Are you planning on travelling with a baby or toddler this year? Going on an aeroplane? We took a look at the best options to help you solve that big dilemma - do I leave my big travel system at home and take a smaller more compact buggy?
Quick Summary: Now that Covid is behind us (hopefully), parents are looking to travel further afield with their little ones. Picking a suitable set of wheels for their journey can be a bit of a minefield. However, here at Pushchair Expert we have gathered together the best options to help you!
Can I take a buggy into the plane with me or will it have to go in the hold?
When you are travelling with a child, an airline will usually allow you to take two pieces of essential luggage with you without having to pay an excess. For a lot of people, this will be their pushchair and a car seat. Some airlines will allow you to take your buggy on board with you as long as it folds in one piece and is small enough – whilst others will take it off you at the gate and you will get it back after passport control. It is worth bearing in mind that even if your buggy does fit the hand luggage size criteria it is at the airline’s discretion – and we are hearing of more and more parents who are disappointed that they can’t take their buggy on board with them. Personally, I have found that if your buggy comes with a travel bag, it is worth packing it away BEFORE you board the plane as then you can often board with it un-noticed! Our advice is to take a baby carrier in your hand luggage just in case!
Even if you are not planning on taking your stroller on board with you, once away a compact folding stroller can be useful to fit in hire cars (often smaller than the car you have at home PLUS you have all your luggage with you)!
If you are travelling with a newborn and are looking for a compact folding stroller, you must make sure that it is suitable from birth. Some strollers are only suitable from 6 months but there are a number that you have the option to add an accessory (such as a newborn nest) which are indicated below. We would never recommend that you use a car seat for long periods of time rather than putting your baby in a suitable from-birth stroller.
Joolz Aer
The Joolz Aer is suitable from 6 months unless you add the carrycot. This is one of our favourite from-birth options for those travelling further afield because it folds WITH the carrycot on!!!! This is really important when travelling on a plane however it is worth noting that you are unlikely to get this on board with you with the carrycot attached. This is something you may have to compromise on!
• Folded dimension (with carrycot) – 86cm x 45cm x 35cm
• Folded dimension (no carrycot) – 53.5cm x 45cm x 21.5cm
• Weight – 6kg
• Weight (with carrycot) – 8kg
• Suitability – From 6 months or from birth with carrycot to 22kg
• Travel Bag – Yes
• Worth knowing – Joolz Aer offers an impressive 55cm seat back.
Babyzen YoYo Plus
The Babyzen YoYo2 was one of the first compact fold pushchairs which is generally seen as airline-approved. Available in a wide range of colours, this has always been a popular option for parents travelling further afield. The YoYo2 has the option to add a newborn pack (bassinet) to make this suitable from birth rather than 6 months and will fold with the bassinet in situ which is very beneficial AND it remains cabin approved even in this mode.
• Folded dimension – 55cm x 18cm x 14cm
• Weight – 6.2kg
• Weight (with newborn pack) – 6.6kg
• Suitability – From 6 months or from birth with newborn pack to 22kg
• Travel Bag – yes
• Worth knowing – Babyzen YoYo2 is available in 9 trendy colours.
Bugaboo Butterfly
The Bugaboo Butterfly is really the new kid on the block when it comes to cabin-approved strollers. Suitable from 6 months it is certified for air travel. Whilst it has no carrycot or newborn option, you can add an infant carrier. However, we would not recommend this for long periods of time.
• Folded dimension -54cm x 43m x 24cm
• Weight – 7.3kg
• Suitability – From 6 months to 22kg
• Travel Bag – yes
• Worth knowing – The Bugaboo Butterfly is compatible with a range of infant carriers.
Mountain Buggy Nano
The Mountain Buggy Nano is a well-established option for parents taking a buggy on a plane. From 6 months it provides parents with a very lightweight but sturdy option. You can add a cocoon to use from birth but it is worth noting that this does not fold on the buggy and is quite bulky if you need to remove it for air travel.
• Folded dimension – 54cm x 51cm x 30cm
• Weight – 6kg
• Weight (with cocoon) – 7.5kg
• Suitability – From 6 months or from birth with cocoon to 20kg
• Travel Bag – yes
• Worth knowing – The cocoon is lovely should you need to convert this to a from-birth option.
Silver Cross Jet
Silver Cross have been making pushchairs for many years and the Jet is their stylish cabin-approved option. We love the fold of the Jet and the ability to use the bumper bar as a handle to drag the pushchair through the airport if required. The Jet is the lightest stroller in our rundown of airline-approved strollers.
• Folded dimension – 55cm x 30cm x 20cm
• Weight – 5.9kg
• Suitability – From 6 months to 15kg
• Travel Bag – yes
• Worth knowing – The Jet has an ingenious magnetic buckle making it easy to harness little one in quickly.
Bizzi Growin Buggilite
The Bizzi Growin Buggilite is one of the only airline-approved strollers that is bright and patterned and is certainly likely to turn heads. It is suitable from 6 months so this won’t suit you if you need it for a younger baby.
• Folded dimension – 40cm x 36cm x 23cm
• Weight – 5.8kg
• Suitability – From 6 months to 15kg
• Travel Bag – yes
• Worth knowing – This is the lightest option in our rundown of airline-approved buggies.
Cybex Libelle
Not only is the Cybex Libelle cabin approved, it is also one of the smallest folding strollers available and by small we mean REALLY small! This stroller really holds the WOW factor when folding in front of other people and is perfect for slotting behind a seat in the hire car once you reach your destination.
• Folded dimension – 48cm x 32cm x 30cm
• Weight – 5.9kg
• Suitability – From 6 months to 22kg
• Travel Bag – no
• Worth knowing – Very small fold – will fit in most rucksacks!
Summary
We know that travelling with a little one can be a little stressful – if you are able to take your buggy into the plane with you, this is bound to help when you reach your destination. After all, carrying a tired child through a busy airport to collect your luggage and pushchair just adds to the stress!
