Simplify Family Vacations
I don’t remember this particular travel incident like it was yesterday — and that’s a blessing. But I recall it well enough to be glad that I’ve never experienced anything like it since. See, my wife and I had traveled across the country with our then 18-month-old son. Like many young families, we’d pinched some pennies and opted for a red-eye flight back home with a connection in Detroit. There was just one problem: our originating flight was really late.
When we hit the ground in Detroit, we had about 20 minutes to make our connection — a connection that was all the way across the terminal. And instead of a travel stroller, we had an inexpensive wheeled contraption that fastened onto the back of my son’s car-seat. Only it didn’t work. It would dump him over as we tried to run with it. So I scooped him, his car-seat, the contraption, and my carry-on up and sprinted.
We made the connection, but afterward I’d wished that I’d had a proper travel stroller. So if you’re in the market for some of the best travel strollers that can stand up to the rigors of airlines and unfamiliar locales, read on!
General Travel Strollers
Some travel strollers can work well with almost any situation. In fact, a number of them can do double duty, serving as a primary stroller when you aren’t on the road. For example, the Summer Infant 3D Lite Convenience Stroller ($72 USD at Amazon) has all the options that you’d expect in a lightweight stroller for travel. It weighs less than 16 pounds, breaks down in three easy steps, and can accommodate children up to 50 pounds. However, its ample storage space and sturdy construction make it appropriate for everyday use.
The 2017 GB Pockit Stroller ($180 USD at Amazon) doesn’t have quite the same storage space as the Summer Infant 3B. But if offers multiple folding configurations and was even dubbed the “World’s Smallest Folding Stroller” by Guinness World Records. Not only will this tiny 9.5-pound stroller work well on the road, it’s perfect for families with limited storage space or in urban settings.
And speaking of urban areas, that’s exactly the environment for which the Bugaboo Bee5 ($759 USD at Amazon) was designed. With the ability to transport children up to 37 pounds and the producer’s most compact stroller, it’s equally at home at, well, home as it is in some far-flung locale. An optional wheel board will let larger children coast along when their little legs get tired. Additionally, the Bugaboo Comfort Transport Bag ($166 USD at Amazon) safeguards all Bugaboo strollers when checked as baggage on a flight.
Double Travel Strollers
Families with a pair of young children have a difficult decision: do they pack multiple strollers, let one kiddo get footsore, or try to wrestle with a bulky device meant to haul two youngsters at once? While there aren’t as many tandem travel stroller options, you can still find a few. For instance, the Delta Children LX Side by Side Tandem Umbrella Stroller ($72 USD at Amazon) features all the benefits of your standard umbrella stroller — except for the fact that it has two seats sandwiched next to each other. Surprisingly, this 25-pound stroller can also fit through a 30-inch door.
The JOOVY Caboose Too Ultralight Graphite Stand-On Tandem Stroller ($200 USD at Amazon) is designed to accommodate babies and older systems. A traditional bucket seat for the little ones meets a straighter-backed, reverse-positioned seat that doubles as a standing platform for older children. It also weighs less than 25 pounds.
Did you know that travel can improve your love life? Learn about the link between traveling and relationships to improve connections in your life.
Travel System Strollers
One of the realities of travel is that families with young children generally always have to lug around a car-seat in addition to a stroller. Well, travel system strollers can help alleviate some of that hassle. With these kinds of strollers, the wheeled section essentially becomes a modular unit into which a specific car-seat can slot.
The Chicco Bravo LE Trio Travel System ($430 USD at Amazon) combines a popular car-seat brand with a stroller base, a car-seat base, and the car-seat itself. Much heavier than most travel strollers at just over 40 pounds, nevertheless the Chico will still simplify travel for many families.
The Babyzen YOYO+ ($499 USD at Amazon) prides itself on being the very first stroller accepted as on-board luggage by Air France. Though designed as a standalone travel stroller, it also has optional car-seat adapters that you can purchase to transform it into a travel system. The YOYO+ also comes in two distinct body styles.
Though the diversity in travel-stroller designs might seem bewildering at first, it’s actually a great advantage for parents. There’s sure to be a perfect design out there for you!