GoKawiilAlison DeNisco Rayome/ZDNET
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As a parent and a tech commerce editor, I love trying out new gear with smart features, or that's engineered in an interesting way to make your life easier amid the chaos and sleep deprivation. Enter the TernX: A stroller that folds up into a carry-on-size suitcase, for easier travel around airports with a little one and stows right on the plane.
When the opportunity to try out the TernX crossed my inbox ahead of a family trip, I was eager to take it for a spin on our flight from New York City to Indianapolis with a 1- and 4-year-old. And overall, this was an impressive piece of parenting gear that I'll continue to use in the future -- though with its high price tag of $699, it's more of a luxury than a necessity.
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The TernX -- which won a 2026 Red Dot Design Award and was previously named one of Time's Best Inventions -- is solid and hefty, weighing 17 lbs, and designed for toddlers up to 48.5 lbs. It feels like a premium product in terms of build quality.
Unfolding it from the suitcase into the stroller was easy, and only took me a few tries to master -- there are three buttons to push, and you're done. One downside, though, is that you need two hands to do it, so you'll have to set your child down or have someone help hold them while you're opening and closing it to go through TSA. Then it's three steps again to fold it back up into a suitcase. I found it sometimes took a couple of tries to get it to fully snap back into place during the last step, but it wasn't a big issue.
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Once in stroller mode, the TernX worked well. It handled curving around the airport security lanes easily, and was a smooth ride. The seat is on the smaller side compared to other strollers, so it probably wouldn't be suitable for longer walks or non-smooth surfaces. But for the airport and traveling around the walkable college town we visited, it was perfect.
Alison DeNisco Rayome/ZDNET
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