a bit of a crazy baby and he was pulling himself up to sitting at 4 months and walked at 8 months (keep in mind that 90% of babies won’t sit unassisted until 8/9 months so the 5/6 months is the age they can sit with back support). I did keep him in the fully reclined position up until 6 months. My second child was completely opposite and physical hitting milestones late and he started using Yoyo reclined at 6 months and it worked fine for him.
Hey Anna! I am late but I hope you respond. I have both the yoyo and aer in my house right now & im trying to decide which to keep/which to return. I love yoyo feel, but I worry that since my 11m baby ‘a head is already to top of the seat that I don’t have much time left with it. The joolz aer seat much higher even my 4y fits.
We live in the city. I use my UB cruz as my daily vehicle but need to replace my worn out 6y mn nano I got for my oldest. Looking for something small & sturdy. I know everyone has yoyo, so I know I won’t be disappointed, but I am just worried about the longevity due to seat height vs aer. Fwiw, my 4y could still sit in yoyo, but the idea of unsupported head during a nap for my baby as she grows is hard to think She will be comfy?!
What do you think I should do?
I currently have both as well and I actually just published a review of Bugaboo Butterfly with a similar seat back height as Joolz. Joolz is great but the backrest recline isn’t adjustable (it’s all or nothing) so for my occasional napper that’s an issue as we like to do a little bit of a recline, but I feel like it depends on how does your child nap. My younger is currently 35″ and can nap just fine with a head supported in Yoyo while my older turns to the side and takes an embryo position to nap so he’s fine as well. There’s also a canopy material so it’s never going to be totally unsupported.
What does worry me with Joolz is that we basically use a bumper bar vs straps with an older child to get an in out and Joolz doesn’t fold with a bumper bar and the child cannot just push it up to get out.. so personally it limits our movements and makes my life more difficult when I have to keep releasing the child vs tell him to do it himself.
Hi Anna,
Any thoughts on the warranties between the Joolz Aer and Babyzen Yoyo? My understanding is that the Joolz Aer comes with a lifetime warranty where as the Babyzen Yoyo only comes with a two year warranty. Do you know if BabyZen (or their new parent company Stokke) offers an extended warranty (couldn’t find any mention of this on their website)? Or, have you found the Babyzen Yoyo to be durable enough where a two year warranty is fine? Grateful for all of your insights in this post!
Most strollers offer 2 years warranty, so it’s not unusual I would say. I will be real and I actually mentioned it in my review of Bugaboo Butterfly recently that already looked worse after 5 minutes of opening the box than our 3-year-old Babyzen – this stroller is indestructible! The stroller has been with us for years and we abuse it a lot: drag it around, throw it around, drive on trails with it, scratch it with bushes and buildings, bring it to the beach, anything you can think of – and it looks and works just fine. Even the wheels, so I will say the 2 years is more than enough.
Hi Anna. Your posts are so helpful but I have some questions about the yoyo2 for you since you have an older child as well. My daughter is turning 5 and we are starting to travel so I’m looking into purchasing the yoyo2. Since the seat back is a little shorter, was your son able to sleep comfortably? Did the seat back fully support his head when he was napping? My daughter is 40.7lbs and 41” tall now so I’m guessing I’ll get about 2 years out of this purchase. Any thought on me getting it so late in her age and Do you like it enough to be worth it? Thanks for your help.
You know your daughter best, but I don’t think I’d purchase a stroller for a 5-year-old, to be honest – saying this as I’m embarking on a trip with my son without a stroller. My son is almost 3.5 now but 1″ higher than your daughter and he fits in Yoyo comfortably (we don’t use straps, just a belly bar so when he wanted to sleep he basically turns to the side and sleeps comfortably but frankly he rarely sleeps in a stroller because he stays up late and doesn’t nap anymore.
Thank you for your blog — it’s so incredibly helpful!
We’re very likely moving to Florence, Italy, with a 2.5 year old … and we’re not sure what stroller will be best. We currently have — and actually like — the massive Uppababy Vista … but that’s probably because at the moment we only have one child and our apartment building has ramps and elevators … plus we walk everywhere and haven’t attempted to take it on the subway. We rely on the Vista’s big canopy, and really like it’s one-button recline mechanism and the fact that it provides lower leg support to our baby. And of course, the Vista’s big, air-filled wheels perform beautifully on the cobblestones, potholes and uneven sidewalks in our neighborhood. Given the features we enjoy, do you think the Babyzen YOYO the best option or are there other small strollers (suitable for Europe/Italy) that have similarly high-performing wheels for cobblestones, etc.? And if I’m forgetting something, please tell me!
