Cybex is one of the leading luxury brands when it comes to full-size strollers and car seats. I’m a huge fan of their Priam and e-Priam strollers and Cybex Cloud Q is the best newborn car seat out there as it reclines.
But, when it comes to compact lightweight strollers Cybex wasn’t hitting it quite right. We were fine with Cybex Libelle stroller as a secondary stroller, but I felt like I wanted more from such a reputable brand. I got my hands on Cybex Orfeo stroller as soon as it came out as I wanted to see whether it was going to be a great travel stroller.
After selling our Joolz Aer+ as we encountered too many issues with airlines allowing it on board or even it fitting in the overhead, I loved Orfeo at first but after using it in Europe for a month I decided that it was honestly just okay and overpriced for what it offered.
Full disclosure: I bought this stroller myself. I wasn’t paid and this isn’t in any way influenced or curated by the stroller company, so this review is as objective as can be. Feel free to ask any questions in the comments.
Pros & Minor Cons of Cybex Orfeo
Age Range – newborn to 48 pounds (22kg)
Stroller Weight – 13.8 pounds (6.3kg)
Folded Size – 20.5 x 17 x 7 inches (52 x 43 x 17cm)
Cybex Orfeo stroller is a Cybex Gold series stroller and one of the newest additions. It’s pretty much similar to Joolz Aer, but folds much smaller which is a hug plus since Joolz might or might not fit in the overhead depending on the airline.
It came with a bumper bar and rain cover that fits the stroller perfectly, which I think is a nice gesture.
Maneuverability & Design
Orfeo stroller drives smoothly and easily and the wheels are small but mighty. It definitely feels like an improvement from Libelle in that aspect, but once again – the wheels on Orfeo struggled more than those on our Yoyo (we had both strollers so could compare).
The storage compartment is small but big enough for basic necessities (we fit kid’s backpack there) and easily accessible. I can stuff out the entire diaper backpack underneath without any issues.
Cybex Orfeo vs Cybex Coya
Cybex Coya belongs to the Platinum line of Cybex strollers which, according to the brand itself, represents the ultimate in high-performance and iconic design. You won’t find fancy rose gold frames or designs in their Gold everyday line which Cybex Orfeo belongs to.
Both strollers are similar in terms of functions, but the core difference is that the padding on Coya is promoted as removable and also has mesh backrest and mesh canopy inserts, while on Orfeo has no mesh but the covers are also washable and removable, just require slightly more undoing (but honestly, how often you need to wash them truly?).
Orfeo folds in one single movement, while Coya requires a few weird steps and it’s not as effortless as in their advertisement.
Orfeo handle is slightly lower than Coya, but I’m 5’7 and I don’t find it uncomfortable. Joolz Aer+ parental handle is way higher and I don’t see a huge difference in pushing it.
The underneath basket under Orfeo is more spacious as it’s wider and the break is located higher, while it’s extremely low on Coya causing more chances to accidentally hit it when walking.
While Cybex Coya might look more luxurious the biggest con and why I prefer Orfeo is that the seat is more reclined even in the most upright position. Kids hate it and parents find their kids slouching a lot, so sitting more upright is a key factor for me.
Ultimately, Orfeo is much more practical than Coya.
Folding and Unfolding of Cybex Orfeo Stroller
Cybex Orfeo offers a truly one hand fold and unfold. While it doesn’t unfold as smoothly as Babyzen Yoyo it’s smooth enough and doesn’t require an aggressive push, which is nice.
As Orfeo fold super small it’s not a problem to fit it in the overhead bin of the plane. The only downside is that Orfeo has the same bumper bar as Libelle, which means the stroller doesn’t fold with it. It’s not hard to unclip, roll and put in your purse, but it’s an extra step.
Once you fold the stroller you might feel that the part of it (canopy) sticks out, because you have to clip it in with a velcro. Technically you don’t have to clip it in and it doesn’t affect anything and when you carry the stroller on your shoulder it doesn’t matter, but you can clip this part in so the stroller is completely flat.
Wish this step wasn’t there as it was slightly annoying but we figured we could attach the loose bumper bar to it that way.
Seat Compartment, Recline & Canopy
The seat on Cybex Orfeo is very tall, surprisingly tall I’d say. I tried it with my son who’s 4 years old and tall for his age (42″) and he fits comfortably even when reclined.
The seat isn’t weirdly angled backward, so my son had to sit upright without any effort and actually recline when he wants to. Ironically, being able to sit upright is a feature that’s disappearing from most strollers as manufacturers think kids want to sit in a weird position.
The recline isn’t incredibly deep or close to flat, but enough for a child to relax and the sides are protective.
If you buy Cybex Orfeo in Europe the recline will be close to flat. While it’s tempting, the stroller construction makes things prone to tipping when fully reclined, so be careful with it.
However, after a few weeks the seat bent slightly already and became sort of an umbrella stroller with the middle part hanging like a swing. My son didn’t care, but it visually looks bad and why I wouldn’t recommend it for a child younger than 12 months old.
