Honorable Mentions
There are a lot of strollers out there. Here are a few more I like but aren't my top recommendations for one reason or another.
Baby Jogger City Mini GT2 for $400: This is another city stroller like the Thule Shine, but its nearly flat fold reminds me of a travel stroller. It comes with a car seat attachment that works with many popular car seat makers, so it's a great pick if you want something to work with a car seat right away and still has a great, lightweight fold. It has fantastic wheel suspension, similar to a jogging stroller but with much smaller wheels.
Bugaboo Butterfly for $439: This is a great stroller that reminds me of the Nuna TRVL with its easy fold and light weight. It comes in nice colors and has a big canopy, and is almost the exact dimensions for a carry-on. I just wish the frame felt a little sturdier for the price, and that it had a bumper bar.
Colugo the One for $249: This is a fine stroller, but for the price I'd rather pay a little extra to get one of the top picks in this guide, and you can save money and get a better fold with our budget picks.
Ergobaby Metro+ for $299: This stroller reminds me a lot of the Delta Children Icon, but it has an adjustable handlebar, so it's a better choice for taller parents. (It's rare to find an adjustable handlebar on travel strollers at all!) It's also car seat compatible, so it's better if you want to use it earlier, and the seat is a little larger also so your kid might fit into it longer than other affordable strollers. While it has a sturdier frame than the Icon, it doesn't fold or unfold as easily as the Icon or my other picks, nor is it as easy to carry. But if you're really tall, you might be happy to deal with those issues for a much easier reach.
Joie Tansy for $100: This umbrella stroller embodies the classic compact stroller shape, but it's so tall when folded that it's more difficult to place in cars or planes than the rest of our picks.
Joovy Kooper for $299: This stroller is one of the cheapest I've tested, and I like that it comes with a full snack tray—something you won't find in almost any other travel stroller. It folds down flat rather than upright.
Munchkin Night Owl Travel Stroller for $254: This has a similar compact fold to the Cybex Libelle 2 but includes little lights for the front stroller wheels. It's a good option if you're traveling somewhere that will include a lot of night walks.
Silver Cross Jet 5 for $439: This was a previous pick in this guide, but after hearing that other folks struggled with the fold as much as I did, I don't recommend it as a top pick any longer.
... continue reading