I don’t know if you read my Uppababy Vista review, but we actually lived in Verona with it and it was absolutely useless on every possible occasion and the ultimate nightmare 😀 (friends in Bologna had Uppababy Cruz and also the stroller never leaving the apartment while they got something else), so definitely leave it at home or sell it before moving.
How big is your 2.5-year-old in terms of height? Most kids in Italy at this age don’t use strollers around the city on the daily basis – they walk and only occasionally hop in when it’s really an all-day event. That said, unless you’re planning more kids it might be easier to just get something cheaper.
Travel or compact strollers don’t recline the same way as Vista, because it literally reclines the seat, not just changes its position so the it’s not going to be the same mechanism. Although the recline on those strollers are ultimately much more comfortable for the child than Vista because it’s flatter.
Yoyo worked for us fine in Italy, we loved it there. The canopy isn’t as big, but we never heard complaints from the kiddos. If you love the leg support (my both kids couldn’t hate it more) and want a bigger canopy then I might say that you might consider Joolz Aer or Inglesina Quid over Yoyo.
Hi Anna,
The link that you gave for babyzen yoyo bumper bar – does it also fit yoyo 2? And can I fold the yoyo 2 stroller with this bumper bar ON it?
Yes it will because the structure of the stroller hasn’t changed. Yoyo2 has a slightly higher weight limit, cover over the parental bar and straps are buckling differently, but everything else is the same. The stroller folds with it 🙂
Hi Anna
Great reviews – really appreciate your detail.
We’re looking for a stroller to suit our little family and the yo-yo is looking good.
Ideally something for the 3mo and occasionally 2yo plus a buggy board for 2yo occasionally 4yo.
Do you know whether the Lascal maxi plus board would attach to the yoyo? It’s supposedly universal but I can’t seem to find a definite answer!
It doesn’t fit the Yoyo. Only the Lascal mini board fits the Yoyo, but this one doesn’t have the seat so I wouldn’t recommend it for a 2yo. Yoyo’s buggy board works fine though 🙂
Thank you so much for all your detailed advice. I’m looking into a stroller to travel around France for a few months with a 6 month old. Have you had any experience with the Mountain buggy Nano 2020+? As far as using in small town French streets, cobblestones, and at restaurants? Pre-baby, my husband and I usually travel via TGV; so something that folds easily, but sturdy enough would be best. Thank you for your great travel advice!!
I would never recommend the Mountain Buggy Nano. It folds and unfolds horrendously badly in multiple steps, plus the wheel suspension is pretty bad when compared to actually most competitors and the canopy is comically small. If you’re looking for a stroller that’s cheaper than Yoyo. In the same price range I also won’t say that Baby Jogger City Tour 2 is great, because the fold and unfold is flimsy and not one-handed due to its construction.
If you don’t like the Yoyo then the closest easiest fold is Joolz Aer.
Hi! I purchased the handlebar that you linked but my Babyzen will not close properly. Where exactly did you install? My husband and I moved it high and low and it still won’t close. Can you provide some advice?
That’s weird… friends purchase theirs as well just a week ago and it closes just fine. I install it just like it’s pictured.
Really helpful review! I saw the yoyo at Nordstrom and while I love how compact Yoyo is, it just did not feel as sturdy as the Minu. Realizing that the Minu is heavier and might not fit overhead bins, what are your thoughts on it? I have the vista which I love and have a hard time letting go of how amazingly it rides and the Minu seems to emulate that. Also, I don’t love how reclined the yoyo is in the highest position. Has this been an issue for your toddlers?
Honestly, the difference between Minu and Vista is huge, but while Yoyo isn’t ideal both the kids and us think it’s the best solution – no arguing about the dimensions at airports, no issues in the cabin, great buggy board. None of them ever complained about the recline, but my kids are used to sleeping anywhere these days. My biggest issue with Minu is the fact that it requires two hands to unfold which is very impractical when holding the baby or bag or getting out of the taxi having to do things quickly.
