Perhaps the most underrated hack for travelling with kids is the carry-on friendly, compact travel stroller, which are approved to bring right on an airplane.
As anyone who owns a regular bulkier stroller knows, they can be a pain to maneuver in tight spaces and are awkward and heavy to lift—things you definitely don’t want to be dealing with while facing the prospect of carrying it up all the way up a tall staircase in a European train station.
Instead, these compact travel strollers for airplane use fold down to the size of a bag so you can bring them right on-board, are significantly lighter and often boast convenient features like a one-hand fold.
If you only go on vacation once a year springing for another stroller may not be worth the investment, but any more than that and I promise it will be your new travel BFF. Here are more reasons why they’re a must for family travel, and which ones I recommend after travelling around the world with our baby.
Carry on strollers make for a seamless airport experience
Flying and transiting to your final destination is undoubtedly the most stressful part of traveling with young kids, and the stroller you bring can either end up being the MVP or a humongous hassle—so choose wisely!
When you bring a large one you’re forced to check it, which means there’s a chance it can get lost or damaged in transit, you’ll have to carry your kid around the airport, and wait around for it at the oversize luggage carousel once you land.
Even gate checking can be a bit of a pain since it’s one more thing to deal with as you’re schlepping everything else on board; instead, we put our kids in a carrier when we’re about to get on the plane and have the stroller folded up in its small bag ready for the overhead bin.
A compact travel stroller fits everywhere
Aside from sliding seamlessly into the overhead bin, the best travel strollers for flying also make life easier once you’re back on the ground since they don’t take up much space while you explore your destination.
Anyone who’s ever travelled with kids knows space in hotel rooms is at a premium, and the luggage situation gets out of control quickly once you’re forced to pack extras like strollers and car seats which can make it tough to get around.
Luckily, we’ve been able to use Ubers in New Zealand, taxis in Spain and hop on trains in South Korea without too much of an issue, which would absolutely not be an option with our larger UPPAbaby Cruz that takes up an entire trunk’s worth of space.
They’re light enough to carry if needed
A big staircase with no elevator or escalator in sight is the bane of every parent’s existence, and chances are you’ll encounter this at some point during your trip.
Cobblestone steps in Barcelona, cable car stations in Seoul, an out-of-service elevator in Mexico; we’ve run into our fair share of inaccessible obstacles while pushing around our tot, and luckily it’s not that big of an issue since our small travel stroller is light enough that we can carry it in a pinch.
Compare that with the behemoth we use at home that I struggle to even lift into the trunk of our SUV, and you can see why bringing a lightweight ride is clutch.
You can use small travel strollers at home too
The best carry on strollers aren’t just for travel: ours does double-duty, since we also end up using it at home sometimes. When we’re going somewhere where it might be crowded like an outdoor festival or Christmas market, it’s much easier to push around a lightweight stroller that doesn’t take up as much space compared to our usual bulky one.
This is a great option for busy restaurants too, so you can easily fold it up and slide it under the table.
Globe Guide approved travel strollers
We took our daughter to nine countries on four continents before she turned one, so believe me when I say our carry-on stroller has a lot of miles.
Joolz AER+
We opted for the Joolz AER+ which is light, has smooth-gliding wheels, a one-hand fold (LOVE!) and can be used with a regular stroller seat, bassinet/cot or car seat.
This is the one that we’ve globetrotted all around the world with, and it looks and feels elevated while providing a comfortable ride for our daughter who has used it since she was three months old.
We picked the AER+ as it’s one of the lightest on the market at just 13.2 pounds, and fits into an airplane’s overhead bin without issue.
While this stroller has been good to us, like most on the market there’s no adapter to join it to another one, or footboard option for a toddler to stand on. So, while the AER+ is a good option for one kid families, it’s not quite as versatile once you have two children in tow.
Another sticking point is that it’s a pain to pull the canvas fabric off if you want to use it with the cot or a car seat instead, and the adapters for infant seats are an additional charge.
Globe Guide note: We purchased the AER+ model, and Joolz has since unveiled the Aer² which has slightly different specifications.
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CYBEX Libelle
When I first unboxed the CYBEX Libelle travel stroller I audibly gasped–it folds up so small! Even more of a surprise is how spacious it feels once it’s unfolded, so hats off to CYBEX’s engineering and design teams because I have no idea how they pulled this off.
The Libelle weighs 13.7 pounds making it one of the lightest on the market, and it’s carry-on compatible at just 18.9 inches x 7.8 inches when folded.
While it doesn’t feature a one-hand fold, it’s still possible to open or shut in just seconds thanks to the intuitive locking clip. There’s a one-pull harness to easily strap in the kiddos, an adjustable leg rest, spacious sun canopy and infinite recline. My husband also prefers the Libelle’s wide handles, compared to the AER+’s narrower frame.
The CYBEX Libelle travel stroller for airplane use really shines when it comes to versatility, since it includes adapters you simply clip on the side to slide a compatible car seat on (which are all CYBEX infant seats, the Nuna Pipa, Nuna Pipa Lite and Maxi Cosi Mico Luxe.)
Not only does this mean the Libelle can easily be used interchangeably for kids of various ages, but when you have an infant seat on you can use the sunshade on both the car seat and the stroller at the same time for extra protection from the elements.
Stokke YOYO
A common issue facing parents is which travel strollers to use once you have more than one child, since the carry-on friendly models are for single use only. There are side-by-side models, but you’ll still have to check or gate check them and since they’re wider there can be issues fitting through doorways.
The biggest issue we’ve personally run into is what to do now that we have two kids: do we get a double stroller that you can’t bring on an airplane and is wider, or bring two separate travel strollers but face the issue of not being able to connect them (which many don’t) which makes getting around with baggage harder?
If I could go back in time to when we picked our first carry on stroller, I would have opted for the Stokke YOYO.
Sure, it has travel-friendly features like a one-hand fold, padded shoulder strap and compact size, but the real highlight is this is the only one I’ve come across that offers an accessory to turn it into a double stroller…an absolute game changer once you have two tiny kiddos like we do.
The Stokke YOYO connect attaches to the back of a YOYO frame, creating an inline two-seat setup where the front stroller remains your main steering point, while the Connect glides smoothly behind. This makes it narrow enough to navigate crowded sidewalks and doorways, and when you only need one seat the Connect can be quickly removed or folded and hooked onto the back of the main stroller.
With multiple seating configurations available for different ages, it offers the flexibility of a double stroller while still being lightweight and compact. However, the YOYO has limited storage space underneath, so I still prefer strollers like the Libelle or Joolz AER if you only have one child who uses a stroller.
Calilou stroller adapters
I came across a French company called Calilou that makes magnetic connectors, and while I haven’t personally tested them there are great reviews and seems to be a solid workaround.
These allow two compact strollers to magnetically connect side-by-side, so there’s an option to use separately or together. Currently, compatible models include the popular Stokke YOYO, CYBEX Libelle and Silver Cross Nia.
Choosing the best travel stroller for flying
As any parent who has ever purchased a stroller before knows, there’s rarely a ‘one size fits all’ solution in this department, even for travel; it really comes down to things like budget, how many children you have and how old (big) they are.
Regardless of which one you choose to globetrot around the world with, trust me when I say that in my experience a compact travel stroller is an absolute must for family travel.
YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY:
- Essentials for travelling with a baby: The best tried and tested gear
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- Baby essentials for the ‘next’ phase: 4 months old and up
- CYBEX e-Gazelle S Stroller review (from a mom of two)
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