Now, the harness is a great game-changer. I owned Cybex strollers before, but this year they introduced a new pullout function of the straps. It’s so easy to strap the child in, as it loosens like car seat straps.
There is an adjustable footrest. It’s soft on the inside, but not too soft like it used to be on Libelle.
Final Verdict of Cybex Orfeo stroller
Cybex Orfeo stroller is an okay lightweight travel stroller. We used it as a secondary stroller when we explore all day long and our older son gets tired. Would I get it again? Probably yes but only if it was about 1/3 of its current price, but ultimately handling our Babyzen Yoyo was easier than this.
The only thing I wish was different was compatibility with a buggy board with a seat and this is the reason why strollers like Babyzen Yoyo or Joolz Aer keep winning. While Cybex offers a buggy board it’s not yet compatible with Orfeo and even if it was their board doesn’t offer a seat. It’s an important function for us as we’ve been using a buggy board with a seat ever since our older son turned 3 years old for shorter trips.
Im a little confused the review says it does not recline? I have read all other reviews and the description always says it recline almost flat ( the main reason this was my first choice). Does this recline more than the baby yoyo ?
Yoyo reclines more than Orfeo. The picture of the stroller sideways is the most reclined position of it.
I’ve been reading through your reviews and torn on what might be best.
Have a tall 3.5 year old who is light. Want a travel stroller that is comfortable enough to be our only stroller. Ideally fits in airplane overhead. Would you say joolz aer, colugo, or tour plus?
I will say either Joolz Aer or Tour Plus. City Tour has slightly less depth when folded which means it’s more guaranteed to fit than Joolz.
The Yoyo unfortunately hasn’t passed safety standards here in Australia.
This really puts me off buying this pram for this reason with no reply from the company about rectifying these issues.
Please don’t confuse a third-party testing to official testing. The stroller isn’t recalled or anything, it’s just someone’s opinion basically and FYI the company did reply and retested it again and disagreed with the finding (obviously because they’re pretty ridiculous actually). There’s no way for head entrapment because the stroller doesn’t recline that far back and honestly – according to Choice the way to make it to their liking would be including a mesh there and it would be the stroller useless for children over 18 months (another stroller did that and why I know it). Wheels move slightly on 95% of strollers on the market… it’s completely normal.
Hi Anna! I’m flying back to Perth from Europe and want to buy a small travel stroller. I’m debating between the libelle and the orfeo. Although I do like the Joolz aer +, but I want to be able to take the stroller on board as I have a 6 month old and need it for the stop over. I’m goin with Qatar airways this time. What would you suggest? I prefer thd orfeo, the one I saw in store had a 165 degree recline! And the libelle is the only one that fits the airlines cabin luggage size.
I wouldn’t recommend either Orfeo or Libelle for a 6 month old honestly. I’m not saying you can’t use it, but both strollers are better for older kids who sit better – for an infant so small it will cause slouching due to softness of the seats.
Babyzen Yoyo would be slightly smaller than Joolz Aer and has a similar recline (even more than Libelle actually), but also keep in mind two things:
– Qatar can return your stroller to the gate for a layover if you’re forced to gate check it due to lack of space or something else.
– If for some reason they want to gate check your stroller and tell you to use Doha Airport strollers, do insist that your baby is too small for an umbrella stroller and they might find a place to store it (speaking from experience here, as I’ve done it with Emirates)
That said, pick a stroller you like the most basically. If you like Joolz just get it, but also keep in mind that laws in Australia require you to have a tether strap on parental handle which you won’t get if you buy a stroller in Europe, so you’ll have to purchase it separately.
Thank you Anna for the advice. Doha have no strollers at the airport to use at all, due to Covid they took them out and haven’t brought back since and I have an overnight stopover for 5 hours.
I was thinking about orfeo because it reclines completely in Europe, is pretty cheap ($250 usd) and so does the Joolz aer +, but double the price then the orfeo. The first Joolz aer or the other hand is also well priced and you get a bumper bar and a cup holder for (375$ usd) as it’s being discontinued. In Australia you can’t purchase full recline travel strollers as laws don’t allow it.
And the libelle is just under 200$ usd.
I’d get a couple if I could 😆 but my older one is 10, so just need one.
According to Qatar website they still do (https://www.qatarairways.com/tradeportal/en/specialservices/Children-and-Infants.html) and they definitely did last year.
It’s the same in the US regarding the recline and honestly I’d be careful with full recline on Orfeo though (I just updated the post with a note about it), because it gets tippy, especially as the child grows. But most importantly the bending seat on Orfeo is an issue for younger child who will obviously spend more time in a stroller than older ones who go in and out.
P.S. I wouldn’t get the bumper bar of Joolz that’s getting discontinued, because it doesn’t fold with the stroller. The new foldable bumper fits on both old and new Joolz so you could do that!