I don’t usually comment but wanted to say thank you for your reviews. It’s such a minefield with all the sponsored reviews/ marketing videos and sometimes you just need someone to say ‘this is great; this not so; this in all honestly will be more annoying; this feature you will only really use if x etc. etc.’ Originally found your page going back and forth over the Vista (no) and revisited to see if you had reviewed the Aer and the Minu. After reading what you wrote about the Yoyo and cabin baggage, that makes the Yoyo a much better option for me as a second stroller. I’ll keep an eye out on the Aer+ as that will fold with its bumper bar but again, I really would have been annoyed with myself if I had bought an original as probably would have put the bar down and lost it! Minu – liked in store and had a better canopy length and basket but way too big for the European airlines I frequently use and wasn’t the neatest fold. It’s a quality product but I can see the benefits of having your stroller with you vs. it being treated as luggage. Plus the Yoyo definitely fits through the half doors to my local pub and means my friends won’t have to rearrange their apartment hallways for me to visit!
did you end up choosing the yoyo2 or the aer+? i am trying to decide!!!! I am using it for traveling to england
Hi Anna,
I so appreciate your review of the Yoyo. I’ve been looking for a stroller that is practical for my two children, ages 3 and 8 months. We don’t travel all the time but we do several trips a year. I really love the buggy board idea, especially the fact that it folds up out of the way if not in use, but have you had any experience bringing it on a plane? I imagine it must be disconnected before folding the Yoyo so in that case do you typically just carry the board separately?
Thanks so much!
There are a few options. If you bring a car seat, you can check the board with the car seat (in the same car seat bag). If you don’t bring a car seat, then you can detach the seat on the board (basically just bring the standing part) and put it in your luggage and detach the board before boarding the plane.
And the third option… my favorite one actually. Board is checked at the counter with either luggage or a car seat bag. Then the child rides on the suitcase through the airport and you have less things to keep track of at the airport.
Hi there, wondering if you found the Yoyo sat at a good upright position if you have a kiddo that likes to sit upright quite a bit. Or if there is another you would recommend that can handle some rougher terrain/cobblestone and is sturdy, but also can go closer to upright. Understanding folding and lightweight mean they can’t be AS upright. Thank you!
All travel strollers I tested are pretty much the same in terms of sitting upright, they’re all a bit tilted backward. Get a bumper bar, so the kid can sit upright I’d say.
Hi! we live in a big city down town (Toronto) which gets serious winters and have three flights of stairs to walk up to get to our apartment. We are looking for a compact stroller that will do it all, it won’t be used for just travel it will be our only stroller. Would you recommend this one vs the Uppababy Minu?
As I’m fairly familiar with Toronto (I used to spend months there because of the family) I’ll say Babyzen Yoyo, but for different reasons than you might think. Both Minu and Yoyo had footmuffs that will keep the baby warm in the winter, but Yoyo has a ski function that is clippable to wheels easily when you need it. It works great for snow – to the extent my Norwegian friends even used it to walk with the stroller on bunny hills when their older kids were learning to ski.
Hi! I have the Yoyo+ and while I absolutely lover it with the newborn pack and it made travelling so easy, now my baby is 6 months old and I moved to the stroller but the limited reclining feature is an issue as she does not seem to be able to sleep there. She only weights 5.3 kg so I wonder if that’s the issue…but you mention your son was only 4 months when you put him in there and in the picture the stroller seems quite reclined…. I am not sure if it’s a matter of waiting for her to get used to it/ weight more…but I am not keen on missing out on naps 🙁
Naps in the stroller are something that some kids get used to easier and some harder, and to be completely honest some never do. My firstborn slept anywhere everywhere and I can think of only a few instances when my second child slept in any stroller, flat or not, but he was so tired at this point that he had no choice.
My personal tip for making a child nap if they refuse in the stroller is actually not reclining at first at all. Sounds crazy, but it worked magic and I learned it by accident when I had to rent a non-reclinable stroller at a theme park. If the recline was going down the child instantly knew that it’s time for a nap and tantrums started vs we would let him get tired on his own and he would fall asleep sitting we would carefully recline the stroller after. I will say that it doesn’t always work, because we had a fully flat wagon on our last trip and despite multiple attempts the second child did not nap at all for multiple days in a row – it’s just his personality I guess.
Unfortunately the recline feature will be an issue on all compact strollers in the US, Austrlia and UK (not sure about Canada to be honest) and it’s pretty similar (give 1-3 degree angle difference), because it’s the law. Strollers are adjusted to local laws and very compact strollers cannot fully recline as it makes them more prone to tripping. This is why for example Joolz Aer+ was first promoted as fully reclinable but then they added a disclaimed that it’s just going to be that way in the EU – but if you’ll be visiting Europe you could buy Joolz Aer+ that fully reclines in Europe.
Hi! Thanks so much for this review; I’m wondering how to travel with my 6 month old and I’m so happy I cane across your blog!
What type of car seat can be used with the yo-yo? Since we’re likely going to need to be in some taxis at some point…
Thanks!
Where are you traveling to? Quite frankly I’ve NEVER used a car seat with Yoyo and don’t know anyone (or even seen it in real life) who used it. It’s just not a thing you do outside of the US, because there’s always public transport available, so not worth stuff the child in a car seat basically. And also… both my kids were out of infant bucket car seats by 7 months so it was never an option either way.
I have the nuna pipa lite and purchased the adapters for babyzen. its not perfect but it worked for us for a while until my son was big enough to fit in the stroller without the car seat.
the only annoying part is the stroller didnt fold correctly (or at all i think) with the adapters. so i had to remove car seat, then remove adapters, then fold. it was kind of annoying but can be done. practice before using in pubic lol
Hi Anna! Thanks for the reviews. Because of this review I decided on a Yoyo2. I also bought the bumper bar you linked on the page. One thing I noticed was it did not appear the yoyo2 would fit back into the bag the stroller comes with. Have you had any issue with having the yoyo2 fit as a carryon with the bumper bar attached? Most of my flights are domestic on Southwest.
Quite frankly I never ever used the stroller bag, so I wouldn’t know… there’s no point of having to insert the stroller into the bag unless you’re gate checking it because it’s an extra step and you can’t just walk off the plane and open the stroller in 10 seconds if it was in a bag 🙂
Hi, I love your posts. They are helping us so much. Given your glowing recommendation, we are thinking about purchasing a yoyo and could either buy it in the US or in Europe. Would you recommend buying the Yoyo in Europe over the US for the seat strap?
Hi Anna!
I have the babyzen2 and love it but have considered switching it out for a one handed closure and stroller with better recline. After reading your blogs, I will likely just keep my yoyo. The problem I have with it is that I feel like I can never get the recline to stay.. reclined. if that makes sense. I feel like my boy has to use his body weight to keep it in reclined position. Looking at your pictures, it looks like yours stays put in recline even without the childs body weight.
Does this make sense? I’m wondering if i didnt set it up correctly or something lol
I feel like he can never get too far flat and so its not the best option for long days out/stroller naps.
That’s super weird! Ours definitely stays in place and friend had it too and never encountered this issue with it either, so maybe try sending a video of it to Babyzen so they can help you out? It should be that way.
Hi!
Really love your reviews. Im looking for a travel stroller and im in between Babyzen yoyo2 and ergobaby metro +. If you compare those two, whats the main difference?
Personally I’d pick Yoyo. Key differences would be:
Newborn:
– Yoyo requires newborn insert or bassinet while Ergobaby makes a cocoon for newborn. However, Yoyo bassinet is removable so you can unclip a sleeping baby to fold the stroller and move them somewhere (eg. at airport security, public transport) while it’s not possible with Ergo.
After 4/6 months of age:
– Yoyo reclines to a typical reclining position, while Ergo is flat flat. It can be an advantage, but most kids don’t care to be fully flat after newborn stage and it makes the break not easily accessible when fully reclined and also makes the stroller more prone to falling.
– Fold/unfold is different and one on Ergo is flimsy, especially when unfolding.
– Ergo has adjustable parental bar while Yoyo doesn’t. It can be a pro, but also a con as adjustable things are naturally more prone to loosening up and wobbling.
– canopy is bigger on Ergo, but it doesn’t fully stay in place when on wobblier terrains.
– Ergo only comes in black seat and while it’s cushioned in an awesome way it’s not easily removable and washable while Yoyo seat insert is.
– Ergo has built-in footrest, while Yoyo has it as an extra accessory.
– Both strollers are almost same dimensions when folded apart from depth – Ergo is 2inches bigger. It might not be an issue, but on certain planes with smaller overhead bins (various domestic US routes under 3h, budget European airlines, top deck of Emirates – those I know) it simply won’t fit in the overhead and you’ll have to gate check it.
Thank you for your detailed review!
Can I please know how tall you are? I am 5’9″ and struggle with pushing some prams – it feels like I have to bend down to do it and my back hurts.
I’m looking at the Yoyo for an upcoming European holiday and would ideally like my back to be comfy 🙂
Thanks!
I’m 5’7, but my husband is 6’1. Both have no issues 🙂
I love this stroller! It is so practical and easy to use. I love that it can be used as a travel stroller as well. It is definitely one of my favorite baby products!
Hi Anna,
Have you ever encountered a problem with the front wheels wobbling uncontrollably? I’ve had mine for about 2 years and it’s reached the stage where the problem with the wheels have made the stroller unusable. I emailed stokke under the warranty and they sent replacement wheels but that didn’t help. This seems to be a common problem when I search on Reddit as well. Any tips on how to solve this or what sort of repair shop I might be able to bring it into? Thanks!
Never had this issue and never even heard of this issue among any of my friends or other people who also used it for years. It might be something to do with a defect of the wheel attachment it seems like.